15-DAY TOP END COSTA RICA

Costa Rica has long been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. With its golden beaches, abundant wildlife, and endless opportunities for adventure, it offers an unparalleled tropical vacation experience. There is no shortage of fantastic things about Costa Rica travel,  no matter what type of vacation you are looking for. Costa Rica is renowned for its stunning biodiversity, vast protected spaces, and warm weather. It’s home to dense jungles, active volcanoes, rushing rivers, spectacular waterfalls, and vibrant cities. Here is what the 15-day Top End Costa Rica Tour offers.

 

Costa Rica Beach

 

Turrialba 

Located due east of San José, Turrialba is just two hours from the airport yet feels like a different world entirely. With its active volcano, majestic landscapes, clean rivers, and unique gastronomy, Turrialba offers something memorable for just about anyone. The Turrialba Volcano forms a single system in conjunction with the Irazú Volcano. It is a stratovolcano oval and its formation is due to explosive and effusive lava events, it has three craters with the presence of dry lava flows on their flanks. The summit of the volcano offers a cloud and rain forest that is amazing to explore; it is home to wildlife and foliage that you can see during a hike. Some of the wildlife you might encounter includes giant toads, agouti, toucans, howler monkeys, armadillos, and long-tailed hermits (a type of hummingbird). There is also an array of rich foliage, which includes bamboo, awaiting you in the forests. Learn about everyone’s favorite caffeinated beverage at Aquiares, Costa Rica’s largest single-unit coffee farm. The Finca La Florita allows you to live the process behind the famous Turrialba cheese. You’ll learn the century-old recipe and experience a taste of rural Costa Rican life,  and of course, of the delicious cheese itself.

 

Turrialba Volcano

 

Puerto Viejo

 

Known for its laid-back atmosphere, beautiful beaches, nightlife, and abundant wildlife and nature, the area will seduce you without a doubt. Situated on the Caribbean side of the country, Puerto Viejo is popular amongst surfers, backpackers, and solo travelers. Although Puerto Viejo is not considered a luxury travel destination, there are a couple of great luxury options for accommodation. You won’t find resorts and big hotels here, but there are some beautiful boutique hotels to choose from. The town of Puerto Viejo will seduce you with its charming streets filled with restaurants, cafés, souvenir shops, clothing boutiques, and fruit stands, all of this paired with a magnificent sea view! Many of the restaurants and bars are situated on the beach, allowing you to enjoy a fresh ceviche and a drink while watching the waves of the Caribbean Sea. You can have a very good time catching waves near Puerto Viejo whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced surfer. Between the months of November and April is when you’ll experience the biggest waves in this region of Costa Rica. Visit a unique black sand beach, formed from the nearby volcanic activity, and as Costa Rica has a lot of volcanos, it only makes sense to visit at least one black sand beach while you’re there. Cahuita National Park is located 17 kilometers north of Puerto Viejo and is easily accessible by bus or car. The options are endless in this Caribbean beach town.

 

Puerto Viejo Luxury Lodge

Arenal

 

Arenal is the epitome of the top travel destination in Costa Rica. Great facilities, fun activities, amazing scenery, a beautiful volcano, and abundant wildlife, all that and much more can be found in Arenal. Arenal offers plenty of things to do to occupy you for a couple of days. From hikes, canopy tours, waterfalls, and eco-lodges to hot springs or hanging bridges, you sure will have fun in Arenal. Soaking in hot pools really is among the best things to do in Costa Rica. Tabacon Hot Springs is the only place in the area that offers a natural river, which means that this place is highly exclusive and offers a bit more distinct experience. Five hundred steps will take you down to the base of a Catarata Rio Fortuna, a beautiful waterfall plunging into a crystal clear pool from a height of 70 meters.

 

La Fortuna Waterfall

Santa Teresa

 

Santa Teresa is a coastal paradise on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula on the Costa Rica Pacific coastline. It is famous for its excellent surfing and wild palm-tree-lined beaches. Santa Teresa is a booming holiday destination, and for that reason, there are countless lovely cafes, boutique hotels, and yoga studios opening up in town. The town runs alongside a 4-kilometer-long street, surrounded by lush green hills filled with wildlife like Howler Monkeys and Iguanas. Playa Santa Teresa. It’s best for sunbathing due to its beautiful stretch of white sand at low tide. It’s a long and wide beach with the jungle as a backdrop.  Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is a protected conservation area with over 1200 hectares of mixed forest. This seabird sanctuary is popular with travelers who want a taste of coastal birdwatching in Costa Rica. Around 240 bird species have been recorded in Cabo Blanco, along with several mammals. You might spot armadillos, anteaters, monkeys, coatis, and if you’re lucky, the ever-elusive ocelot.

 

Santa Teresa

 

Book the Top End Cost Rica tour here and find out the best way to spend 15 days in Costa Rica.