Go Further in Costa Rica.
There’s always more Costa Rica to discover. And more than one way to experience it.
We’ll show you how to turn everything Costa Rica offers into the right trip for your client.
Start with where they want to go.
Three starting points help advisors understand the country before deciding how to connect it.
Arenal
Via LIR or SJO. Volcano, rainforest, wildlife, thermal springs, and adventure in one stop.
Guanacaste
Via LIR. Pacific coast, dry forest, resort stays, culture, and easy access to inland experiences.
Go Further
Via SJO, LIR, or air. Osa, Nicoya, the Highlands, Central Pacific, and South Pacific.
The real wealth of Costa Rica is the land itself.
Rainforest. Volcanoes. Two coasts. Wildlife. Some of the world’s richest biodiversity in one small country.
Costa Rica holds about 5% of the world’s biodiversity on 0.03% of its land, and protects roughly a quarter of its territory. It’s why so many clients come back.
Here, nature isn’t something clients experience from a distance. They stay within it, move through it, and experience the country on its terms. Even the rain is part of the story.
One country. Very different trips.
Costa Rica can be packed with adventure: rainforest hikes, ziplining, rafting, wildlife, and volcanoes.
It can be entirely restorative: wellness, nature, spa, and properties worth slowing down for.
Or it can take clients farther, from the surf culture of Santa Teresa to the deep wilderness of the Osa.
The trip can be as active, restorative, coastal, or wild as the client wants it to be.
Start with what they want from Costa Rica
Arenal for volcano and adventure. Guanacaste for coast and culture. Santa Teresa for surf and wellness. The Highlands for a slower pace. Manuel Antonio for wildlife and beach. The Osa for deep wilderness.
Once we know what the client wants from the trip, we determine what belongs together and the best way to connect it.
Then we map the way through it.
Liberia or San José? Road, air, or boat? Two regions or three?
We look at the trip as a whole and build the regions, pacing, gateway, and connections around the experience.
The experience comes first. We build the route around it.
Meet UJV Tropics
The people who know Costa Rica.
The people recommending the properties, building the itinerary, and making the connections work.
While They Travel
And when they travel, we stay with them.
From the details before departure to the requests that come up along the way, our Concierge team is there for dining, spa, additional experiences, and the things that make the trip feel considered from start to finish.
Know Costa Rica. Then go further.
Two live sessions designed to give advisors a stronger understanding of how to sell Costa Rica with UJV Tropics. Both sessions will be recorded.
October 29 · 2:00 PM ET
Costa Rica Foundations
Presented by: Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique
Learn how Costa Rica fits together, starting with Arenal and the Pacific.
Arenal or Guanacaste? Liberia or San José? Dry season or green season?
We’ll start with the country as a whole, from the regions and gateways to the seasons and the surf towns worth knowing. Then we’ll go deep on Arenal: where it sits on the map, when to go, and where UJV Tropics places clients. From there, we’ll head to the Pacific with Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique and show you why the two belong in the same itinerary.
You’ll leave knowing where to start, what naturally connects, and how to build the classic Costa Rica trip well.
Register for Foundations
November 10 · 2:00 PM ET
Go Further: Beyond the Classic Costa Rica Itinerary
Presented by: Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique
For the client who wants more from the coast.
The beach can hold the stay. The region can fill it.
We’ll cover the experiences UJV Tropics builds into a Guanacaste trip, from Río Celeste and the waterfalls of Rincón de la Vieja to Palo Verde, surfing in Tamarindo, and the towns and traditions of Nicoya. We’ll also show you how to pace them around the property and the rest of the itinerary.
Then we’ll walk through how our Concierge team stays with your client once they land, from dining and spa to the requests that come up along the way.
Come knowing the coast. Leave knowing how to fill the days.
Register for Go FurtherArenal & La Fortuna
Volcano, rainforest, wildlife, and adventure in one stop.
Arenal brings together much of what clients come to Costa Rica to experience: rainforest, thermal springs, wildlife, waterfalls, and some of the country’s strongest adventure experiences.
It works from both Liberia and San José and pairs naturally with the Pacific coast. For families, couples, and first-time visitors, the property and experiences can completely change the way the region feels.
