Natural Wonders Of Costa Rica

2012 Season
Departs From: San Jose

From 1,197EUR

Length:  9 days from San José to San José or 9 days incl. travel

Overview

Grab your camera and get ready for a wonderful vacation to Costa Rica! Witness bountiful wildlife in their natural habitat, enjoy relaxing dips in ecothermal hot springs, and learn about the Costa Rican culture on this once-in-a-lifetime tour. Among the many highlights of this tour is Tortuguero National Park, where you’ll take a boat ride along remote, unspoiled sections of the park to view wildlife. Your guide will look out for the wildlife—including freshwater turtles, egrets, toucans, and monkeys—so you can sit back, relax, and take plenty of pictures.

Another tour highlight is the Arenal Volcano, considered one of the most active volcanoes in the world. You may witness the red lava streaming down the sides as you hear the volcano’s grumbling. Relax as you soak in the ecothermal hot springs and perhaps watch the lava flow down the volcano—a spectacular sight! In Monteverde, visit the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, home to forest fauna such as jaguars, resplendent quetzal, monkeys, ocelots, and many species of birds—not to mention the large diversity of plant species.

On this Costa Rica tour, you’ll also have a chance to visit local farms to learn about the local culture and industries. So be sure to grab your swimsuit and prepare yourself for the trip of a lifetime—a trip filled with wildlife, scenic waterways, tropical rainforests, and knowledgeable guides to help you learn about Costa Rica.

Duration:  9 Days

Schedule:

Start Date	End Date
21 April, 2012	29 April, 2012
14 July, 2012	22 July, 2012
22 September, 2012	30 September, 2012
13 October, 2012	21 October, 2012
27 October, 2012	04 November, 2012
03 November, 2012	11 November, 2012
10 November, 2012	18 November, 2012
01 December, 2012	09 December, 2012

City Highlights

Tortuguero National Park
Guided cruise through the canals to view wildlife; guided walk through the rainforest

Sarapiqui
Tour a working pineapple plantation

Tilajari Resort
Tilajari Rainforest Reserve; visit the Butterfly Garden, Ecotermales Hot Springs, and Arenal Volcano

Monteverde
Visit the Sky Walk hanging bridges; frog pond; Santa Elena Cloud Forest; Trapiche Farm tour & home-hosted lunch

Sarchi
Shop for souvenirs

San José
Farewell dinner

Note

Maximum elevation on tour: 9,000 ft.

Day 1   Arrive in San José, Costa Rica. Upon arrival you will be met by your Tour Director, who will help you check into your hotel.

Day 2   San José–Tortuguero National Park. Journey east to the Caribbean shore and TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK. On the way, stop at a BANANA PLANTATION. Later, board a motor launch for your CRUISE along the Tortuguero Canals, waterways crisscrossing a national park dedicated to the protection of endangered turtles. The trained eyes of your guide and boatman help you spot freshwater turtles, caymans, herons, toucans, egrets, and monkeys. An afternoon at leisure lets you explore Pachira Lodge until you meet for an informative slideshow presentation on the area. (B,L,D)

Day 3   Tortuguero National Park Tour & Canal Cruise. Your Tour Guide accompanies you on a leisurely BOAT RIDE along remote, unspoiled sections of the park’s waterways, explaining the bountiful flora and fauna. Enjoy a fascinating stroll through an accessible portion of the nearby RAINFOREST. During the peak nesting season, from mid-July to mid-October, you may be lucky enough to observe an endangered green turtle laying her eggs under the starlight on an optional tour. (B,L,D)

Day 4   Tortuguero–Tilajari Resort. A morning boat transfer begins your journey to the San Carlos area. First, tour the CORSICANA PINEAPPLE FARM to learn about the history, cultivation, and industry of pineapples. Continue through TILAJARI RAINFOREST RESERVE. After settling in, experience the magic of the resort’s BUTTERFLY GARDEN and consider a walk in the nearby tropical rainforest in search of 300- to 400-year-old trees, poisonous frogs, monkeys, birds, and possibly small animals native to the reserve. (B,L,D)

Day 5   Tilajari Resort. During your morning at leisure you may wish to go on an optional horseback ride or float trip. Or, you can take advantage of Tilajari’s amenities by walking along the shaded trails of the private, 750-acre tropical forest. Later this afternoon, enjoy a walking tour of the town of La Fortuna de San Carlos, offering spectacular views of the active Arenal Volcano. Next, drive to nearby ECOTERMALES Hot Springs for a dip in the curative and relaxing pools. This evening, view ARENAL VOLCANO, hoping to see lava glowing on its sides. (B,D)

Day 6   Tilajari Resort–Monteverde. After breakfast, continue to MONTEVERDE, where you will enjoy two days in the cloud forest. This afternoon, take a guided tour on the SKYWALK hanging bridges, which combines trails and suspension bridges through the canopy of Monteverde Cloud Forest, to search for flora and fauna. Later, visit the FROG POND, where you can admire more than 25 species of frogs and other amphibians and learn about the various species indigenous to the area. (B)

Day 7   Monteverde. This morning, visit SANTA ELENA CLOUD FOREST RESERVE for a walking tour. Located on the Continental Divide of Costa Rica, the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve comprises an area of 765 acres and is home to forest fauna, such as the resplendent quetzal, jaguars, ocelots, monkeys, and numerous species of birds. With almost 100% humidity throughout the year, the cloud forest experiences almost 12 feet of rain per year. Later, visit the family-owned TRAPICHE FARM, where you will enjoy a homemade lunch. While here, learn about the production of sugar cane, coffee, and the traditional ways of cultivating bananas, arracache (a local legume), avocado, macadamia nuts, as well as other products. The remainder of your day is at leisure. (B,L)

Day 8   Monteverde–Sarchi–San José. En route to San José, visit SARCHI Village, known as the center of Costa Rican handcrafts and where you will see the artists in their workshops making the famous oxcarts. Next stop is Grecia Village to see the metal church that was imported from Belgium to Puerto Limon in 1897. The church was transported by oxcarts to its present-day location but sat in the plaza for 10 years before being reconstructed. Tonight, your Tour Director hosts a farewell dinner, ending an unforgettable discovery of Costa Rica. (B,L,D)

Day 9   San José. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Meals:  American breakfast daily (B), 5 lunches (L), and 5 three-course dinners (D) including a special farewell dinner in San José

Hotel Information:  SAN JOSÉ Doubletree Cariari (SF), TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK Pachira Lodge (BA), TILAJARI Tilajari Resort Hotel (F), MONTEVERDE El Establo (F)


Terms and Conditions

Note: Flights are NOT included with the Tour and unless otherwise stated above transfers are also NOT included.

Currently viewing: Costa Rica Tours - TravelToe Inclusive Tours - Natural Wonders Of Costa Rica