Wildlife of Twilight
Scout for sloths, howler monkeys and a myriad of birdlife during canal trips and twilight tours.
Combining the prolific wildlife and outdoor pursuits of Costa Rica‘s Carribean coast with the colonial architecture and volcanic islands of Nicaragua‘s Pacific coast, this customisable trip is suited to intrepid travellers who seek a balance of exhilarating explorations with time spent unwinding on private beaches.
Two of Central America’s most charming and welcoming nations, both Costa Rica and Nicaragua boast remarkable cloud forests, expert guides full of anecdotes about the neighbouring nations and countless opportunities for active exploration. Encompassing private rafting to a jungle hideaway, a stay on an iconic volcanic island and time spent on a private mile-long sandy beach, this journey packages up the main highlights of each destination. The inclusion of a stopover in the oldest city in Latin America and the opportunity to zip-line through high forest canopies towards a treehouse picnic destination are just some of the additions that make this trip truly extraordinary.
Key Highlights of this Itinerary
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Rafting to Lodges
Embark on an exhilarating private rafting adventure to a secluded rainforest lodge retreat.
Architecture & Volcanoes
Amble colonial Granada and hike volcanic craters in Nicaragua.
Beach Retreat
Relax on the beaches of San Juan del Sur, where lush jungle meets turquoise waters.
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Day 1
San Jose (Grano de Oro)
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Day 2
San Jose - Tortuguero (Tortuga Lodge)
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Day 3
Tortuguero (Tortuga Lodge)
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Day 4
Tortuguero - Rio Pacuare (Pacuare Lodge)
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Days 5-6
Rio Pacuare (Pacuare Lodge)
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Day 7
Rio Pacuare - San Jose - Managua - Granada (Hotel Plaza Colon)
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Day 8
Granada (Hotel Plaza Colon)
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Day 9
Granada (Hotel Plaza Colon)
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Day 10
Granada - San Jorge - Ometepe Island (Finca San Juan de la Isla)
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Day 11
Ometepe Island (Finca San Juan de la Isla)
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Day 12
Ometepe Island - San Jorge - San Juan del Sur (Morgans Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge)
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Days 13-14
San Juan del Sur (Morgans Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge)
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Day 15
San Juan del Sur - Managua
Day 1
San Jose (Grano de Oro)
On arrival, transfer to your hotel and spend the remainder of the day at leisure.
Day 2
San Jose - Tortuguero (Tortuga Lodge)
Drive and then transfer by boat to Tortuguero National Park, a wetland reserve that lies on the country’s Caribbean coast. Stay at Tortuga Lodge, where iguanas roam the garden and howler monkeys hide in the trees above.
Day 3
Tortuguero (Tortuga Lodge)
Take a boat trip through the regions network of lagoons, rivers and canals in search of abundant birdlife and reptiles. Tortuguero is also one of the world’s major nesting sites for Atlantic green turtles which can be seen between July and October.
Day 4
Tortuguero - Rio Pacuare (Pacuare Lodge)
Travel inland by boat and road, heading towards Rio Pacuare, found in a valley of the Talamanca Mountain range. Here, jump into a raft and float to Pacuare Lodge, a jungle hideaway within a private reserve.
Days 5-6
Rio Pacuare (Pacuare Lodge)
Spend two days relaxing and enjoying some of the activities on offer at Pacuare Lodge. These include trekking, rafting, zip lining and canyoning as well as nature tours, visits to indigenous communities and culinary experiences.
Day 7
Rio Pacuare - San Jose - Managua - Granada (Hotel Plaza Colon)
Leave your jungle setting, either by raft or overland, and return to San Jose for a flight to Nicaragua and the capital city of Managua. On arrival transfer 60 minutes to the colonial city of Granada and check into your hotel.
Day 8
Granada (Hotel Plaza Colon)
Take a private boat tour of Las Isletas, an archipelago of around 365 small islands on Lake Nicaragua, formed around 20,000 years ago by a massive volcanic explosion. Stop for lunch on one of the islands before returning to Granada for a culture and history tour of this charming colonial city.
