Costa Rica

A Luxury Adventure in Costa Rica with WSJ+

When

November-April

Price

From $4,504pp excl. flights
(based on 2 ppl sharing)

How long

7 nights ideal length

We’re working with WSJ+ to create entirely customizable and private trips for you, their members. Our Travel Experts are here to make your trip entirely your own. Private, customizable, and totally flexible. This is what we do. This month, we’re introducing a new highlight itinerary to Costa Rica that you can embark on today. Take it ‘as is’ or customize it to your heart’s content.


Exhilarate your senses on this eight-day trip through Costa Rica, combining our favorite jungle, mountain and coastal experiences. Blending our favorite destinations, properties and experiences, it’s a trip perfect for couples, families and friends. Arriving in San Jose, we’ll bring you into the thick of the rainforest. Raft a river, canyon a creek and climb above the jungle canopy on the Pacuare River. Next, hike through Arenal National Park, spotting sloths and witnessing spectacular vistas, before hitting the surf in Tambor as you learn to ride waves along the Nicoya Peninsula, finishing your getaway in style.

To add extra magic to your time at Pacuare Lodge, WSJ+ members will enjoy a complimentary private dinner under the stars, on the riverbanks of Pacuare. Dine by a crackling fire pit surrounded by candlelight and nature as you listen to the flowing water and nocturnal wildlife scampering through the trees.

Make this itinerary yours

Each and every Black Tomato trip is tailored exactly to who you are and what you want to do So tell us about yourself and we’ll create something that’s entirely you.

Start Planning

What you’ll do

Costa Rica has long been one of our favorite adventure playgrounds. And this trip is no exception. Adventure here can be scaled up or down according to age and adrenaline and takes a myriad of forms, from white water rafting to surfing and canyoning. You’ll pick and choose which adventures you throw yourself into, though if there is one not to be missed, it’s white water rafting in and out of your stay at the luxurious Pacuare Lodge. This remote lodge sits teetering above the canopy over a riverbank inaccessible by road and whilst there is a cable car to winch your way in, much more dramatic are the raging class III rapids you can arrive on by raft. Elsewhere during your stay at Pacuare, you’ll have the choice of traversing the jungle canopy by zip wire, canyoning through El Tesorito Creek and hiking towards hidden waterfalls and indigenous tribes.

Having rafted out of Pacuare Lodge, you’ll then wind your way through the jungle to Arenal Volcano National Park. Here, you’ll gain glimpses of Costa Rica’s abundant wildlife with the option to join expert naturalist guides on hikes along volcanic slopes and hanging bridges in search of sloths, toucans and more. You’ll end your trip on the beaches of Santa Teresa where you’ll enjoy expert surf tuition in the home of some of the country’s best breaks.

Where you’ll stay

Throughout your trip, you will sleep in some of Costa Rica’s best and most luxurious lodges, hotels and resorts. Easing any travel weariness, you’ll start off with a night at Xandari, just outside the capital of San Jose. Encompassing a stunning spa set within a hillside coffee plantation, you’ll soon feel restored. From there it’s onto the riverside luxury and adventure of Pacuare Lodge. Once you’ve rafted in, tropical villas set within the treetops with private plunge pools await. Adventure by day and enjoy haute cuisine by night with the Cabecar inspired cuisine a real highlight. Next up, it’s the newly-opened Nayara Tented Camp. Bringing a sense of ‘Out of Africa’ to the Costa Rican rainforest, it’s our new favorite place to stay with its stylish tents overlooking views of Arenal Volcano. Finally, you’ll wind down at Nantipa on the Santa Teresa coastline. This boutique hideaway is a surfer’s paradise with stylish suites giving way to miles of enviable beach and a true sense of Pura Vida.

What’s included

Our Travel Experts will work with you to devise an itinerary based on your inquiry, budget, group size, and desires. Typically, this will include everything from the experiences you do (and the guides that will take you there) to the hotels you’ll bed down in and the trains, planes and automobiles that will take you in between. We can also help with international flights, if you like. 

The price of the above highlight itinerary therefore includes:

  • Private transfers and expert English speaking guides throughout
  • All experiences detailed above
  • One night at Xandari
  • Two nights at Pacuare Lodge
  • Two nights at Nayara Tented Camp
  • Two nights at Nantipa

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Where to rest your head

Pacuare Lodge

If true immersion into the tropical Central American rainforest is what you’re after, Pacuare Lodge has it covered. An eco-friendly and sustainable lodge sat on…
View hotel

Nayara Tented Camp, Arenal Volcano National Park

Taking inspiration from the plains of Africa into the rainforests of Costa Rica, Nayara Tented Camp is an invitation to connect with bountiful nature. Slumber…
View hotel

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