Costa Rica’s Spirit Trekker Adventure Vacation Itinerary

Dominical, Mt. Chirripo, Uvita, Osa Peninsula, Corcovado & Isla del Caño

This itinerary explores the remote & vast southern Pacific portion of Costa Rica. During this Costa Rica adventure travel itinerary you will spend time in the mystical mountains east of Dominical. These mountains make up the foothills of the massive Mt. Chirripo, which is the highest peak in Costa Rica. Within these mountains, you will spend time hiking through the jungle to hidden waterfalls where you will swim and take in the incredible views.

You’ll comfortably sleep one night in an open-air cave and have some incredible homemade “Tico” cuisine. You’ll have a full day of serious adventures with waterfall rappelling, cliff jumping, and jungle trekking! You’ll descend from the mountains and head to the coastline that you had been looking at during your time in the mountains.

You have a choice to visit the quiet beach town of Uvita, home to a beautiful national park or Dominical, the surfing capital of the south. After two nights on the southern central Pacific Coast, you will take a boat through the mangroves to the Osa Peninsula where you will spend 4 days exploring Corcovado National Park and Isla del Caño before returning to San Jose via an in-country flight.

Top 3 Highlights of the Costa Rica Spirit Trekker Itinerary

• Canyoning & Waterfall Rappelling – After a rather steep, yet scenic hike through the jungle, trekkers will be rewarded with views of numerous waterfalls, including one that is 600 ft high!
• Night in an Open-Air Cave – Don’t let the name scare you, this is more like a bed and breakfast than a cave. You will literally sleep underneath a rock outcropping where waterfalls descend. There are restrooms, a kitchen, and cots for sleeping. It is truly an unforgettable experience.
• Corcovado National Park Exploration – Known as the Amazon of Central America this massive national park has an incredible amount of diversity and wildlife that you will explore firsthand during your time in Drake Bay

Suggested 9-Day Costa Rica Spirit Trekker Itinerary

Day #1: Arrival Day & transfer to the mountains

This itinerary works with the use of the SJO (San Jose) Airport. A private vehicle will be just outside of the airport waiting for you. Your driver will have a sign and assist you with your luggage as you exit. You will make the 2-3 hour transfer south towards Dominical and the mountains that inhabit Mt. Chirripo. Based on your flight’s arrival time you will either stay the night at the base of the trail leading up into the mountains, or you will make the trek up into the mountainous jungle for this first night.

Day #2: Hike to the open-air cave & adventures in the mountains

The Costa Rican Spirit Trekker Adventure Itinerary includes breakfast, so you will not have to worry about this as you wake up each morning. As you fill up on Gallo Pinto and fresh fruit you will be able to take in the colors and sounds of the variety of animals and birds that are active just after sunrise each morning. This morning, a guide will pick you up for your jungle hike. It is a challenging 2 to 2 1/2 hour uphill, jungle hike to arrive at the pristine cloud and rainforest environments that you will call home for the next couple of days. Your accommodations are unique. They are located inside a very large, open-air cave behind two 90 ft waterfalls. There is a kitchen (and sleeping facilities) where all equipment and provisions are provided. On the mountain, there are 10 spectacular waterfalls including Costa Rica’s tallest at 600 ft! When you arrive, lunch will be served and you will be oriented to your incredible surroundings. We’ll take today to do some exploring. We’ll do an intro waterfall rappel. We’ll hike to another waterfall where we’ll do some cliff jumping into pristine river pools where we can relax and go swimming. You’ll return to the cave in the late afternoon for dinner and rest.

Day #3: Mountain-top rope & waterfall adventures & transfer to the beach

After an early morning breakfast under the waterfalls, we will gear up and prepare for a few adventures today. This morning will consist of a hike to a few viewpoints as well as a more advanced and longer waterfall rappel or two. You’ll return to the cave with your guide for lunch. You’ll pack your things and begin the downhill trek to the car. Once you arrive at the car you will be transferred about an hour and a half west to the Pacific Coast where you will stay this evening in a relaxed and beautiful beach environment. For tonight and tomorrow night you have the option to choose to stay in the town of Uvita or Dominical. Your Itinerary designer will discuss these options for you.

