Hiking in Costa Rica is one of our favorite Costa Rica vacation pakcages. If you are looking for an active experience in the outdoors, this is your trip. All the protected areas, reserves and natural areas of Costa Rica provide an excellent opportunity to hike through the country, explore nature and discover amazing views. Travel with Elemento Natural to hike our national parks, mountains, volcanoes and beaches.
From $1775 per person
Overnight Stays
Private Transportation
Bilingual Tour Guide
Breakfasts included
Book here:
Our guide will meet you at the port and welcomes you. He will give you a little briefing, while escorting you to the hotel, and help you check-in. Get ready for your kiking trip in Costa Rica!
Night: San José
You will leave right after breakfast towards Barva in Heredia, to reach the Braulio Carrillo National Park, on the Barva Volcano sector. The Volcano sits at the edge of the Central Valley with an altitude of 2,950 meters above sea level. Several cold-water, rain-fed lagoons are the remnants of the old craters. You will hike the four major trails, covered by a primary Cloud Forest. There are some 4 to 5 km to get to the Copey Lagoon, in a steep and muddy trail, with stopovers in the Barva crater and a very nice watch point
Then you get back to the road to drive to Sarapiquí, destination devoted to ecological tourism, including biological research, bird watching and many trails in the rainforest
Night: Sarapiquí
The Tirimbina Reserve features more than 9km of hiking trails through old cacao plantations, secondary forests, wetlands, riverbanks and primary rainforest. This will be your playground after breakfast, where you can also enjoy hiking on the Tirimbina Island in the middle of the Sarapiquí River, and go swimming in the areas where natural pools have formed in the river. You will also traverse one of their amazing suspension bridges, almost 300 meters long, or the “canopy bridge” that provides an exciting treetop canopy view within the primary forest
Once ready, you will leave the Sarapiquí area to head to Río Celeste, in the northern plains of Costa Rica
Night: Río Celeste
After breakfast, you will get back on the road to drive around to Tenorio Volcano National Park, best known for the beautiful Río Celeste, whose light blue waters are caused by the emanation of sulfur and the precipitation of calcium carbonates. Primary cloud forest and rainforest covers the park, which abounds with flora and fauna species in multiple life zones, many rivers, waterfalls and thermal hot springs. The Rio Celeste hike will let you explore all the natural attractions in its 2.6 km long trails, but you will at least double the distance by coming back or going around from one entrance to the other
Then you will depart towards the Guanacaste province: you will see three different eco-systems as you leave the rainforest behind, drive across the mountains in order to get to the dry forest on the Pacific side, and drive north to meet the cloud forest at Rincón de la Vieja National Park. 5km north from Liberia you’ll find the road to Rincon de la Vieja Volcano
Night: Rincón de la Vieja
You can spend the whole day in Rincón de la Vieja National Park where you can hike the Las Pailas trail to see some secondary volcanic activity, such as small craters, fumaroles, boiling mud, and geysers. This is a loop trail of 3.5km mostly flat but extremely interesting and beautiful. You will also have a longer 5 km hike through the forest near the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, to the “Cangreja” Waterfall. The fall is 40 meters long, going into a clear blue pool located at its base which is wonderful for cooling off after the hike. Dissolved copper salts have dyed the water to become light blue. On the way back take the detour and swim in Río Blanco, just to relax at the end of the day, before you head back to the hotel
Night: Rincón de la Vieja
Transfer day to the Central Pacific, near Carara National Park. However, 12 km southeast from Cañas we will make a stop to hike Cerro Pelado. An extinct volcano, millions of years ago, it´s a hill of almost 700 meters of altitude, with impressing views. A good 4-5 hours hike will be wrapped up with a refreshing swim in a pond and a typical lunch
Then you will continue on to the Central Pacific region
Night: Central Pacific
Free day at the beach to recover and regain strength
Night: Central Pacific
You continue hiking Costa Rica, as today you head to Carara National Park, famous for the beautiful scarlet macaws and for the huge crocodiles that live in the northern border formed by the Tárcoles River. There are two hiking trails in Carara: a 4.5 km trail called Laguna Meándrica that parallels the Tárcoles River and has short branches to the lagoon and marshes. And then the short 1 km Araceas Nature trail that loops from the main ranger station!
You will get back on the road following the Pacific coastline. Once you get to Dominical, you will find your next hotel
Night: Dominical
Early in the morning you leave to Nauyaca Waterfalls: they are located in a canyon approximately eight meters wide. One of the falls is forty-five meters high in free fall and the other, twenty meters high with a tiered fall, forming at the bottom a 1,000 square meter and six-meter deep pool. There are also other smaller natural pools where visitors can seize the opportunity and enjoy the waters with their families or friends to swim and refresh themselves. The trail is 4km long each way, first following beside the beautiful Baru River and then ascending a steep hill
Night: Dominical
Today your hiking tour continues as you will transfer to the cloud forest of San Gerardo de Dota. When you reach the top of the Cerro de la Muerte, you will continue your way down the Savegre Valley in a beautiful hike: it is a 10 km trail one way and involves 1290 meters descent from the summit of the hill. On the way you will enjoy the impressive panoramic views of both coasts and even erupting volcanoes. The trail starts in the sub-Alpine vegetation known as páramo (dwarf plant species) and then transitions into the cloud forest with tall trees like the oaks, and a greater diversity and density
Night: Dota
Today you will have an early morning for a quick hike so you can go search for the quetzal, an amazing green trogon with a long tail and a red chest that many consider among the most beautiful of the world. Then, you will have breakfast and enjoy the beauty of the Savegre Valley. You will also have some time to stretch your legs in a small hike to the Savegre Waterfall
Night: Dota
Today you will transfer to the Central Valley for your last night in the country. However, as you head to the east side of the Central Valley, you will visit the Irazú Volcano National Park, considered the highest volcano in Costa Rica: Irazú is an active mountain and one of Costa Rican first National Parks. Due to it’s altitude, most TV and Radio networks have their antennas here. The Prusia sector is on the lower side, and here you have 16km of trails that you can hike. Then you will return to San José
Night: San José
YOU HAVE TO FLY BACK HOME AND TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT YOUR AMAZING TRIP TO COSTA RICA AND THE HIKING EXPERIENCE WITH ELEMENTO NATURAL
This is the end of your hiking holiday in Costa Rica! Transfer out to Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose, say good bye to your new friends, and…. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!! HAVE A GOOD FLIGHT HOME!!!
Or write us
