Costa Rica Family Escape

The group flight usually arrives into San Jose this afternoon. 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.

We drive to the area surrounding Arenal Volcano. Following a large eruption
in 1968, Arenal was 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 waiting to be
discovered.

Today 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 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 will be rewarded
with a swim in the emerald pool. It is possible to visit the lookout point
and wait for the group here if you prefer. There will be plenty of time to
see what animals you can spot in the forest along the way; keep an eye out
for colourful toucans in the trees!

After breakfast we make our way towards the Balsa River for an exhilarating
whitewater rafting excursion. The rapids here are graded II and III and have
nicknames such as “Magnetic Rock” and “Dredges” – prepare to get
wet and wild on this adventure which is sure to be great fun for everyone! No
experience of this activity is needed as a full safety briefing and
instruction is given before getting into the rafts. Tropical scenery flanks
the river and we may spot monkeys, toucans or other animals in the
surrounding forest. There will also be a stop for drinks and tropical fruits
along the way.

On our return to La Fortuna we stop to enjoy a delicious lunch at “Vida
Campesina”, a traditional country estate that allows visitors to experience
typical country life in Costa Rica. Lunch will be made with ingredients
harvested on the property and prepared on a wood stove in traditional style.

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.

Around 6pm we have a night walk to experience the forest in the dark. This
gives an entirely new perspective on the habitat of the cloud forest, with
many pairs of eyes staring back at you! We may see sloths, armadillos,
porcupines, possums and coatis and will surely hear a cacophony of insects
and amphibians.
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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.

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 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.

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.