Short tour from San Jose

Welcome to San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. Its history started by building the chapel La Boca del Monte in the middle of the 16th century. Soon it flourished as a centre for growing of tobacco and nowadays excites with beautiful parks, interesting museums, markets with local specialties and authentic pieces of craftwork, as well as genuine hospitality. Explore the city and get ready for the tour to the Tortuguero National Park.

Depart from a hotel early in the morning. Stop for a breakfast on the way and visit to banana plantation, if time and weather permitting, en route to the Tortuguero National Park. Once you get to the port near the town of Limon, hop on board the lancha (boat) for your incredible journey through the remarkable Tortuguero canals to a jungle lodge near the park territory. Tortuguero National Park was founded in 1975 to protect four species of the sea turtles which nest along the beaches. You will probably see herons, egrets, spoonbills, as well as amphibians and reptiles like the caimans. After lunch take an optional visit to Tortuguero. It is a small village initially inhibited by Miskito Indians, Hispanic - in the period of colonization, and Afro-Americans, mostly from Jamaica, who came to build the railroad between Limon and San Jose and brought in their culture. Later, in 1940s, when the first wood mill opened, it transformed the village quadrupling the population and developing it. However, none of the wood businesses succeeded and they closed in some 30 years. Many people left and the life returned to the traditional - farming, hunting and fishing. Nowadays the village develops owing to the tourism and the construction of channels and waterways that made travelling safer than by the ocean.

Join an early guided canal tour and experience the awakening of jungle surrounding the canals as the animals start their day and return to the lodge for breakfast. Later, take a walk through the jungle with your guide. Visitors regularly see monkeys, caimans, sloths, iguanas, toucans and many other species. During the nesting season from June to August, the night excursions to watch the giant turtles nesting are optionally and locally arranged. After an early morning breakfast it is time to make your return journey back to San Jose. Travel south, back through steamy jungle canals and natural rivers to the port, have a lunch and return to your San Jose hotel in the afternoon.