Packages 12 days / 11 nights

12 Days / 11 Nights 12 Day Jungle & Active Adventure with Private Transportation

San Jose – Tortuguero Canals – Arenal Volcano – La Fortuna Waterfall Horseback Ride – Sky Trek (Canopy Experience) – Toro River White Water Rafting – Tabacon Hot Springs – Jeep Boat Jeep to Monteverde – Monteverde – Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve Naturalist Walk – Manuel Antonio Beach – Damas Island Boat Tour – San Jose

Day 1

You are greeted outside of the San Jose airport and helped with your bags for the comfortable and short drive to your hotel in the area of San Jose, where you are welcome to unpack, unwind and settle in for your first night in our tropical paradise.

The Sleep Inn San Jose Downtown is conveniently located in the heart of the City, only 15 km. from Juan Santamaria International Airport. It is a short distance away from tourist attractions, Casinos, Night Clubs, Bars, and Restaurants, The National Theatre, Museum de Jade, Museum de Oro and parks that are part of the national heritage, among many others.

Day 2

Early in the morning you will be picked up at your hotel for your trip to reach Caño Blanco dock driving by banana plantations and Rain Forests. At Caño Blanco, you will board the covered boat to the lodge, passing the Tortuguero canals arriving between 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. At the lodge their staff will be waiting for you with a refreshing cocktail. Your rooms will be assigned and the guide will explain the afternoon activities. After lunch you’ll visit the Turtle Museum of the C.C.C. (Caribbean Conservation Corporation entrance fee not included) and the colorful Tortuguero town. You will return to the lodge around 5:30 p.m. with free time to enjoy the pool, the bar service and prepare for your dinner. The dinner service will be from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and the rest of the night is free to enjoy the surroundings, pool and bar.

The area of Tortuguero is rightfully called “The Amazon of Costa Rica” because access is only by boat on Jungle Rivers. Laguna Lodge is a rain forest ecotourism lodge, a leader among this tropical country’s hotels and resorts with an extra touch in style, comfort and personalized service. This Region is the most important nesting site in the entire Western half of the Caribbean for the green sea turtle. The season starts around mid July.

The essence of Tortuguero is slow moving tropical rivers. The rivers define everything about Tortuguero; they are Tortuguero’s roads and Tortuguero's soul. If a visitor wants to bring home the essence of Tortuguero they must get in tune with the rivers.

Day 3

This morning there is an optional 6:15 a.m. tour to admire the awakening of the wildlife of Tortuguero. Return for breakfast (service between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.). Then you will take another boat tour to admire the canals of Tortuguero National Park. This is a wonderful and interesting experience where you can see abundant flora and fauna of Tortuguero National Park (entrance fee not included). Return to the lodge for lunch and free time for a siesta, enjoy the pool or take a walk to the beach. Then you have another optional tour to the canals or stay at the lodge to explore the private trails of the lodge. Dinner will be at the lodge and a free night will follow.

Day 4

Again this morning will be another optional 6:15 a.m. tour to admire the awakening of the wildlife of Tortuguero. Return for breakfast (service between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.). After breakfast you will begin your trip back to Caño Blanco dock, and from there, to your lunch site. At this point you will be picked up for your private transfer to continue on a scenic drive northwest to the lowlands of the north and the Sarapiqui area where you will spend the next 3 nights. You will arrive in the afternoon and check into your hotel.

The Arenal Springs Hotel offers the perfect combination between relaxation, comfort, and exuberant tropical scenery, as well as the best view of the Arenal Volcano from any vantage point on the premises. The Hotel features colonial style rooms, with all the amenities that one can expect from a 60-room mountain retreat, (6 rooms are especially designed for the handicapped). Each room can accommodate up to five people, and they feature their own terrace, king or queen size beds, air conditioning, cable TV, ceiling fan, refrigerator, telephone, security box, private bathroom, hair dryer, and lush tropical gardens. At their restaurant, they offer an exquisite variety of National and International dishes in a completely natural ambiance and welcoming atmosphere. While at their restaurant, you may also enjoy a magnificent view of the Arenal Volcano.

Arenal Volcano is by far the most active volcano in Costa Rica and as well one of the most active in the world with daily eruptions. This makes the area of Arenal and La Fortuna a fascinating tourist destination that attracts foreigners as well as the residents of Costa Rica.

