Osa, Pacuare and Papagayo

Six nights in three corners of Costa Rica, joined by private plane so the days stay full. On the Osa, lunch with a family whose ranch has been theirs for more than 150 years; on the Pacuare, a trek on Cabécar trails in the Talamanca mountains to meet a Cabécar family; then the dry forest and the Pacific at Papagayo.

Length: Six nights
Pace: Three stays
Style: Rainforest, rafting, adventure, beach
Route: Osa Peninsula to Pacuare River to Papagayo Peninsula

Osa PeninsulaTwo nights
Pacuare RiverTwo nights
Papagayo PeninsulaTwo nights

A scarlet macaw with red, yellow and white plumage, seen close up.

Days 1 to 3 · two nights

Osa Peninsula

A private plane from San José to the Osa Peninsula. A walk at night, a boat on the Golfo Dulce to look for dolphins, a hike to a waterfall and an early morning of birding. A half day can be given to Piro Ranch, in the Sanchez family for more than 150 years, for its trails, a swim in the Piro River and a Costa Rican lunch with Miguel Sanchez and his family, for five guests or more; nearer home, a naturalist walks the forest's medicinal plants, and a seedling goes into the lodge's own reforestation.

Where you stay

Lapa Rios Lodge

Lapa Rios Lodge stands in a private reserve of 1,000 acres on the Osa Peninsula, near Corcovado National Park, as part of an effort to protect the last tropical lowland rainforests of Central America. Scarlet macaws, sloths, monkeys and more than 300 species of birds live in the forest around the suites.

White water running over rocks through dense green rainforest.

Days 3 to 5 · two nights

Pacuare River

A flight across the country, then in to the lodge by raft. A trek of four to five hours on trails the Cabécar have used for centuries, ending with a visit to a Cabécar family; it is demanding, and for those 12 and over. Zip-lining, rappelling and canyoning, and at 5 p.m. the lodge's hour-long sustainable tour, from its hydroelectric turbine to Jaguar Hall.

Where you stay

Pacuare Lodge

Pacuare Lodge stands on the banks of the Pacuare River within 340 hectares of rainforest, with 20 bungalows across five types of villa and suite. The architecture takes its cue from the Cabécar culture, and Nairi Awari serves farm-to-table cooking.

Peninsula Papagayo from the air, green headlands reaching into a calm blue bay. — Photo: Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Days 5 to 7 · two nights

Papagayo Peninsula

A last flight north-west to Guanacaste for two days by the sea. The resort's guides lead walks, birding and wildlife tours through the 250-acre Palmares Preserve, a tropical dry forest; on the water there are paddleboards, kayaks and snorkelling, whale watching and a sunset cruise, before the flight home.

Where you stay

Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Nekajui looks over Playa Pochote and the Pacific from Peninsula Papagayo, with rooms, suites and treetop tents set into the forest. Chef Diego Muñoz cooks Peruvian food at Puna, and the Naku Spa draws on the traditions of the Nicoya people.

Arranged on request

Lunch at Piro Ranch

A half day at a ranch and reserve in the Sanchez family for more than 150 years, with trails, a swim in the Piro River and a traditional lunch with Miguel Sanchez and his family; the lodge runs it for five guests or more.

On Cabécar trails

With naturalist guides, a trek of four to five hours on paths the Cabécar have walked for centuries in the Talamanca mountains, ending with a meeting with a Cabécar family.

The forest as pharmacy

From the organic gardens to a rainforest trailhead, a naturalist shows the plants, trees and seeds that indigenous people, farmers and gold miners have used for healing and food.

A tree in the reserve

At the lodge's nursery, a naturalist explains how the rainforest regenerates, then helps you choose and plant a seedling in a young stand of forest.

The Palmares Preserve

Guided walks, birding and wildlife tours through 250 acres of tropical dry forest around Nekajui.

Subject to availability.

Ways to make it yours

A day in Corcovado National Park, by boat or on foot with a Lapa Rios guide.
Rappelling down a rainforest waterfall near Lapa Rios.
A day sailing the Gulf of Papagayo.

This is a sample. The hotels, the pace and the order are where we start, not where we finish: every journey is designed around the people taking it.

Made around you

Most travel is bought. This is designed.

Before anything is booked, we talk: who is travelling, how you like to spend a morning, and the hotel preferences below the obvious, from the kind of bath you like to the time you wake and how much daylight you need in a room. You see options where options matter and clean recommendations where they don't.

The same person remains your point of contact from the first reply to the trip after next. No handovers. No team.