The Ultimate Costa Rica Adventure in a Week

In Costa Rica, tap water quality varies depending on the region. In many tourist areas and larger cities like San José, the tap water is generally safe to drink; however, in more remote areas it's advisable to stick to filtered water as a precaution. There will be drinking water available at each night's accommodation, and your host will carry refill water where possible as well. Remember to bring a reusable water bottle (1-2L) to carry with you during activities as this will help reduce waste from single-use plastic bottles.

Your host will provide sit-on-top kayaks, which are great for both beginners and experienced paddlers. These kayaks are lightweight, stable, and easy to manoeuvre. Before you set off, your guide will give you all the necessary information to use the kayaks safely.

Overtourism is increasingly affecting popular destinations such as Costa Rica, making it harder to enjoy its natural wonders in peace. The high influx of visitors can strain local resources, damage the environment and raise living costs for residents. To avoid contributing to these issues, we have deliberately chosen not to include some of Costa Rica’s better-known and heavily visited spots (such as Manuel Antonio National Park and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve). Instead, we focus on lesser-known but equally breathtaking destinations such as Turrialba, the Pacuare River, Punta Uva and Cahuita National Park.

These areas offer outstanding natural beauty and often place a strong emphasis on conservation. For example, the Pacuare River flows through a protected forest reserve managed by local indigenous communities, who enforce visitor limits and sustainable practices to safeguard the rainforest ecosystem. In this way, you’ll experience Costa Rica’s incredible biodiversity and landscapes through a more sustainable approach to travel, one that benefits residents, visitors and the country’s precious natural environment.

Travel in wild and remote places always comes with a degree of unpredictability; weather, road conditions, and local factors can sometimes mean adjustments to the itinerary. Your expert local guides are trained to adapt quickly and will always prioritise your safety and enjoyment. If a planned activity can’t go ahead exactly as scheduled, they’ll arrange the best possible alternative so you don’t miss out on the experience.

You’ll be accompanied throughout by a highly experienced tour leader and naturalist guide, who will manage the trip from start to finish and ensure you get the most out of every destination. For larger groups of more than eight travellers, an additional support guide will join the trip.

For specialist activities such as rafting, canyoning and zip-lining, you’ll also be joined by certified activity guides. These experts are responsible for safety briefings, equipment and instruction, ensuring you feel confident and well-prepared.

Yes, please note that the zipline course in Pacuare has a maximum weight limit of 240 pounds or 108kg per person, approximately.

Marta Marinelli, raised in Italy’s serene Prosecco Hills, dreamt of global adventures, inspired by her father's travel stories. Her passion evolved into a career, backed by a decade of studies including degrees in international tourism and destination management. She’s worked in the adventure travel sector since 2012, living in Italy, the UK, and now sunny Portugal.

Over twenty years, Marta has explored over 60 countries, visiting remote areas like Ghana, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Haiti and Nepal’s Upper Mustang region. As a Senior Adventure Expansion Manager at Much Better Adventures, she focuses on creating life-changing experiences, ranging from multi-activity adventures, and challenging treks to ultimate adventures in iconic places. She loves the challenge of finding the best local adventure hosts around the world, collaborating on adventures that offer genuine immersion, pushing beyond the beaten path and working on exclusive itineraries that challenge your comfort zone.

What makes her tick? Enabling people to live adventure-rich lives while positively impacting and empowering local communities around the world, generating sustainable opportunities for both the host, guides, community, and the environment.

At Much Better Adventures, we work hard to accommodate dietary requirements and allergies so your trip is safe, inclusive and enjoyable. That said, options can vary by country, location and accommodation, and in some places options may be limited or unavailable. The information below has been provided by your host so you’re fully informed about what will be possible on your trip depending on your individual requirements. This information should be read carefully prior to your trip to ensure that you are adequately prepared for the situation ‘on the ground’.

