Central America Holidays

Spend a morning exploring the geological wonderland of Arenal Volcano National Park. This tour starts with a short boat ride across Arenal Lake Dam – an artificial lake that reflects the volcano on its surface. You’ll hike through the forest, following well-marked trails that lead to lookout points to appreciate the majesty of the Arenal Volcano. You’ll continue into an area destroyed by volcanic activity and witness its regeneration. A second hike takes you across former lava fields, and as you go, the nature, geology and the volcano's history will be explained by your guide.

• Daily departures from La Fortuna (excluding ORIGINS Lodge)
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Spend an afternoon and Golden Hour on Lake Arenal, spotting Costa Rica’s famous birdlife. Lake Arenal was built in 1974 and is the largest water reservoir in Costa Rica. It provides hydroelectric energy for the country, but it’s also where you can find some of Costa Rica’s colourful birdlife and have the chance to see the imposing Arenal Volcano. This tour departs in the afternoon, taking you to a spot in the Arenal Volcano National Park, where the birds are most active in the afternoon. Spot tropical birds such as toucans, parrots, oropendolas, colourful tanagers and parakeets. Your guide will also look for Royal Flycatchers, White-fronted Nun Birds, Cinnamon Woodpeckers, different species of herons and other less commonly seen species. You’ll board a two-hour boat ride staying close to the lake shore to maximise bird spotting and continue to way the volcano’s front area to get a fantastic view of the volcano at sunset.

• Daily departures from La Fortuna (excluding ORIGINS Lodge)
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Spend an afternoon hiking the Arenal 1968 Trail across the lava stream of the volcano’s late 60s eruption, followed by a soak in the hot springs. Lace up your hiking boots to embark on the 2.5-hour volcano hike along the base and flanks of Arenal Volcano and the Arenal 1968 Park. The trail takes you across the lava fields of the eruption and over rocky terrain. Along the route are impressive views of Lake Arenal, the mountains of Monteverde, and the looming Arenal Volcano. En route, spot birdlife and mammals that make this fascinating place home. After the hike, continue to the hot springs for a muscle-soothing soak.

• Daily departures from La Fortuna (excluding ORIGINS Lodge)
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Walk through the tree canopy of Mistico Park, following a series of six hanging bridges suspended over 50 metres in the air. From your lofty vantage point, appreciate this verdant area's sights, sounds, and biological diversity. There’s the chance to spot birds, monkeys, coatis, and sloths, explore the undisturbed forest canopy, and enjoy nature at its best.

• Daily departures from La Fortuna (excluding ORIGINS Lodge)
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

A half-day walking tour through San José over a busy afternoon offers a glimpse into local life and reveals the city’s architectural and cultural highlights. You’ll be met at your hotel and head to La Merced Church, a striking, neo-Gothic church and celebrated city icon. Experience the energy of the central pedestrian zone on the way to San José’s busy Central Market, where you’ll catch the aromas of herbs and fruit being sold alongside clothes and leather goods. A stop at the National Theatre follows — an architectural beauty of Costa Rica with a neo-Classical façade and impressive marble lobby. Next, the Gold Museum provides a fascinating insight into the pre-Columbian history of Costa Rica in the atmospheric bank vaults. You’ll pass through Democracy Square and the parliament building on the way to the National Museum, where you can admire views over San José from the courtyard. At the Atlantic Rail Station, you’ll see a blend of Victorian, Baroque, and neo-Classical styles before moving on to San José’s Spanish Park for a spot of shade. You’ll see the Metallic School next, said to have inspired Paris’ Eiffel Tower, before your tour concludes at the leafy Morazán Park and you return to your hotel.

• Departs Monday to Saturday from San José
• Operates year-round
• Private experience

Visit the largest, highest active volcano in Costa Rica on a morning tour from San José. The journey takes a couple of hours from San José, and on the way, you’ll pass through small villages in the Central Valley before joining the impressive mountain road for the drive up the Irazú Volcano mountainside. The top of the volcano is 3,432m above sea level, and on a clear day, you’ll have a spectacular view of the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. The altitude of the volcano means it can be windy and chilly, so take some extra layers — worth it for the incredible views. You’ll descend to Cartago, stopping to see an earthquake-ravaged church and learn a little about the town’s history, with time to admire the Byzantine style of the Basilica before returning to your hotel.

• Daily departures from San José
• Operates year-round
• Private experience

Explore San José by night, touring local markets and visiting cultural and architectural icons before settling down for a local dinner with wine. Your tour begins at the colourful Central Market, strolling with your local guide and learning how the roots, herbs, and fruit are used in local dishes. After the market, you’ll venture along Central Avenue, learning about the city's history and hearing anecdotes from your guide, stopping to appreciate one of the most architecturally beautiful buildings in San José — the National Theatre. The walk continues through Morazán Park to see the beautiful Metallic Building, then to Spanish Park for a view of the Yellow House that houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this neighbourhood, there are plenty of examples of architecture from the 1800s, including the National Distillery, Paseo de Las Damas, and the Supreme Court of Elections. The walking tour concludes with a visit to an artisan market. The rest of the evening is spent at a local restaurant enjoying a delicious meal with your group with carefully selected wines.

• Departs Monday to Saturday from San José
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Experience the cloud forest of Monteverde on a two-hour guided walk across a series of eight hanging bridges. Selvetura Park’s Treetop Walkway is a 1.9-mile trail through the cloud forest. The suspension bridges blend seamlessly with their surroundings and are an incredible way to get close to the birdlife and wildlife. You might spot white-faced capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, or the more difficult-to-spot spider monkeys. All the while, you can listen to the sounds of the jungle.

• Daily departures from Monteverde
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Join a four-hour walking tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest to spot incredible birdlife. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has 13 km of well-kept trails through lush vegetation. Your walking tour is accompanied by a local English-speaking guide, who will tell you all about flora and fauna of the region, considered by most Costa Ricans as one of their seven wonders. There are over 300 species of birds in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, including the famous quetzal.

• Daily departures from Monteverde
• Operates year-round
• Private experience

Visit a local plantation and join a guided tour to learn about Costa Rica’s sugar, coffee, and chocolate production. A Costa Rican family owns the El Trapiche, or sugar mill, tour. It begins with a walk around the plantations, where bananas, plantains, macadamia, oranges, sugarcane, and coffee are grown. You’ll learn the sugarcane cultivation process and watch how coffee is produced, from planting to crushing, peeling, and roasting processes. Next, there’s a short ride on an oxcart to see cocoa and learn the chocolate-making process before returning to the sugarcane to see how sugarcane liquor is produced. You will see the three types of typical sugarcane mills: a manual trapiche, an ox mill, and a water mill. The tour ends where artisanal sugarcane candy and caramel are made, with the chance to make your own sweets. The trip concludes with a tasting of gallo de arracacha, a tuber plant snack, served with a cup of local coffee, lemonade, or Aguadulce sweet water.

• Daily departures from Monteverde
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Choose one of three Monteverde Nature Reserves to explore and decide whether you want an easy nature-themed hike or something more challenging. All options spend half a day in the reserve you choose, either Monteverde Reserve, Santa Elena Reserve or Curicancha Reserve. Your guide will meet you at your hotel and, on the way to the reserve, will tell you more about Monteverde's natural environment and history and share cultural anecdotes. Your guide will explain the intricate interactions of the different species of flora and fauna of these ecosystems and give insight into the unpredictable and ever-changing conditions. You’ll likely spot various forms of famous Costa Rican wildlife in your cloud forest experience.

• Daily departures from Monteverde
• Operates year-round
• Group experience