Real Costa Rica

This 11-night small-group escorted tour with Just You follows a mostly clockwise route through Costa Rica, beginning in San José with a chance to meet fellow travellers before heading to the Caribbean coast. In Puerto Viejo de Limón, the protected coral reef and tropical forest host bright birds and shy mammals, while the nearby Bribri Reserve offers a rare insight into an indigenous community, their use of medicinal plants and chocolate-making traditions.

The journey continues to Tortuguero National Park, reached by boat as no roads lead there, where waterways and jungle trails reveal monkeys, otters, caimans and nesting sea turtles. Later days include a coffee plantation tour at Muelle de San Carlos and walks among the rainforest canopy’s hanging bridges, ending with a few days in Guanacaste for free time on Playa Carrillo and options such as kayaking among mangroves.

The itinerary balances early starts and travel days with slower afternoons and evenings to relax or join optional excursions. It offers a considered pace, with both community visits and wildlife watching framed by a tropical landscape that keeps revealing its details.