Costa Rica Adventure Family Holiday

The group flight usually arrives into San Jose this evening. Land Only
clients should aim to arrive at the hotel this afternoon/evening. This
evening's welcome briefing is the perfect opportunity to meet your guide and
get to know your fellow travellers.

After breakfast, you will meet your guide at 9:00am in the hotel lobby for a
short drive to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Located within the transitional
forest between the Central Valley and the Northern Lowlands, La Paz Waterfall
Gardens hosts a wide variety of plants and bird life amongst stunning
scenery. A short walk along a trail within the rainforest brings us to a
great viewpoint from which to watch the cascading falls. Entrance to the
gardens includes a visit to the petting zoo, frog exhibit, aviary and
butterfly observatory. In addition monkeys, sloths and toucans also inhabit
this area, providing a great introduction to the incredible diversity of
Costa Rica. The afternoon is free to relax and enjoy the hotel swimming pool,
or explore San Jose at your own pace.

We have an early departure this morning, leaving San Jose behind as we travel
to the north-east of Costa Rica to Tortuguero National Park in the Caribbean
Lowlands. Accessible only by boat or light aircraft, Tortuguero's vast
network of waterways, canals and swamps is remarkably tranquil, unspoilt and
devoid of noise pollution. On reaching the pier we board a small motorboat
for the one hour fifteen minute journey to our lodge, which is nestled on a
small strip of land between the Caribbean Sea and the main lagoon. Our
afternoon is spent in Tortuguero village, where it’s possible to visit the
Sea Turtle Museum (a donation will be requested at the entrance). Tortuguero
is probably most famous as a nesting site for the endangered Green turtle,
which can be seen arriving onto the beach to lay eggs from late July to
October (as part of an optional excursion). Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Giant
Leatherback turtles also nest in this region, and during November to January
baby turtles start to hatch and make their way towards the ocean.

A morning boat trip enables us to discover the extraordinary flora and fauna
of Tortuguero, passing serenely along the waterways. At this time of day,
wildlife is usually at its most active and with the help of our expert guide
we are likely to encounter monkeys, caiman, iguanas, butterflies and many of
the 300+ bird species recorded here. We return to the lodge for a hearty
breakfast by the river. The lodge is a tranquil spot to relax this afternoon
if you want to take some time out to enjoy the facilities, or alternatively
you can join a second boat trip, visit the beach or follow a short walking
trail through the forest.

We leave Tortuguero the same way we arrived by taking a small boat to the
pier. Our bus will be at the pier waiting to drive us to the region of
Cahuita on the Caribbean coast, where we check into our hotel and have the
rest of the afternoon to enjoy the pool, beach or discover our new
surroundings. Caribbean culture pervades this part of Costa Rica and is
reflected in the music, food and laid-back lifestyle. Cahuita’s famous
white-sand beach is fringed by tall palms behind which the dense, wet
tropical forest of Cahuita National Park can be found.

After breakfast we drive to Aviarios del Caribe, Costa Rica's famous Sloth
Sanctuary. This rescue and rehabilitation centre conducts research into
sloths and works tirelessly with the goal of releasing sloths back into their
natural habitat. It was recently the subject of an Animal Planet TV show
called 'Meet the Sloths'. You'll learn all about these fascinating animals on
a two hour tour of the sanctuary, where you'll take a boat tour along the
river to see sloths, monkeys, butterflies and birds in the wild. This
afternoon we return to Cahuita and visit the National Park, following a
coastal trail through the rainforest. Cahuita National Park has 2711 acres
of land and 600 acres of coral reef, which forms Costa Rica's largest reef
system.

We depart for Sarapiqui, a region blessed with abundant vegetation and the
beautiful Sarapiqui River. Sarapiqui is one of the main areas of banana
production in Costa Rica, although coffee, cardamon, cacao, corn and other
fruits are also grown here. This region is also gathering a reputation as a
great spot for adventure seekers with plenty of optional activities to keep
you entertained! In the evening we take a night walk through Tirimbina
Biological Reserve to have a different perspective on the rainforest and its
many inhabitants.

