Costa Rica Wildlife Explorer

Check out of your hotel and drive approximately three hours towards the Boca Tapada region. This area in the northern lowlands of Costa Rica is just 15 km from the Nicaraguan border at the mouth of the San Carlos River; it's home to pineapple and sugar cane plantations, as well as a stunningly rich biodiversity of plants and animals.

The region surrounding Boca Tapada has been declared the Maquenque Wildlife Refuge and Biological Corridor, partly because it's one of the few remaining nesting areas for the endangered great green macaw. In addition to the macaws, over 400 other bird species have been identified, as well as many species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles. The rainforests surrounding Boca Tapada are home to sloths, white-faced monkeys, howler monkeys, pizotes and even wildcat species such as jaguars.

For the first full day in Boca Tapada, head out for excursions from Maquenque Lodge. Tours from the lodge are operated on a shared basis with other guests in a small group. First, head out by boat to begin the trip downstream on the San Carlos River. You have good chances of spotting crocodiles, turtles, bats, herons, kingfishers, king vultures and many more animal species. Later on, enjoy a nocturnal forest experience to get to know the night-time wildlife. You can see alligators, frogs, nocturnal birds, snakes, and spiders amongst the forest's different sounds once the sun goes down.

On the second full day, based at the Maquenque Lodge, head out with a guide into the rainforest for a three-kilometre hike through the trails. With a bit of luck, you can see a great variety of flora and fauna native to the reserve and the area.

Depart and head for around two hours towards the small town of Sarapiqui, a lesser-visited part of Costa Rica with some of the country's most pristine wildlife areas. The region is an ecotourist’s dream, offering incredible biodiversity and adventure. This afternoon, you're taken to the OTS La Selva Reserve located in Sarapiqui. This haven for tropical researchers has been in operation for nearly half a century and is a living laboratory for Costa Rican wildlife. Located adjacent to Braulio Carrillo National Park, La Selva protects over 3,500 acres of virgin rainforest; you're led around some of the trails to look for a variety of bird and animal species, as well as being given an insight into the work done at the centre.

Experience an early bird walk at OTS La Selva Reserve. The morning is a very active time for the birds, so you can expect to see several of the stunning tropical species that inhabit this area. Every morning is different, but your keen-eyed guide helps to spot rare species with the assistance of a high-powered scope, so you can get close-up views of birds you might not otherwise notice.

Later today, travel around four hours from Sarapiqui to the San Gerardo de Dota Cloud Forest. This area south of San José, in the narrow Savegre River Valley, is a birdwatcher's paradise with more than 900 different species spread across the protected reserves. The crisp mountain air in this part of the country provides exceptional opportunities to spot Costa Rica's star bird, the resplendent quetzal. Usually found living alone, except during breeding season, the quetzal is a colourful, rare bird that was once considered divine by ancient civilisations.

Today, you're taken out with your specialist guide in search of the emblematic bird that lives in the San Gerardo de Dota forests and pastures. The resplendent quetzal is one of Costa Rica's 'star' birds, with the Aztecs believing it represented Quetzalcóatl – their supreme god. Your guide takes you to the best areas of the cloud forest for aguacatillos, which the quetzal typically feeds on, in the hope of spotting what's considered the most beautiful species on the American continent.

Travel south for approximately four hours from San Gerardo de Dota towards the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park. You're driven to the small town of Sierpe, where you'll take a boat to your lodge for the next three nights, inclusive of all meals.

One of the most biologically diverse places on Earth and considered the jewel of Costa Rica's national parks, Corcovado National Park is home to the largest and only tropical primary lowland rainforest in the world, providing sanctuary for abundant endangered flora and fauna.

On your first full day, set out with your naturalist guide to discover some of the trails within the park, looking for a vast array of wildlife.

For the second full day, you have the chance to encounter some of the wildlife in the Southern Pacific from the water, with a snorkelling trip out to the protected coral reefs off the shores of Caño Island. The boat ride out over the clear, warm waters takes around 40 minutes, with opportunities at certain times of the year to see pilot or humpback whales, as well as dolphins along the way. In the marine reserve, there's a great variety of marine life to be spotted, including – if you're lucky – manta rays, turtles and small white-tipped sharks. This trip is suitable for beginners or experienced snorkelers alike.

Depart Osa, driving up the Pacific Coast towards the small villages of Uvita and Dominical. It takes around three hours to reach the gateway to Marino Ballena National Park, an area made famous by its migrating humpback whale pods, dolphins and wilderness beaches. The national park teems with wildlife, and its dark sands are important nesting sites for turtles, while coral reefs provide a sanctuary for abundant marine life.

See the best of Marino Ballena National Park, with a variety of flora and fauna specific to this region. This area is especially good for birds, with the mangroves and lagoon a real hidden treasure of the park. You begin on the beach before following a trail near the iconic Whale Tail, with good opportunities to spot howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, bats, raccoons, various birds, insects and plants of great biological interest. Head to the site where one of the rivers flows into the park, and enjoy a chance to see some of the sea bird species in the area, before returning along the beach to the park entrance.

Return via the coast to San José. From here, you'll depart back to the UK on your chosen flights.