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Costa Rica Adventure Tour Itinerary
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(2008 Sample Itinerary)
Please note that this is a typical itinerary, and actual activities may vary to take advantage of weather conditions, local events, and to allow serendipity to play a hand in your experience. Accommodations are as outlined in the itinerary, although we reserve the right to change these should the need arise.
DAY 1
Arrival in San José
Our trip begins upon the arrival of your flight to Juan Santamaria International Airport in San José. After clearing customs you are met by our driver and transferred to our hotel, where our naturalist guides meet us for a brief orientation. You are free to dine and relax this evening after your flight.
Hotel Parque del Lago, San José
DAY 2
Tortuguero National Park
Walk – easy to moderate, on hiking trails, 1-2 hours.
This morning we depart San José and drive east through the central mountains, descending through valleys of banana plantations on our way to the launch point for our rainforest adventure. Next, we board a river boat – African Queen-style, and make our way through the twisting rivers of the Caribbean lowlands to our home for the next two nights – a deluxe jungle lodge bordering Tortuguero National Park. We arrive mid-afternoon, and have time to explore some of the park trails with the help of a canoe-like riverboat. Here, our naturalist guides introduce us to the mysteries of the rainforest and its complex ecosystems.
Tortuguero National Park protects one of the last large areas of tropical rainforest in Central America. Eleven habitats are found here, home to three species of monkeys (spider, howler, and white-faced capuchin), three-toed sloths, and river otters. Caiman, iguanas, river turtles, basilisk lizards, and poison dart frogs inhabit the area as well, along with more than 320 species of birds including kingfishers, toucans, eight species of parrots, and the uniquely named bunch consisting of the slaty-tailed trogon, white-collared manakin, purple-throated fruitcrow, and white-fronted nunbird.
Mawamba Lodge, Tortuguero
DAY 3
Tortuguero National Park
Walk – easy, on hiking trails, 2-3 hours.
This morning we board our boat for an exploration of hidden lagoons, where huge trees are home to a vast variety of avian and mammalian species. The wide-open canals make for great viewing – superb for spotting crocodiles, caimans, giant iguanas, basilisk lizards, and bulldog bats snatching fish from the water.
We then venture onto the rainforest trails, keeping our eyes and ears alert for forest creatures. Our guides have an amazing ability to spot wildlife that remains hidden to the untrained eye.
Mawamba Lodge, Tortuguero
DAY 4
Flight to San José; transfer to Monteverde
Today we say goodbye to the rainforest as we board our plane at a nearby airstrip for our flight back to San José. The approximately one-hour flight is scenic and affords us a new perspective on this special part of Costa Rica, where waterfalls cascade from the mountains we fly over. Upon arrival in San José, we begin our overland drive to Monteverde (approximately 5 hours).
By mid-afternoon we arrive in Monteverde where we will stay for the next two nights. The Monteverde cloud forest is one of the richest and most diverse tropical cloud forests in the world, best known as home to the resplendent quetzal. It is also home to hundreds of other bird, mammal, and plant species as well. After dinner in the village, we make ourselves comfortable at our hotel on the edge of the forest.
Hotel El Establo, Monteverde
DAY 5
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Walk – easy to moderate, on hiking trails and swing bridges, 3-5 hours.
After breakfast, we begin our day with a visit to Selvatura’s suspension walkways, where we have the unique experience of seeing the wonders of the virgin cloud forest from a bird’s-eye view in the canopy. Meandering through the trees at our own pace, we have the vantage point of eight different bridges of various lengths spanning nearly two miles of lush forest.
By midday we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, perhaps sampling the casado (rice and beans with meat) eaten daily by the locals. The abundant fresh fruit is also refreshing at this time of day.
In the afternoon, we embark on a hike through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, where we experience first-hand the misty forest with its dense vegetation and majestic trees. Our naturalist guide explains the specific cycles of life in this unique and complex ecosystem. The tropical cloud forest is confined to mountain ridges where, due to frequent cloud cover, the mist moistens and fertilizes the land, resulting in the dense growth of small plants (known as epiphytes) in the trees. From the forest floor to the canopy, it is a place full of life. Our day ends where it began, as we enjoy one more evening at our hotel in Monteverde.
Hotel El Establo, Monteverde
DAY 6
Transfer to Arenal Volcano National Park
Scenic boat ride; walk – easy, 1-2 hours.
In the morning we say goodbye to the cloud forest and depart Monteverde for the small town of Rio Chiquito, where we board a boat for a thirty-minute ride across Lake Arenal. As we travel across, our guide explains the history of this man-made lake and the original town of Arenal that now lies buried deep under the surface.
On the other side of the lake, we walk through the forest to Doña Rosa’s ranch, where we enjoy a typical tico lunch, and learn to make fresh tortillas from Rosa herself. After a delicious meal and time to chat with Rosa and her family, we continue on foot or by van into the national park and ultimately to our hotel. If we are lucky, over the next two days we will have regular shows from Arenal Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. From our hotel, we have an impressive view of the volcanic giant which erupts with spectacular displays of vapor and lava.
Hotel Arenal Manoa, La Fortuna
DAY 7
Arenal Volcano and Ecotermales Hot Springs
Hike – easy to moderate, 3-4 hours.
Arenal Volcano National Park encompasses thousands of acres of pristine rainforest and teems with tropical birds and wildlife— it is also our grounds for exploration today.
In the morning we enjoy a hike with our guide to a nearby waterfall and a close-up exploration of a lava flow. In the afternoon, we enjoy the benefits of this geothermal area with a refreshing dip in the Ecotermales hot springs – one of the less frequented but most scenic springs in the Arenal region. Here we have time to relax before a celebratory dinner at the hot springs’ restaurant. Depending on the weather conditions, we may even have the opportunity to witness one of Arenal’s frequent eruptions.
Hotel Arenal Manoa, La Fortuna
DAY 8
Departure
We depart Arenal early, arriving at Juan Santamaria International Airport in San José by late morning in time for mid-afternoon international flights home.