Turtle Conservation, Adventure & Culture Experience in Costa Rica

• Depart early for the Caribbean coast, passing through the majestic Braulio Carrillo National Park.
• Arrive at the Matina Dock and board a private boat for a scenic ride through the canals to the Laguna Urpiano Reserve, nestled between the ocean and the rainforest.
• Afternoon: Introduction to the station, health & safety briefing, and settle in.
• Evening: First night patrol training. Walk the beach under the stars looking for nesting turtles.
• Overnight: Laguna Urpiano

• Four full days dedicated to conservation and ecology.
• Mornings: Participate in beach clean-ups (removing debris that blocks nesting), exhumation of hatched nests to count survival rates, or biometric data collection.
• Afternoons: Educational workshops with resident biologist, wildlife monitoring on forest trails (tracking Agami herons, monkeys, and jaguars), or downtime to explore the reserve.
• Nights: Turtle Patrols. Split into small shifts to patrol the 6km beach. If a turtle is found, you will assist in measuring, tagging, and relocating eggs to the safety of the hatchery.
• Overnight: Laguna Urpiano

• Morning:
• Bid farewell to the research team and take the boat back to the mainland.
• Journey back to the pacific, stopping en route for lunch and a canopy tour of the highland rainforest.
• Afternoon: Aerial Tram through the canopy levels, guided nature tour (butterfly garden, terrarium (snakes, frogs, turtles), orchid garden, hummingbirds). Possibility of seeing tapirs. 
• Overnight: Paraiso de Esparza

• Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve – La Ventana, views of Pacific and Atlantic. Natural History TourAn ideal experience for nature lovers, this tour, led by a certified guide, takes you deep into Monteverde’s remarkable cloud forest. You’ll discover its fascinating plant and bird life while also uncovering the region’s cultural and historical heritage.
  A rare chance to explore the cloud forest alongside an expert.
• Overnight: Paraiso de Esparza

• Morning: Visit a palm oil farm, part of what makes the area of Manuel Antonio unique in Costa Rica.  Gain an understanding of the value of this crop for the local area, and an appreciation of the intense work needed to produce and process palm oil. 
• Lunch
• Evening: Mangrove boat tour, viewing monkeys, basilisks, sloths, possibly crocodiles, and a wide variety of birdlife.
• Overnight: Uvita

• Morning: Kayak through protected river and mangrove with indigenous guide. 
• Lunch:  Traditional lunch with the Boruca community.
• Afternoon: Learn about Boruca culture.  Medicine, history, socio-political situation, links with the land and their deep knowledge of their environment.  Learn about traditional cloth making, mask making, ritual dances, such as the famous Devil Dance.  Real sustainable tourism, with all money going directly to the Boruca people.  
• Overnight: Uvita

Marino Ballena National Park in Uvita, Costa Rica serves as a vital nursery for humpback whales, offering a protected environment where they can breed and care for their young. Its warm, tranquil waters play an essential role in their reproductive cycle, and the park’s location makes it a meeting point for whales migrating from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres at different times of the year.

• Morning:  Embark on a search for humpback whales and 2 species of resident
  dolphins, visit the coral and rock reefs and snorkel to observe the wonderful marine wildlife and view the caverns of Ventanas.  Snorkelling is weather permitting.  Fruit and water provided.
• Afternoon: After lunch in town, return to National Park to swim or to relax on the beach.   Return to Esparza
• Overnight: Paraiso de Esparza

• Morning: Welcome, introduction, and overview of Natuwa and environmental enrichment.  Guided tour of the sanctuary, including explanations of rescued wildlife, their stories, and enrichment needs.
• Environmental Enrichment Workshop – Part 1: creating enrichment toys for parrots and tapirs.  Snack break
• Environmental Enrichment Workshop – Part 2: creating enrichment items for tayras and emus

• Lunch:

• Afternoon: Delivery of enrichment items to animal enclosures, with guided observation of animal behavior
• Group reflection and discussion on animal welfare
• Farewell, closing, and souvenir distribution

• Overnight: Paraiso de Esparza

• Morning:  4 Waterfalls Tour Tractor ride and guided walk through primary forest, crossing three hanging bridges and visiting four waterfalls. Opportunities to spot birds and reptiles.

• Lunch:

• Afternoon:  Fumaroles & Hot Springs Visit the active crater area of Miravalles Volcano.  Enjoy mud baths, three thermal pools, and a sauna.

• Overnight: Paraiso de Esparza

• Morning: Rio Tarcoles. Crocodile boat tour on River Tarcoles and the mangroves. See crocodiles, birds and monkeys up close.
• Afternoon: Zip Lining in Jaco with canopy tour.  Souvenir shopping on the way back. 
• Evening: Farewell Dinner with the group to celebrate the conservation work achieved and memories made.
• Overnight: Paraiso de Esparza

• Transfer to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in time for your flight home.
• Pura Vida!