There are various optional excursions to try today: join a chocolate tour in
Tirimbina Biological Reserve, take a safari floating trip down the Sarapiqui
River, have a go at white water rafting on grade II and III rapids or join a
canopy tour and zip-line through the forest. Alternatively, there are a
number of nature walks to enjoy in the beautiful surroundings.

We transfer to the area surrounding Arenal Volcano. Following a massive
eruption in 1968, Arenal was Costa Rica's most active volcano until recently
when it entered a resting phase. As well as the volcano, this region has
plenty to offer with thermal waters, waterfalls and Lake Arenal waiting to be
discovered.
The rest of the day is free to explore the area either at your own pace or on
one of the optional excursions available. You could take the Sky Walk (canopy
walk) or Sky Trek adventure (which has an optional zip-wire through the
canopy) or enjoy some time at the hotel swimming pool! 

This morning we have a guided nature walk through Arenal Volcano National
Park. The park has a great system of trails passing through secondary forest
and near lava fields created by previous eruptions. In the late afternoon we
visit Kalambu Hot Springs as a group to enjoy a hot thermal bath from the
volcanic spring water and have a chance to splash around – a refreshing
end to the day. Please note that on weekends or Mondays we will visit an
alternative hot springs called Ecotermales.

We travel southeast along the coast, following the Pan-Am Highway to
Dominical, passing African oil palm and teak plantations on the way. Our
hotel is on the coast near Dominical, around 50 minutes south of Manuel
Antonio. The hotel is set in lush gardens overlooking the river and just a
short (20 minute) walk to the beach. We spend the next three nights in
Dominical. Depending on our time of arrival we should have some time to enjoy
various optional activities this afternoon, visit the beach or enjoy the
hotel swimming pool.
Accommodation: Villas Rio Mar in Dominical (or similar). Occasionally we stay
in Cuna de Angel or Vista Ballena in Uvita instead. 
Occasionally we stay in Cuna de Angel or Vista Ballena in Uvita instead.
*Comfortable Hotel*

Today we drive to Manuel Antonio National Park. This park consists of a vast
marine reserve as well as 1,700 acres of mangrove swamp, primary and
secondary rainforest. The forest vegetation stretches as far as the high-tide
line and provides a stunning backdrop to the expansive sandy beaches,
forested islands and dramatic rocky headlands. We have a guided nature walk
today which should enable us to have some very close wildlife encounters.
White-faced Capuchin monkeys play in the trees and are frequently sighted on
the beaches, whilst noisy Howler monkeys are usually heard moving through the
trees and calling to each other before they are seen. The endangered Titi
monkey (Squirrel monkey) are fewer in number but can sometimes be spotted in
this area. Iguanas, agouti and two and three toed sloths are also commonly
sighted in the national park. Manuel Antonio's beaches are considered to be
some of the most beautiful in the country. In the late afternoon we return to
our hotel.
Occasionally we stay
in Cuna de Angel or Vista Ballena in Uvita instead. 
*Comfortable Hotel*

Today has been left free for you to relax – make the most of the hotel
swimming pool, visit the beach or explore the local area. There are a few
optional activities available in the Dominical area, such as a whale and
dolphin watching boat trip (seasonal, from mid-July to October and
mid-December to March) or visit the indigenous territory of Boruca.   
Occasionally we stay
in Cuna de Angel or Vista Ballena in Uvita instead. 
*Comfortable Hotel*

Today we return to San Jose. If you wish to travel into the downtown area by
taxi you will have some time to see the modern capital and pick up some
souvenirs. Alternatively you can relax by the hotel swimming pool.

The trip comes to an end today after breakfast and it's time to bid Costa
Rica and the rest of the group goodbye. Transfers to San Jose airport are
available to all clients on group flights today.
**