Costa Rica, Panama & Colombia

10° 49′ N 85° 20′ W

Photographer captures beautiful memories in Tortuga Island with its white sand, palm-lined beach and lush, tropical vegetation. Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
ExpeditionsUi Arrow rightWild Guanacaste and Monteverde: Costa Rica’s Mangroves, Mists, and Mountains

Wild Guanacaste and Monteverde: Costa Rica’s Mangroves, Mists, and Mountains

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Highlights

A guest walking over a hanging bridge in Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve, Monteverde, Costa Rica
  • Glide through a mangrove forest to see reddish egrets, spoonbills, white ibis, and crocodiles

  • Snorkel the rich underwater world near Islas Murcielagos

  • Venture through the Guanacaste Conservation Area by kayak, Zodiac, or on foot, and watch for colorful birdlife including orange-fronted parakeets and ringed kingfishers

  • Explore Rincón de la Vieja National Park, which is alive with active volcanoes and gurgling mud pots and replete with howler monkeys, waterfalls, and an optional zip line

  • Search for the elusive northern tamandua (anteater) at Curú National Wildlife Refuge

Day by Day

Starts at

San José, Costa Rica

Ends at

San José, Costa Rica

Download Itinerary

Day 1

San José, Costa Rica

Upon arrival in San José, Costa Rica, a short drive brings us to the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel.

Meals Included: Dinner

Day 1

San José, Costa Rica

Upon arrival in San José, Costa Rica, a short drive brings us to the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel.

Meals Included: Dinner

Days 2-3

Monteverde Cloud Forest

A scenic drive takes us to Monteverde Cloud Forest, an acclaimed private reserve. Bathed in cool, year-round moisture, the forest is covered with mosses and 300 species of orchids. Walk trails rich with butterflies and birdlife. Ascend the Skywalk, a series of suspension bridges, for a bird’s-eye view of the rainforest canopy. Learn about life in the early Monteverde community from a family member of one of the original Quaker homesteaders. Spend each night at a charming, family-owned lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 2-3

Monteverde Cloud Forest

A scenic drive takes us to Monteverde Cloud Forest, an acclaimed private reserve. Bathed in cool, year-round moisture, the forest is covered with mosses and 300 species of orchids. Walk trails rich with butterflies and birdlife. Ascend the Skywalk, a series of suspension bridges, for a bird’s-eye view of the rainforest canopy. Learn about life in the early Monteverde community from a family member of one of the original Quaker homesteaders. Spend each night at a charming, family-owned lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

Monteverde / Puerto Caldera / Embark Ship

Transfer to Puerto Caldera and embark National Geographic Quest. Enjoy a sunset dinner on board as we chart a course for the Guanacaste region on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

Monteverde / Puerto Caldera / Embark Ship

Transfer to Puerto Caldera and embark National Geographic Quest. Enjoy a sunset dinner on board as we chart a course for the Guanacaste region on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

Zapotal Beach / Bahia Huevos

We drop anchor off remote Zapotal Beach, where we spend the morning soaking up the sun or snorkeling in waters fringed by offshore islets which create outstanding habitat for a variety of tropical fish. Or, choose to walk along a rarely used four-wheel drive track which takes us back into a beautiful gallery forest. The area is rich with bird and plant life, and our naturalists describe the intricate web of life in these oceanside ecosystems.

After lunch on board, we cruise north to the Papagayo Peninsula, dropping anchor in Bahía Huevos. Our Zodiacs take us on an exploration of the bay and the peninsula. If conditions permit, we drop kayaks and paddleboards and explore the nearby mangroves.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

Zapotal Beach / Bahia Huevos

We drop anchor off remote Zapotal Beach, where we spend the morning soaking up the sun or snorkeling in waters fringed by offshore islets which create outstanding habitat for a variety of tropical fish. Or, choose to walk along a rarely used four-wheel drive track which takes us back into a beautiful gallery forest. The area is rich with bird and plant life, and our naturalists describe the intricate web of life in these oceanside ecosystems.

