Costa Rica Family Escape: Tortuguero & Arenal
- Duration
- 8 Days
- Prices From:
- US$ 1,898
FIRST-CLASS | TAILOR-MADE: The natural wonders of Costa Rica are a thrill to curious and inquiring minds of all ages. On this incredible adventure, you’ll explore the canals of Tortuguero, sample handmade chocolate, tour the jungle canopy in Arenal and much more.
This 8-day trip to Costa Rica is designed with all ages in mind. Making the most of Costa Rica’s incredible biodiversity, it’s packed with educational fun for kids and memorable experiences for parents, bringing together the best of Costa Rica.
Spend your arrival day in San Jose, either relaxing or enjoying the sights, sounds, and excitement of Costa Rica’s capital. The following day, your journey to Tortuguero, on Costa Rica’s west coast takes you through Braulio Carrillo National Park, ensuring a picturesque journey. Then board your boat, arriving at your lodge in time for lunch. The afternoon takes you to the car-free oasis of Tortuguero Village.
Then, it’s time to explore the Mawamba gardens, with your guide along to explain some of the plant and animal species you’ll see, as well as local conservation projects. After lunch, a boat tour takes you through the Tortuguero Canals, which are used for transportation while sustaining a wide array of wildlife year-round. There’s so much to do and see in Tortuguero, you’ll probably want an extra day, either to relax or explore some more, so one is included in this itinerary, to spend at your leisure.
From the Pacific Coast to Costa Rica’s most famous mountain, it’s time to get your adrenaline pumping in the Arenal Volcano region. Again, you’ll transfer by boat and bus. Since Arenal is a high-energy kind of destination, start with two of Costa Rica’s most inspiring exports, coffee and chocolate! You’ll learn about the history of both in Costa Rica, before meeting one of its most adorable and adaptable creatures, the sloth. Explore La Fortuna with your guide, keeping your eyes peeled for sloths, along with toucans, poison dart frogs, and other species
Ready for some adventure? Your last full day in Costa Rica will see you swinging through the treetops! Okay, we exaggerate, but not by much. Under the supervision of your guide, take an aerial adventure through the rainforest, descending via eight zip lines, taking in the best views of the rainforest with plenty of opportunities to observe the wildlife enroute.
Return to San Jose for your onward flight.
- Duration
- 8 Days
- Prices From:
- US$ 1,898
Itinerary View Trip Map
Arrive Costa Rica
Upon arrival to Costa Rica, pass through Customs and claim your baggage. After reaching the exit to the Arrivals terminal please find your local representative, who will be holding a sign with your name on it. Your guide will review your travel details with you and then drive you to your hotel. The drive from the airport to the hotel takes approximately 45 minutes. Following check-in, the rest of the day is at leisure.
| Meal Plan | Dinner |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 Night |
| Accommodation |
Hotel Presidente San Jose |
| Location | View map |
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Hotel Presidente San Jose
In the heart of Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica, the Hotel Presidente is located on the corner of the Central Avenue Pedestrian Boulevard and Seventh Street, just 20 minutes from the San Jose, Costa Rica International Airport.
In the heart of Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica, the Hotel Presidente is located on the corner of the Central Avenue Pedestrian Boulevard and Seventh Street, just 20 minutes from the San Jose, Costa Rica International Airport.
Facilities
- Concierge
- Currency Exchange
- Gym/Fitness Centre
- Internet Access
- Laundry/Dry Cleaning Service
- Lounge(s)
- Mail and Postal Facilities
- Massage Treatments
- Parking
- Reception (24 hrs)
- Restaurant(s)
- Room Service
- Spa
San Jose to Tortuguero
Pick up in the San Jose Metropolitan Area at the hotel. Breakfast at Grupo Mawamba's Rio Danta Restaurant located in Guapiles. After breakfast, continue to Cano Blanco dock, passing banana plantations along the way. Arrive and check in to your hotel in the early afternoon and enjoy lunch at the pool restaurant. After lunch you will have the opportunity to visit the Village of Tortuguero along with your guide. After the visit and some free time, you will return back to the Lodge walking by the trail on the beach directly to the Lodge (weather permitting). You will have dinner at a local restaurant and spend the remainder of your evening at leisure.
| Meal Plan | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 Nights |
| Accommodation |
Mawamba Lodge |
| Location | View map |
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Mawamba Lodge
Mawamba Lodge, located in between the Tortuguero canals and Caribbean Ocean, is a tropical lodge in the heartland of the rainforest. Mawamba Lodge has 54 standard and 4 standard superior rooms. All rooms have garden views, ceiling fan, safety box and private bathroom.
Mawamba Lodge, located in between the Tortuguero canals and Caribbean Ocean, is a tropical lodge in the heartland of the rainforest. Mawamba Lodge has 54 standard and 4 standard superior rooms. All rooms have garden views, ceiling fan, safety box and private bathroom.