Build it around everything Arenal gives the client.
Arenal + Guanacaste
Three nights in Arenal followed by three to four nights on the Pacific gives clients two distinct sides of Costa Rica without overcomplicating the trip.
Build it around adventure for families, or make it more private and property-led for couples and honeymooners.
Arenal works year-round.
December through April brings drier conditions for waterfall hikes, rafting, canyoning, and days spent outdoors.
May through November brings the rainforest to life. Cloud, fog, rain, and changing skies are all part of the landscape.
Where UJV Places Clients
Arenal Hotels
Each property is selected for the client and the role it needs to play in the trip, then connected with transfers, experiences, international and domestic air, and onward routing by UJV Tropics.
Curated Experiences
What to do in Arenal.
From volcano trails and rainforest canopy to wildlife and water, UJV Tropics selects and sequences each experience around the client’s pace, property, and the rest of the itinerary.
Arenal from either direction.
- Private transfer
- Approximately 2.5–3 hours
- Private transfer
- Approximately 3 hours
- Timing depends on traffic and route
- Continue west by private transfer
- Build Río Celeste into the connection when the day should add something
- Compare overland routing with domestic air when time is the priority
Booked direct and connected by UJV Tropics.
Guanacaste & The Gold Coast
The coast your client already pictured, and the country behind it.
Dry tropical forest runs all the way to the Pacific. Papagayo, Punta Cacique, Las Catalinas, and Conchal bring together some of Costa Rica’s most sought-after resorts, with the new Liberia airport making the coast remarkably easy to reach.
And the beach is only the beginning.
From a coastal base, a day can take your clients to Río Celeste, the waterfalls and volcanic landscape of Rincón de la Vieja, the wetlands of Palo Verde, the surf around Tamarindo, or into the towns and traditions of Nicoya.
The beach can hold the stay. The region can fill it.
Arenal or Nicoya.
Arenal + Guanacaste moves from rainforest and volcano to dry forest and Pacific coast. It works especially well for first-time visitors.
Nicoya + Guanacaste puts two Pacific settings in the same trip: surf-town ease first, then a more polished coastal stay.
Two seasons. Two different reads.
December through April brings hot, dry weather and the highest demand.
May through November is green season. The dry forest turns green, availability opens up, and clear mornings often give way to afternoon rain.
Where UJV Places Clients
Guanacaste Hotels
The question isn’t simply which resort is best. It’s which one is best for this client.
Curated Experiences
Go beyond the beach.
The coast can be the base. UJV Tropics builds the days around it, with experiences selected for the client’s pace, property, and how far they want to go.
Easy in. Travel time depends on where you stay.
- Liberia International Airport (LIR) is the primary gateway for Guanacaste.
- Travel times across the region typically range from approximately 1 to 2.5 hours.
- Exact timing depends on the specific area, property, and traffic conditions.
- Travel time varies according to the client’s final destination within Guanacaste.
- UJV Tropics routes the connection around the specific properties in the itinerary.
- Private transfer from Guanacaste takes approximately 3–4 hours.
- Timing depends on where clients are picked up and current traffic conditions.
- Santa Teresa to Liberia takes approximately 4–4.5 hours by private transfer.
- Domestic air can also be compared when time is the priority.
The exact property matters. We’ll map the route around the full itinerary.
Booked direct and connected by UJV Tropics.
Go Further
Osa. Nicoya. The Highlands. Another side of Costa Rica.
Some clients come to Costa Rica for the first time and want to see more of it. Others come back ready for somewhere entirely different.
This is where the itinerary opens up.
Head south for Corcovado, wildlife, and lodges reached by boat. Follow the Pacific to Nicoya for surf towns, smaller hotels, and a different pace on the coast. Turn inland for cloud forest, waterfalls, wellness, and cooler days at altitude.
Each asks something different of the itinerary: road, boat, domestic air, and sometimes a combination of all three.
The question isn’t how far your client wants to go. It’s what they want to find when they get there.
Osa & The South Pacific
For the client who wants wildlife to lead the trip. Build it as the reason for coming south, or add it after Arenal for an itinerary that moves from volcano and rainforest into deeper wilderness.
