Costa Rica Nature
A couple visited Costa Rica in July 2017
“We are 2 young adults and would like a semi structured getaway that is mainly focused around nature, i.e. hiking, wildlife, national parks, etc. We also want to stay in a treehouse if possible/in our budget. By semi-structured we mean more structure than a hotel and rental car, but less than a very scheduled tour of the country that is all inclusive/different local everyday. We would like to spend some time in a couple places.
We would like to visit the cloud forest, really want to see sloths. We have no need to visit beaches, or do any extreme type activities like rafting. We would like things such as hiking, hot springs, waterfalls, and animals in general.”
Mariana Monestel, a local specialist from Costa Rica, helped this traveler put together a customized itinerary.
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Get StartedTrip planning highlights
National Parks, Jungle and Volcanoes
Summary of the trip planning conversation
My name is Mariana and I will be happy to help you create the best vacation of your life. I am Costa Rican and I know very well my country so I will be able to give you the best tips.
First of all, I would like to know if you’ve already done some research of the country and the places that you’re interested. Please let me know if you already have a particular idea or place you want to visit.
Hope to hear from you very soon!
Traveler
As we shared, nature is high on the list.
We realize some of these locations are not necessarily close by one another, but here are some highlights of places and things we found in light research:
-Manuel Antonio National Park-- wildlife
-cloud forest must do a guided suspension bridge tour
-volcanoes (yes, we know there are two)
-sloths-- must see!
-tree house/eco lodge stay if possible
-turtles a major plus!
-local things are great, especially coffee, cocoa plantation type tour (animals on a farm would be awesome)
Not so interested in:
-museums
-rafting
-beaches/snorkeling (beaches for turtles okay!)
Obviously, we can't do all those things in 7 days-- Can't wait to hear what you might recommend.
Mariana Monestel
Shared a trip plan proposal.
Traveler
Thanks for putting together such an excellent trip plan for us. We think much of it looks really great - love all the excursions listed at the different lodges and hotels. There were a couple things we would like to change.
-We would rather not go to the Caribbean coast in favor of spending more time in the other areas you planned for us.
-We really would like if one of our lodgings was in an eco tree house type accommodation. I don't know if this is much more expensive but our hope is that by not going to the Caribbean we can either sub out one of the other lodgings for a treehouse, or add an additional stop to stay at one. Treehouse is a must.
-The one thing that did interest us about going to the Caribbean coast area was the Bribri and animal reserve; are these types of experiences also available in the other areas?
Again, everything really does look excellent, and hopefully, you will be able to make those changes for us!
We have been looking at dates, and likely will come into San Jose on July 31st, and leave August 10th, if we stick to the 10-day timeline.
That's all for now!