Facilities
- Bar
- Conference Facilities
- Restaurant
- Swimming Pool
- Whirlpool
Tortuguero National Park
Begin today with a morning tour to admire the awakening of the wildlife of Tortuguero. This tour introduces visitors to the rich rainforest and its great array of wildlife. Return for breakfast. Following breakfast, visit the Mawamba Park that includes a butterfly farm, frog farm, iguana farm, bio-digestor and gardens. This visit is combined with a walk in the trails at the Lodge. Have lunch at the pool restaurant. In the afternoon, take a boat tour to a different canal than the one visited in the morning. Return to the lodge for dinner and an optional night walk on a private trail.
| Meal Plan | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner |
|---|
Tortuguero at Leisure
Your day is at leisure in Tortuguero to enjoy your accommodation facilities and explore the surroundings.
| Meal Plan | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner |
|---|
Tortuguero to Arenal
After breakfast, you will depart for Cano Blanco to board your bus transfer back from the canals. Stop en route for lunch at Tropical Restaurant in Guapiles, and then continue on to Arenal. Upon arrival to your hotel in Arenal, the remainder of your day is at leisure.
| Meal Plan | Breakfast and Lunch |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 Nights |
| Accommodation |
Los Lagos Spa & Resort |
| Location | View map |
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Los Lagos Spa & Resort
This attractive hotel enjoys a unique situation next to Arenal Volcano, offering the ideal base from which to discover Costa Rica culture, people and cuisine, as well as the tropical rainforest flora and fauna. Nature lovers will find a natural paradise to explore and can …
This attractive hotel enjoys a unique situation next to Arenal Volcano, offering the ideal base from which to discover Costa Rica culture, people and cuisine, as well as the tropical rainforest flora and fauna. Nature lovers will find a natural paradise to explore and can take advantage of the extensive outdoor entertainment activities available, such as horseback riding and canopy tours. The hotel provides a choice of different room types to meet all travellers' expectations and needs, ranging from the completely equipped standard rooms to the spacious villas, offering maximum comfort and all the necessary conveniences for visitors to feel right at home. The onsite dining options include a restaurant serving delicious specialities and guests will appreciate the refreshing beverages and tropical fruit served at the bar.
Photo gallery
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Regular Nature Wildlife Floating Tour & Tortilla Making
During this tour, you will enjoy the sights and sounds of Costa Rican wildlife on a relaxing Safari Float from La Fortuna to Arenal. This trip takes place on Peñas Blancas river. This peaceful tour allows you to enjoy the tranquility of Costa Rica's rainforest soaking in all the sights and sounds of this astounding tropical setting. Be sure to keep an eye out for a variety of monkeys, caimans, iguanas, Jesus Christ lizards and a wide assortment of colorful bird species. The river is home to small crocodiles that often duck in the water when you cruise past. Your naturalist guide will share the local history, knowledge of the plants and animals you encounter on the float. You will spend around two hours cruising at a relaxing paddle pace while exploring the riverbanks for rainforest inhabitants. After returning to the dock, you will depart for a tortilla making experience and visit a local family. At Doña Mara's home, you will get a better understanding of the meaning of "Pura Vida", a core philosophy held dearly by rural Costa Ricans. You will be welcomed with a tropical drink at the "rancho" and enjoy a delicious typical lunch prepared on Doña Mara's rustic wood-fired ground corn "masa". You will learn how to flatten the dough into perfect circles, ready for cooking and you will get to taste them. Upon completion of the tour, you will be returned to your hotel.
| Meal Plan | Breakfast |
|---|
Sloth Tour and Evening Experience
After enjoying a light breakfast, tour one of the Arenal's most-loved features: the sloth. During this activity, you will have the opportunity to admire two or three fingers sloths, these being the most popular species in the region, and you will also learn about their many unique quirks. Your guide will look for the best places to observe them in their natural habitat, leading you through beautiful open areas in La Fortuna and, with a little luck, you will spot many more species such as the multicolored toucan, the poison dart frog, iguanas, and monkeys, among others.
Following your fun advneture, take advantage of the night and discover the nocturnal wonders of Costa Rica. You'll begin with a brief transfer to reach the small family project for reforestation and protection of wild species in their natural habitat: EcoGarden Arenal. Founded by Jose Adán Díaz for the protection of a wetland and reforestation of an area previously dedicated to livestock, the ecosystem has been created to allow many species of wildlife to have a suitable area for their nesting and reproduction free from human interference. On the property, you will enter a regenerating forest following a one-kilometer path with water mirrors that facilitate the appreciation of nocturnal fauna such as some active nocturnal birds and resting daytime birds, mammals, a variety of insects, bats, sometimes snakes, nocturnal butterflies, but mainly frogs, among which you can see the Hammer Frog and the Bull Frog, the smallest and largest in Costa Rica, as well as the beautiful Red-Eyed Frog and the spectacular Glass Frog. The tour leads around a lagoon inhabited by a pair of caimans that every year reproduce naturally in this same place, where their young can also be safely observed, as well as a huge number of specimens of the popular "Chocuaco" (Cochlearius cochlearius). Once the tour is over, a delicious typical Costa Rican dinner awaits you at the family home, next to the forest.
| Meal Plan | Breakfast and Dinner |
|---|
Depart Costa Rica
Following breakfast, it’s time to pack up and prepare for your return flight back home. At the pre-arranged time, meet your driver-guide in the hotel lobby and settle in for a private transfer to the airport. The drive from Arenal to San Jose Airport takes approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. Bon voyage and pura vida!
