Tailormade Tours Costa Rica

A small, but well-established tour operator in San José, who will tailor the best of Costa Rica to suit your interests and budget

Costa Rica packs an amazing variety of different habitats into a tiny space: two oceans for a start (and the long Pacific coast varies hugely from the Nicoya to the Osa peninsula); cloud forest, dry forest and rain forest; lush lowlands covered with coffee plantations. Looking at the map, you’d imagine it would be easy to flit, say, from the Arenal volcano region to Monteverde cloud forest in an hour or so. Sadly not. For one thing, the country is divided by a mighty mountain range. Secondly, the roads in some of the more rural areas - where you’re bound to want to go - are atrocious. In the 'Green Season', you’ll need expert local knowledge to navigate the river crossings, and at any time of year, you’ll be thrilled if you manage 40km per hour on the remoter stretches. And thirdly, the towns are as tricky to navigate as the potholed roads, due to an unconventional approach to signposting based on the premise that locals know where to go. If you don’t speak Spanish, even the friendly Ticos’ directions will mean nothing.

All this can make reaching your hotel more of an adventure than zip-wiring through the rainforest. Book an itinerary with this tried and trusted company instead, and you can concentrate on admiring the landscapes. Your driver-guides will speak excellent English, and give you the kind of insights that no guidebook could muster. Their suggested itineraries are carefully designed by the well-travelled owners, who know exactly how to make the best of each region. And their keen and friendly staff are brilliant at listening to your specific needs and creating bespoke trips based on your particular desires: birdwatching in key geographical zones, extreme adventure, pampering luxury, or a mixture. On our whistlestop tour of 20 hotels and lodges in as many days (not something we would advise if you're on holiday!), their ground arrangements went with barely a hiccup.

Why we chose this partner

• It's a well-established company (formed in 1989), and used to hosting demanding visitors with charm and expert advice
• It’s a delight to be met at the airport after a long flight by their friendly driver-guides, who seem genuinely thrilled to welcome you to their country, and give fascinating insights into the local culture
• Their 40 or so office staff know the whole country – and its accommodation – in enormous detail, so if you haven't got time to read our reviews, ask them for honest advice in planning your trip.
• Costa Rica’s roads change from season to season due to rainfall and river flooding, but their drivers seem to know the latest status and alternative routes, so you don’t waste time backtracking from a bridge that has been swept away overnight
• Their vehicles are brand new Toyota and Mercedes Benz minibuses and 4x4s, with air conditioning and good maintainance, so that you face those pot-holed roads with confidence
• Even self-drive travellers - they can book rental vehicles for you at competitive rates through Sixt - are given a thorough package of maps and directions, to make navigating as painless as possible
• Most importantly, you have the constant back-up of staff who are ready to advise you any time you need help on your trip, at the end of a phone. Even in this most welcoming of Central American countries, that's reassuring