Costa Rica is a rugged, rainforested Central American country with coastlines on the Caribbean and Pacific. It’s known for its beaches, volcanoes and immense biodiversity. Roughly a quarter of Costa Rica is protected jungle, rich with wildlife including spider monkeys, sloths and quetzal birds.

Join Diane and Christopher Gregg in November on a small-group guided walking adventure offering an authentic travel experience, one that takes you away from the crowds and deep in to the fabric of local life. You’ll enjoy 24/7 expert guides, premium accommodations, delicious meals, effortless transportation, and local wine or beer with dinner. Rest assured that every trip detail has been anticipated so you’re free to enjoy an adventure that exceeds your expectations.

The hiking level is moderate, with daily distances of five to seven miles.

Tropical rainforests, rushing rivers, and volcanic mountains contribute to Costa Rica’s dizzying array of biodiversity. On this eight-day adventure you sample this diversity by spending the first days in the heart of the Talamanca Mountain Range, high in the cooling cloudforest of Los Quetzales National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage site presents long walks amid rare forest and plants, ancient oaks and lush wild avocados, and protected habitat for species migrating from North and South America. This biological hotspot also attracts researchers from around the world.

Traveling southwest to the Pacific Coast area of Costa Rica brings you to a stunning location perched between rainforest and Pacific beaches, where walks lead to protected preserves and local farming communities. Your final destination is a remote peninsula, where you can stroll sandy beaches, explore pristine rainforest, and snorkel with colorful tropical fish. Corcovado National Park is the last significant expanse of virgin rainforest in Central America, with trees towering 150 feet into a misty sky. Over 350 recorded species of birds, dazzling butterflies, and a variety of fauna, ranging from howler monkeys to jaguars and tapirs, combine to create a nature lover’s paradise. Walks take you deep into the forest of Corcovado, while a boat brings you offshore to pristine Caño Island Biological Reserve, to snorkel in the warm and clear coastal waters of its reef.

Famous Costa Rican hospitality is extended in three outstanding hotels that are flawlessly paired with their surroundings—a traditional mountain lodge, where the founding family has welcomed guests for over 50 years; a hotel set in luxuriant gardens overlooking Pacific sunset views; and, finally, an award-winning jungle lodge that has achieved the perfect balance between luxury and low environmental impact. From the first sip of enticing Costa Rican coffee, to a refreshing cocktail watching the setting sun, to grilled freshly caught fish, your walks and adventures are enhanced by the bounty and diversity of Costa Rica.

The trip leaves from San Jose, Costa Rica on November 20, 2016. Price is US$4,598 per person based on two people sharing (single room add US$598.00). For further information email info@hikingholidays.ca or call 905-319-8818 x111.