After lunch on board, we cruise north to the Papagayo Peninsula, dropping anchor in Bahía Huevos. Our Zodiacs take us on an exploration of the bay and the peninsula. If conditions permit, we drop kayaks and paddleboards and explore the nearby mangroves.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6

Santa Rosa National Park / Guanacaste Conservation Area

Depending on conditions today, we may choose to explore Santa Elena Bay in Santa Rosa National Park, Junquillal Wildlife Refuge, or Cuajiniquil Bay, all part of the extraordinarily biodiverse Guanacaste Conservation Area. While venturing out by kayak or taking a relaxing Zodiac cruise, we immerse ourselves into the tropical environment, alive with color.

Yellow-and-black great kiskadees sally from exposed perches looking to capture a flying insect for an evening meal and orange-fronted parakeets chatter overhead. Predators such as mangrove hawks may take to the sky on a late afternoon hunt, while ringed kingfishers, richly colored in brick red and deep blue, wait patiently, watching the shallows for a fish’s silvery flash.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6

Santa Rosa National Park / Guanacaste Conservation Area

Depending on conditions today, we may choose to explore Santa Elena Bay in Santa Rosa National Park, Junquillal Wildlife Refuge, or Cuajiniquil Bay, all part of the extraordinarily biodiverse Guanacaste Conservation Area. While venturing out by kayak or taking a relaxing Zodiac cruise, we immerse ourselves into the tropical environment, alive with color.

Yellow-and-black great kiskadees sally from exposed perches looking to capture a flying insect for an evening meal and orange-fronted parakeets chatter overhead. Predators such as mangrove hawks may take to the sky on a late afternoon hunt, while ringed kingfishers, richly colored in brick red and deep blue, wait patiently, watching the shallows for a fish’s silvery flash.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7

Rincón de la Vieja National Park / Hacienda Guachipelin

Our adventure today continues as we set off inland to explore Rincón de la Vieja National Park. This mountainous region is also a part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area and encompasses more than 34,000 acres. The area, with its forests carpeting the sides of two active volcanoes, is alive with geothermal activity as gurgling, bubbling mud pots spout, and steam rises above the canopy. Choose between several enticing options today including a hike through the transition zone where tropical dry habitat meets the temperate cloud forest. Here, we keep an eye out for exotic wildlife, with the possibility of encountering mantled howler monkeys, and regionally special birds including the noisy and conspicuous white-throated magpie-jay. Alternatively, after a short hike into the forest, opt to swim below Las Chorreras Waterfall. Or, choose to ride horseback across lush meadows, or soar through the canopy by zip line before enjoying a sumptuous lunch served poolside at Hacienda Guachipelin while local musicians play and fresh ceviche is prepared.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7

Rincón de la Vieja National Park / Hacienda Guachipelin

Our adventure today continues as we set off inland to explore Rincón de la Vieja National Park. This mountainous region is also a part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area and encompasses more than 34,000 acres. The area, with its forests carpeting the sides of two active volcanoes, is alive with geothermal activity as gurgling, bubbling mud pots spout, and steam rises above the canopy. Choose between several enticing options today including a hike through the transition zone where tropical dry habitat meets the temperate cloud forest. Here, we keep an eye out for exotic wildlife, with the possibility of encountering mantled howler monkeys, and regionally special birds including the noisy and conspicuous white-throated magpie-jay. Alternatively, after a short hike into the forest, opt to swim below Las Chorreras Waterfall. Or, choose to ride horseback across lush meadows, or soar through the canopy by zip line before enjoying a sumptuous lunch served poolside at Hacienda Guachipelin while local musicians play and fresh ceviche is prepared.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8

Curú National Wildlife Refuge / Isla Tortuga

Along the coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, and in many ways demarcating the line between the wetter jungles of the south and Guanacaste’s drier environment, sits Curú National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica’s first private national wildlife reserve. Learn about the hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, and mammals that inhabit this thriving ecosystem while exploring the park’s tracks and trails. Here we look for white-faced capuchin monkeys, turquoise-browed motmots, and with luck, scarlet macaws. The northern tamandua resides here, and while often elusive and quiet, this primarily arboreal member of the anteater family may be spotted by fortunate visitors.

