Tailor-made Costa Rica’s Wild South trip

Arrive in San José and begin your Costa Rica travel experience with a smooth transfer to your hotel. Today is all about slowing down, settling in, and preparing for the adventures ahead.

Unpack, rest after your flight, and enjoy an easy evening with a local dinner or a short stroll nearby. If you wish, review your itinerary and ask for any last-minute tips, so you wake up refreshed and ready.

Arrive at Hotel Savegre in San Gerardo de Dota and set out on a guided birdwatching walk through the private reserve and hotel trails, an experience that fits beautifully into a Costa Rica trip. As you enter the cloud forest, morning birdsong surrounds you and introduces the calm rhythm of the valley. Over breakfast, hummingbirds often hover near the veranda, offering a beautiful preview of what is to come.

With more than 170 recorded species and several endemics, the area is outstanding for birding. Early walks bring the most activity and the best chance of memorable sightings.

Discover Los Quetzales National Park, a 5,000-hectare protected area that safeguards highland forests, vital watersheds, and a remarkable mosaic of habitats across three forest zones and 14 ecosystems. Meet your guide at the park office and begin exploring trails along the Continental Divide, looking for endemic birds while learning about the region’s natural history.

On a short walk to a scenic viewpoint, take in sweeping panoramas of the Talamanca Range and the Central Volcanic Cordillera, with views stretching toward the central and southern Pacific coast, Valle del General, and even the Osa Peninsula, while Chirripó rises behind you. Finish with additional short trails to add to your bird list, capture standout photos, and return to your hotel.

Paddle through the Hatillo Mangrove Forest on a guided kayak tour, a memorable highlight for any Costa Rica itinerary. Glide along calm waterways as your guide helps you spot bare-throated tiger herons, little blue herons, brown pelicans, and other birdlife.

Keep an eye on the branches for white faced capuchin monkeys, sloths, and iguanas, and look down into the shallows where six species of crabs scuttle through the roots.

Trek through Corcovado National Park, one of the best places to visit in Costa Rica for raw wilderness and wildlife density. This vast protected area spans 54,539 hectares of rainforest and safeguards 2,400 hectares of ocean, encompassing six distinct ecosystems where jaguars, tapirs, scarlet macaws, and hundreds of bird species can be found.

Guided walks focus on close wildlife viewing, interpretive natural history, and quiet pauses in the forest, with time for secluded beach stops along the way.

Explore Caño Island Biological Reserve, about 15 km off the Osa Peninsula, where white sand shores meet a protective coral reef, a perfect highlight of a tropical Costa Rica trip. This is one of Costa Rica’s best spots for snorkeling and scuba diving, often with visibility of up to 20 metres year-round.

Swim alongside colorful reef fish, curious sea turtles, and manta rays, and in season, you may even spot migrating whales offshore.

You will be picked up from your Uvita hotel and transferred to San José airport for your onward flight. Enjoy a final look at the coastline as this comfortable, tailor-made transfer brings your Costa Rica trip to a smooth close.

The drive takes approximately 4 hours, and pick-up and drop-off times are flexible, with the schedule adjusted to match your flight and personal preferences.