Physical Difficulty
Cultural rating
Wildlife expectation
Caminos de Osa is an innovative project in Costa Rica, that empowers local “micro-entrepreneurs” to develop sustainable tourism as a tool to achieve sustainable development in the region and to improve the lives of each of the communities members. Launched in 2015, Caminos de Osa offers tourists a multi-day immersion in authentic Costa Rica with visits to small communities, nature tours led by local guides, a sampling of traditional foods and humble lodging, sometimes in the homes of local families. Join this 11 day Off the beaten track tour for a totally immersive experience.
Special features of our 11 day Caminos De Osa Immersion Experience:
Type of Tourism: Nature, Jungle, Adventure
Places to Visit: San Jose, Savegre, Sierpe, Corcovado National Park, Playa Blanca
Duration: 11 Days and 10 Nights.
Type of Service: group tours.
Accommodation: 3 star hotels and lodges at every destination that you will visit. These hotels had been carefully chosen and we can guarantee that you will feel comfortable and your every need catered for!
Today is arrival day to the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose. Our driver will be waiting at the airport to take you to the town of Heredia, a great place to see the remarkable contrasts of Costa Rica. The Colonial architecture and traditional small towns, with the church, the park and the school forming the centre, combine with modern structures and the impressive backdrop of stunning green and blue mountains. This city is the home of the state university, national and international companies, beautiful national parks, protected areas...
Today we will head out to the town of Savegre. Impressive mountains give way to the Savegre River forming the habitat of exotic flora and fauna, protected areas and national parks in this spectacular natural zone. This is a favourite spot for bird watchers and those interested in authentic rural country living. The highlands and valleys are excellent fruit-producing regions. We will spend the evening in this natural paradise.
Today we will head out for a unique rafting experience. Our guides are locally born and internationally trained, offering a personalized experience of a lifetime. Perfect for watching the shorebirds on the riverside, the Savegre River plummets down through some of the most remote parts of Costa Rica. It travels through a series of National Parks and protected areas before it joins forces with the Rio Division. These 2 rivers form the Lower Savegre River and the 13-kilometre stretch is composed of class II & III rapids. There are ...
Today we will leave Savegre and head to Finca 6 Pre-Columbian Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Your guide will give you a brief history of southern Costa Rica from pre-Columbian times. At the site, we will find a sunken village of an ancient civilization that lived in the area between AD 400-1400 and made of large, perfectly round, stone spheres. After lunch, we will head to the town of Sierpe. Are you ready to escape to a place of wild mountain forests, spilling down onto pristine beaches? Going down to the south Pacific to exp...
Today we will leave the Sandoval's home after a delicious typical breakfast. We will cross a mountain along rainforest trails for a 6 km hike. Along the way, we can catch a glimpse of the many bird species, insects and some of the mammals that live in the rainforest. We will stop at a traditional gold mining family’s home. To learn about the artisanal techniques of gold extraction used to find gold in the local rivers. We will then visit a traditional sugar mill where the normal production process of sugar cane candy is carried...
After a magical sunrise, we will head out on a kayak tour through the Golfo Dulce to Agujas Beach. We can appreciate the local wildlife and endemic flora along the way. We will then leave the kayak for horseback to ride from Agujas Beach to The Dos Brazos Community until we arrive at the butterfly farm. We will learn all about the life cycle of butterflies and the importance of these insects. We will then head to the Amazonita Ecolodge where we will have lunch and spend the evening.
After breakfast, we will head out on our final trek, taking us through primary forest that will take us to the very end of the Corcovado National Park. Most of the hike will require walking through rivers and steep up and down hills; please be sure to have the appropriate clothing and shoes. We will enjoy lunch along the way. After this long hike along the Camino del Oro, we will finish the hike relaxing and watching the beautiful sunset at The Carate Beach.
We will spend the morning soaking up some sun on the beautiful beach. After lunch, we will head to The Golfo Dulce, located between the Osa Peninsula and the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The large bay embraces pristine beaches, rivers, and tall evergreen forests, which is protected by the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve. This region, where the forest connects to the sea at the river mouths, with impressive mangroves and the breeding area for many marine species.
After a drive through the rainforest to Golfito, we will board a motorboat for a scenic trip around Golfo Dulce, separating the Piedras Blancas National Park and the Osa peninsula. Three species of porpoise live and breed year-round in the gulf. There is an opportunity to observe bottlenose dolphins playing and swimming, and during certain months, humpback whales and whale sharks can be seen. We will stop in Puerto Jimenez for a short walk to a mangrove swamp to look for scarlet macaws, caimans, crocodiles, and monkeys. We will spend...
Today we will head to the airport in Golfito to take our flight to the San Jose airport. Here our driver will take us to the San Jose hotel for our final evening.
You can check our safety protocols in the following link: https://www.horizontes.com/travel-bubbles
We do not include travel or health insurance and we strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance for any unexpected circumstances. This is not obligatory, however. An full travel insurance policy that covers cancellations and delays as well as medical insurance.
Hepatitis A Food & Water
Recommended for most travellers
Hepatitis B Blood & Body Fluids
Recommended for travellers to most regions.
Typhoid Food & Water
Recommended for travellers to most regions.
Yellow Fever Mosquito
Required if travelling from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission.
Rabies Saliva of Infected Animals
A High-risk country. The Vaccine ris ecommended for long-term travellers and those who may come in contact with animals.
