WIN! A WILD HOLIDAY TO COSTA RICA

Plus an adventure-ready Gandys backpack

Forget the winter blues: Costa Rica is all about wild blues. The inky indigo reefs bustling with hammerheads and mantas; the teal-tinted rapids of the Río Pacuare; the lapis-hued lagoons along Guanacaste’s sun-kissed coastline. And don’t even get us started on the greens; from the canopies of its cloud forests to the algae that grows on its soporific sloths, Costa Rica’s natural palette will leave those who haven’t yet been positively green with envy.

Visit Costa Rica is giving one Wanderlust reader the opportunity to see this incredible country for themselves, on a seven-night itinerary packed with adventure and activities. You could soon be hiking along its hanging bridges – coming nose-to-beak with toucans and hummingbirds as you wander.

The Caribbean coast is catnip for intrepid cyclists, while the Pacific shore serves up epic surf breaks and inland, the Monteverde Cloud Forest – a 105 sq km reserve of remarkable diversity – offers everything from bird watching to horse riding trips, with the opportunity to spy jaguars, ocelots, pumas and more.

On an adventure like this, you need gear that won’t let you down – which is why Gandys will be providing the winner (and three runners up) with a backpack. Water resistant, spacious, yet stylish enough for a San Jose city trip, it’s the ideal travel companion. And, just like Costa Rica, it comes in a myriad of hues. Whether you’re a wildlife spotter, an avid kayaker, or simply want to sample some of the world’s wildest zip lines, Costa Rica can offer adventures you won’t soon forget.

Feel-good kit

After losing their parents in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, brothers Rob and Paul Forkan founded Gandys as a force for good. With its 'Don't Just Exist' ethos, the company uses its profits to build campuses around the world, where underprivileged children can receive education, nutrition and medication. There are currently three centres, in Sri Lanka, Malawi and Nepal, with one under construction in Brazil. Visit gandyslondon.com