Cortés Waterfall, Cacao & Wildlife Tour near Playa Flamingo

Cacao, sloths, and a waterfall swim in one rainforest morning

A guided rainforest tour near Playa Flamingo pairs a hands-on cacao experience at a family plantation with a wildlife hike through Tenorio volcano trails and a swim at Cortés Waterfall. You learn traditional chocolate-making methods, spot sloths and toucans on the nature walk, then cool off in the waterfall's natural pool. The day runs eight hours with lunch and a welcome beverage included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Rainforest wildlife, chocolate, and waterfall

• Visit family-owned cacao plantation
• Learn traditional chocolate making
• Taste fresh cacao
• Guided rainforest wildlife hike
• Spot sloths, toucans, frogs, butterflies
• Swim at Cortés Waterfall

The experience

Cortés Waterfall anchors the finale, but the tour builds toward it through two earlier stops that ground the rainforest in concrete experience. You start at a family-owned cacao plantation where you handle the crop itself (learning how it grows, how it's harvested, and how it becomes chocolate), then taste fresh cacao while the guide explains the roots of Costa Rican farming. That hands-on opening matters because it shifts the day from sightseeing into participation.

The wildlife hike that follows takes you through Tenorio volcano trails where sloths actually hang in the treetops and toucans glide overhead. A guide leads the walk, so you're not guessing what you're seeing. The rainforest has sloths, colorful frogs, butterflies and other species moving through it constantly, and the guide's job is to stop you when one appears. The hike moves through the region where most of the day's activities happen, so you're not jumping between distant sites.

Cortés Waterfall closes the loop with a swim in the natural pool, surrounded by jungle. An air-conditioned vehicle moves you between the three stops, and lunch is built into the day so you're not hunting for food mid-tour. The guide speaks English, Spanish or French depending on your group, and pickup runs from your hotel.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle transport between the three stops.
• typical lunch.
• welcome beverage.
• guide in English, Spanish or French.
• hotel pickup and return.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to15h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years): free

GroupUp to 50

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Costour

Is this one for you?The tour is shared and guided, so you move as a group with a naturalist who knows where to find wildlife and what the cacao plantation grows. Choose this if you want someone else to spot the sloths and explain the chocolate-making process rather than exploring on your own.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 2 years): free.

What animals might I actually see on the rainforest hike?

Sloths, toucans, colorful frogs and butterflies move through the Tenorio volcano trails regularly. The guide stops you when wildlife appears, so you're not scanning the canopy alone.

Is the cacao experience just a tour of the plantation, or do I actually make chocolate?

You learn and participate in the traditional methods of growing, harvesting and making chocolate at the family plantation, then taste fresh cacao. It's hands-on, not a demonstration.

How much time do I spend swimming at Cortés Waterfall?

The waterfall is the final stop of the day, giving you time to swim in the natural pool before heading back. The full tour runs eight hours from pickup to return.

Do I need to be fit for the rainforest hike?

The hike suits all physical fitness levels. The guide sets the pace through the Tenorio volcano trails, and you move at a speed that works for your group.