Day 5

Breakfast is early and following it you will be driven to the town of La Fortuna, where you will horseback ride to a waterfall in the middle of the Rain Forest. Once there you’ll take a short hike to the bottom of the waterfall for a swim. After your dip and the horse ride back, you will be driven back to your hotel. You could have a snack or lunch to store up some energy, as it will be time for the Sky Trek & Sky Tram! You board a tram for a fascinating ride through the canopy of the rain forest with amazing views of the Arenal Volcano and Lake and after the 10 minute Sky Tram is completed, it’s time for a different kind of adrenalin rush. The Sky Trek! You and your safety harness to be hooked to several long cables where you will glide through the middle of the jungle, from tree to tree, just like the Toucans do. Our survey’s feedback is always filled with excitement about this tour. Then you will be driven back to your hotel for a wonderful night of rest.

Day 6

Today, after breakfast, you will start the adventure. You will be picked up to go for a 1 hour t drive o reach The Río Toro. It explodes with a series of over 45 continuous class 3-4 rapids – you'll spend more than 2½ hours rafting through unexplored, tropical wilderness on a personalized, small-group tour. Bring on the adrenaline!!! Experienced and first-time rafters love the Río Toro for full-day, class 3-4 rafting. The Río Toro offers over 45-continuous rapids along more than 16 kilometers of deep-canyon gorges and waterfalls where we often see sloths, monkeys and tropical birds, such as toucans and the Montezuma Oropendula. Imagine rafting through exciting, action-packed rapids with names like “morning coffee,” "the Danish Taco," “coco loco,” “the eraser,” and the famous “B-F-W!” Once at the river, their experienced guides will give you a thorough safety talk, get you set up with your helmet, life jacket and paddle and then you're off – you'll be paddling for more than 2½ hours – you’ll stop along the way for a nice, tropical fruit break and afterward they will take you out for a typical Costa Rican “casado” lunch. You'll return to La Fortuna and the Arenal Area around 3:30-4:00pm. Then around 6:00 p.m. you will be picked up to go Tabacon Resort and Hot Springs where you will experience one of the world's most amazing offerings. Here you will relax in Mother Nature's enormous hot tub. The hot springs are fed by an underground river heated naturally by the Arenal Volcano to the perfect temperature of 101 degrees. Our previous guests refer to this as their personal visit to the "Fountain of Youth." After relaxing for some time and maybe taking a Spa Service, you will have dinner and then head back to your hotel for a wonderful night of rest.

Near the base of the active Arenal Volcano on the north side of Costa Rica, world renowned Tabacon Resort provides you a relaxing and unparalleled experience with its natural hot springs and thermo mineral water pools, its tropical and exuberant surroundings and its famous Iskandria Spa. This extraordinary setting, combined with exceptional service, warm smiles and outstanding facilities, assures their guests an unforgettable time in Costa Rica.

Day 7

Enjoy another great, healthy breakfast and following it you will be driven to the Arenal Lake; here you will board a boat that will take you across the lake for an amazing trip to Monteverde. At the other side of the lake, your vehicle will be waiting to transfer you to Monteverde and your hotel. Enjoy the pool, watch TV or just take in the view.

El Establo is situated in the heart of the tourist zone of Monteverde 7 kms from the Santa Elena Rain Forest and 4 kms from the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Quaker friendship awaits you at this hotel, set in a private 150-acre farm (50% protected primary forest) adjacent to the Monteverde Reserve.

Monteverde is not only the name of a small town but the name is also used to describe the whole zone. There are three communities in the "urban area": Santa Elena is the largest, with a bank, shops and the local high school, and then next along the road is Cerro Plano and finally, Monteverde. Besides the natural beauty of the place, the tiny, progressive community of Monteverde is itself worth a visit. Quakers from North America came here in 1951, drawn by Costa Rica's disarmed environment. They set up a business that now makes some of the finest cheese in the country. The Quakers bought milk form neighboring farmers and invited them to become shareholders - today there are about 430, including milk producers, employees and neighbors.

Day 8

You will enjoy another wonderful breakfast and off you go again. We’ve hired a professional Naturalist Guide to escort you through an incredible part of the Monteverde Cloud Forest. This tour is an easy, guided hike where you will receive information about the interesting things that are there for you to witness up close and personal. The rest of your day is free and can be enjoyed as you wish. You could take a Spa Service, enjoy the pool or just relax. Or you could add an additional tour like a Coffee Tour, Monteverde Train Forest, “El Trapiche”, the Frog Pond, The Bat Jungle, Hanging Bridges, Hummingbirds, and Butterfly Gardens or visiting the Cheese Factory, just let us know and we will gladly make the arrangements for you.

Day 9

Today, after enjoying your breakfast, you will be picked up for a private transportation to start a wonderful trip through the countryside. The scenic drive will take you to the lowland of the Central Pacific Coast where you will be driving to the coastal highway to reach Quepos and Manuel Antonio area. You’ll check into your mountain top hotel and enjoy marvelous views of the sunset and breathtaking scenery and wildlife.

