Expedition Overview
Expedition Overview
SPECIAL OFFERS
- 2024 Early Booking Offer – Select Signature Land & River Cruise Departures
For a limited time, save $400 per person on North America itineraries or save $500 per person on international itineraries when you book select 2024 National Geographic Signature Land departures by April 7, 2023. Or, save $750 per person when you book a 2024 River Cruise by April 7, 2023.*
Take advantage of these special offers by calling 1-888-966-8687 or contacting your Travel Agent, or booking online and mentioning codes EBRSL24 for Signature Land departures and EBRRC24 for River Cruise departures.
This is offer has limited availability, so reserve your trip soon!
Available Departures- Jan 2-10, 2024
- Jan 30-Feb 7, 2024
- Mar 5-13, 2024
- Mar 19-27, 2024
- Apr 23-May 1, 2024
- Encounter a wide range of wildlife, from white-faced capuchins and howler monkeys to sloths, caimans, basilisk lizards, toucans, and thousands of butterflies.
- Navigate the Río Frío of Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge by boat and identify unusual rainforest species hiking with naturalists from La Selva Biological Station & Reserve.
- Join researchers in the field at the Monteverde Institute and participate in their ongoing cloud forest conservation projects.
- Watch for monkeys and birdlife while navigating the mangroves of Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge, and meet with experts from local scientific organizations focused on sustainability and conservation.
Itinerary
Itinerary
From cloud forests and wetlands to coastal mangroves and pristine beaches, discover Costa Rica’s incredible biodiversity—and the conservation efforts that are helping to preserve it. On an expedition to wildlife refuges and national parks across northern Costa Rica, venture into the rainforests that blanket Arenal Volcano and go birding in the marshes of Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge. Visit a working coffee and cacao farm, follow naturalists on hikes through habitats teeming with wildlife, and meet scientists at three different research stations for an inside look at critical conservation efforts.
Arrive at Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San José, Costa Rica’s capital city, and transfer to our hotel upon arrival. After time to enjoy a swim or wander through the hotel’s tropical gardens and coffee plantation, meet for a welcome reception and dinner.
Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen
Travel north into the lowland tropical forests of Sarapiquí to La Selva Biological Station & Reserve, home to 470 recorded bird species, 125 mammal species, and so much more. On a naturalist-led hike, look for colorful poison dart frogs and unusual plant species, learn about long-term research projects, and discover the important role of the reserve in creating a protected biological corridor. This afternoon, drive to our lodgings at the base of Arenal Volcano. Enjoy a talk by our expert before dinner at the hotel.
Arenal Kioro Suites and Spa
Set out on a full-day excursion to one of the world’s great wetlands, Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge. Stretching along the border with Nicaragua, the reserve is a birder’s paradise, attracting hundreds of species of migratory birds to its shallow lagoons. Navigate the waterways in a covered boat, watching for all manner of wildlife, from roseate spoonbills to caimans, monkeys, and sloths. Return to Arenal this afternoon.
Arenal Kioro Suites and Spa
Spend the morning exploring Arenal Volcano National Park, where lush rainforests flank the conical peak of the most active volcano in Central America. On a naturalist-led hike, learn about the geothermal forces that kept this volcano simmering until 2011, and discover the park’s diverse flora and fauna. Take advantage of a free afternoon to visit the nearby hot springs or relax at the hotel pool, enjoying views of the stunning symmetrical peak of Arenal. Before dinner, try your hand at stirring up a guaro sour, a cocktail made with a Costa Rican sugarcane spirit.
Arenal Kioro Suites and Spa
Begin the day with a private boat ride across beautiful Lake Arenal. Continue by road to Don Juan Tours, a family-run coffee farm, where we’ll take a tour of their coffee, cacao, and sugarcane plantation. Enjoy a tasting of the fruits and their finished products and discover their different uses in medicine and cuisine. Then journey to the cloud forest-covered mountains of Monteverde.
Fondavela Monteverde Hotel
Awaken early for a specially arranged excursion to the Monteverde Institute. Enjoy a picnic breakfast during a talk about the important fieldwork being done at the Monteverde Institute and its long relationship with National Geographic. Then split into groups to join researchers in the field. You’ll have the chance to tend native plants at the nursery or pitch in with reforestation efforts and participate in bird mist netting and tagging. Sit down to a well-earned lunch at a local restaurant. Then hike trails through the cloud forest and cross hanging bridges to get a close up view of the canopy.
Fondavela Monteverde Hotel
Head for the coastal province of Guanacaste this morning and set out on a guided visit to Santa Rosa National Park, one of the oldest national parks in Costa Rica. Here, tropical dry forest reaches all the way to the beach, harboring a wealth of wildlife. On a drive through the park, watch for some of the resident creatures, as well as 500-year-old trees and stunning scenery. Get a closer look on a guided walk along a forest trail. End your day with a presentation at the hotel by experts in the subject of sea turtle conservation, where they will provide general information about Las Baulas National Park and their challenges and efforts, including citizen science, environmental education, and communication to support the community of Playa Grande and the national park. One main topic that will be shared is the Marine Litter Lab, which we will visit the next day and be able to tie the information obtained with the field work.
El Mangroove
Las Baulas National Marine Park stretches along the Tamarindo Bay, protecting mangroves, beaches, and waters where sea turtles come to nest each year. Board small boats to explore the mangroves of the adjacent Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge this morning, on the lookout for crocodiles, white-faced capuchin monkeys, and many bird species. After lunch, take part in a brief presentation and a visit to a sea turtle nursery for some field work, consisting of a swift beach clean-up and then an analysis of the interaction with wildlife. Then meet with representatives from the scientific organizations Sostenibilidad en Grande (Sustainability at Large), and FUNDECODES (Foundation for Balance Between Conservation and Sustainable Development). Tonight, toast your Costa Rica wildlife adventure at a farewell dinner.
El Mangroove
After breakfast, transfer to the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Guanacaste to catch your flight home.