The Best of Costa Rica

From Tortuguero the tour crosses to the northern lowlands at Muelle de San Carlos with a stop at a coffee plantation offering a reminder that Costa Rican coffee is no casual drink. The route then climbs to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, where a network of hanging bridges carries walkers high above the canopy and orchids quietly flourish.

The final stop is Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast, the country’s smallest yet richest park for spotting squirrel monkeys and scarlet macaws. The tour ends with a return to San José, where there’s time to visit the National Theatre and sample a traditional casado before heading home.