Located between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, Costa Rica is a natural bridge between North and South America offering visitors one of the largest biodiversities of the world. It’s a country where you can easily combine nature, adventure, beach, and luxury comfort.
Note: Please see this link for the most updated information related to arrivals in Costa Rica.
The Trip
Day One
Upon arrival at Juan Santamaría International Airport, Costa Rica Trails will coordinate with the handling agent you or your private jet operator chooses and will be there to transfer you to Xandari Hotel & Resort in a private transportation.
Xandari Resort & Spa is an eco-friendly property spread over a 40-acre coffee plantation, overlooking the Central Valley. Located just 20 minutes from San José airport, the resort offers a luxurious experience, completely secluded and immersed in the wilderness. The property’s unique architecture is an exquisite burst of art, which combines seamlessly with the stunning mountain views.
Twenty-four standalone-villas were individually designed with high-wood ceilings, vividly colored paintings, stained glass, and rattan furniture. All villas feature private garden terraces.
Xandari’s restaurant serves healthy meals prepared with fresh herbs and vegetables from the on-site organic garden. The property has kilometers of scenic trails that pass through botanical gardens, blooming wild flowers, coffee plantations, bamboo groves, and waterfalls. Pampering treatments can be enjoyed at Spa Village, a collection of thatch-roofed rooms surrounded by an exotic courtyard with private Jacuzzi.
The 1,420 sq. ft. Star Villa (above) is the largest with two bedrooms: one with a king-size bed and the other one with two double beds, two bathrooms, salon and dining area, office study with the internet, television, full kitchen, and a panoramic view over tropical gardens, the resort’s sunset pool, and the expanse of the Central Valley.
Day Two
After breakfast, you will transfer to the domestic flights terminal to take the helicopter flight to Pacuare. A qualified pilot and a tour guide will accompany you during the flight. The helicopter will fly over the two most impressive volcanoes in Costa Rica and enjoy an exciting adventure above the striking Central Valley.
Start the trip flying over Poas Volcano National Park, an active volcano with one of the largest craters on earth. Afterward fly over Irazu Volcano, which has a massive crater with a mystical green lagoon surrounded by jagged rocks. Irazu Volcano is the tallest in Costa Rica (3432 meters over sea level), it is also famous because of its two craters, in one of them lays an emerald color lagoon. On the horizon, if the weather is clear, you can see, the Turrialba Volcano, which has been in constant activity since 2016, erupting gases, ash and some lava.
Next, you arrive at Pacuare Lodge, a luxury, eco-hotel with only 20 suites and situated on the banks of one of the world’s most scenic, white-water wonders, the Pacuare River.
Nestled next to the Pacuare River, the 3,767 sq. ft. Jaguar Villa (above and below) is designed to give guests the experience of being in a tropical rainforest without sacrificing comfort. The simple, elegant design combines hardwood floors and teak furniture with ample open areas for admiring the surrounding nature, including a terrace complete with a spring-fed pool, outdoor showers, and spacious bathrooms.
Freshen up and enjoy lunch. Then, you will have free time to partake in any of the available on-site activities, including zipline, canoes, and hikes.
Simple, and yet sophisticated, the indigenous Cabécar-inspired architecture, pristine rainforest, farm-to-table exquisite cuisine, and luxurious, well-appointed accommodations come together to offer an experience like no other.
Day Three
You will wake up to bird song and the soothing sound of the river nearby. Then head over to the main lodge for a delicious breakfast of homemade bread, tropical fruits, yogurt, eggs, pancakes, cereal and juice and coffee. The lodge employs a resident naturalist guide who will provide you with unique insights into the plant and animal world. Choose from scheduled optional tours that include guided hikes through an emerald rainforest, the Cabécar Indian tour – where visitors may participate in a cultural exchange with a shaman, the inflatable kayaks, or the adventure Canopy Tour, among others.
Day Four
After breakfast, you will depart by raft for a day of whitewater rafting along tropical scenery (approximately 3½ hours over class III-IV rapids). This stretch of the Pacuare River flows through canyons, past waterfalls, and rainforest. You are likely to catch glimpses of varied birds and other wildlife during the quiet stretches. Lunch will be served on the riverbank. At the end of the activity, you will have a chance to change into dry clothes at lodge’s private facilities by the river take-out.