Day 9
Granada (Hotel Plaza Colon)
Spend today at leisure to amble the narrow streets of colonial Granada.
Day 10
Granada - San Jorge - Ometepe Island (Finca San Juan de la Isla)
Transfer south of the city for around an hour to Mombacho Volcano, one of the most prominent volcanoes in Nicaragua. Take an adventurous drive to the crater enjoying outstanding views of the tropical forest and Lake Nicaragua before hiking around the crater with a canopy tour. Continue south to San Jorge for your boat to Ometepe Island and your accommodation.
Day 11
Ometepe Island (Finca San Juan de la Isla)
Relax and enjoy the spectacular views and beach front location at San Juan de la Isla. Take a swim in the lake or explore the island on foot or by mountain bike.
Day 12
Ometepe Island - San Jorge - San Juan del Sur (Morgans Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge)
Transfer by boat back to the mainland and onwards to San Juan del Sur and your accommodation on the shores of the Pacific, a total journey time of around two and a half hours.
Days 13-14
San Juan del Sur (Morgans Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge)
Spend the next two days relaxing on the beach. Optional activities include 4×4 wildlife safaris, horseback rides, snorkelling excursions and surfing lessons.
Day 15
San Juan del Sur - Managua
Transfer to Managua for onwards travels.
More Details
Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast
Boat Safari & Turtle Nesting
The dense rainforest, swamps and waterways of Tortuguero National Park allow for superb wildlife viewing opportunities. Take to the water in a boat that navigates the tributaries where chattering monkeys and flitting birds live their lives overhead, and watch out for the Jesus Christ lizards that are renowned for their ability to run on the surface of water. In one of the finest places in the world to watch Atlantic green sea turtle’s nesting, we can arrange expertly guided excursions to secluded spots on the Caribbean Coast where, under moonlight, it is possible to watch as turtles come ashore to lay eggs.
Pacuare Lodge
Raft to a Jungle Hideaway
With its multitude of rambling mountain-sourced rivers, Costa Rica offers exhilarating world-class white water rafting, and one of the country’s most esteemed lodges, Pacuare Lodge is accessible by one of these thrilling rafting expeditions. Traverse grade III and IV rapids through outstanding scenery of deep-sided gorges and dense riverside jungles to reach the lodge, stopping for a picnic lunch on a pebbly riverside beach. The solar and water-powered property, which offers 4×4 tours, rugged rainforest treks and visits to nearby indigenous communities, carefully balances the understated luxury of spring-fed swimming pools with eco-friendly jungle living.
Volcanic Explorations
Climb an Active Volcano
Just south of Granada, Mombacho is one of Nicaragua’s largest volcanoes and is thought to be the creator of the isletas (islands) in Lake Nicaragua, formed as a result of a historic eruption. A steep uphill drive leads to two dormant craters within dense cloud forest that form a unique ecosystem, home to a wealth of flora and fauna. A one-mile long trail around the crater offers incredible views (cloud permitting) down to Granada, Lake Nicaragua and neighbouring Masaya volcano plus the chance to spot wildlife including howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, sloths, dart frogs, and the endemic Mombacho salamander. The craters of this extinct volcano have unique acoustic properties that amplify the sounds of nature.
Morgans Rock Ecolodge
Private Beach Retreats
Unwind on the beaches of San Juan del Sur where lush jungles meet blue waters. Admired for its tumbling Pacific surf and golden sand dunes, the former fishing hamlet of San Juan de Sur has undergone something of a renaissance. Having managed to retain its easy-going charm it is chocked with local markets, stalls serving Nicaraguan dishes in palm leaves and colourful buildings. Staying in an eco-lodge set within 4,000 acres of jungle, spend time both on its private beach and cooling off in a villa plunge pool while monkeys scamper across the balcony.
Start planning your trip
How does this holiday make a positive impact?
