ITINERARY

DAY 01: Arrive at Juan Santamaria International Airport where you will be met and transferred to the hotel near the center of the capital city, San Jose. There will be a welcome/orientation dinner in the evening.

DAY 02: Early in the morning experience the Bungee Jump. After lunch, San Jose City tours, Gold Museum, National Museum and National Theater.

DAY 03: From San Jose, visit the Poas Volcano and La Paz Cataracts. Midday we travel to the lowland forests and the wonderfully scenic area of the Sarapaqui for an exciting Jungle River Tour. At night Karaoti.

DAY 04: After breakfast we travel to the Sarapiki River for a fantastic White Water Rafting  (for young people, Class II or III; adults class III or IV).

DAY 05:  Exploration of the Sarapiqui River and Jungle for another day of White Water Rafting.  With experience you can be upgraded to another more exiting category of Rafting.  After the rafting, enjoy a fantastic lunch near the riverbank. In the afternoon travel to La Fortuna to view the activity of Arenal at night, one of the more active volcano in Central America. Since 1968, Arenal has been rumbling and erupting frequently.

DAY 06: In the morning after lunch, enjoy horseback riding to explore the tropical jungle cataract and caves of the region. After lunch we travel to the little village of La Fortuna, nestled at the foot of the Arenal Volcano.  Late afternoon we visit the Tabacon Hot Springs for relaxation. At night view the spectacular activity of Arenal Volcano.

DAY 07: From La Fortuna travel to Monte Verde. The cloud forest of Monte Verde is the major watershed for the area and it is a rich rain forest ecosystem with many species of birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, flowering plants, and tropical trees. If there is time at the arrival you can enjoy the Sky Walk. The Skywalk is just outside the Santa Elena Reserve, a few kilometers from Monte Verde. The Skywalk is a series of five suspended canopy walkways interspersed with ground trails that allow us to view the unique life of the treetops.

DAY 08: After an early breakfast we join our local naturalist guides for a first hike through the cloud forest at the Reserva Bosque Nuboso. You can observer the resplendent quetzal, a bird whose beauty inspired awe in both the Maya and Aztec civilizations. At the conclusion of our hike, we visit a hummingbird garden, Galleria de los Colibris, where many species of hummingbirds feed.

DAY 09: Early in the morning visit the Ecological Farm, Miniature Orchid Garden, Butterfly garden, Snake Zoo, and Frog Zoo. We learn about the evolution, medicinal properties, and adaptations of plants. You then will have the option of visiting and hiking at the Ecological Farm where you will observe wildlife or of touring the nearby butterfly garden, Jardín de las Mariposas. At the butterfly botanical gardens you will see hundreds of tropical butterflies. Both in the all-weather greenhouse and in the screened flyway garden, you will find many of Costa Rica’s most interesting and colorful species.

DAY 10: In the morning we will travel to the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica where you will spend fantastic days in the Caribbean Costa Rica.

Day 11: Backpack to explore 2 exclusive beaches of the region, the White Beach and the Black Beach.  In the Black Beach you can walk for miles and be one with the Caribbean Sea, sharing the beach only with occasional with crabs and birds.

DAY 12: Canoeing day-Trip into Alta Talamanca and a visit to the Bri Bri Indians. Take an unforgettable ride up the Sixaola and Yorkin Rivers into the far reaches of the Alta Talamanca. In Bamboo, a small hamlet on the Sixaola River, you board a traditional canoe. Your Bribri-Indian host Jorgeli will safely ferry you a little ways up the Sixaola and then into the Yorkin River. You now have Costa Rica to your right and Panama to your left.  Across wild waters and rapids we follow the Yorkin River deeper and deeper into untouched regions of the Alta Talamanca until at last we reach the mostly impassable rapids of Yorkin Corriente Grande.

From there on we continue on foot across the rainforest past lonely farms in the middle of the wilderness, curiously being observed by the creatures of the wild. At the end of the footpath we reach the Yorkin School. Just past the school our trip becomes a little adventurous again: we cross yet another river on a traditional hanging bridge.