Nicoya Peninsula
For the client who wants the coast at a different pace. Pair it with Guanacaste for two distinct Pacific experiences, or let Santa Teresa or Punta Islita carry the beach portion on its own.
The Highlands
For the client drawn to cloud forest, waterfalls, wellness, and cooler mountain air. Build the highlands into an inland itinerary when the property and landscape are strong enough to become part of the reason for the trip.
Central Pacific
For clients who want wildlife and Pacific coastline together without traveling as far south as the Osa. Manuel Antonio is an especially useful first-time or family-friendly way into this part of Costa Rica.
Where UJV Places Clients
Stay somewhere worth going farther for.
Curated Experiences
Let the destination lead the day.
Our current contracted experience inventory here is strongest in the Osa & South Pacific, where wildlife and access shape the itinerary.
Farther doesn’t have to mean harder.
Getting farther into Costa Rica doesn’t have to mean losing a day to logistics. UJV Tropics builds the right combination of private transfers, domestic air, and boat connections around the trip.
- From Liberia: private transfer of approximately 3–4 hours.
- From San José: domestic flight to Tambor followed by an onward transfer.
- Compare domestic air with the overland route when time is the priority.
- From San José: private transfer of approximately 4–4.5 hours.
- From Arenal: private transfer of approximately 2–2.5 hours.
- The route works particularly well when the highlands become a destination rather than simply a stop between regions.
- San José to Quepos: domestic flight of approximately 30 minutes, followed by onward transfer.
- Quepos to Osa: transfer to Sierpe followed by a boat connection.
- Osa to San José can be handled by domestic air or boat plus overland transfer.
- The exact combination depends on the property and the rest of the itinerary.
Road when the route adds something. Fly when the time matters. Boat when it’s the way in.
Booked direct and connected by UJV Tropics.
Start with two. Add a third when it earns its place.
Costa Rica works best when each stop gives the client something different. Volcano into coast. Beach into surf town. Rainforest into cloud forest. Wildlife into deeper wilderness.
The skill isn’t fitting more into the itinerary. It’s knowing which places belong together, in what order, and how much time the client actually has between them.
The combinations that work.
Arenal + Guanacaste
The classic first trip. Volcano, rainforest, and activity followed by Pacific coast.
Guanacaste + Nicoya
Two different reads on the Pacific for couples and honeymooners who want the coast without building around a volcano.
Manuel Antonio + Osa
A wildlife-led trip that moves from an easier Central Pacific base into the deeper wilderness of the Osa.
Arenal + Northern Highlands
Rainforest and cloud forest for clients who want to stay inland, with two distinctly different landscapes.
Arenal + Guanacaste + One More
For the client with enough time to let a third place add something genuinely different.
Order matters.
For the classic Costa Rica build, the route should feel like it is opening up, not crowding in.
The most common read.
Adventure and active days first. Then let the beach, resort time, and easier pacing carry the second half of the trip.
Start with the more active stop.
Arenal usually works best up front, while clients are freshest for hiking, adventure, and earlier starts.
Use the transfer day well.
When it makes sense, build something like Río Celeste into the connection so the travel day becomes part of the itinerary.
Let the coast finish the trip.
Guanacaste gives the itinerary room to exhale, especially for families, couples, and first-time Costa Rica clients.
- Families with young children may benefit from settling into the coast first.
- A return client may be building around a specific lodge or region.
- Flight schedules, hotel availability, and the experience they care about most can all change the order.
Build around who’s going.
Honeymooners
Best build: Start with Arenal, then slow down on the coast. Nayara Tented Camp into Casa Chameleon gives the trip two very different settings.
Active Couples
Best build: Arenal + Guanacaste gives them plenty to do without filling every day. With ten nights or more, take them farther south or onto the Nicoya Peninsula.
Active Families
Best build: Arenal + Guanacaste. Give Arenal the adventure days, then let the coast open up.
Families with Young Children
Best build: Keep the activity days shorter. Guanacaste can work first when settling into a beach base after arrival makes more sense.
Multigenerational & Older Travelers
Best build: Let the properties do more of the work. Favor boat-based wildlife, thermal springs, and shorter guided walks over the most active options.