- Relevant SDGs
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Tortuga Lodge is committed to monitoring their consumption and implementing measures to mitigate excessive use. They have installed water metres to help analyse water consumption and have since installed high-tech toilets for the most efficient water use. Through a high-tech system of filters and ultraviolet light, they also purify local water to make it drinkable. This helped them to eliminate the use of bottled water and avoid single-use plastics as much as possible.
Pacuare Lodge has purchased 340 hectares of primary rainforest along the Pacuare River. Previously under threat from developers, this prime wildlife habitat is now strictly protected and has a ‘no-visitor’ policy in place. Pacuare Lodge gives the Jaguar Program access to this protected zone and, in addition, provides food, lodging and other support to the researchers conducting vital work on jaguar conservation in Costa Rica.
Thanks to a large working farm with cows, chickens, fruit and vegetable gardens, and even a sustainable shrimp farm, Morgan’s Rock sources roughly 60% of its food products from farming activities that take place right on the premises, including an ocean to table concept.
Learn more about the UN's 17 sustainability goals
A note on price
Prices will vary depending on the time of year you are travelling. Prices do not include international flights. Please ask one of our Travel Experts for an accurate quote. Flights purchased through Steppes Travel departing from the UK are ATOL protected.
This Itinerary
Price
From £5,495 Per person
When to travel
Costa Rica in January
January to April generally has the lowest rainfall throughout the year, though showers can still be expected in such a tropical climate. One of the most popular times of year to visit, with fantastic opportunities to view wildlife, explore the jungle, and relax on white sandy beaches. The ideal time to visit the Pacific Coast.
Costa Rica in February
January to April generally has the lowest rainfall throughout the year, though showers can still be expected in such a tropical climate. One of the most popular times of year to visit, with fantastic opportunities to view wildlife, explore the jungle, and relax on white sandy beaches. The ideal time to visit the Pacific Coast.
Costa Rica in March
January to April generally has the lowest rainfall throughout the year, though showers can still be expected in such a tropical climate. One of the most popular times of year to visit, with fantastic opportunities to view wildlife, explore the jungle, and relax on white sandy beaches. The ideal time to visit the Pacific Coast.
Costa Rica in April
January to April generally has the lowest rainfall throughout the year, though showers can still be expected in such a tropical climate. One of the most popular times of year to visit, with fantastic opportunities to view wildlife, explore the jungle, and relax on white sandy beaches. The ideal time to visit the Pacific Coast.
Costa Rica in May
May and June mark the beginning of the ‘green season’. Rainfall increases a little, but with that means fewer visitors and quieter national parks. The flora and fauna return to its lushest state and makes for beautiful photography opportunities.
Costa Rica in June
May and June mark the beginning of the ‘green season’. Rainfall increases a little, but with that means fewer visitors and quieter national parks. The flora and fauna return to its lushest state and makes for beautiful photography opportunities.
Costa Rica in July
July and August is green season, but there is a brief little summer or ‘veranillo’, which breaks up the rain in July. A great time to enjoy water sports in the country, although sun-seekers can still enjoy the beaches on the far northern Pacific coast.
Costa Rica in August
July and August is green season, but there is a brief little summer or ‘veranillo’, which breaks up the rain in July. A great time to enjoy water sports in the country, although sun-seekers can still enjoy the beaches on the far northern Pacific coast.
Costa Rica in September
While travel is not recommended on the Pacific side in September and October, as it is the peak of the wet season, it is the ideal time to visit the Caribbean coast.
Costa Rica in October
While travel is not recommended on the Pacific side in September and October, as it is the peak of the wet season, it is the ideal time to visit the Caribbean coast.
Costa Rica in November
November and December see the country start to dry up, although the exact timing of the end of the green season varies. By Christmas and New Year, it is getting busy again so it is worth booking accommodation in advance.
Costa Rica in December
November and December see the country start to dry up, although the exact timing of the end of the green season varies. By Christmas and New Year, it is getting busy again so it is worth booking accommodation in advance.
Holiday Inspiration
Our experts have created and curated these tailor-made holiday ideas to get you started. Take the time to search through them and find something that is the spark for your unique adventure.
Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
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