10 Days: San Jose, Tortuguero, Arenal Volcano, South Pacific & Central Pacific

Tour Overview:
This Costa Rica adventure provides a wonderful family experience. Visit Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean and learn about the protection of the sea turtles in the area; gaze at the impressive perfect conic shape of the Arenal Volcano; snorkel in the coral reefs at Marino Ballena National Park in the Pacific; and meet a local Costa Rican family and learn how they live off the land. This trip will delight every member of the family, whether a child, adult, or grandparent. This program is ideal for families but will be an amazing vacation for a couple or a group of friends also.

Day 1 – Arrive San Jose

Arrival into Juan Santamaria International Airport, San José, Costa Rica. Meet your local guide who will accompany you to your hotel in San Jose to check in.

Day 2 – San Jose – Tortuguero

Early in the morning, we leave the San Jose Central Valley for the Tortuguero area. We will stop for breakfast on the way. Our journey will continue to the Caribbean side, where boats are waiting to transfer us to the lodge. A two-hour boat ride will take us through the canals sheltered by the jungle of the rain forest. On the way to the lodge, you will have the chance to see different birds. Upon arrival, there will be a short briefing about the lodge and the activities included during your stay, followed by lunch.

In the afternoon we visit the village of Tortuguero and learn about the significant conservation efforts that some NGOs (Non-governmental agencies) have developed to protect the sea turtles that come to spawn each year along the 22 miles of protected coastline. (BLD)

Day 3 – Tortuguero National Park

This morning we explore the secondary canals of this paradisiacal place; where you can see different species of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Tortuguero offers full contact with Mother Nature. Much of the National Park extends along its unspoiled beaches that serve as refuge for spawning of the sea turtles, this event occurs between the months of July to September. After this tour, you will return to the lodge for some time at leisure and then lunch available from 12:30pm to 02:00pm. The rest of the day is at leisure. Your private guide will be available this evening for some walking on the hotel grounds to find wildlife, like frogs. (BLD)

Day 4 – Tortuguero – Arenal Volcano Area

We board our boat mid-morning and transfer back to the disembarking point in Caño Blanco or La Pavona. Upon arrival, transportation is provided to banana growing region of Guapiles, where lunch will be served. After lunch we continue towards the northern lowlands. We arrive to La Fortuna de San Carlos in the late afternoon and check-in at the hotel. (BL)

Day 5 – Arenal Volcano

After breakfast, visit the Arenal Volcano area with our private guide. Its volcanic activity and its surrounding natural beauty make this an extremely exciting hiking tour. On the morning of July 29, 1968, the supposed mountain suddenly erupted. From that time until 2010, Arenal volcano was quite active, often spewing out rocks, lava, ash, and smoke. This afternoon we visit the Mistico Hanging Bridges Park for a naturalist guided walk. With 14 bridges from 16 to 328 feet long, one at a height of 145 feet has a 360° view of the tropical rainforest.

The evening begins with a 30-minute drive to La Tigra. Meet the Mendez Family. This traditional Costa Rican family lives off the land and dedicates part of their property for the natural regeneration of plants and animals. With our guide, we will walk a trail alongside a small patch of regenerating forest with water mirrors that help us observe the nightlife of birds and nocturnal mammals, insects, amphibians, bats, and more. After the tour is over, a delicious traditional Costa Rican dinner prepared over a wood-burning stove awaits and it will be accented with the nocturnal lights of the San Carlos plains. After dinner, we drive back to La Fortuna. (B)

Day 6 – Arenal Volcano – Dominical

After breakfast, we head to the small coastal town of Dominical in the South Pacific of the province of Puntarenas. On the way to Dominical we will visit The Carara National Park, which in indigenous Huetar language means “River of lizards”, with the only transition forest in Central Pacific. There is a diversity of flora and fauna, where typical species of dry and humid forests converge.

This National Park is known worldwide as a birding destination. The Scarlet Macaw (Lapa Roja – Ara macao, a species that is in danger of extinction, is the second largest species of Psittacidae of Costa Rica. (B)

Day 7 – Dominical

Caño Island Biological Reserve is rated as being the one of best underwater adventure diving spots in the world It is home to a huge variety of fish, whales, and sharks. In fact, this island has the healthiest coral reefs of all Costa Rica.

The Cano Island tour departs Punta Uvita at 7:00 AM and arrives at Cano Island 1 1/2 hours later. It is a magical trip and when fortunate you can watch whales, dolphins, and other marine animals while in transit to and from the island. Arriving at the island we take you snorkeling for approximately 1-1/2 hours in the best spots of the reserve, where you can observe a great variety of marine species, many of which are in danger of extinction. The tour includes a short hike in Corcovado National Park looking for wildlife. Lunch is served in the green yard of Corcovado; the boat arrives at Punta Uvita at 4-4:30 PM. (BL)

Day 8 – Dominical – Manuel Antonio

Snorkelling this morning at Marino Ballena National Park, the second place with greater coral reef and fish diversity along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. On the Snorkeling Tour, we depart from Punta Uvita and visit treasures of the reefs of Ballena Island, Tres Hermanas Islets, and the Punta Uvita Whale tale. Then we continue to one of the most beautiful areas of Costa Rica’s central Pacific, Manuel Antonio. Manuel Antonio is a paradise that mixes lovely white sand beaches with jungle and rain forest full of wildlife. This tropical place is one of the main attractions in Costa Rica, and one of the icons of ecotourism in the country. (B)

Day 9 – Manuel Antonio

Even though Manuel Antonio National Park is the smallest National Park in the country, it is one of the most popular ones for its stunning white sand beaches backed by evergreen tropical forests. A guided walk of the park is included this morning. The balance of the day is free. The park is filled with beach vegetation, lagoons, mangrove swamps, 109 species of mammals and 184 species of birds. One of the park’s biggest attractions is Punta Catedral, or “Cathedral Point”, which is a forest-topped cliff; it is connected to the coast by a narrow strip of land. This land bridge is the spine that separates the park’s two most popular beaches: Espadilla Sur and Manuel Antonio. (B)

Day 10 – Manuel Antonio – San Jose / Depart

Your Costa Rican adventure ends today. After breakfast, you will be transferred to San Jose Int’l Airport for your departure flight back home. (B)

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