Active family · 8 days / 7 nights · Liberia in and out
One active inland stop. One easier coast stop. Enough structure to keep the trip moving, and enough space to let Costa Rica feel relaxed.
Arenal
- Day 1 · Arrive + Settle In
Arrive Liberia. Private transfer to Arenal, approximately 2.5–3 hours. Check in. Nothing scheduled. - Day 2 · Adventure Day
Canopy adventure and Tarzan Swing. Afternoon free. - Day 3 · Let the Property Work
No scheduled excursion. Hot springs, pool, and time at the property. - Day 4 · Transfer with a Purpose
Build Río Celeste into the connection, then continue onward to Guanacaste.
Guanacaste
- Day 5 · Open Resort Day
Beach. Pool. Explore Las Catalinas. Nothing that needs a departure time. - Day 6 · Surf Tamarindo
Private surf lesson in Tamarindo. - Day 7 · Leave Room
Open day. Add an experience or leave it alone. - Day 8 · Departure
Private transfer to Liberia, approximately 1–1 hour 10 minutes.
Tell us who’s traveling, how long they have, and what they want from Costa Rica. We’ll build the route from there.
Sometimes the better route is in the air.
Costa Rica is compact on a map. On the ground, getting from one region to another can take a meaningful part of the day.
When we build the itinerary, we look at more than distance. We consider what the client gains or gives up with each connection, and whether the trip works better by road, air, or boat.
Road
When the route adds something. Some drives are worth the time. Build in Río Celeste between Arenal and Guanacaste, and the transfer becomes part of the day rather than time between destinations.
Air
When the time matters. For longer connections, UJV Air gives us another option. We can evaluate domestic air alongside overland routing when flying gives the client meaningful time back.
Boat
When it’s the way in. Some of Costa Rica’s most rewarding places require a different kind of arrival. In destinations like Drake Bay and the Osa, the boat connection is part of how the trip comes together.
One trip. Every connection considered.
UJV Tropics and UJV Air work together to look at the journey as a whole, so your client isn’t spending more of their vacation getting somewhere than they need to.
We’ll show you the options and help you choose what makes sense for the trip.
You bring us the client. We connect the trip.
For more than 15 years, travel advisors have trusted UJV Tropics to handle the details behind the itinerary. In Costa Rica, that starts with choosing the right way in and continues through the client’s last day on the ground.
The Right Gateway
Liberia or San José, chosen around where the client is actually going before the international flights are booked.
Arrival
VIP airport assistance with a private greeter to meet the client on arrival, assist through immigration and customs, and connect them directly with their private transfer.
Ground + Air
Private transfers between regions, with realistic travel times built into the itinerary. When flying makes more sense than driving, we’ll price the air option alongside it.
Hotels
The right property for the client and the role it needs to play in the trip, whether that’s a family base on Papagayo, a rainforest lodge in Arenal, or somewhere reached by boat in the Osa.
Experiences
Private and small-group experiences selected around the client, with drive time and actual duration considered before they make it onto the itinerary.
Concierge
Dining. Spa. Activities. Excursions. Changes along the way. Our Concierge team is there when the client needs something once the trip has started.
One Team, End to End
Arenal. Guanacaste. Nicoya. The Osa. The highlands. The Central and South Pacific. Road, domestic air, boat, and everything that connects them.
One itinerary. One team behind it.
Sell Costa Rica. Then see it for yourself.
Every eligible Costa Rica booking through January 15, 2027 earns one entry toward a Costa Rica trip with UJV Tropics.
Book once, you’re in. Book again, you earn another entry.
The more Costa Rica you book, the more chances you have to go.
8 nights · 2 regions · One winner
Two nights each at four properties, starting in the rainforest of Arenal and continuing to three very different stays on the Guanacaste coast.
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Nayara Springs
An adults-only retreat within the Nayara world, with private villas, mineral-spring plunge pools, and rainforest surrounding nearly every part of the property.
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Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique
Set above Playa Penca on a 600-acre peninsula, about 30 minutes from Liberia.
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Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas
Adults-only villas tucked into the hillside above Las Catalinas, each with a private infinity pool and Pacific views.
