A short plane ride from the United States, Costa Rica is the only Central American country that has invested in education instead of a military. This peaceful nation is blessed with gorgeous beaches, volcanic mountains and dense, tropical rain forests supporting a bird and animal kingdom more varied than any country on earth. In the wild we’ll see howler, capuchin and spider monkeys, crocodiles, orchids, butterflies, turtles, toucans, iguanas and scarlet macaws. The wide range of habitats makes Costa Rica a perfect destination for adventure travelers. Raft exciting white water on a pristine river, horse ride through rain forest, swim in waterfalls, zip line near Lake Arenal, kayak and snorkel off white sand beaches, soak in the best hot pools in the world and even see lava flowing from Arenal volcano. Staying in quaint family-owned haciendas and hotels, beach cabanas and rain forest lodges we’ll meet the conservation-conscious locals who delight in sharing their friendly country with us.
Deanna B, VA "This was my first adventure trip and I enjoyed every minute – from the beautiful resorts to the howling monkeys, watching the baby turtles run to the ocean, the volcano Arenal and especially rafting the Pacuare. Thank you for a truly memorable experience."
Saturday
Most flights from the US arrive around 10pm at San Jose Airport in Costa Rica. Meet your traveling companions in baggage claim. Our driver will meet us outside the airport and transport us to our lush and luxurious hotel. Should you arrive earlier in the day you’ll need to take a taxi to our hotel and will be provided with instructions.
Sunday
Sleep-in! Breakfast at hotel and wander the beautiful gardens. Depart at 11am and travel by van to a nature-lovers resort two hours north of San Jose. Located right next to the San Rafael river you can relax in the pool or hot tub while lunch is prepared. In the afternoon we’ll ride horses along a jungle track to a wonderful series of waterfalls or “cascades.” We can swim in both the cascades and in the warm water swimming pools nearby. Blue morpho butterflies and bright birds fly nearby and monkeys chatter from high perches in this private rain forest reserve. Maybe you’ll enjoy a hot tub prior to dinner? Our spacious rooms have huge hot water showers and private decks to enjoy an umbrella drink and soak up the sounds of the rain forest at dusk.
Monday
Breakfast at our relaxing resort and perhaps enjoy another swim before our 10am departure. We pass through coffee plantations and peaceful country towns on our drive to Arenal. Check into our beautiful resort located just in front of the 5300’ volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. This afternoon we’ll ride a Sky Tram way up high in the forest to a platform giving us wonderful views of Lake Arenal and the volcano. A bilingual guide will stop the tram for bird and monkey sightings along the way. At the top we’ll put on our equipment and get a safety briefing for our wonderful zip line canopy trip back down to the base. We’ll zip-line down 1.7 miles on eight cables above the tree-tops. This is great fun and totally safe with braking controlled by operators. The zip distances vary from 100’ to 2400’. Late in the afternoon we’ll go to one of the best natural hot springs in the world and soak. There’s nothing quite like being doused by a hot waterfall! We’ll hear the booming of the nearby volcano as we dine at the springs. Later, back at our resort, especially chosen for its volcano views, you’ll be able to sit on your private terrace and hopefully see the lava erupting. Pray for a cloud-free night!
Tuesday
Enjoy another lazy breakfast before our 9.30am departure for Puntarenas. This beachside community is on the Gulf of Nicoya, on the Pacific Ocean side of Costa Rica. After lunch at an outdoor café we’ll board our eight-seat outrigger kayaks on Sugar Beach. We’ll paddle our outrigger across the calm and beautiful turquoise water of two bays to a secluded white sand beach. A beautiful coral reef sits just off this beach and we’ll have plenty of time to snorkel the reef and explore the brain coral and abundant and very colorful fishes. Enjoy fresh fruit and drinks on the sand before an easy paddle back to Sugar Beach. Transfer to our hotel quaint hotel in downtown San Jose. The hotel has the most comprehensive gift shop in the country so it’s a perfect chance to pick up handicrafts. We’ll dine at a local restaurant.
Wednesday
It’s an early start today where we travel by bus to the Pacuare River for one of the finest white-water rafting days in the world. We’ll breakfast at a hilltop restaurant en route with great views of the local farms. We have a short hike down to the river for our first glimpse of the class III – IV rapids. The Pacuare is a pool-drop river meaning that it is a constant series of rapids followed by calm water so there’s plenty of time between rafting to enjoy the scenery. The rainforest is pristine and waterfalls tumble down lush banks. A generous lunch is prepared for us at riverside. We float through a skinny gorge and drench ourselves under the falls. Often we see the smoke from the fires of indigenous villages. Off the river by 3pm our van will take us to the Caribbean Coast for our two-night stay at a luxurious cabana resort. Dinner will be delicious local Caribbean fare with many seafood choices.
Thursday
After an adventurous four days of horse riding, zip lining, kayaking and rafting you deserve a rest! Today is your day to do as you please. Our resort is next to the white sand of Playa Cocles and is centered around a luxurious pool and the ever-present fabulous tropical garden. Your hardwood bungalow has a hammock with your name on it! If relaxing the whole day sounds like hardship then you have choices in nearby optional activities. You can trek at a wildlife refuge, horse ride along a beach, do a canopy trip, go to an indigenous Indian reserve and even have rites with a sharman! Because of logistics, lunch is not included today. Breakfast and dinner will be at our resort.
Friday
This morning we’ll transfer to the port at Moen and board a boat for a four-hour cruise north along the canals of Tortuguero National Park. Our guide will stop along the way to view crocodiles, monkeys, sloths, otters and flamingos. We’ll lunch at our resort inside the park and relax in the pool. Caimans and Jesus Christ lizards can often be seen in the nearby smaller channels. Later we’ll boat across the canal to the beach side and walk to the nearby ocean to see the baby turtles hatching and racing for the sea. It’s fascinating and heart-wrenching to watch their struggle in this up-close version of Mother Nature in action. Tonight we’ll celebrate our journey through Costa Rica with a farewell dinner at our lodge. You’ll sleep soundly despite the eerie sounds of the howler monkeys in the surrounding rainforest.
Saturday
An early breakfast is available to us before boating across the canal to the small Tortuguero airstrip. Our flight back to San Jose assures fabulous views of the park and beautiful countryside outside San Jose. Upon arrival at a regional airport we transfer to the best zoo in the country. It has the largest bird collection in Central America and is also a wildlife rehabilitation center. Macaws fly free and we’ll see the famous Resplendent Quetzal. We’ll also see the hard-to-see Costa Rican mammals like the tapir and puma. There is a market next to the zoo for those needing to pick up last minute gifts. Transfer to the international airport at 11am where the trip ends. Check in for our flights to the US - departure tax is $26 and can easily be paid with credit card at the airport.
