Explore and Relax Costa Rica and Panama Coast: Pacific route

Day 1

Arrive in San José and transfer to your hotel.

You will be met at the airport by our local representative who will take you to your hotel in the modern capital.

Stay at - Grano de Oro

Day 2

Guided excursion to Doka, Poás volcano and La Paz waterfalls.

Early departure along the Pan-American Highway towards the city of Alajuela, stopping en route at the Doka coffee mill and plantation for an introduction to the traditional techniques used to produce Costa Rica’s most celebrated export. Continuing up through the humid cloud forest that surrounds Poás volcano, you’ll notice a change in the temperature and vegetation as the lush tropical foliage gives way to a more forbidding highland landscape.

Eventually you’ll reach the impressive volcanic crater, spouting its potent sulphur fumes – it’s an awe-inspiring panorama, and one of Costa Rica’s most iconic vistas.

From the viewing platform overlooking the crater, begin the hike down to Botos lagoon, before continuing on to La Paz Waterfall Gardens to follow trails through the forest past a succession of waterfalls plunging through tropical greenery. Within these gardens there is also a butterfly observatory, a serpentarium, a bird house and a series of hummingbird feeders where you can photograph the tiny birds at close range.

Stay at - Grano de Oro

Day 3

Osa Peninsula

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Puerto Jiménez on the Pacific coast and continue 22km along a bumpy road to your rainforest lodge, El Remanso. This is relaxed and peaceful place set above a delightful, wild beach and within its own tropical reserve near Corcovado National Park – one of the most bio-diverse reserves on the planet.

Stay at - El Remanso

Days 4-5

At leisure.

At leisure at the lodge.   The area is abundant with wildlife – expect to see howler monkeys, toucans and macaws. Guided naturalist walks make the most of the flora and fauna, with other activities including waterfall rappelling and zip-lining through the forest canopy.

Stay at - El Remanso

Day 6

By road over the border to Boquete, Panama.

By road to the border with Panama and on to Boquete in the Chiriquí highlands. The journey of 135km takes around two to three hours (depending on border traffic) joining the Pan-American Highway for the second half of the drive. Boquete is a small provincial town which enjoys a pleasant mountain climate and the surrounding area is very beautiful.

The cool mountain air, rugged mist-shrouded hills, Alpine forests and boulder-strewn rivers come together to create a delightful landscape, while the fertile volcanic soils produce an abundance of coffee and citrus fruits.

The volcano Barú (3,475m) looms above the town and Caldera river runs through a steep gorge, while the La Amistad National Park straddles the border with Costa Rica with hiking trails, bathing pools and waterfalls.  The town itself has a few quaint old buildings and some good restaurants.

Stay at - The Riverside Inn

Day 7

Visit a Panamanian coffee finca

The climate and elevation of Chiriqui Province makes it Panama’s foremost coffee growing region. The lower slopes around Boquete are carpeted with velvet-green plantations, while the upper reaches are crowned with richly diverse and misty cloud forests which remain an important habitat of the Resplendent Quetzal. Today you’ll visit a local finca for an interactive experience with Panama’s delicious coffee. The experts will explain all the process coffee beans go through and you’ll get to enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee whilst soaking up the views of Baru Volcano, the highest peak of the country at 3,475 metres above sea level.

Stay at - The Riverside Inn

Day 8

Transfer to Boca Chica.

Transfer to Boca Chica, a little town at the end of the road on the Gulf of Chiriquí, on the Pacific Ocean side of the country. It’s a modest town of low rise buildings and lovely sand beaches, the jumping-off point for visits to the islands in the gulf, which is famous for excellent fishing opportunities.

Stay at - Bocas del Mar

Days 9-11

At leisure on the Pacific coast.

Two whole days at leisure in this idyllic, relaxing spot. Away from the lodge you can take advantage of opportunities to visit Boca Chica and the islands of the national marine park, with sea kayaking, fishing, diving and snorkelling, and bird-watching among the activities on offer.

Stay at - Bocas del Mar

Day 12

Fly from David to Panama City.

Transfer to David airport and fly to Panama City. Overnight.

Day 13

Transfer to Panama City for international flight home.