Costa Rica - Beach - Jungle -Volcanoes

( 5 Star )

Visit: San José – Tortuguero – Puerto Viejo de Limón – Sarapiquí – Arenal - Tamarindo or Samara - Monteverde - Manuel Antonio

Overview
Itinerary
Inclusion / Exclusion
Dates Pricing

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a sovereign state in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, and Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around 5 million in a land area of 51,060 square kilometers. An estimated 333,980 people live in the capital and largest city, San José with around 2 million people in the surrounding metropolitan area.

Welcome to Costa Rica! Upon arrival at the Juan Santamaría International airport you will be welcomed by our representative who will escort you to your hotel in San Jose and give you your road book. Your journey will begin with two nights in San José, the capital, which is located at 3 937 feet above the sea level and gathers half of the population of the country. The town is placed in Central Valley Area, surrounded in the north by different volcanos like Poás, Irazú or Turrialba, and in the south by the Talamanca Cordillera which is the highest mountain range of the southern part of Central America. Traveling time: 45mins Included meals: - Accommodation: Hotel Park Inn 4*

Free day to enjoy the lodge facilities, or go and explore the area with any of the following available activities: *The duration of these tours will depend on the number of guests inscribed. All of these tours can be private as per special requests. - Costa Rican Craft Beer Tour: (the tour operates from Tuesday to Saturday from 19:30 pm to 00:30 midnight). Get to know the emerging craft beers of the urban area of Costa Rica. You will walk through San José and arrive to 4 of the best bars and pubs in the city. - Central Market tour: (the tour operates from Monday to Saturday at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Duration: 2 hours) Discover the exotic products and colorful life of the Central Market, right at heart of the capital. - Foodie tour: (the tour operates from Monday to Saturday at 6:00 pm. Duration: 3 hours) Enjoy a walking tour through the gastronomic district of Barrio Escalante, where you will not only admire the aristocratic architecture but taste some of the most innovative dishes of the area. - San José Coffee Tour (the tour operates from Monday to Saturday at 3:00 pm. Duration: 2h30 hours). Visit San José’s cafés and learn the history of Costa Rica’s most important produce. Included meals: B Accommodation: Hotel Park Inn 4*

Meet your local English-speaking driver at your hotel reception for a ride to the Tortuguero pier in a semi-collective transfer (with only guests staying in the same Lodge as you in Tortuguero). Arrival in the city of Guápiles and breakfast in a local restaurant. Then, you will take a boat to Tortuguero National Park, snaking on the canals, in the heart of the rainforest. Ride a boat to the small Caribbean village of Tortuguero and visit the latter, before heading to the Lodge. Tortuguero is the little Amazonia of Costa Rica. Its intense tropical forest keeps a marvelous flora and fauna, where you’ll rest from your usual routine. Tortuguero’s site is part of the Ramsar Convention protection of wetlands, with special care to the seabird species. In the afternoon, you will discover the small village of Tortuguero. Free afternoon to enjoy your lodge facilities and walk around. Traveling time: 3h30 road transfer + 1h30 boat transfer Included meals: B/L/D Accommodation: Evergreen Lodge 3*

After having breakfast in the lodge, you will take a guided hike around the path of your lodge, to discover the fauna along the way! Later you will put on some rubber boots and a raincoat (if necessary) to discover the lush flora and fauna of the rainforest. In the afternoon, you will take a boat tour across the canals of Tortuguero National Park, to discover the life of its inhabitants. The boat will make several stops for you to observe the birds, the crocodiles, and the monkeys who live in the park. Then it’s back to your lodge for lunch and relax by the swimming pool. You can also book an optional activity on site like fishing or taking a night tour if you happen to visit during the turtle season (July to mid-October) Included meals: B/L/D Accommodation: Evergreen Lodge 3*

After breakfast, you will take a boat back to Guápiles, and have lunch in your lodge’s restaurant. Your car rental representative will meet you there to hand you off your rental vehicle. Colombia | Costa Rica | Ecuador | Panamá | Venezuela You will depart to the beautiful South Caribbean coast. You will drive through Siquirres town and by Limón’s port city before heading toward the sea border where the villages of Cahuita, Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo are. A unique vibe will greet you on this fisherman village of the Caribbean Coast, a rich area with a multicultural vibe with its calypso-reggae music, which came from the African-Caribbean culture. Traveling time: 1h30 boat transfer + 2h30 road transfer Included meals: B/L Accommodation: Hotel La Kukula Lodge 3*

