SEA TURTLES:  8 days / 7 nights, mid March - mid August
Between March and August the nesting and hatching season of the Leather Back Turtle takes place at Reserva Pacuare on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and the beaches and islands of Bocas del Toro in Panama. The SEA TURTLES program is designed as an active sea turtle research and conservation program in addition to the rain forest adventure activities at Selva Bananito Lodge & Preserve.

After spending your first night at a charming B & B in San José, Costa Rica, early start to meet the rafting challenge of an untamed river, the world famous Pacuare River, class 3 & 4 ! Discover the mystical Pacuare Canyon while rafting passed a Cabecar Indian reserve. Waterfalls and wildlife will be part of the adventure. At the end of the day, and after paddling through and surviving some very exciting rapids, you will enjoy a dinner in the light of candles at Reserva Pacuare.
The next two nights you will be hosted at Casa Grande, the main building of 'Pacuare Preserve'. The romantic setting of this ample house built on stilts, following Caribbean style, is base for our next two days while taking an active stand in sea turtle conservation.

SEA TURTLES calls for active participation of our guest by patrolling the 4 mile long volcanic beach at Reserva Pacuare. The presence of our guests, and their participation in the organized night patrols on the beach together with biologists, volunteers, and private park rangers is a positive deterrent against sea turtle nest poachers.
Watching a giant Leather Back turtle emerge from the waves on to the beach covered by the darkness of the night and the safety of our presence is an unforgettable sight and a very special experience.

You will observe from a safe distance, in order not to disturb the nesting ritual, until the biologist or specialized park ranger in charge of your patrol asks you to assist in the research and conservation practices. You will help relocate and hide the nests, so poachers do not find the turtle eggs they intend to sell on the street. The turtle has to be measured and tagged and escorted back into the safe ocean. You might come back to sleep at Casa Grande with the break of dawn, exhausted and yet satisfied to know that you contributed in assuring the future of a few hundred eggs to survive the first two months until they hatch.

By mid June and until mid August minute Leather Back hatchlings will squirrel off on their way to the ocean, many times not having the opportunity to do so because of their natural predators and the strong sun. During this time you will help to make sure that as many of these hatchlings as possible find their way into their natural element, the ocean.

During the stay at Reserva Pacuare you will also have the opportunity to walk the natural trails of the preserve and to observe great wildlife during the boat tour of the natural canals and lagoons created by the Pacuare River
when it enters the ocean.

After our stay at Pacuare Preserve we will continue on to Selva Bananito Lodge & Preserve, bordering "La Amistad" International Park.

Your next days at Selva Bananito will be filled with daily activities and physical challenges. Or, if you prefer, you can 'kick back' and forget about daily city life stress and observe the harmonious surroundings. Fill your ears with many different bird songs and even sleep a well deserved 'siesta' in your hammock on your ample veranda overseeing the beauty of Reserva Selva Bananito and "La Amistad" International Park.
Now you will understand why Christopher Columbus, on his fourth and last voyage to the Americas, named our country Costa Rica, which means rich coast. When he discovered our rich coast, he did not find material treasures, but countless natural treasures hidden in what today is "La Amistad" Biosphere Preserve.

At Selva Bananito you can choose from a number of exciting adventure activities such as hiking through the exuberant tropical rain forest of our preserve. At Selva Bananito Preserve you will find trees, over 200 feet tall, that you can climb using our special tree climbing gear and canopy exploration technique. From our canopy platform you will be overwhelmed by the wild and rich diversity in-, and absolute serene beauty of- our primary rain forest.


Selva Bananito Preserve invites you to explore waterfalls and to rappel down one or several of them. How would you feel about a free descend, rappelling down a 130 feet high vertical drop on a wall created by tectonic activity during the last great earthquake of 1991? Learn about the history and the importance of the Bananito River watershed and our watershed conservation, a task taken up by- and channeled through "Limon Watershed Foundation", which we actively support through our services and activities at Selva Bananito Lodge & Preserve.

While having and enjoying a fantastic time during our horseback tour through the farm you will learn about the regions history and low impact tropical agriculture. If you liked our farm tour on horseback, why don't you dare galloping along open areas of our farm and than venture off into the primary forest in order to be swallowed up by its secrets and to blend into its magic!

After your rain forest adventure at Selva Bananito Lodge & Preserve it is time to return to your B & B in San José, or to extend your adventure and continue on to Bocas del Toro, Panama.

SEA TURTLES AND "LA AMISTAD" 13 days / 12 nights, provides a unique opportunity to help in the sea turtle conservation by extending the active sea turtle conservation program to 'Playa Larga' at the 'Bastimentos Marine National Park'.

A scenic charter flight will take you in 1/2 an hour to the most beautiful Caribbean islands and coral keys imaginable. After immigration procedures at Bocas del Toro airport, we will take a gorgeous boat transfer to 'Punta Vieja' on Bastimentos Island.

Your base for the exploration of Bastimentos Marine National Park and our beach activities will be 'Al Natural' Eco Resort. Here you will stay two nights in midst of the most important protected marine area of Bocas del Toro. 'Al Natural' is built in a very open and natural Caribbean style and offers a very personal atmosphere. 'Al Natural' blends in harmoniously with the tropical forest of its own private preserve, and offers kilometers of golden beaches to walk on. 'Al Natural' faces directly the two most beautiful Caribbean coral islands in the Bastimentos Marine National Park, which we have included in our program. The ' Zapatillas Keys' are located just a short boat ride s away from "Al Natural". You can snorkel, kayak, windsurf, sunbathe, swim and
relax during your stay at 'Al Natural' and your excursion to 'Cayo Zapatillas' during
our first day in this area.

After lunch we depart for Hotel 'Punta Caracol', located on Colon Island. This is the largest and main island of the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Our last two nights we will enjoy 'Punta Caracol'. This very romantic and exclusive lodge, which has been built on top of reefs, with a minimum of impact on the habitat it sets out to protect, is the perfect romantic Caribbean hide out for your last days of your SEA TURTLES and "LA AMISTAD" program.

You will fall in love with this very unique hotel built on stilts above a tranquil ocean lagoon.
Enjoy romantic and delicious dinners in the light of candles, swim in the calm waters of the 'Almirante Bay', snorkel in crystal clear tides or try kayaking in a traditional dugout exploring the close by mangroves, a very diverse and important habitat to many marine, wildlife and bird species.

At last, after all the activity, all the adrenaline and all the magnificent experiences, you deserve to rest, relax, and to feel satisfied . However, should you feel the need for more activity, a tour of 'Bird Island' will take you by boat to this interesting rock-island, with many endemic sea bird species living, mating and nesting on it.
On your last day of SEA TURTLES AND "LA AMISTAD" adventure and conservation program you will return to Limon by plane and take a transfer back to your B & B in San José. You can book a ½ hour scenic flight around Bocas del Toro before flying back to Limon, or should you prefer, you can optionally fly directly back to San José, or even start an extension into Panama.

For more detailed information, or customized travel itineraries of our packages, please contact CONSELVATUR.

For a detailed itinerary description, please click here.