Costa Rica: Jungle & Coast

Upon arrival to Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose, pass through Customs, collect your baggage and proceed through the Arrivals exit. Here you will find a local representative holding a sign with your name on it. After meeting this representative, you will be directed to an awaiting vehicle and transferred to your hotel. Approximate transfer time is 3 hours.

The balance of your day is at leisure to relax, refresh and unwind at your own pace.

Accommodation: Arenal Manoa Resort, Hotel & Hot Springs

Enjoy a full breakfast to prepare for a half day venture to the Sky Tram & Sky Trek grounds. Before leaving the main building to start the tour, you will be given the necessary equipment (harness, helmet, gloves), which the guides will be responsible for adjusting correctly. You will then participate in a brief safety talk regarding the proper way to fasten the cables and to use the braking system. From there, the gondolas of the Sky Tram rise delicately above the rainforest, offering beautiful landscapes during the journey. The walk starts at the reception and ends at the highest point of the reserve, on a lookout with an excellent view of the forest, the volcano, and the lake. The gondola ride lasts approximately 20 minutes during which a local guide will explain the vegetation and fauna of the forest canopy. Then, the Sky Trek will take you back to the starting point. From this area, you will begin to slide on a track of zip lines that extend through canyons in the middle of the treetops. So begins the exciting adventure in zip lines descending the mountains and returning to the starting point in the main building. You will be able to experience and observe the rainforest from a bird's eye view, admiring the wildlife from the heights. This adventure includes eight cables with a distance of almost 3 km (2 miles) in length, all while enjoying panoramic views of the forest, lake and Arenal Volcano.

Prepare for a day of exciting adventure! Take a step off of the shore and take on the fun of a white water tour. Located 50 minutes from La Fortuna, the Balsa River provides an excellent setting to enjoy rafting for everyone. Get wet and wild through rapids such as "Magnetic Rock" and "Dredges"! A 15-minute break in the river affords a chance to taste delicious fruit while enjoying a tropical setting, surrounded by monkeys, toucans, and other exotic species. On the way back to La Fortuna town you will enjoy a delicious lunch at "Vida Campesina", a traditional country estate with the aim to let visitors experience the genuine and peaceful way of country life in Costa Rica. You will enjoy a delicious typical lunch prepared on the original wood stove and served in a traditional way. Soon after, you will be returned to your hotel.

Step away from the city for the day and combine the enjoyment of a boat ride with a walk through the rainforest of the National Park to get the most impressive views of the colossus from all angles. The tour begins with a 20-minute drive from your hotel to the Peninsula section of the National Park, near Lake Arenal. Here you will begin a 1.5 km (1 mile) long walk along an easy trail for about an hour. Throughout the tour, you can enjoy excellent views overlooking Lake Arenal and the Tilaran Volcanic Mountain Range in the observation bays that are found along the trail. At the end of the walk, you will have the opportunity to climb to the observation platform approximately 12 meters (40 ft) high for a closer and amazing view of the volcano and receive a full explanation of its history, activity cycles, and geological formation among other relevant data. At the end of the trail, you will enjoy a snack of fresh fruit before taking the boat for a tour along the forested shores of Lake Arenal and islets to try to find some animals. This is the ideal place to take scenic photographs of the volcano if it is clear. You will cross the lake until you reach the town of El Castillo, a small developing community where a family business will welcome you with open arms to share a snack of traditional food accompanied by typical drinks; café chorreado, agua dulce, or natural juice, while enjoying the view of Lake Arenal. After this relaxing break, you will take the boat again to navigate the lake to the pier where the minibus will be waiting for you and then you will return to the hotel.

Wave goodbye to the beauty of La Fortuna and enjoy a private transfer to your hotel in Manuel Antonio. Upon arrival to your hotel, spend the rest of the day exploring or resting at your leisure.

Accommodation: Hotel Parador Resort & Spa

Enjoy breakfast to prepare for a half day venture to Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most famous in the country thanks to its wide variety of flora and fauna. A naturalist guide who knows the area well will escort you during the walk, explaining the different animals and plants that can be observed on the tour. Upon reaching the third beach, a 20-minute break will be taken to rest, sunbathe or take a dip in the sea if you wish. During the tour you can observe monkeys, sloths, birds, and reptiles, as well as admiring orchids, butterflies, and tropical trees. The guides are equipped with Pentax and Swarovski telescopes for a better wildlife observation or for taking pictures with a different perspective. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Enjoy a day at leisure in beautiful Manuel Antonio. 

Following breakfast, collect your belongings and prepare for your onward travels. You will soon be met by a private driver who will transport you to the airport ahead of your flight. Bon Voyage!