Highlights:
Tortuguero National Park, Arenal Volcano, Monteverde/Sta.
Elena Cloudforest Reserve
Detailed description N1 (Comfort+, with english-speaking
naturalist guide)
Day 1
San José
Welcome! Upon your arrival at San José International
Airport our English-speaking representative will greet you
and escort you to your hotel. At this time you will be provided
a short briefing and an informative travel handout. Overnight stay Don Carlos - No meals
Day 2
Tortuguero National Park
Off to an early start from your hotel in San José,
you drive along a scenic route of lush pasturelands and banana
plantations, through the Braulio Carillo National Park. You’ll
stop for a typical Costa Rican breakfast before arriving at
the village of Caño Blanco. From there you navigate
by boat up the Tortuguero River, alongshore a small peninsula
bordered on the other side by the Caribbean Sea. Upon arrival
it’s time to check into our overnight accommodations
at the lodge.
Enjoy a hearty lunch before taking off with your local naturalist
guide on a walking tour of the bustling village of Tortuguero
and its immediate surroundings. After visiting the turtle
museum we meander, this time along the beach, back to the
lodge for dinner. During the months of March-April and July-October,
an optional guided night hike along the beach is offered,
to observe the nesting of the sea turtles. (Approximately
US $25 p.p.) Overnight stay Laguna Lodge Tortuguero - Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner
Day 3
Tortuguero National Park
A full day of activities begins with the unforgettable sights
and sounds of an early morning tour to experience the awakening
of Tortuguero wildlife. Follow up a well-deserved breakfast
with a boat tour through the quiet backwater canals of the
national park, for up-close observation of the flora and fauna
so unique to this special part of the world. Head back for
lunch and an afternoon of free time; have a “siesta”,
relax by the pool, visit the open butterfly garden, take a
walk on the beach or another boat tour, explore the trails
around the Lodge on your own; you decide. Dinner is served.
Overnight stay Laguna Lodge Tortuguero - Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner
Day
4
Arenal Volcano After
breakfast, embark by boat around 9 a.m. for Caño Blanco.
From there you will head off by bus to a typical Costa Rican
restaurant for a delicious home-cooked lunch. Continue your
journey to Arenal Volcano in a private vehicle with your personal
guide.
Optional: In the evening at the hot springs of Tabacón
(or Baldi Hot Springs, Ecotermales), you may want to relax
in a warm soothing bath of waterfalls and natural pools against
the backdrop of fresh nighttime air and a starry sky. Keep
a lookout in case that sky explodes with hot showers of red,
yellow and orange, the sparkling lava flows of Arenal Volcano.
A visit of the thermal hot springs can be pre-booked if desired:
- Tabacón Hot Springs incl. dinner: aprox. US$ 50 per
person (18:30 PM – 22:00 PM)
- Tabacón Hot Springs incl. dinner: aprox. US$ 70 per
person (12:00 md – 22:00 PM)
- Baldi Hot Springs incl. lunch OR dinner: aprox. US$ 40 per
person
- Ecotermales: aprox. US$ 21 per person (no meals included)
Overnight stay Volcano Lodge or similar - Breakfast,
lunch
Day 5
Arenal
Volcano, Monteverde Cloudforest Today you will explore. Hike with your guide through the
secondary forest of Arenal Volcano National Park and over
the lava fields at the foot of Arenal Volcano, one of the
most active volcanoes in the Americas. You might even feel
the ground rumble.
Ride around Arenal Lake to Tilarán before taking on
35 km’s of adventurous gravel road, winding your way
to Sta. Elena in the Monteverde Cloud Forest region. Overnight stay Arco Iris Lodge or similar - Breakfast
Day 6
Monteverde Cloudforest
Your adventures begin with an early morning walk through the
Sta. Elena Nature Reserve, the best time to immerse in the
sights and sounds of the cloud forest’s inhabitants
greeting the new day. At the entrance of the reserve you will
be surrounded by hummingbirds, their wings fluttering, bodies
darting and seemingly suspended in midair, luminous and all
sizes.
While exploring the different trails keep your binoculars
or camera handy, since you might catch a glimpse of the rare
and famous bird of kings – the Quetzal!
In the afternoon it’s time for a "walk in the clouds."
Start with your feet on the ground, hiking through lush forest
toward the “Walkways" of Selvatura; suspended bridges,
platforms and trails elevated deep within the canopy of the
cloud forest. From here we are allowed a gentle, rare glimpse
through the tops of giant trees into the nether regions of
this hidden world that would otherwise remain a mystery to
most of us.
There are numerous optional activities that you are welcome
to enjoy during the remainder of your afternoon, including
a visit to the Frog Pond, the Snake Farm, or the Orchid Garden.
Overnight stay Arco Iris Lodge or similar - Breakfast
Day 7
Monteverde
- San José
Ride back to San José. Once in San José, the
remainder of the day is yours to do as you wish. You might
visit one of the various galleries or museums (optional -
entrance fees not included) or just go on a sightseeing spree
with your guide who is with you until evening. Overnight stay Don Carlos- Breakfast
Day
8
Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
NOTE:
This tour is
available in 3 different versions:
"Comfort+" Tour (with driver/guide
and private vehicle) - see description above
After
breakfast, embark by boat around 9 a.m. for Caño Blanco.
From there you will head off by bus to a typical Costa Rican
restaurant for a delicious home-cooked lunch. Continue your
journey to Arenal Volcano in a private vehicle with your personal
guide.
