Available to Club Members Only.
Experience the best of Costa Rica, where we lead you through tropical Caribbean mangroves, an active volcano, and Pacific rainforest and beaches for sights and biodiversity you won't experience anywhere else in the world. This package offers plenty of "pura vida" attitudes and unique experiences you will encounter with us!
Starting from the center of the country with its remarkable “eternal spring” temperatures, you will travel northeast through mountains with spectacular forest scenery. Descending, you continue on to the warm eastern lowlands passing banana and pineapple plantations to board a boat and travel by rivers and canals to Tortuguero National Park. This is Costa Rica’s “little Amazon” and is dominated by rainforests and has abundant wildlife. Following Tortuguero, board a plane and fly over and out of the park returning temporarily to the central valley where you will be picked up and driven to Arenal Volcano. Enroute you stop at the Rainforest Aerial Tramway to enjoy a fascinating journey through the forest canopy. Then travel east to one of Costa Rica's best loved beaches - Manuel Antonio.
Day 1: Arrival
Upon your arrival in San José, Costa Rica and after you clear customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal, take the right hand side exit door, where you will meet your guide who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose. 1 night Hilton Garden Inn Santa Ana or similar.
Days 2: Tortuguero National Park (B,L,D)
Start your journey to Tortuguero National Park in the northeastern lowlands. This is a shared transfer to the Pavona docks. With its abundant wildlife Tortuguero is one of the best areas in Costa Rica for viewing wild animals! You will have the chance to see everything from a variety of bird species; howling, white-faced, and spider monkeys; sloths; crocodiles; iguanas, basilisk lizards and more from the comfort of your boat. During July to September, green sea turtles come ashore at night to nest on the beach. Your will have a boat tour of the backwater canals of the National Park (entrance fees included). A village visit, and guided nature walk on the trails of the lodge. Hotel: Evergreen Lodge or similar (2 nts).
Days 3: Tortuguero National Park (B,L,D)
Shared boat tour of Tortuguero National Park. Also enjoy guided trails walks and a visit to the gardens of the lodge. The area is excellent for viewing birds, butterflies and primates.
Day 4: Pierella Ecological gardens; to Arenal Volcano (B,L)
Return by boat to the docks where you will be met and transferred by van to La Fortuna, the community near Arenal Volcano. Enroute a stop at Pierella gardens where butterflies and a variety of plants and birds dazzle visitors. Another stop to see a variety of tropical fruits and vegetables, including some that are rarely seen outside the tropics. After a traditional lunch, you will continue on to your Arenal area hotel, travelling in the north central lowlands of Costa Rica among farmlands of tropical crops and cattle ranches. Hotel: Lomas del Volcan or similar (2 nts). Upgrades can be requested to the Arenal Observatory lodge.
Day 5: Arenal Volcano/Nanaus Ecological Gardens (B,L)
In the morning you will visit the trails of Arenal Volcano with your guide. Arenal is one of seven historically active Costa Rican volcanoes along with Poás, Irazú, Miravalles, Orosí, Rincón de la Vieja complex, and Turrialba. Numerous forests surround the volcano as do rich farmlands and hot springs.
Later you will have lunch at a Local Organic Farm in the town of La Fortuna. At the farm you will see how farming techniques can be practiced in an environmentally sound way. The farm produces more than 60 crop species, including native and introduced plants. With your guide, you will learn about many of the crops and the challenges and benefits of farming organically in the tropics.
After lunch you will have a natural history walk at the Danaus Ecological Center. This small biological reserve east of the town of La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano is a model of conservation. Visitors will see that it is possible to restore a rainforest. This reserve was once open farmland, but has been allowed to revert back to forest which now teems with wildlife. Slow-moving sloths live here, and along the main trail visitors may see a number of the 154 bird species recorded here. This trail passes by a small lake where boat-billed herons and alligator-like caiman reside. Tiny native red poison dart frogs can be seen in a little forest ranario (frog farm) and many different species of butterflies flit about the reserve. A nursery on the property is used to propagate native trees- including species in danger of extinction-for reforestation projects.
Day 6: Transfer to Manuel Antonio Beach (B,L)
Today you will visit the Arenal Hanging Bridges. This is a complex of suspended bridges and trails through a beautiful rain forest. As you walk through the forest, you may encounter a variety of the forest wildlife, including toucans, motmots, trogons, poison dart frogs, howling monkeys, spider monkeys and white-faced capuchin monkeys. Alternatively you may visit Vista Los Suenos zip line.
After your rainforest experience you will be taken overland to Manuel Antonio National Park. Manuel Antonio consists of several beautiful beaches on the Pacific coast, a forest growing to the beach’s edge, easy walking trails and abundant wildlife. Hotel: Costa Verde or similar (2 nts)
Day 7: Manuel Antonio National Park visit (B,L)
Today hike with a naturalist guide through the park’s forest. Visitors frequently have up-close views of white-faced capuchin and squirrel monkeys, sluggish sloths, raccoons, agoutis, colorful black & scarlet land crabs, and black iguanas. Some birds possible to see in the park are Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Baird´s Trogon, Violaceous Trogon, Golden-naped Woodpecker, White Hawk, King Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Orange-collared Manakin, Chesnut-backed Antbird, Bicolored Antbird, Black-hooded Antshrike, Fiery-billed Aracari, Chesnut-mandibled Toucan.
Day 8: Damas Island (B,L)
Explore one of Costa Rica’s most unique environments from the comfort of a boat! As you glide through the Damas Island Mangrove Estuary, you might spot curious families of monkeys as they migrate across the mangrove ecosystem in search of food and adventure. You might also see tropical seabirds, turtles, a range of reptiles, and maybe even a caiman or two! You will wind through acres of pristine Costa Rican estuary as guides explain why the mangrove eco-structure so vital to Costa Rica and the world. Return to your hotel and afternoon at leisure to enjoy the beach.
Day 9: Departure (B)
Private transfer to the airport in San Jose.
