Costa Rica & Panama 17-Day Holiday Itinerary

From Wildlife & Beaches to Coffee & Canals – Panama & Costa Rica

Summary
Including
Excluding
Map

Summary

Duration:	17 days / 16 nights (flexible)
Departure:	Daily
Itinerary:	San Jose - Tortuguero - Puerto Viejo - Bri Bri Village - Bocas del Toro - Boquete - Panama City
Prices from:	£1,915 - per person - travelling by shuttle bus £2,035 - per person - travelling by hire car

Combine classic Costa Rica with the less-travelled treasures of Panama; travel through Costa Rica’s best loved jungles and beaches before journeying through the isolated village of the Bribri people and onwards into Panama. Lay back and relax on a quiet island and head into the hills to experience life on a working coffee plantation. Wind up your trip with a visit to Panama’s most famous landmark: the Panama Canal.

Including

Accommodation – price based on 2 people sharing
Breakfast
Transport (shuttle bus or car hire)
Excursions as described
Car Hire in Costa Rica – full insurance included

Excluding

International Flights – let us book flights for you
Visa fees
Tips
Other Meals and Drinks
Other Excursions
Entrance fees

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Local women in San Jose in Costa Rica laughing on her banana stool in market

Days 1-3

We know the way to San José

After a long flight you’ll be pleased to see a representative from our local office waiting to whisk you away to your modern hotel. The next morning you’ll visit the office of our local partner where you’ll be greeted with a Costa Rican coffee. We’ll organise a two hour walk for you around the city with an English speaking guide to discover the secret sights of the city.

From San Jose you’ll be picked up by coach for the journey to Tortuguero. You’ll travel in a coach from the city through some spectacular mountain landscapes before dropping down into the farmlands. After about 3 hours You’ll stop off near Guapiles where you’ll have a breakfast stop. You’ll continue on to the Pavona docks where you’ll disembark your coach and switch to a boat for the final 90 minutes of your journey into the rainforest. Keep an eyes peeled for monkeys, crocodiles, toucans and iguanas along the way.

Tortuguero jungle & river photo from above

Days 3-5

Through the Jungle to Tortuguero

The amazing landscape of Tortuguero is not accessible by road. Instead you’ll find rivers meandering through the pristine rainforest to the famous nesting ground of countless turtles. Fill your senses with the sounds of the rainforest, listen to howler monkeys in the distance, smell the tropical hibiscus or spot tiny red frogs in the grass.

At the end of your stay in the rainforest you’ll travel by boat and coach to nearby Siquirres. From here we’ll reserve you a ticket aboard the shuttle bus to Puerto Viejo, a journey of roughly 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you’ll pick up your hire car here and make your own way there.

Days 5-8

Reefs & Reggae of the Caribbean

After all that travelling you’re probably ready for a long stretch of sandy beach and a tasty Caribbean stew; well, Puerto Viejo is the place for both. The distinctly Caribbean feel means that you’re never too far from an intoxicating reggae beat or a tropical cocktail. You’ll also get your nature fix, visiting nearby Cahuita National Park to explore the colourful world both above and below the water.

Next, you’ll be picked up from your hotel and be transferred to the simple riverside dock on the Sixaola/Yorkin Rivers, about 90 minutes drive. Facilities at the docks are very basic so be prepared with snacks beforehand. You’ll travel to the Bribri village by traditional dug out canoe, which takes roughly 2 hours. Be prepared! You might get wet!

Costa Rican woman cooking food in Bribri Costa Rica

Days 8-9

Bamboo Boat to the BriBri Village

You’ll spend 2 days living with the Bribri tribe as you really get to know the indigenous people and their culture. Stay in an original Bribri cabaña with palm leaves for a roof, take a bamboo canoe on the Yorkin River and walk through banana plantations. Using your English speaking guide, and all your senses, you’ll find out how to make your own chocolate. Then, the best part: tasting!

After lunch, your stay with the Bribri comes to an end and you’ll travel back by boat and transfer back to Puerto Viejo.

Days 9-10

Night stay Puerto Viejo

You’ll return to the same comfortable, Caribbean-style hotel in Puerto Viejo where you stayed before. Puerto Viejo is a combination of spectacular surfing, sublime beaches and rhythmic reggae music. In the evening the town comes alive and you can enjoy the afro-Caribbean vibe, not to mention the multitude of restaurants serving fantastic fusion food.

The next day you’ll travel by minibus to the Panama border where you’ll cross the bridge between the two countries on foot, then drive to the port of Almirante. If it’s raining make sure to have your rain jacket or an umbrella with you! Travel time by transfer is roughly 2 hours but bear in mind that crossing the border and going through all the paperwork will take about an hour or so depending on how busy the crossing is. From Almirante you’ll hop on a speed boat over to Bocas del Toro, a crossing that takes roughly and hour.

Days 10-13

Panama Island Getaway

When you arrive at the dock in Bocas del Toro you’ll make your own way to your cosy hotel on Isla Colon. There’s nothing planned during your time here so you can do as you please. Walk along the beach, try some snorkelling, mountain bike or trek inland among the mangrove forests, creeks and rivers. Alternatively, just laze on the beach and soak up the sunshine.

Next, we’ll arrange for a transfer to take you from your hotel in Bocas to your hotel in Boquete. You’ll travel by boat and private transfer and the journey should take around 5 hours in total.

Days 13-15

Coffee Beans in the Countryside

In the middle of a lush valley, wedged between towering volcanoes, is your home for the next few days, Boquete. Surrounded by exotic flowers, plants and birds you can enjoy the peace and quiet of your surroundings. The humid climate makes this the perfect place for growing coffee. You’ll experience the whole process from bean to cup, and even be able to take some roasted beans away with you.

Next, we’ll arrange for a transfer to take you from Boquete to David Airport, roughly a 90 minute drive south, where you’ll catch a short 1 hour flight to Panama City. On arrival in the city you’ll be picked up and transferred to your hotel.

Days 15-17

The Canal and Cobblestones of Panama City

Panama City is allegedly the most cosmopolitan in Central America. The ethnic diversity has given rise to a wide array of restaurants for you to choose from; Panamanian-style ceviche, chicken kebabs, bluefin tuna sushi or tikka masala! During your stay you’ll visit the famous Panama Canal and let a local guide introduce you to the city; a world of historic buildings and cobbled streets.

Finally, we’ll arrange for a transfer to take you from your hotel in Panama City to the International Airport for your flight back to the UK.

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