A Quieter Costa Rica

An inspiring trip spending time in upmarket lodges in just three areas. Experience authentic country life, step out in beautiful mountain scenery and explore the rich wildlife of quiet wetlands.

from £2840

'A Quieter Costa Rica'

What makes this trip special?

Coffee, agriculture and rural life

'Chayote Country'

This agricultural region of Costa Rica produces some of the finest coffee in the world. Visit local plantations to learn about the processes involved in turning bean to cup. Experience Costa Rica's rich rural traditions and enjoy a slice of real local life - perhaps visit the town of Sarchí, home to intricately painted ox carts or Naranjo farmers market and enjoy lunch in a local café.

Costa Rica's most beautiful waterfall

Catarata del Toro Amarillo

This 70m high waterfall which plunges into an extinct volcano crater and is surrounded by verdant forest in the small cloudforest village of Bajos del Toro is arguably one of the most beautiful waterfalls in all Costa Rica. An excellent stop for birders (Costa Rica's endemic Coppery-headed Emerald hummingbird can be seen here), hikers and nature enthusiasts.

Electric blue waters and lush volcanic forests

Rio Celeste

Tumbling down the forested slopes of the Tenorio Volcano National Park, volcanically charged waters plummet into electric blue-hued lagoons surrounded by lush forest. This remote region is a great base for active types looking to hike, bike or horse-ride or those looking to relax in a beautiful natural setting

Remote wetland habitat teeming with wildlife

Caño Negro

Near the Nicaraguan border in remote northern Costa Rica, the wetlands and waterways of the Caño Negro Wildlife refuge are home to a huge number of flora and fauna (particularly good for waterbirds) and are an excellent location for natural history viewing. Best explored by boat or kayak.

Itinerary

Day Overnight
1 Llano Bonito
2 Llano Bonito
3 Llano Bonito
4 Rio Celeste
5 Rio Celeste
6 Rio Celeste
7 Cano Negro
8 Cano Negro
9 Cano Negro
10 San Jose (Airport)
10 _FlightPathCRNorth-OUT
For the detail of each day click the ‘Day-by-day’ tab above.

Day-by-day itinerary for 'A Quieter Costa Rica'

DAY 1

Chayote Country

On arrival in San José you are driven to an upmarket lodge atop a hill above Llano Bonito, a village typical of Costa Rica’s ‘Chayote Country’ of coffee, farms and rural life. Stay here 3 nights.

DAY 2

The small town of Naranjo is an epicentre of Costa Rican coffee, ringed by haciendas that produce some of the finest coffee in the world. Your local guide takes you to a growers’ cooperative to see how the best coffee is made at international scale, with an informal tasting session to follow. After a country style lunch in the town’s market and a walk around the stalls with your guide you visit the home of ‘Don’ Carlos a respected artisanal coffee grower. He and his family welcome occasional visitors to their beautifully landscaped private gardens and for a chat over a cup of their exquisite coffee.

DAY 3

A second day of rural life, exploring villages in the highlands above the Central Valley with your local guide. You visit La Palmita, famous for its homemade sweet treats, and continue to Zarcero, a small town around a pretty church beside gardens of extraordinary topiaried arches. Amid beautiful mountain scenery you visit the villages of Palmira and Pueblo Nuevo and call at a small family-run farm. At Bajos del Toro in the cloud forests you stop for lunch at a local ‘soda’ cafe. The gorgeous waterfall of Toro Amarillo (photo p34), one of the most beautiful in Costa Rica, pours into the crater of an extinct volcano. Gardens teeming with hummingbirds lead you to the crater’s rim for a stunning view opposite the falls. Allow about 2 hours if you’d like to walk the forest trails to the base with a stiff hike back up.

DAY 4

Tenorio National Park and Rio Celeste

The bejewelled waters of the Rio Celeste tumble down mountainsides into impossibly blue lagoons and wind through green forests in scenes from a fairy tale. The river flows through the relatively unknown Tenorio NP, a great area for walking in nature with wildlife all around. After a journey of 3 hours or so you arrive at a lovely upper range lodge set in forest next to the Tenorio reserve: your base for 3 nights. The rest of the day is free to relax and enjoy the lodge or opt for one of the activities available locally at extra cost.

DAY 5

With a local guide you walk on trails that wind through the forest of the reserve, arriving first at a look-out with a picture postcard view of Rio Celeste waterfalls. Further on you reach a timber platform with stunning views over the forest. As you walk you could see howler monkeys and squirrels, and possibly even tapir, below trees festooned with bromeliads and through areas of elegant palms. The trail ends at ‘Los Teñidores’, where the waters of two small rivers bearing different minerals come together to create a celestial blue and the start of Rio Celeste itself. The whole 7km trail takes around 4h and is rocky and steep in parts.

DAY 6

A free day to spend at your lodge, or take an excursion. These may include walking, horse-riding, or biking trips, a safari river float, a ‘Finca Verde’ cultural tour, guided bird watching, and perhaps a night walk in the forest, all payable locally.

DAY 7

BLD

Caño Negro

Today you travel to Caño Negro where you spend 3 nights at a nature lodge. Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge includes internationally important wetlands that are home to more than 350 species of birds, as well as emerald basilisk, iguanas, river turtles and caiman. Jaguar are present but highly elusive as ever. The afternoon of your arrival is free.

DAY 8

BLD

Today you are taken on a nature-viewing trip by boat into the reserve with an experienced local naturalist guide.

DAY 9

BLD

A free day relax at your lodge or choose from the excursions, such as canoeing, wetlands wildlife. Night walks are usually also on offer. Each is at extra cost paid locally.

DAY 10

This morning travel back to San José in time to check in for your flight home.

