Costa Rica: Jungles & Rainforests

Tour begins: 6:00 PM, InterContinental Costa Rica. A transfer is included from San José's Juan Santamaria International Airport to InterContinental Costa Rica in the heart of Costa Rica's capital city, San José. Meet your fellow eco-adventurers at this evening's welcome reception followed by dinner at your hotel, where your family enjoys Deluxe Rooms.

A day of fun awaits your family today as you depart the capital, San José, and make your way to Tortuguero National Park, a tropical paradise in the heart of the coastal rainforest and your first taste of Costa Rica's incredible biodiversity! En route, pay a visit to the Toucan Rescue Center, where you'll tour the facilities and meet some of the toucans, sloths, monkeys and other wildlife the center's staff cares for. Next, learn everything you ever wanted to know about one of our favorite food groups – chocolate – at an artisan chocolatier! See the natural process of transforming the cacao fruit into chocolate during a hands-on demonstration, do a little tasting and have lunch. This afternoon, a boat transports you to your rustic rainforest retreat adjacent to Tortuguero National Park – where most travel is by water, toucans and blue morpho butterflies fly all around you, and howler monkeys provide a natural wake-up call! Enjoy dinner at your lodge this evening.

Wake up today in your rainforest lodge near the entrance to Tortuguero National Park, where 11 different habitats have been identified in the surrounding wilderness – providing homes to 60 kinds of mammals, 57 species of amphibians, 111 varieties of reptiles and more than 309 recorded species of birds! Your day begins with a morning canal cruise, where you'll do some birding and nature viewing with our local guides, then return to your lodge for lunch. This afternoon, take a boat to explore the village of Tortuguero; learn about the medicinal benefits of coconuts, and the "tree of life" they come from, during a coconut demonstration; and, if you wish, take an optional canal cruise inside Tortuguero National Park, or just relax at your resort. And if you're traveling with us between July and August, this evening we'll take an unforgettable nighttime trip to the beach to observe nesting green sea turtles in one of the world's top nesting grounds for these endangered animals. You'll have a chance to see them make their way up the beach from the water to dig their nests in the sand, leaving tractor-tread trails behind them!

This morning, fly to Arenal; first up, a visit to a pineapple farm to learn about growing and harvesting techniques and how sweet just-picked fresh pineapple tastes. An exciting river-rafting excursion on the historic Sarapiqui River follows; a national monument today, the river played an important role in suppressing an armed incursion into Costa Rica in 1856, serving as a highway that transported soldiers, weapons and food. Board a rubber river raft for a Class II rafting trip* through the jungle; try to spot turtles, sloths, monkeys, iguanas and other wildlife along the riverbank that call the Sarapiqui region home. Following your fun rafting adventure, drive to your spa resort, where you'll enjoy dinner at leisure this evening.

In Costa Rica's Arenal region, get an extraordinary bird's-eye view of cone-shaped Arenal Volcano, an actively "restless" volcano, on a thrilling zip-line ride* at Sky Trek Adventure Park, where you'll soar over and through the canopy of rainforest treetops! (Those not into zip lining can take a nature walk instead.) Following lunch at a local restaurant, join us for a pineapple tour on which you'll taste pineapples fresh from the field, learn how to choose the best pineapple at the supermarket, and sample some local pineapple treats. Return to your resort for some time at leisure and dinner tonight.

Head out from Arenal and across Costa Rica's interior today to Guanacaste on the Pacific coast, stopping for lunch on the way. Then continue on to your eclectic oceanfront resort, El Mangroove, on the shores of the Pacific in Guanacaste.

Enjoy a full day at your seaside resort today, either relaxing or taking an included dolphin spotting and snorkeling cruise in the morning or afternoon. Continue your personalized adventure today with lunch at the hotel, then join us for a farewell reception and dinner tonight, including traditional Costa Rican music played by a marimba band.  

Tour ends: Guanacaste. Fly home anytime. A transfer from El Mangroove to Liberia International Airport is included. You should allow a minimum of three hours for check-in at the airport.