In case you prefer not to raft, you can leave the lodge by 4×4. In this case, lunch will be served at the lodge and you will be reunited with your driver at the take out.
Continue by private transfer to the local airstrip to take a charter flight towards AltaGracia Hotel.
Featuring the largest spa in Central America, its own airstrip and helipad, here, on 350 hectares you will live the hacienda-lifestyle in this freestanding casita, outfitted with a generously sized bedroom and roomy living quarters with fireplace, dining area, and separate butler’s pantry. An expansive panoramic terrace overlooks scenic mountain views. The One Bedroom Pool Casita spans 2,293 sq. ft. with a private pool.
Day Five
After breakfast, you will enjoy horseback riding on the Santa Maria Trail, choosing from over 40 thoroughbreds, including Peruvians and Andalusians from the Los Establos stables. Unpaved trails weave through private properties and offer splendid views of the Brunqueña and Talamanca Mountains.
Spend the afternoon at leisure at the spa or relaxing by your private pool.
Day Six
After breakfast, a private ground transfer will take you to Sierpe, a small village where a boat awaits you for a two-hour water ride towards Drake Bay. You will be the doors of the world-famous Corcovado National Park where you will check into the La Paloma Lodge.
Sitting atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and backed by the lush tropical jungle of Drake Bay, the property is located on 14- acres, just a short walk from the cool waters of Agujitas River and secluded black-sand beaches. The lodge offers a sanctuary for those looking to reconnect with nature.
The Sunset Ranchos are equipped with A/C and furnished with king, queen and single beds and have bathrooms on both the upper and lower levels. Relax amidst the richness of the tropical jungle. From your balcony, you will probably watch monkeys playing in the trees, catch a glimpse of scarlet macaws soaring overhead or relax poolside with your favorite book.
Day Seven
After breakfast, The Spinner Dolphin Mega Pod experience will take place nearby Drake Bay on the Pacific Coast. Considered as one of the most cetacean-rich areas in the world, the marine life here is abundant with pods of pan-tropic spotted, bottlenose, spinner, and common dolphins as well as humpback whales (from January to February and from September to end October), manta rays, sea turtles and more.
Before the activity, the Costa Rican Trails team will make an overflight search through this vast borderless open-ocean ecosystem, where these huge pods of spinner dolphins swim in order to spot these groups of dolphins for you to find them easily once the experience starts.
Day Eight
Corcovado National Park has been cited by National Geographic as “one of the most biologically intense places on earth” and the Sirena Ranger Station guided tour will prove them right.
Start with a one-and-a-half-hour boat transfer to Sirena ranger station. During the boat ride, the coastline is a scenic center beyond belief. Avid naturalists will enjoy seeing this remote station in Corcovado National Park. This guided tour leaves at 6:00 am and returns until mid-afternoon.
Upon arrival, you will register in the Ranger Station and then you are free to take any of the trails accompanied by one of our expert Corcovado guides.
Sirena is considered the heart of Corcovado and the largest interior ranger station. Because of its history and location, it is a keystone for science, education, and ecotourism in the region. The extraordinary diversity and concentration of wildlife in the Corcovado Basin may be spotted almost at any time at any trail. None of the animals is hunted, so they do not have much fear of human beings. As a result, tapirs sometimes cool off in nearby mud holes, and herds of peccaries occasionally roam with a few hundred meters of the ranger station itself.
Day Nine
After breakfast at the lodge, it is time to take a private flight back to San José to connect with your international flight or to a beach destination. You can chill out at one of the exclusive properties the North Pacific Coast has to offer: Four Seasons Papagayo, Villa Manzu or Kasiiya, secluded hideaways in untouched Papagayo Gulf, all offering luxury, experiences and personalized service at the best level!
Note that Costa Rica Trails can work with your chief pilot or private aviation provider to coordinate flights. For internal flights where airports are not suitable for foreign-registered or larger jets Costa Rica Trails will handle arrangements with local operators based on your specifications.
VIP Contacts
VIP Contact: Luis Angel Ceciliano at luisangel@costaricantrails.com or +506.2527.6700 or Costa Rican Trails.