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JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa, All-Inclusive
The JW Marriott experience on Guanacaste’s coast, with dining, wellness, and resort experiences built into the stay.
Arrival and departure transfers, plus one experience of your choosing.
Every booking is another entry.
Every eligible confirmed Costa Rica booking made with UJV Tropics through January 15, 2027 earns one entry.
There is no leaderboard to climb. Every qualifying booking gives you another chance to experience Costa Rica for yourself.
One winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries following the close of the campaign.
Prize Details + Rules
Any confirmed booking made with UJV Tropics that includes Costa Rica, or an eligible Costa Rica component, qualifies for one entry. The itinerary can also include other Central American destinations, as long as Costa Rica is part of the trip.
Eligible bookings must be confirmed between October 14 and January 15, 2027. Travel may take place after the qualification period.
Each eligible confirmed Costa Rica booking earns one entry. Multiple eligible bookings earn multiple entries.
Any booking cancelled by January 15, 2027 will no longer qualify, and its corresponding entry will be removed.
The prize is non-transferable and must be accepted by the selected winner in its entirety. Individual hotel stays, experiences, or other prize components may not be transferred, separated, exchanged, reassigned, or redeemed independently.
Two nights at each of the four participating properties, arrival and departure transfers, and one experience of the winner’s choosing, for the winner and one guest. Only the hotel stays, transfers, experiences, and amenities specifically listed as part of the prize are included.
International airfare, domestic airfare within Costa Rica, transportation between properties, additional experiences, meals and beverages unless expressly stated, resort or destination fees, gratuities, travel insurance, passport or entry-related expenses, personal expenses, and any other costs not specifically identified as included.
Travel dates will be coordinated with the winner and are subject to participating partner availability, applicable blackout dates, and any required advance booking periods. Prize travel must be completed by dates specified by the participating hotel.
The prize has no cash value and may not be exchanged for cash, credit, or another UJV booking.
The selected winner will have five business days from notification to accept the prize. If the winner declines, does not respond, or cannot accept the prize in its entirety, a new winner will be selected at random until the prize is accepted.
See the trip before you route it.
Properties. Experiences. Gateways. The roads, airstrips, and connections between them.
Use the map to understand what naturally pairs, where a transfer becomes part of the day, and when domestic air can give the client more time where they actually want to be.
Open it alongside the Vault and build with both.
- Orient the itinerary by region, gateway, and property
- See where overland connections make sense
- Identify where domestic air can return time to the client
- Understand where boat access is part of the route
- Compare hotels and experiences in the same view
Send the brief. We’ll take it from there.
You don’t need to know the right airport. You don’t need to know which regions pair. You don’t need to have the route figured out before you call us.
That’s where we come in.
You Send What You Know
Who’s traveling. Rough dates. Night count. Budget range, if you have one. What they want from the trip.
You don’t need to have Costa Rica figured out before you send the brief.
We Introduce You to Costa Rica
We help you understand the regions, what to expect, and how to experience the country beyond the obvious.
We Build Around the Client
Hotels chosen for who’s traveling and the role each property plays in the trip. Experiences matched to their interests and pace. Connections planned around how long they actually take.
Nothing gets added just because it fits on the map.
We Refine It with You
You know the client. We know Costa Rica.
We work through the proposal with you, adjusting the pacing, properties, experiences, and routing until the trip feels right.
We Put It All Together
Hotels. Experiences. Private transfers. Domestic air. Boat connections. VIP arrival services where available.
One itinerary. One team connecting it.
We Stay with the Trip
Our support doesn’t end when the itinerary is confirmed. UJV’s Concierge team is there for dining, spa, additional experiences, special requests, and the details before and during travel.
The Relationship Stays Yours
You remain the advisor. We remain your partner.
For more than 15 years, travel advisors have trusted UJV across the Tropics to work behind their business, helping them deliver more for their clients while keeping the advisor relationship exactly where it belongs.
You remain the advisor. We remain your partner.
Ready to go further?
Every great Costa Rica itinerary starts with understanding who’s traveling.
Tell us what you know. We’ll build the right trip with you.
Questions first? Start with what you know, and your UJV Tropics team will help map the rest.