| Meal Plan | Breakfast |
|---|
Other Information
DEPARTURES:
Daily
PRICE INCLUDES:
- Private arrival and departure airport transfers
- 1 night in first-class accommodations in San Jose
- 3 nights in first-class accommodations in Tortuguero
- 3 nights in first-class accommodations in Arenal
- Shared bus & boat transfer from San Jose to Tortuguero (max 42 guests)
- Small group touring at Mawamba Lodge (max 18 guests)
- Entrance fee to Tortuguero National Park
- Shared boat & bus transfer from Tortuguero to Arenal (max 42 guests)
- Small group Coffee & Chocolate tour (max 11 guests)
- Small group “Meet the Sloths” adventure (max 11 guests)
- Private-guided canopy adventure with Tarzan swing
- Breakfast daily (excluding day 1), 4 lunches, 4 dinners
PRICE EXCLUDES:
- Travel insurance
- International and domestic airfare & airfare taxes
- Meals and beverages not mentioned
- Gratuities
- Items of a personal nature
- Visa fees if applicable
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Prices are "from" per person based on twin/double share accommodation and for travel in low season (advertised pricing based on 4 September 2023 departure – alternative dates available). Seasonal surcharges and blackout dates may apply. Limited seat/spaces and all pricing is subject to change and availability. Rates for single or triple travellers are available on request - please inquire.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Mawamba Lodge: The Three-day Tortuguero National Park package includes a guided walk on the private trails of the lodge and the guided visit to Tortuguero National Park. Please note, the order and logistics of the itinerary may change depending on weather conditions. Alcoholic beverages, sodas or bottled water are not included. It is recommended to use dark color clothes when taking the night tour during the nesting season. Luggage is limited to 25 pounds (12 Kg) per person. From July to September, the optional night tour (not included in the package) to observe the turtle nesting is available for purchase (own expense).
Dietary Restrictions: In order to provide the best possible service, please inform us about any dietary restrictions and any other special conditions we should know about as soon as possible.
Rafting Considerations: The logistic and duration of the rafting trips are directly affected by the weather and other natural conditions. Rainy days prior the operation of the tour normally mean that the tour will take less time than it normally takes due to high water level. Lack of rain prior the operation of the tour normally means that the tour will be longer due to low water level. It is important for all guests and participants to know that specific conditions of the tour to be provided are unpredictable. For Corcovado and Tortuguero similar conditions apply due to logistic is subject to natural conditions.
Smoking: By law it is prohibited to smoke in all private and public facilities, as well as in all protected areas throughout the national territory. It is important that the guests and participants are aware of this regulation in order to avoid inconveniences during your stay in the country.
Yellow Fever Vaccine: Vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory for all tourists coming from geographical areas considered at risk. All passengers should have received a vaccine at least 10 days before arrival and must show a valid certificate of vaccination to be allowed in the county. This requirement does not apply for: Children under 9 months old. Tourists having only transited through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Tourists coming from a country at risk that have spent more than 6 days in another country not at risk before arriving in Costa Rica and have not developed yellow fever. Tourists having a proven medical exemption for the yellow fever vaccine.
Things to Consider for a Trip to Costa Rica: Copies of passport. Sunscreen and insect repellent. Shirts: Cotton or light synthetic, long- and short-sleeved. Dry fit clothing: Cotton or light synthetic pants and shorts. Bring at least 2 sets of clothes that dry quickly (jeans not recommended and too slow to dry). Footwear: Waterproof, light-weight hiking boots, river sandals (Teva-type sandals), tennis shoes/running shoes. If you do not bring hiking boots, make sure you bring two pairs of tennis shoes. If you are going to observe the turtle nesting at any of the nesting areas in the country, bring dark pants, shirt and closed-toe shoes. Socks: Bring extra pairs in case feet get wet. Rain gear: Rain poncho and/or umbrella. Hat(s) with visor for rain and sun protection. Flashlight with spare batteries and bulb (a must for Corcovado area). Camera and extra batteries, charger and plenty of memory. Zip-lock plastic bags for personal belongings protection in case of rain. Extra prescription glasses and medication (if applicable). Small day pack or fanny pack for hikes. Sweater or light jacket. Sunglasses. Swimwear.
Costa Rica General Facts: The sunset in Costa Rica is between 17:45 p.m. to 18:00 p.m. all year around. In Costa Rica, water is safe to drink. Most of hotels have also water dispensers where guests can refill the bottles. Credit cards accepted: Visa, Master Card & American Express. USD$ are well accepted at restaurants and stores. (Preferably $10 & $20 bills). The electrical current throughout Costa Rica is the same as US-110-volt AC. Outlets are generally 2-pronged. A voltage converter is necessary in order to use 240/250-Volt AC-powered items. Weather: Dry season: From December to April. Rainy season: From May to November (if visits are near forests, there are more chances of rain).
Operational and Other Considerations: The operation of the itinerary is subject to weather conditions; Goway and our local providers will make any necessary changes in order to guarantee safety and enjoyment.
4 Sep 2023