Take your car to discover the different beaches of the coast and discover Cahuita National Park or the wildlife rescue center of Gandoca, located south of Puerto Viejo. You can walk, drive or rent a bike, which is the most popular way of transportation in the area. From your hotel, you can ride to the warm Caribbean beach: Playa Chiquita, Playa Cocles or Playa Punta Uva will be waiting for you. Between your visits to these beautiful beaches, don’t forget to take a break to have a cocktail or a beer in one of the bars of the area. You can also opt for an optional activity in the area such as: - Tour of the Jaguar Rescue Center - Guided hike in Cahuita National Park - Visit the Bri-Bri Indigenous community - Bird observation tour - Artisanal fishing - Surfing lesson with local Spanish/English-speaking guide - Take a Caribbean cooking class Included meals: B Accommodation: Hotel La Kukula Lodge 3*

Drive to Sarapiquí, a rich agricultural area (pineapple, palm heart, pejibaye, guanabana…) in the northern part of the country. This village is located right in the surroundings of the road towards the Arenal Lake. However, this area Colombia | Costa Rica | Ecuador | Panamá | Venezuela offers various natural reserves like the Biological Station of La Selva or La Tirimbina, as well as different activities like walking through the rainforest, doing one of the best rafting in the country or eco-tourism activities in local farms. Depending on your arrival time, you can do one of these optional activities: - Chocolate tour at La Tirimbina - Rafting on Sarapiquí River - Canopy - Visit of Doña Rosa’s palm heart plantation and restaurant - Kayak or tubing - Take a snake tour - Visit of Don Rodolfo’s Agro Farm (with Spanish speaking local guide - possibility of spending 1 night on site, ask us) Traveling time: 3h30 Included meals: B Accommodation: Sarapiqui’s Rainforest Lodge 3*

You will continue northward to La Fortuna, a town situated at the skirts of the Arenal volcano, Costa Rica´s most famous one. Costa Rica is well-known for its 116 volcanoes, but the Arenal volcano is probably the most famous one. This active volcano rises over 5 347 feet above the sea level and it has the iconic volcano-shaped perfect for pictures. Surprisingly, this volcano is the youngest of the country, being only 7 500 years old! Even if the Arenal Volcano activity decreased over the past 3 years, some clouds of smoke can still be seen going out of the crater when the sky is clear. Traveling time: 2h30 Included meals: B Accommodation: Arenal Oasis Ecolodge & Reserve 3*

After breakfast, you will enjoy a hike through the hanging bridges (self- guided included activity). Observe the rainforest through the bird’s perspective. These trails and suspended bridges are completely immersed in a Colombia | Costa Rica | Ecuador | Panamá | Venezuela rainforest private reserve which will let you spot many of its inhabitants. Some of the animals you might see are the howler monkeys, emerald toucanettes, bell birds, snakes, lizards and basilisks. Free afternoon to enjoy your hotel’s facilities or explore the region by yourself. You can also include any of the following activities (for more details please contact your local specialist): - Guided hike in the Arenal Volcano National Park - Excursion to La Fortuna Waterfall (with or without guide) - Zip lining - Chocolate Farm tour - Salsa Dance Lessons - Cooking lessons with a local family and dinner - Relaxing time in the hot springs (lunch or dinner can be included) - Proyecto Asís Rescue Center Included meals: B Accommodation: Arenal Oasis Ecolodge & Reserve 3*

You will continue to Tamarindo, one of the most ebullient villages in the area. Tamarindo is a famous beach area in the country where you can find a large range of activities, restaurants, shops, etc. The beaches of Playa Tamarindo and Playa Grande are in a great bay, on the northern part of Nicoya Peninsula, and they are part of Las Baulas National Park. After checking-in at the hotel, you’ll have the afternoon free to enjoy the hotel facilities or the nearby beaches like: - Playa Langosta (5min-drive/20 minutes walk) - Playa Conchal (One of the most beautiful beaches on the country at less than a 30 min-drive) - Playa Flamingo (30 min-drive) - Playa Avellana (30 min-drive) – Great spot for surfing Traveling time: 3h30 Included meals: B Accommodation: Pasatiempo Hotel 3*