Malaria
There are often outbreaks of malaria in Costa Rica. While there is no vaccine for malaria you can take certain medications.
We suggest that you speak with your doctor to ensure that you are up-to-date with the recommended vaccinations when travelling to the destination.
We suggest that you speak with your doctor to ensure what medications you will need to bring to the destination. Pharmacies and drugstores are common in all cities, however, it is not certain that you will be able to find a specific drug that you can find in your country of origin.
As in any city in the world, there can be pickpockets in crowded places. We suggest being vigilant at all times, but if you are in a group you will always be safer.
We do not include the cost of any domestic or international flight in any of our programs. These services must be booked independently by each guest.
Yes, hotels will charge the cost of a double room as standard, so a single supplement will be charged if you are traveling alone.
VA Expeditions is supported by Valencia Travel, a company with more than 12 years of foundation with a solid financial position. We have insurance from the insurance company La Positiva, that supports us and protects our guests from any eventuality at the destination, covering our guests for more than 5 million US dollars.
Each trip is customizable, but there may be additional restrictions and expenses in each case. We suggest contacting your sales representative for more information.
Yes, in addition to multi-day programs, we offer half-day experiences and excursions without overnight, which you can purchase as additional services. In case you wish to purchase one of these services, you can ask your guide, the transfer representative or your sales representative to provide you with the support you need.
Yes, you can add additional or optional services to your regular tour. We appreciate contacting your sales representative for any changes you wish to make.
Yes, you can travel with children and we have many activities to do as a family, however, depending on your itinerary, some experiences can be a bit demanding for young children. As a recommendation, we suggest that you ask your sales consultant if the tour you wish to book is suitable for children.
We work with a maximum group size of 12 passengers for sustainability reasons and a more personaized experience.
We suggest making your reservations at least one month before your trip in order to reserve the best hotels, transportation and services for your travel dates, however, in last minute cases, we can reserve up to 15 days in advance.
We suggest consulting with your embassy to review any documents, tests or special visa you need for your trip.
The official currency in Costa Rica is the Costa Rican colón (CRC). In large cities there is a good chance that you will find ATMs or ATMs, however, we suggest that you do not rely entirely on this solution, as it may not be enabled to work with your bank.
Yes, we cater for all special dietary requirements. Please let us know at the time of booking if you have any allergies or special dietary needs.
As a committed tour operator we follow the next steps in order to promote sustainability with our collaborators, suppliers and clients:
We undertake sustainability certification processes to improve our operation and promote our green credentials.
We promote sustainable practices among our suppliers and evaluate their performance.
We educate travelers in how to be a responsible traveler.
With our Horizontes Foundation we work with local communities to improve livelihoods and preserve ecosystems.
Tips are not included in the cost of the tour. You should plan to tip 10% in restaurants and for your guided services, however, tipping is never required.
Cultural norms vary within each Latin American country, even within each city within the country, however, we recommend the following measures to have a pleasant visit in each destination: Latin American culture in general tends to be closer and more informal than in others cultures, so there is usually always a friendly approach in all conversations, and going directly to the point could be considered offensive to some people. Personal space can be much shorter as well, but without being interpreted as sexual in nature.
The schedules are also usually more relaxed and informal, however, this is not the case of VA EXPEDITIONS, since we will always respect the hours indicated in your itinerary. This may be different for other appointments that you can book on your own at other locations.
This depends on each itinerary, and will be indicated in the detail of the day. However, our itineraries always usually include free times to offer more flexibility to our guests.
For any emergency, we appreciate contacting the 24/7 Operations Phone & WhatsApp number: (506) 8730-0396
We have put together a vast selection of highly qualified organizations that we consider to have influenced their specific fields and the sustainable development of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is known for being a green sustainable country and you can do activities such as:
Visit National Parks
Visit rural communities and share with locals
Try local gastronomy
Immerse in nature and wildlife
Volunteer
Plant a tree
For more information you can check our Hands on Learning in Costa Rica Program on the following link: https://horizontes.s3.amazonaws.com/dev/ks/images/VNYhAKY31Ed7w0bY.pdf
All our guests have 24/7 support for any type of emergency or eventuality. For emergencies you can contact the following number: (506) 8730-0396. For general inquiries, you can write to us at the following email: info@valenciatravelcusco.com
This depends on each itinerary, but generally is a ratio of one guide for every nine guests.
This depends on the type of the type of Travel insurance that the passenger has. We recommend that you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy for better care and hospital facilities.
The tours are carried out by an expert team that has determined the optimal times of visits to make the most of our guests' time, without rushing. All our programs are customizable, so if at any time at the destination you want to adjust the pace of the trip, you can ask your guide to reach a consensus with the whole group in case you need to make adjustments to the pace of the trip.
Each trip is customizable, but there may be additional restrictions and expenses in each case. We suggest contacting your sales representative for more information.
Yes, you can safely store any luggage at your hotel.
For city tours, there are public bathrooms available, in remote destinations bathroom facilities are more sparse.
In the mountains and remote places there is no Internet connection. Hotels and public places usually have WIFI available.
In cities and tourist centers you will have good telephone reception. In remote areas, there may be no cell phone reception.
It depends on each itinerary. We suggest contacting your account representative to give you specific information regarding your program.
We suggest that you bring a refillable water bottle or purchase bottled water if necessary. Depending on your destination, at various points on your trip there will be places where you can fill your water bottle.
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