Hotel Costa Verde is located on a coastal rainforest bluff overlooking the Pacific beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park near Quepos, Costa Rica. Its many amenities make Costa Verde a perfect destination for those seeking adventure travel, eco-tourism, sports fishing or just the tranquility of white sand beaches and magnificent ocean views. Less than a mile from the beach and Manuel Antonio National Park, the Hotel Costa Verde features two cliff side pools with sundecks and spacious rooms and balconies, all offering a bird's-eye view of the Parks coastline plus rainforest canopy vistas dotted with native birds and monkeys.

Day 10

In the morning you will be picked up at your hotel for your last tour, the Damas Island Boat Safari. You board a custom riverboat and slowly float down the Damas Island Estuary for a unique way to view the wildlife that lives on the riverbanks. Scarlet macaws, huge crocodiles, 120 species of birds, lizards and many other members or Costa Rica's eco system are among the things you will want to take pictures of. Enjoy a complimentary lunch during this tour at a Seafood place. Now it’s off to your resort, where the majestic and spiritual sunsets are guaranteed to take your breath away. In the afternoon you could visit Manuel Antonio National Park (not included) where you could take a 90 minute hike exploring wildlife and nature including, White Face Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys, Sloths and more exotic plant life than you have ever seen.

Day 11

Enjoy the beach and the pool in the morning and around noon you will start a 4 hour drive back to San Jose for your last night in Costa Rica. In San Jose explore the wonderful gastronomy that the city offers for your last night in our tropical paradise.

The Sleep Inn San Jose Downtown, which is the same hotel you stayed at the first and night, features 86 rooms, all of which are decorated in an elegant, comfortable and contemporary style.

Day 12

We will drive you back to the airport at the appropriate time to catch your flight back home (approximate departure time 3 hours prior to your flight). It’s time to say goodbye to the new friends you have made in Costa Rica.

Pricing:

High Season 2010: US $ 1,690 per person based on double occupancy. Single supplement US $ 830
Valid from 01/05/10 thru 04/30/10

Green Season 2010: US $ 1,545 per person based on double occupancy. Single supplement US $750
Valid from 05/01/10 thru 11/15/10

Notes:

Price does not apply to New Year’s or Easter week and it is subject to availability of hotels and tours.
Prices are subject to change without notice by the providers.
Depending on the hotels, July and August are considered High Season

Package Includes:

2 Nights of lodging at Sleep Inn San Jose Downtown (4 stars) in a Standard room.
2 Nights of lodging at Hotel Laguna Lodge (3 stars) in a Standard room.
3 Nights of lodging Arenal Springs Hotel (4 stars) in a Jr. Suite room.
2 nights of lodging at El Establo Hotel (4 stars) in a Deluxe Room.
2 nights of lodging at Hotel Costa Verde (3 stars) in an Efficiency room.
Tortuguero Canals Tour, including land and fluvial transportation, tours and naturalist guide (25 pounds of luggage per person allowed).
Private transportation from Caño Negro Dock to Arenal Springs Hotel in an A/C van with the services of a bilingual driver/guide.
La Fortuna Waterfall Horseback Ride including transportation, equipment, entrance fee and local guide.
Sky Trek Canopy Tour, including transportation, entrance fee, equipment and specialist guides.
Toro River White Water Rafting Class III-IV, including transportation, lunch equipment and guides.
Tabacon Resort & Hot Springs including transportation, entrance fee and dinner. (Night shift from 6:00 p.m. thru 10:00 p.m.)
Jeep boat Jeep Arenal to Monteverde.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve Naturalist Hike, including entrance fee, slide show and Naturalist guide.
Private transportation from El Establo Hotel to Costa Verde Hotel in an A/C van with a semi-bilingual driver/guide.
Damas Island Boat Safari, including transportation, equipment, lunch and naturalist guide.
Private transportation from Costa Verde Hotel to Sleep Inn San Jose Downtown in an A/C van with a bilingual driver/guide.
Meals (11 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 3 Dinners).
Meet and greet at San Jose airport with VIP service inside the terminal.
All transfers to and from the airport.
24 hour travel assistance.

Not included:

Airfare and Airport tax at your departure US $ 26 (cash only).
Tortuguero National Park entrance fee US $ 10 per person (cash only).
Meals and other services not mentioned above.
Gratuities for guides and providers based on quality of service.

YOU MUST HAVE A VALID PASSPORT TO ENTER COSTA RICA

Costa Rica is a democracy, has no standing army, and is arguably the most environmentally friendly country in Latin America. Come to Costa Rica for the natural beauty….stay for the adventure!

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