Later, as we enjoy lunch on board, cruise to a cluster of offshore islets collectively called Isla Tortuga. Choose to stand-up paddleboard, kayak, or simply relax on the beach shaded by swaying palms and tropical vegetation. As the sun begins to set on our Guanacaste adventure, a waterside barbecue dinner awaits—the perfect way to finish our voyage.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8

Curú National Wildlife Refuge / Isla Tortuga

Along the coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, and in many ways demarcating the line between the wetter jungles of the south and Guanacaste’s drier environment, sits Curú National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica’s first private national wildlife reserve. Learn about the hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, and mammals that inhabit this thriving ecosystem while exploring the park’s tracks and trails. Here we look for white-faced capuchin monkeys, turquoise-browed motmots, and with luck, scarlet macaws. The northern tamandua resides here, and while often elusive and quiet, this primarily arboreal member of the anteater family may be spotted by fortunate visitors.

Later, as we enjoy lunch on board, cruise to a cluster of offshore islets collectively called Isla Tortuga. Choose to stand-up paddleboard, kayak, or simply relax on the beach shaded by swaying palms and tropical vegetation. As the sun begins to set on our Guanacaste adventure, a waterside barbecue dinner awaits—the perfect way to finish our voyage.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9

Puerto Caldera / Disembark / San José

Disembark after breakfast in Puerto Caldera. Drive to the airport in San José for flights home.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 9

Puerto Caldera / Disembark / San José

Disembark after breakfast in Puerto Caldera. Drive to the airport in San José for flights home.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Download Itinerary

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National Geographic Quest

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100

Cabins

50

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Built in 2017, National Geographic Quest is ideal for the fast-moving channels and shallow coves of the Pan-American waters. Her design and engineering were informed by our nearly 40 years of experience in the narrow straits of Alaska, the coast of Costa Rica, and into the gray whale nursery lagoons of Baja. 

Examples of features unique to Lindblad Expeditions include twin boarding platforms that enable our team to load two Zodiacs at once, so our guests can get off the ship quickly to take advantage of wildlife sightings and maximize exploring time. She also features a shallow draft, allowing her Captain to navigate the inner reaches and provide more intimate experiences.

Modern, clean-lined, with large expanses of glass to take in the extraordinary views, National Geographic Quest enables guests to see, do, and experience the best of her geographies.

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Central America 2023-25


Spend three days inland exploring Monteverde’s misty mountain rainforest. Walk trails rich with butterflies and birdlife. Ascend the Skywalk, a series of suspension bridges, for a bird’s-eye view of the rainforest canopy and watch for resplendent quetzals. Each night enjoy the comforts of a charming family-owned lodge. Then board your ship for a remarkable exploration of Guanacaste’s towering active volcanoes, intricate mangrove and coral systems, and pristine beaches.

From

$6,580

/ per person

Does not include flights

Book Now
duration
9 Days
starts at
San José, Costa Rica
ends at
Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica
Book by Jun 30

$700 AIR CREDIT

See all offers

View our brochure for more details

Central America 2023-25

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

+1.800.397.3348

From

$6,580

/ per person

Book Now
duration
9 Days
starts at
San José, Costa Rica
ends at
Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica

View our brochure for more details

Central America 2023-25

From

$6,580

/ per person

Book Now
duration
9 Days
starts at
San José, Costa Rica
ends at
Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica
Book by Jun 30

$700 AIR CREDIT

See all offers

View our brochure for more details

Central America 2023-25