Costa Rica Kayaking Adventure — Self-Launched

Land at Juan Santamaría (SJO) or arrive by bus. Take an official orange airport taxi or the TUASA bus into the centre (~£2-4). Check into a hostel in Barrio Amón or Barrio Escalante, both walkable and safe at night. Spend the afternoon orienting: pick up a Kolbi or Claro SIM (~£4-8 for a data bundle), withdraw colones, and stock up on reef-safe sunscreen and a dry bag before heading into the water tomorrow. Dinner at a soda (local canteen) — casado plate and a fresh juice for £4-6.

🚌Airport taxi or TUASA bus to centre, £2-4

🛏Hostel dorm in Barrio Amón (~£9-14/night)

• →SIM card and colones pickup
• →Walk Barrio Amón and Barrio Escalante
• →Optional: Museo del Oro or Mercado Central food tour

Take the direct public bus from San José's Terminal Atlántico Norte to La Fortuna (roughly 4-4.5 hrs, ~£5-7) — departures usually mid-morning, buy the ticket at the counter. Alternatively a shared shuttle is £20-25 if you want door-to-door. La Fortuna sits under the perfect cone of Volcán Arenal. After checking in, walk to the free Río Fortuna swimming hole at the base of the waterfall area (the paid waterfall entrance is separate, ~£15) and cool off. Evening: free hot-spring-adjacent river soaks near Tabacón bridge are a local secret and cost nothing.

🚌Public bus San José–La Fortuna, £5-7

🛏Hostel dorm or private in La Fortuna (~£10-18/night)

• →Bus to La Fortuna
• →Swim at the free river swimming hole
• →Sunset views of Volcán Arenal from the central park

This is the headline included activity from the original tour — book it yourself direct with one of the local Arenal outfitters (Arenal Kayaks, Desafio, or a hostel-arranged tour). A half-day combo kayak + stand-up paddleboard session on Lake Arenal runs roughly £45-60 including transport, guide, and gear, and the lake is flat and beginner-friendly with volcano views the whole way. Afternoon free: soak in one of the paid hot springs (Baldi or Eco Termales, £30-45) or just wander the town.

🚌Outfitter shuttle to the lake, included in tour price

🛏Hostel dorm or private in La Fortuna (~£10-18/night)

• →Kayak + SUP combo on Lake Arenal (book direct)
• →Optional: hot springs soak
• →Birdwatching along the lake shore

Build your own adventure day. Two favourites from the original itinerary: Lost Canyon Adventures canyoning and waterfall rappelling (~£80-95), or whitewater rafting on Class III-IV rapids on the Balsa or Toro river (~£60-75). A gentler option is the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge covered-boat tour near the Nicaraguan border (~£45-55) — one of the most important wetlands in the Americas for birds, caimans, monkeys and sloths. Book all of these the day before by phone, WhatsApp, or through your hostel.

🚌Outfitter pickups from your hostel

🛏Hostel dorm or private in La Fortuna (~£10-18/night)

• →Option: Lost Canyon canyoning and waterfall rappelling
• →Option: Class III-IV whitewater rafting
• →Option: Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge boat tour
• →Option: mountain biking or a massage in town

Head east toward Sarapiquí. A shared shuttle is the easy route (£15-20, ~1.5 hrs); local buses via Ciudad Quesada are cheaper (~£4-6) but slower. Base yourself at a riverside lodge or hostel around Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí. In the afternoon, rent kayaks directly from a local operator or your lodge for a calm downstream paddle on the Cuarto River (~£20-30) — flat water, forest canopy overhead, and excellent birdwatching for toucans, herons and kingfishers.

🚌Shared shuttle La Fortuna–Sarapiquí, £15-20 (or local bus ~£5)

🛏Riverside hostel or eco-lodge near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí (~£12-20/night)

• →Transfer to Sarapiquí
• →Self-booked Cuarto River kayak float
• →Canopy birdwatching

Travel east to the Caribbean coast, then swap the road for a boat. The public route: bus or shuttle to La Pavona dock (via Guápiles), then the public boat down the Río La Suerte canals into Tortuguero village (~£8-12 for the boat leg, runs a few times a day). This canal ride is itself a wildlife safari — watch for caiman, iguanas and monkeys from the water. Settle into a jungle lodge or guesthouse and wander the car-free village of Tortuguero in the evening.

🚌Bus/shuttle to La Pavona + public boat, £10-15 total

🛏Jungle lodge or guesthouse in Tortuguero (~£15-30/night)

• →Travel to La Pavona dock
• →Public boat through the canals to Tortuguero
• →Evening walk in Tortuguero village

The included group-kayak morning from the original tour is easy to replicate: book a guided kayak excursion through the Tortuguero canals direct with a local guide or your lodge (~£30-40). Paddle the black-water channels scanning the treeline for toucans, sloths, howler monkeys, otters and caimans. Afternoon free to relax or hike Cerro Tortuguero. In season (roughly July-Oct, peaking in the green turtle months), add a night turtle-nesting walk on the beach (~£25-35) — book with a certified guide only.

🚌Walking and kayak; local guide boats as needed

🛏Jungle lodge or guesthouse in Tortuguero (~£15-30/night)

• →Guided Tortuguero NP kayak excursion
• →Optional: Cerro Tortuguero hike
• →Optional nighttime turtle-nesting walk (seasonal)

Reverse the canal-and-bus route back toward the capital: boat from Tortuguero to La Pavona, then bus or shuttle to San José (~£12-18 total). Arrive in the afternoon, check back into a hostel, and enjoy a final night out with new friends — Barrio Escalante's craft beer and street-food scene is the place to do it. Sort your onward travel or airport transfer for the morning.

🚌Public boat + bus to San José, £12-18

🛏Hostel dorm in San José (~£9-14/night)

• →Boat and bus back to San José
• →Final night out in Barrio Escalante

Depart at any time. If you're flying out, take an official airport taxi or the TUASA bus (~£2-4) — allow extra time for traffic. Use any spare morning hours for last-minute souvenir shopping at the Mercado Central or a coffee stop before heading to SJO.

🚌TUASA bus or taxi to SJO, £2-4

🛏None (departure day)

• →Airport transfer
• →Optional last-minute souvenir shopping