WALKING ON SUNSHINE

We know the best way to get to know tropical country is to walk through and around it: a cloud forest and its birds, an island ran by women, a 900 hectare reserve and its 15 meter iconic waterfall in the Nicoya Peninsula… At the end, a well-deserved time to relax in a beach in front of the Pacific Ocean! Surrounded by beautiful scenery, this experience will surely fill you with a blend of energy and peace… We have designed this trip very carefully and we are certain that if you love nature and hiking you will be pleased to go for it. Let’s get going!

Day 1: Airport & San José

Welcome to San José! We will be waiting for you at the airport to transfer you to your lodging.

Day 2: escazú mountains

After an early breakfast we will depart for a hike at the Escazú Hills, where we will enjoy the beautiful vistas of the Central Valley. Afterwards at the hillside town of San Antonio we will get acquainted with the boyero culture (decorated oxcarts), the “trapiche” (traditional sugar mills), the “mascaradas” (masquerade street parties) and other traditions.

Day 3: Monteverde

We’ll start our day on a drive towards the cloud forest of Monteverde, where we will immerse ourselves in one of its amazing reserves on a guided hike. All of the proceedings from the entrances to the reserve are destined to educational, research and conservation projects. Due to the location of our lodge, inside a private reserve enables you to go on well-marked free unguided hikes!

Day 4: monteverde

The Quakers are the founding families of Monteverde, and they were the first to set aside a portion of their land as a reserve, thus initiating the conservation movement in the country. Today we will hike in this first reserve, exploring 5 miles of trails along the unique flora and diverse fauna of the cloud forest. In the afternoon we will visit the hanging bridges along a 2 mile trail, built over the forest, they offer a unique perspective of this emerald forest.

Day 5: isla chira – cañas

In less than two hours we will descend from the chilly cloud forest to the pacific coast, where we will embark on a boat across the Nicoya Gulf to Chira, the second largest island in Costa Rica. The downtrodden economy is being revived by women’s initiatives ranging from mangrove caretaking, oyster farming and artisan souvenir making. We will learn all about this on a hike along mangroves and the typical tropical island vegetation.

Day 6: karen mongensen wildlife refuge reserve

After spending the night at a sustainable “hacienda” in the Guanacaste plains region we head out to the Karen Mogensen Wildlife Refuge Reserve. This danish lady was another of the key players in starting the conservation movement in our country, you will be amazed by this story as you walk along the trails of the reserve. Today we will make the first of two hikes, ending up with a lunch!

Day 7: karen mongensen wildlife refuge reserve

Today we will explore the trails of the reserve, with beautiful vistas of the Nicoya Gulf, and we will arrive to the iconic Bridesveil Fall, where there’s going to be opportunity to swim on the beautiful riverpools.

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Day 8: SANTA TERESA BEACH

We say goodbye to this beautiful reserve after our last early morning hike and we head out to a well-deserved beach retreat! Santa Teresa is a casual and mellow beachtown in our pacific coast. It’s famous for several long golden sand beaches, stunning sunsets and cosmopolitan gastronomy.