Costa Rica one day tour information

Isla de Chira Rural Inn – Island and Mangrove Tour

The adventure begins in the Gulf of Nicoya, watching crocodiles take the sun as you boat though the mangroves and passing by an island bird sanctuary. Once you`ve landed on Isla de Chira, you`ll take a truck ride to La Amistad Lodge, where you`ll enjoy a delicious fresh seafood lunch. Tour the island by a hike and take a dip in the swimming holes.

Getting there: from Puntarenas: drive north from Puntarenas and turn left at San Gerardo to go to Punta Morales. Continue north along the coast to Costa Pájaros. Take the daily public boat about half an hour to Isla de Chira from the harbor in Costa de Pájaros.

Getting there: from Liberia, Santa Cruz or Nicoya: After Nandayure on the road toward Playa Naranjo, turn left at the turnoff to San Pablo de Nandayure and continue five kilometers to Puerto San Pablo, where you can leave your car in guard parking. Your guide from Isla de Chira will meet you there for the mangrove tour.

Monte Alto Rainforest Lodge – Near Hojancha

Monte Alto is a good base for visiting Samara beach, the caves of Barra Honda National Park or Isla de Chira.

Trails go through the forest around the lodge and up the lookout point where you can see the whole Nicoya Peninsula.

Getting there: take the Interamerican highway about 3 hours west from San Jose and turn left at Limonal, continuing to the La Amistad bridge over the Río Tempisque. Follow signs to Mansion, then Hojancha. Take the Pilangosta road south of town for about 5 kilometers and turn right at the Centro Social La Colina. The lodge is about one kilometer from there.

Solar Cooking Tour at Casa del Sol – Santa Barbara de Nicoya

Casa del Sol is near the artisan village of Guaitil and not far from the beaches of Guanacaste. Learn about cooking with solar energy, complete with a tasty traditional lunch prepared in a solar oven with fresh organic ingredients.

Getting there: San Jose – Santa Cruz de Guanacaste – Santa Barbara de Santa Cruz. Casa del Sol is next to the Santa Barbara school.

Curubanda Rural Inn – Between Cacao and Rincón de la Vieja Volcanoes

This small mountain lodge is on a hacienda in northern Guanacaste where you can experience authentic rural life, surrounded by nature, with beautiful views of the Papagayo`s Gulf, Nicaragua`s lake, Cacao Volcano and Rincon de la Vieja National Park.

Getting there: take the Interamerican highway about 4 hours west of San Jose to Liberia. Continue north on the Interamerican to the Potrerillos police station and turn right towards Quebrada Grande. Take the Dos Rios road to Finca Nueva Zelandia, where the lodge is located.