Costa Rica Honeymoon

Day 1 — London to San José

Fly direct from London Heathrow with British Airways, landing in the afternoon. You are met before immigration and driven to Grano de Oro, a restored 1910s mansion in the Barrio Amón quarter. A welcome cocktail, a bottle of cava in the room and dinner at the hotel restaurant, one of the best tables in the city.

Day 2 — North to Arenal, by way of the waterfall

Your driver-guide collects you after breakfast for the drive to La Fortuna. Some 500 steps lead down to the La Fortuna waterfall and a swim in the pool at its foot; lunch on the way, then Amor Arenal, a cocktail on arrival and dinner at the hotel. Your plunge pool is waiting on the terrace.

Day 3 — Volcano trails and hanging bridges

A three-hour walk on the El Silencio trails at the foot of Arenal, over the old lava flows with the cone straight ahead, then lunch and the Místico hanging bridges, where the canopy is at eye level. Dinner is your own choice tonight; La Fortuna is ten minutes away.

Day 4 — Rafting the Balsa river

A morning-to-afternoon raft on the Balsa, class III rapids through the forest, with lunch included. It is a shared raft, as rafting always is. Back in time for the plunge pool; dinner at your own choice.

Day 5 — To the Pacific, by way of the crocodiles

The drive down to the coast breaks at the Tárcoles river for a private boat among the crocodiles, herons and, with luck, scarlet macaws. Lunch en route, then Arenas del Mar at Manuel Antonio: a cocktail, the third bottle of cava and dinner at the hotel. Your driver-guide says goodbye here.

Days 6 to 8 — Manuel Antonio, at your own pace

Three days with nothing booked. The national park is beside the hotel, sloths and capuchin monkeys visit the grounds, two beaches are a few steps down the path, and a whale-watching boat runs in season. Meals are your own; the hotel restaurants look over the water.

Day 9 — Home

A late-morning pick-up and about three hours by private transfer to San José airport for the direct flight to London, landing the next morning.

San José — Grano de Oro (1 night, Deluxe King room, breakfast)

A restored early-twentieth-century mansion in Barrio Amón with a courtyard, a rooftop terrace and a restaurant the city books ahead for. The gentlest possible first night after the flight.

Arenal — Amor Arenal (3 nights, Canyon Casita with plunge pool, breakfast)

Adults only, on a forested hillside above La Fortuna. Each Canyon Casita is a freestanding cabin with a private terrace and a heated plunge pool, with the volcano across the valley. Queen and king beds are the same rate; tell us which you would like and we ask for it when we confirm.

Manuel Antonio — Arenas del Mar (4 nights, Ocean View Premium Suite, breakfast)

A beachfront hotel inside its own rainforest reserve, with two beaches, a spa and restaurants above the water. The Ocean View Premium Suite has a private terrace facing the Pacific.

Room categories are requested when we confirm your booking and named on your confirmation.

From £7,399 per person for two sharing, with direct flights from London, all three hotels, your driver-guide, the tours listed, three dinners, lunch on each touring day, gratuities and every transfer. This is the price for travel outside Christmas and New Year, mid-February and Easter week; the hotels move to dynamic rates in those weeks and we quote them for your exact dates. Prices are in pounds and confirmed at booking. For the flight itself, see our guide to flights to Costa Rica from the UK.