Discriminating travelers know: touring by boat is the only way to experience the awe -inspiring natural wonders of Costa Rica. Why spend your entire vacation jolting along on a bus from park to park, sitting in traffic staring at a tour bus TV when you can kick back with a cool tropical drink in your hand underneath our covered observation deck and watch the dolphins play from your ‘front porch’?

Aboard our brand new boat, Espiritu de Costa Rica, your transportation is not just a way to get to another park-it’s a destination all its own.

Our boat cruises the Costa Rican coastline, dropping anchor in or near the more remote and beautiful national parks. Discover deserted beaches, an abundance of wildlife and astonishing ecological diversity. Espiritu has just eight guest cabins, allowing our crew to pamper you with amazing food and attentive service. Espiritu de Costa Rica is your personal Costa Rican retreat and is always at hand. You can truly savor every aspect of your holiday, knowing our tour operators place the highest importance on protecting the ecology of the areas we visit. So put your feet up and enjoy the magnificent wonders of Costa Rica close up and personal, right outside your cabin door.

Eco Tour - 7 Day / 6 Nights on the brand new Espiritu de Costa Rica

Day 2 - San Jose -> Puntarenas -> Herradura

Our tour guide will meet you at the hotel at 8:30 am. Get up early and enjoy a complimentary full breakfast on the patio. You’ll meet your fellow passengers for the first time as we all travel to the Espiritu de Costa Rica dock in the city of Puntarenas. This is a relaxing scenic drive (about two hours) in an air-conditioned shuttle. After stowing your gear in your cabin, join us for a noon BBQ at our dock facilities. The boat sails for Herradura at 2:00 pm.

While cruising the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, be on the lookout for dolphins, sea turtles and maybe even some whales. Admire it all from our covered observation deck.

A scrumptious dinner is served on the observation deck after our arrival at the Herradura anchorage, around 5:00 pm. After dinner, go for a swim, snorkel (we have snorkel gear aboard) or kick back and relax while watching an outdoor movie on our giant 12 foot screen. Outdoor movie? Yep, catch a movie every night if you like on the upper deck. The crew will even pop popcorn if you ask.

Day 3 - Herradura - Carara Biological Reserve

Day 4 - Manual Antonio National Park

Breakfast on-board prepares us to accompany our tour guide into Carara Biological Reserve. Carara is particularly celebrated for its abundance of exotic bird life. A National Park Ranger will give us a private tour, pointing out wildlife and flora and answering your questions. The reserve is a mecca for birders-notoriously friendly folks who are often glad to share tips and discoveries with beginners.  Lakes, rivers, stunningly beautiful waterfalls and pre-Columbian archaeological sites are scattered throughout the area as well.

We pack you a sack lunch for this one, so you can eat whenever you’re hungry. Explore all day if you like, or feel free to come back aboard Espiritu and enjoy a good book and a frozen margarita!

Dinner is served around sunset, giving you maximum explore time in this bio-diverse environment.

We drop anchor early in the morning in front of the most famous park in Costa Rica, Manual Antonio National Park.

As one of only two substantial rainforest preserves along the Central American Pacific Coast, Manuel Antonio provides a rare opportunity to experience an ever-diminishing rainforest habitat alongside a spectacular seascape. Dark volcanic cliffs rise steeply from the shoreline, making for spectacular vistas from every angle. The forested hillsides are home to some of Costa Rica's most exclusive attractions, including red-backed squirrel monkeys, three-toed sloths, iguanas, toucans and scarlet macaws.

Whales and many species of dolphins are frequently sighted in this area. The islands and islets of Manuel Antonio provide an important refuge for a variety of sea birds such as brown pelicans, frigate birds and ahingas. Be sure to visit picturesque Punta Catedral , a former island that is now connected to the mainland by a thin land bridge. The locals call this stretch of white sand beach Tombolo.

Caño Island Biological Reserve

Only accessible by boat, the Cano Island Biological Reserve protects an isolated 800+ acres of rain forest, along with a pre-Columbian burial ground.  A trail on the island leads to scenic overlooks and the archaeological site. Caño’s reputation for adventure -diving bliss is generally acknowledged as second only to Cocos Island, and a matchless exhibition of diverse marine creatures awaits a diver’s astonished gaze beneath the waves.