Free day to enjoy the hotel facilities, the beach or to go and explore the area. Numerous activities are offered in the area, such as: - Sea observation: you can go snorkeling, diving or you can just take a boat tour. - Surf lesson - Horseback riding, bike or quad: go to the nearest beaches in an original and fun way. Colombia | Costa Rica | Ecuador | Panamá | Venezuela - Kayak or boat in the mangrove: explore the river and its banks, accompanied by local guides Spanish-English. You will observe a complex ecosystem essential for the preservation of coastal areas - Visit the surrounding national parks Included meals: B Accommodation: Hotel Pasatiempo 3*

Today you will drive by the Pan-American Road and then through a pretty picturesque road that will lead you to Monteverde, a town located above the Tilarán Cordillera. Monteverde was built by the Quakers in the middle of 20th century that immigrated there because they refused to participate in the Vietnam war. Monteverde is well known for its cloud forest which rises 4 593 feet high. This ecosystem is perfect for nature lovers because of its exotic fauna and flora diversity. If you’re up to it, you can book any of these optional activities during the afternoon or the morning of Day 13: - Hike in the Children's Eternal Rain Forest: It is the largest private reserve of Costa Rica. This reserve exists thanks to the help of children and adults all over the world who took part of a fund-raising campaign, which started in Sweden and in the United States in 1987, and quickly spread all over the world. - Forest night walk: A night walk in the forest is a magical experience during which you will witness the nighttime activities of the nocturnal animals. - Zip-line: The canopy is a totally different way of discovering the forest. You will glide from tree to tree and cross the path of monkeys, sloths, and many other animals hidden in the forest canopy. - Discovery of a ranarium: You can admire more than 28 species of frogs and toads, you will see many species from the Costa Rican tropics, such as the small poisonous frog ¨blue jeans¨ and red-eyed tree frog. Traveling time: 3h00 Included meals: B Accommodation: Cloud Forest Lodge 3*

You will continue your journey to the Central Pacific Coast, and more precisely, to Manuel Antonio. Besides Manuel Antonio National Park, you will have easy access to all the highlights of the southern Pacific Coast of the country such as Marino Ballena National Park, Corcovado National Park, or Isla del Caño (for Colombia | Costa Rica | Ecuador | Panamá | Venezuela snorkeling and scuba diving lovers!) , each one of them famous for their extraordinary biological diversity. We suggest making a short stop by the Tárcoles River to observe the crocodiles on your way! Included meals: B Accommodation: Plaza Yara 3*

Free day to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park, or to book a tour to explore the area, such as: - Hike in Manuel Antonio National Park (Entrance fees: 16$ per pers.). Manuel Antonio National Park is a marvel of nature, with the crystal clear water of its little creeks, the bright green color of its tropical forest and the huge amount of fauna that can be spotted from its trails, such as: monkeys (a lot of monkeys!), sloths, coatis, toucans, iguanas, etc. IMPORANT: THE PARK IS CLOSED ON MONDAYS - Kayak or boat tour in the mangrove at Las Damas Islands Kayak. This wetland is the ideal home to a large range of flora and fauna. You will discover the amazingly rich ecosystem of the islands, that are part of the RAMSAR convention (an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands) Included meals: B Accommodation: Plaza Yara 3*

You will leave Manuel Antonio to head to San Jose International Airport. You will drop your car off at the car rental agency situated close to the airport and a free shuttle will then take you to the airport. *You must be there 3h before your departure. Traveling time: 3h30 Included meals: B

Inclusion

Meet and greet at the airport and private transfer to your hotel on day 1 Phone support by our team all along the trip Travel documents in English 14 nights with breakfast in the mentioned hotels - depending on availability on the moment of the booking Road and boat transfers in Tortuguero 10 days of car rental 4X4 DAHIATSU BEGO or 4X2 HYUNDAI CRETA (sup and lux version) (base 2 pax), 4x4 HYUNDAI TUCSON (base 4 pax), HYUNDAI H1 (Base 6 pax), unlimited kilometers, basic obligatory insurance, GPS and WI-FI included from day 5 at 13h30 to day 15 at 13h30. Mentioned activities Administration fees Symbolic participation to eco-responsible missions undertaken by Tucaya Costa Rica

Exclusion

International flights, cancelation, repatriation, luggage insurance Tourist card on arrival to Nicaragua Additional car insurance, deposit for the car (with basic insurance and with additional insurance) and for the GPS, and gas expenses. Any meal that is not mentioned as included or not mentioned at all Any activity o entrance fee that is not mentioned as included or not mentioned at all Personal expenses and tips Anything not mentioned above in the “The price includes” section