Route map for Costa Rica 'A Quieter Costa Rica' holiday

Guide prices for 'A Quieter Costa Rica'

options	based on	all year	low season	mid season	high season	peak season	other season
Upper range hotels, selfdrive (Tucson)	2 people sharing		£2,840		£3,360
Upper range hotels, private transfers	2 people sharing		£2,945		£3,385

Prices are per person and include:

all travel in Costa Rica
all accommodation
meals as indicated (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)
excursions as indicated

Prices do not include:

international flights
travel insurance
airport and departure taxes
items of a personal nature such as drinks, tips, laundry, etc
any optional excursions you may buy locally

Customer reviews for 'A Quieter Costa Rica'

Recent reviews are shown here from holidays based on this initial design. In each case the itinerary may have been modified (a little or a lot) to suit the individual traveller.

Average

Seasonal information for 'A Quieter Costa Rica'

Select your month of travel:

Along this route in January

Day	Location	Max °C
1	Llano Bonito	24°C	41mm
2	Llano Bonito	24°C	41mm
3	Llano Bonito	24°C	41mm
4	Rio Celeste	29°C	196mm
5	Rio Celeste	29°C	196mm
6	Rio Celeste	29°C	196mm
7	Cano Negro	31°C	128mm
8	Cano Negro	31°C	128mm
9	Cano Negro	31°C	128mm
10	San Jose (Airport)	28°C	7mm
10	_FlightPathCRNorth-OUT	29°C	178mm

Typical weather for January

Max °C figures are the average daily maximum temperatures for the month. Rainfall is the average precipitation for the month.

Hotels for 'A Quieter Costa Rica'

Select your preferred accommodation option

Days 1 - 3

Chayote Lodge

Llano Bonito

Average rating 4.7 (10 ratings)

Chayote Lodge is one of our favourite properties in Costa Rica. It is a well-run boutique-style hotel, newly built, set in the small mountain village of Llano Bonito, a 50 minute drive from Costa Rica's main international airport outside San Jose.

Chayote Lodge offers its guests the opportunity to experience the local culture and nature of this lovely region of Costa Rica. Local coffee, agriculture and rural life are artfully reflected in the lodge buildings and furnishings. 'Chayote' means squash, which grows in abundance in the area. Guest bungalows have been built to resemble coffee receiving stations or 'recibidores'.

The lodge's accommodation is very comfortable and stylish. Each of the 12 spacious 'recibidor' suites have private balconies with stunning views over the Central Valley and with artwork and furniture designed by local artisans. They are equipped with king-sized beds and private bathrooms. There is a sofa in each suite.

The lodge's restaurant and bar is called 'Quelites'. It serves fresh, locally-grown, seasonal produce, including palmito cheese (a Costa Rican favourite), the local varieties of 'chayote' squash in season, and local coffee.

A good range of tours is offered from the lodge with its own naturalist local guide, including visiting a coffee plantation, cooking with locals, visiting the nearby towns of Zarcero and Naranjo or further afield to Poas and Irazu volcanoes, plus waterfall hikes and zip-lining. There is good birdwatching around the lodge; guided birding here or further afield can be arranged.

Recibidor suite

Days 5 - 6

Rio Celeste Hideaway

Tenorio Volcano National Park

Rio Celeste Hideaway is a small upmarket boutique hotel set in lush tropical grounds within rainforest surrounding the Tenorio Volcano National Park, approximately 1.5hrs drive from both Liberia airport and La Fortuna Arenal.

The 26 spacious "casita" bungalows have been designed with comfort and style in mind whilst reflecting the natural surroundings. Each has a king or two queen-sized pillow-top beds with luxury linens, private backyard patio with outdoor shower, flatscreen cable TV, A/C, mini-bar, coffee maker, wifi and private balcony with garden or forest view.

Hotel facilities include a swimming pool and thermal jacuzzis, open-air restaurant 'Kantala', specialising in fusion cuision surrounded by lush gardens and ponds filled with koi carp, 'Cantina del Rio' lounge bar, 'Blue Moon' swim up bar, 'Jungle' gym, 'Studio' spa offering a range of treatments and massages, games room, tours desk offering off-site tours such as horse-riding, hiking in the Tenorio National Park, chocolate tour, Heliconia hanging bridges. There are also 1.5 miles of trails through the lodge's El Tapir Preserve, including private access to the Rio Celeste river outside of the National Park, a unique highlight as guests can swim and enjoy its light blue hued waters (something that visitors can not do once they are within the National Park)

Days 7 - 9

Casa Agami at Hacienda Cano Negro

Hacienda Cano Negro is an upmarket birding and fishing retreat located on the banks of the Rio Frio near Los Chiles, approximately 2hrs north of Arenal. The hacienda is set on a 175 hectare property which comprises a low impact cattle farm and 15 hectares of protected wetlands which are home to a huge variety of wildlife including birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Current lodging here is provided in 'Casa Agami' a luxuriously appointed two floor house with outdoor swimming pool and sun deck containing three bedrooms and a master suite with a jacuzzi and terrace facing the river, three bathrooms, two lounge areas and an outdoor swimming pool. All rooms have A/C, TV and screened windows. Guests at Casa Agami have meals provided at the adjacent restaurant. There is a private dock on the river linked to the house and restaurant area by raised boardwalks. Tours such as birding, fishing and nightwalks can be arranged in nearby Cano Negro (30 minutes drive away).

Works are currently taking place on a neighbouring property to create "Tocu Marama", 10 high quality glamping-style tent rooms each with A/C, private bathrooms and stone jacuzzi tubs, which will also include a restaurant, bar and infinity pool. "Tocu Marama" is due to open in November 2023, with an additional 10 tents scheduled to be built in later 2024.