Exploring Costa Rica’s National Parks and Preserves: Guanacaste, Santa Rosa, and Rincón de la Vieja

After arrival in San José this afternoon, we transfer to the Pacific Coast town of Puerto Caldera. This evening, we embark our ship National Geographic Quest and chart our course north to Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Region. 

Arrival Time: Arrive before 1:00 p.m. local time. 

Arrival City: San Jose, Costa Rica 

Meals included: dinner 

Drop anchor off remote Zapotal Beach, where we’ll spend the morning soaking up the sun or snorkeling in waters fringed by offshore islets, which create outstanding habitat for a variety of tropical fish. Or choose to walk along a rarely used four-wheel drive track, which takes us back into a beautiful gallery forest. The area is rich with bird and plant varieties, and our naturalists describe the intricate web of life in these oceanside ecosystems. 

After lunch on board, we cruise north to the Papagayo Peninsula, dropping anchor in Bahia Huevos. Our Zodiacs take us on an exploration of the bay and the peninsula. If conditions, permit, we drop kayaks and paddleboards and explore the nearby mangroves. 

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Weather permitting, don a snorkel and fins to discover a rich underwater world or hike into the upper reaches of the Guanacaste Conservation Area for commanding views over the full length of this rarely visited archipelago. 

Back on board, we sail toward the mainland while enjoying a delicious lunch. Depending on conditions, we may choose to explore Santa Elena Bay in Santa Rosa National Park, Junquillal Wildlife Refuge, or Cuajiniquil Bay, all part of the extraordinarily biodiverse Guanacaste Conservation Area. While venturing out by kayak or taking a relaxing Zodiac cruise, we immerse ourselves in the tropical environment, alive with color. Yellow and black great kiskadees sally from exposed perches looking to capture a flying insect for an evening meal, and orange-fronted parakeets chatter overhead. Predators such as mangrove hawks may take wind, setting out on a late afternoon hunt, while ringed kingfishers, richly colored in brick red and deep blue, wait patiently, watching the shallows for a fish’s silvery flash. 

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Our adventure today continues as we set off inland to explore Rincón de la Vieja National Park. This mountainous region is also a part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area and encompasses more than 34,000 acres. The area, with its forests carpeting the sides of two active volcanoes, is alive with geothermal activity as gurgling, bubbling mud pots spout and steam rises above the canopy. Choose between several enticing options today including a hike through the transition zone where tropical dry habitat meets the temperate cloud forest. 

Here, we keep an eye out for exotic wildlife, with the possibility of encountering mantled howler monkeys and regionally special birds including the noisy and conspicuous white-throated magpie-jay. Alternatively, after a short hike into the forest, opt to swim below Las Chorreras Waterfall or soar through the canopy by zipline. Afterwards, enjoy a sumptuous lunch served poolside at Hacienda Guachipelin, including fresh ceviche. 

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Along the coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, and in many ways demarcating the line between the wetter jungles of the south and Guanacaste’s drier environment, sits Curú National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica’s first private national wildlife reserve. 

Learn about the hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, and mammals that inhabit this thriving ecosystem while exploring the park’s tracks and trails. Here we look for white-faced capuchin monkeys, turquoise-browed motmots, and with luck, scarlet macaws. The northern tamandua resides here, and while often elusive and quiet, this primarily arboreal member of the anteater family may be spotted. 

Later, as we enjoy lunch on board, we cruise to a cluster of offshore islets collectively called Isla Tortuga. Choose to stand-up paddleboard, kayak, or simply relax on the beach shaded by swaying palms and tropical vegetation. Celebrate the finale of our Guanacaste adventure with afternoon refreshments and hors d’oeuvres on the beach. 

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner 

Disembark after breakfast in Puerto Caldera. Drive to the airport in San José for flights home. 

Departure Time: Depart after 12:30 p.m. local time. 

Departure City: San Jose, Costa Rica 

Meals included: breakfast