Once you have booked on your trip, please fill out your passenger information form asap with any dietary requirements. Once you complete your passenger information, your dietary needs and any allergies are automatically shared with your host and, in turn, your guide. Please submit this as early as possible so they can plan accordingly and deliver the best experience. Please also remind your guide about your dietary requirements upon arrival, as mentioning these in person allows your guide to comprehend individual preferences and limitations as soon as you arrive.

BACKGROUND

Costa Rican, or Tico, cuisine is shaped by tropical farming, coastal access and a history of small-scale agriculture, resulting in simple, filling meals built around rice, beans, plantains, seasonal fruit and modest portions of meat or fish, often eaten as set plates or hearty soups.

SPECIAL DIETS

Vegetarian -Vegetarian diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. Vegetarian travellers generally find options based on rice, beans and vegetables.

Vegan -Vegan diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance.

Kosher -Fully certified Kosher kitchens and supervision are rare and usually cannot be guaranteed unless expressly confirmed in advance by your host. Vegetarian or vegan options can often be the most reliable alternative if this is acceptable to you. The Host is unable to guarantee a separate, certified cooking/preparation area or the use of certified kosher products. They can, however, provide meals that exclude non-Kosher ingredients (such as pork and shellfish) and avoid mixing meat and dairy. Vegetarian or vegan options can often be the most reliable alternative if this is acceptable to you. Please read the related sections above.

Halal -Certified Halal supply varies by location and may not always be possible. Vegetarian or vegan options can often be the most reliable alternative if this is acceptable to you. Please read the related sections above.

INTOLERANCES

Gluten Free (for Coeliac, please see Allergies section below) -Gluten-free diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. Gluten-free diets and allergies can be more challenging due to wheat-based breads, fried snacks and shared cooking oil, especially in rural areas, so it helps to plan ahead.

Lactose Free -Lactose-free diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. Many traditional dishes are naturally lactose-free or can easily be prepared without dairy, such as grilled meats, rice and vegetable dishes though eggs are common.

ALLERGIES Our host has confirmed that provision for certain mild and severe or life threatening food allergies ****on this trip may be unreliable. Please get in touch with our Customer Experience team prior to booking to discuss whether your requirements can be accommodated safely on this trip.

This will allow us to carefully consider the sensitivity and severity of your allergy, the available provision on the trip and the accessibility of medical care should a reaction occur. Your safety is always our top priority. Please note that when travelling overseas, local ingredients, food preparation methods and labelling standards may vary, particularly in remote areas. It is also worth noting that any allergies may result in more limited options and repetitive provision in some areas. Whilst your guide will help communicate dietary requirements where possible, customers remain responsible for managing their own allergies during the trip.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.

Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).

For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.

We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way. Check out our Community Values – a shared code to make sure that everyone's experience is safe, inclusive and brilliantly unforgettable.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

• 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
• 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
• 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

This trip runs year-round, exploring regions such as Turrialba, the Pacuare River, Cahuita National Park and Punta Uva. Costa Rica’s diverse geography means the weather can vary widely from place to place, but thanks to its tropical location, temperatures and humidity remain fairly consistent throughout the year.

Coastal areas are warm, averaging 25–34°C (77–93°F), while higher elevations such as the central highlands are cooler, around 17–26°C (63–79°F). Humidity remains high year-round, typically 60–80%.

Costa Rica has a typical dry season (December–April) with hotter, sunnier days and minimal rain, and a rainy season (May–November), which brings more frequent showers, lush green landscapes, fewer tourists and excellent wildlife-spotting. Rain is usually heaviest in September and October. Destinations like Cahuita and Punta Uva, along the Caribbean coast, see more consistent rainfall year-round, with short dry spells in March–April and again in September–October.

Because of the country’s microclimates, weather forecasts can be unreliable. The best approach is to come prepared, stay flexible, and enjoy the unique conditions each day brings, whether that’s sunshine, a refreshing downpour, or the rainforest at its greenest.