Day #4: Day at Leisure or Optional Beach Activity

Take this day to explore the surf, explore close-by hidden beaches, and spot monkeys in the rainforest trees. This is a day to do everything or nothing at all. If you’d like to add in an adventure activity, Costa Rica Escapes is happy to add one of our suggested tours to your itinerary. One of our recommendations is to explore the rivers in this area on a white-water rafting excursion. You guide will help you spot the different types of monkeys, sloths, and iguanas. You’ll have the afternoon to catch the sunset and relax this evening before you move south to the Osa Peninsula

Day #5: Take a boat ride through the mangroves en route to Drake Bay – Afternoon to Explore

After breakfast, you will travel back to the close-by “port” town to grab a “panga” motorboat which will take you south through the mangrove maze to your eco-lodge in Drake’s Bay. National Geographic has called this part of the country: “…one of the most biologically intense places on earth.” Your beachfront or cliff-side eco-lodge exists in harmony with the surrounding jungle and beaches. After lunch, you can take the rest of the afternoon to relax and explore the beach and jungle. All meals are included in your stay at Drake Bay and the exploration is limitless.

Day #6: Snorkel or scuba diving tour at Isla del Caño

After breakfast this morning, you will board a boat and journey to the remote island of Isla del Caño, located 14 miles west of Drake Bay. This island is a 500-acre biological reserve. It is surrounded by protected waters swarming with marine life. The island contains several artifacts that date back to pre-Colombian times. The snorkeling here will not disappoint! The schools of fish and other marine life are often time significantly larger than that which can be spotted in the Caribbean Sea. It is not rare to see turtles, whales and various shark species here, too. After your adventure, the boat will return you to the lodge to watch the sunset together and share stories. Lunch is included on the tour at another close-by beach close to Corcovado and dinner will be had at the eco-lodge.

Day #7: Explore the majestic Corcovado National Park on a naturalist-guided jungle tour

After breakfast this morning, you will have the opportunity to visit one of the grandiose national parks in all of Costa Rica & Central America. Early this morning, you will board a boat and take a scenic ride south into Corcovado National Park. The largest of Costa Rica’s protected areas, Parque Nacional Corcovado is made up of 103,290 acres of tropical rainforest, encompassing about a third of the Osa Peninsula and embracing an unbelievable amount of the country’s biodiversity. It has a very diverse population of flora and fauna, including 10% of the mammals found in the Americas. Scarlet Macaws, anteaters, tapirs, and 3 species of monkeys are often sighted here.

Day #8: Transfer back to San Jose and Optional visit to La Paz Waterfalls

We encourage you to take this morning and enjoy a short walk on the beach before your driver arrives to transport you and your friends/family back to the Drake Bay airstrip for your 45-minute flight back to the Central Valley. Costa Rica Escapes can customize another optional activity for you this day to the famous Peace Lodge and La Paz Waterfalls. Located just 30 minutes from the San Jose airport for convenient travel the following day, the Peace Lodge is nestled in the mountains in the middle of the rainforest/cloud forest next to the La Paz Waterfall Garden and private wildlife refuge. Here you can rest and relax before returning home the following day.

Day #9: Last day of planned itinerary

This is the last day of the Spirit Trekker Adventure Itinerary. Costa Rica Escapes will take care of all the arrangements for your private transfer from hotel to the airport this day.

Things to Know about the Costa Rica Spirit Trekker Itinerary

• The SJO airport is strongly recommended for this itinerary; however, we can make adjustments should you decide to use LIR.
• The recommended minimum age for the Spirit Trekker itinerary is 10 years old. Certain activities such as Canyoning or White-water rafting might not be possible with children of certain ages; however, these activities can be substituted for other activities as necessary.
• Days at Leisure or days with Optional Activities do not have an included tour, activity or adventure; however, one can be added based on your desires.

Costs for Costa Rica Spirit Trekker Adventure Itinerary

Pricing for the Spirit Trekker itinerary is customized and formulated upon request. Premier, Casual and Upgrade accommodation options are available for this itinerary and will be formulated after an initial phone call.

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Due to this itinerary’s high level of customization, please contact us for pricing.