After the long march and after visiting the Yorkin School, we take a refreshing dip in the Yorkin River, just below the impassable rapids. Our last stop is a little venture into Panama!

It is not an easy hike, but well worth the effort. We are nearing our final destination on this wondrous adventure.

The excursion lasts approximately 6.5 hours on the river. Travel to and from Bamboo usually takes about 2 hours. The excursion is wheather dependent! Extreme high waters as well as extreme low waters can make the boat ride impossible.  If that happens we will remain in our safe lodge, while visiting the domain of the indigenous people of the Alta Talamanca, the Bribri Indians.

DAY 13: Caño Negro Wild Life Refuge Boat Trip.

Departure from the hotel to the Costa Rica’s most northerly region, the town of Los Chiles, near the border with Nicaragua.  Have your cameras and binoculars ready.  Today on the way to Los Chiles you will drive through the town of Muelle where you can stop and take pictures of many large iguanas very close to the road. You will then continue for about one more hour to Los Chiles where you can use the facilities before starting on the boat trip on the waters of the Rio Frio.  On this boat trip (about 4 hours long) you will see a great variety of wild life:  Monkeys, Caimans, Sloths, Turtles, bats, water fowl, etc. Riverside lunch. 

Back in Los Chiles, you may use the facilities again and board your bus for the drive back to La Fortuna. Back at your hotel. Time to relax.  Do not forget to keep an eye on the Arenal Volcano, if it is clear, you will have the opportunity to take beautiful pictures.

DAY 14: Travel from the Caribbean slope to the Pacific.

Departure toward a drier and warmer region, the province of Guanacaste.

Today you will be driving along the Arenal Lake which is a great spot for wind surfers.  You will drive through a town called Nuevo Arenal where you can stop to use the facilities, do some shopping and try out a German Bakery. While driving around the lake, the chances are. You will see monkeys, Coatis, the White Hawk, the Great Curacao, Chachalacas, Toucans, etc. You will then reach Cañas, a middle-size town beside the Pan-American Highway. After lunch you will continue for about two more hours to arrive at your hotel in the province of Liberia.

Arrive at your hotel located on the western flank of the Tilarán Mountain Range near the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano.

For those who feel like exercising a little, you can take a walk on a loop-like trail, through the forest (a well-marked trail), until you arrive at, a clearance, just before getting back to the hotel, from where you can see a beautiful sunset (around 5:45pm).  Don’t forget your cameras and binoculars.

Day 15: From Guanacaster travel to Damas Island on the Pacific Ocean. Near the Island you will see the Tarcore River and from a bridge you can observe giant Crocodiles.  Near the Island we have to wait until the tide rise in order to cross the channel to Damas Island by boat.  Our facility on the Island is beautiful with rustic cabins in which you will lodge.  After dinner at night, you can dance, sing or be close to the beach and converse in front of a bonfire.

Day 16: Backpack and explore this long and beautiful Island, full of exotic beaches, plants and animals.  There are many sports and adventures to enjoy in the Island. 

Day 17: Kayaking in the mangrove- Explore the mangrove habitat where you will see various types of birds, crabs, lizards and turtles.

DAY 18: Adventures by boat on a magnificent trip where you will see different animals, birds, and aquatic plants in the mangrove channels on Damas Island.  It will be spectacular for you to see how monkeys approach to the boat looking for food handouts.  At night you can enjoy a bonfire in the beach.

DAY 19: One of these days, early in the morning, travel to Terrazas del Pacifico. Partake in an unforgettable climbing experience in the rainforest.  After a one hour hike into the rain forest to one of several enormous trees, you will ascend into the canopy using state-of-the art climbing gear with experienced guides. The canopy in this area is spectacular, as you will be descending from the rain forest to the beach on the Pacific Ocean.  Here you can relax and enjoy swimming in the beach. From here depart to San Jose.

DAY 20: Visit the exotic San Jose Zoo with a large variety of animals. After lunch visit Alajuela Aviaries Zoo near San Jose with a large variety of Central American birds. At night you will have a farewell party.

Day 21: Transfer to Juan Santamaria Airport for homeward flight.