Whales are frequently seen around the island. The most common species in this area are humpbacks, sperm whales and pilot whales (which are actually dolphins). Humpbacks and sperm whales are seen November to March and from July to September. Pilot whales can be seen throughout the year since they tend to stay in warm tropical waters. We are always looking for unexpected opportunities to observe these magnificent creatures. If a whale pod of whales surfaces, we turn around and linger.

While here on the island, borrow some Espiritu snorkel gear and explore the reefs. Stroll leisurely along the seemingly endless, unpopulated beach. The Island lies open to the Pacific Ocean, so you never know what unusual treasures you might find. Take time to enjoy the sunset out here-it’s unforgettable.

Espiritu travels all night to arrive at San Lucas Island, the former home of a prison modeled after Devil's Island.

Our last day on the water is just as adventure-packed as the first. Shortly after the Costa Rican government declared the island a national park, the Los Angeles times described it as an "out-of-the-way wonder". One of only two islands in the Gulf of Nicoya with natural fresh water, there is wide biological diversity, and the architectural and historical sites are compelling, to say the least. The isolated beaches of San Lucas offer an ideal place for swimming and exploring. Standing on the beach, gazing out to sea, you can make out the green and blue hills of the Nicoya Peninsula in the distance.

We return to Espiritu for lunch, then sail to Puntarenas. The shuttle will be waiting for our return trip to the hotel in San Jose. Dinner is on your own tonight in Alajuela.

Day 6 - San Lucas Island, Puntarenas and San Jose

Day 1 - Arrive in San Jose. Bienvendio a Costa Rica!

At Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), look for our driver who will be holding a sign for EcoQuest Tours. We head directly to the hotel, a refurbished 1920s mansion located in the tranquil city of Alajuela.

We think you will love this place as much as we do. With its polished wainscoting and old-style heavy wood doors, this historic landmark is a refreshing change from international chains with carbon copy rooms.  Restaurants, shopping, banks and ATMs are an easy walk. Spend the afternoon shopping, visit the Juan Santamaria Museum and the theater (located just across the street) or simply relax at the hotel and enjoy the Costa Rican hospitality.

Dinner is on your own tonight. Take in the Caribbean ambience and rich cultural heritage of Alajuela.

Day 5 - Corcovado National Park

A shuttle will meet us at the shoreline right after breakfast, taking us into the National Park. The anchorage is 15 minutes from the park. There are no crowds here! Corcovado is the most remote park in the country, difficult to reach from the mainland.

The crown jewel of Costa Rica's rainforests and the most biologically intense place on earth, Corcovado is home to 400 species of birds, 140 mammals and 116 species of amphibians and reptiles. Many of the world’s most endangered creatures have found a last refuge in the park. Jaguars, Harpy Eagles, Scarlet Macaws and Baird’s Tapirs have been spotted here, along with Ocelots and Jaguarondi. A healthy population of Scarlet Macaws (1,200+) exists here, so expect to see plenty of these guys flying overhead or perched conspicuously in the almond trees lining the beach. Red-backed squirrel monkeys, existing in only two locations in Costa Rica, are also commonly seen.

Day 7 - San Jose (departure)

Last free morning (depending on your return flight) to enjoy fabulous Costa Rica. Buy some presents for your loved ones at home. Breakfast is served on the hotel’s spacious outdoor patio. You can take the free shuttle service to San Jose International Airport for your flight home.

•	All transportation inside Costa Rica
•	Breakfast, lunch, dinners and snacks (dinner on your own first and last night in San Jose )
•	Park entrance fees
•	Whale and crocodile watching
•	7 days and 6 nights in Costa Rica, including hotel lodging in San Jose upon your arrival and on your last day before your flight leaves.
•	Professionally guided tours. Our own guide will travel and live on the boat during the entire trip. We sometimes hire park rangers for private tours.
•	Fabulous sunsets on the water.

All Inclusive Vacation Package: