Costa Rica Adventure

The group flight usually arrives into San Jose this evening. Land Only

clients should aim to arrive at the hotel this afternoon/evening. Meet your

fellow travellers and guide who will give you a warm welcome to Costa

Rica. 

Our adventure begins early this morning, leaving San Jose behind as we travel

to the north-east of Costa Rica to Tortuguero National Park. Accessible only

by boat or light aircraft, Tortuguero's vast network of waterways, canals and

swamps are 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 a short distance from the main lagoon. Our

afternoon is spent in Tortuguero village, where it’s possible to visit the

Sea Turtle Museum. 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. Today's travel time will be in the region of six hours including a

break for breakfast.

Just after sunrise we board a small boat, enabling us to discover the

extraordinary flora and fauna of Tortuguero as we pass 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 near the river. The lodge is a

tranquil spot to relax for the rest of the day if you want to take some time

out to enjoy the facilities, or alternatively you can join a second boat trip

(included but optional) 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

Sarapiqui, stopping for lunch en route. The region of Sarapiqui is blessed

with abundant vegetation and the beautiful Sarapiqui River. This is one of

the main areas of banana production in Costa Rica, although coffee, cardamon,

cacao, corn and other fruits are also grown here. In the evening we take a

night walk through Tirimbina Biological Reserve, crossing a suspension bridge

to have a different perspective on the rainforest and its many inhabitants:

see how many eyes you can spot staring back at you! Our guide will focus on

nocturnal species, such as insects, frogs and nocturnal mammals, who are

active in the dark. 

After breakfast at the hotel, we check out and make our way towards an

organic pineapple plantation, located in La Virgen de Sarapiqui. This area is

well known for its rich soil and excellent growing conditions. During our

morning's tour we have the opportunity to discover the organic philosophy of

the farm, learning about crop rotation, companion planting and the concept of

rural agri-tourism. This is a great introduction to Costa Rican heritage.

Afterwards we transfer to the area of La Fortuna near Arenal arriving around

lunchtime. We have some free time to enjoy the hotel's facilities or there

are some optional excursions for this afternoon/evening.  

Arenal was once Costa Rica's most active volcano until recently when it

entered a resting phase. There is a lot of geo-thermal activity in this area,

with natural hot springs, waterfalls and Lake Arenal. This morning we visit

La Fortuna Waterfall, a 65 metre cascade of water plunging into an emerald

pool below. A short trail through the rainforest brings us to a relatively

steep set of steps that we must descend to reach the waterfall and then

ascend to the exit - this takes around 20-30 minutes and can be rewarded with

a swim in the emerald pool below, if you wish. It is possible to visit the

lookout point and wait for the group here if you prefer. Keep an eye out for

colourful toucans in the rainforest! 



Afterwards we have a farm to table culinary tour at an organic farm. This is

a fun and interactive experience to discover some of the typical produce

grown in this area. On arrival we'll be greeted with fresh fruits and coffee

whilst we learn about the farm's history. We usually select some of the

produce to be harvested that day (destined for our lunch menu) and have a

tour of the greenhouse to see how some of Costa Rica's staples are grown.

This is a great experience to see an authentic farm set in wonderful

surroundings - look out for the family of sloths living in the neighbouring

trees! 

After lunch we take a short scenic hike within Arenal National Park, walking

through secondary rainforest and passing some of the lava fields from past

eruptions. Walking on the base and flanks of the volcano gives extraordinary

views, as our guide explains about the history, recent activity and points

out some of the landmarks that have been left over the years. The high

vantage points on this walk also allow great views overlooking Lake Arenal,

and the birdlife is plentiful. This afternoon is free to join one of the

optional activities available in this region. 

From Arenal we travel to the Tilaran Mountain Range in the Central Highlands

for a taste of the Costa Rican cloud forest. Reaching Monteverde involves a

fast boat across Lake Arenal which is incredibly scenic and will take roughly

half an hour. Our journey is then completed by private minibus as we ascend

the hills towards Monteverde, a forest-cloaked region whose name literally

means 'Green Mountain'. The high altitude supports a complex eco-system where

plants thrive, particularly orchids of which there are some 400+ different

varieties here. Our total journey time will be in the region of 3.5 hours,

including the lake crossing.

Today we visit Selvatura Park which has 850 acres of protected land dedicated

to nature and adventure. We begin with the hanging bridges excursion, which

is a system of treetop walkways through the forest designed to let you

experience the beauty of the cloud forest and observe its many inhabitants.

We’ll also visit the butterfly garden which has one of the largest

exhibitions of butterflies in the world, and the hummingbird garden where

more than 14 species of hummingbird will amaze you with their aerial

manoeuvres. After this it’s time to try out some aerial manoeuvres of our

own on a zip line adventure through the tree tops! Before you fly down the

zip-lines, guides will teach you the proper technique, including how to

position yourself and hold the cable correctly, enabling you to safely embark

on this adrenaline pumping adventure suspended above the trees.

After breakfast at the hotel we check out and transfer to Rincon de la

Vieja, an area that combines dry forest with enchanting waterfalls and is

best known for its bubbling mud pots, steaming vents in the earth, hot

springs and a whole host of wildlife. There are three activities to choose

between today: a canyon canopy tour, tubing or horse riding. The cost of

joining one activity is included, so it is up to you to decide which you

would like to do! The canyon canopy tour is a zip line adventure involving

rappelling, climbing, a tarzan swing and hanging bridges over a narrow river

canyon. Tubing takes place on the Rio Negro, with individual inner tube rafts

across 5km of class II and III rapids. The horse riding excursion follows a

forest trail leading to a rainforest waterfall. Experience is not needed for

any of these activities and you can decide which you prefer once you're in

Costa Rica.

Today we get to discover Rincon de la Vieja National Park and its network of

trails during a hike through the exotic dry tropical forest on the Las Pailas

Trail. This loop walk twists through jungle around the base of the volcano,

passing natural fumaroles spitting steam, and hopefully encountering wildlife

on the way: toucans, Spider monkeys and lizards are found here as well as

many bird species. Afterwards we visit a hot springs. Heated naturally by

the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, these hot springs feed directly from the Rio

Negro and are mineral rich with therapeutic properties. There are 10 man-made

pools created to capture the steaming mineral water, surrounded by thick

forest. Smooth volcanic clay over yourself, let it dry and wash off with a

cool shower or jump in the river before soaking again in the hot pools! 

We travel to the region of Samara on the Pacific Coast, one of the best kept

secrets in Costa Rica! The broad, shady bay is backed by coconut palms and

the water is calm and safe for swimming thanks to a coral reef just out to

sea on which the normally large, Pacific waves break before reaching the

beach. There are plenty of facilities in this area but there's a noticeable

absense of big resort hotels, which makes for a nice atmosphere. Our hotel

faces onto Carrillo beach in the neighbouring bay to Samara. We have a free

afternoon here to enjoy the facilities and discover the area.

Today we take a private boat trip around 2 – 10 nautical miles offshore

from Carrillo beach in search of dolphins. You could be lucky enough to see

Spotted dolphins, Central American Spinner dolphins or Common Bottlenose

dolphins which all inhabit this area year around. Feel the ocean breeze and

enjoy the scenery of the coastline as we search for these playful animals who

love to swim in the bow wave of the boat! As we make our way back along the

coast, we will anchor near the shores of Isla Chora, a delightful white sand

beach full of hermit crabs and iguanas. This is a great spot for a refreshing

swim and a chance to observe the underwater world by wearing a mask and

snorkel. Beneath the surface teems a lively, colourful world with huge marine

diversity. In total today’s excursion will last around 4 hours, with the

rest of your time at leisure to enjoy the area.

Today has been left free for you to enjoy the Pacific coast, Carrillo beach

and the hotel's facilities.



This evening we take a turtle nesting tour on nearby Camaronal beach, where

an extensive wildlife refuge has been created to protect the Olive ridley,

Leatherback and Hawksbill turtles who all lay their eggs in the reserve's

sands. These endangered species nest all year round at Caramonal, but in

bigger numbers from June to January. This tour takes place at nightime with a

ranger and we hope to have the opportunity to visit the beach when turtles

are nesting, to see the incredible moment that a turtle digs a hole and

starts to lay her eggs. Sometimes you may be lucky and find yourself present

during hatchings too, which means baby turtles scrabbling through the sand to

get to the water! This unforgettable experience only happens in the dark, so

the tour usually starts around 7pm and may last up to 4 hours depending on

sightings.

A four hour journey takes us back to San Jose, where those on group flights

will be transferred to the airport in time for their return flight. Land only

clients end in San Jose and are advised not to book a flight leaving San Jose

before 4pm today, as arrival at the airport will be timed to co-incide with

the group flight.