Essential Costa Rica

On arrival into San Jose you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

Costa Rica's "Valle Central" and surrounding highlands form the cultural and geographical base of the country. It consists of a fertile upland basin inhabited by approximately two-thirds of the country's population. It is also home to the four most important cities in the country: San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica, and the provincial capitals of Cartago, Heredia and Alajuela, each with its own character and sense of identity, together providing the most economically productive region.

The average temperature in the valley is 24 degrees celsius and the altitude oscillates from 2000 to 5000 feet (600 to 1500 m). Mountains and volcanoes enclose this land, and are, in turn, some of the main attractions. In just 20-40 minutes you can find yourself in the uplands, enjoying the beautiful view of San Jose and the fresh mountain breezes. Volcanoes are also well worth visiting: Poas and Barva in the northwest, Irazu in the southeast, and Turrialba in the east.

Due to its strategic location in the middle of the country, the Central Valley allows you to choose from a variety of activities, such as visiting the National Theatre, and museums (Gold Museum, Jade Museum, National Museum), white water rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, rain and cloud forest hiking and mountain biking, as well as visits to butterfly farms, botanical gardens, picturesque towns, and coffee plantations. Besides all this, the city also provides a good opportunity for shopping, sightseeing and enjoying the nightlife. Without a doubt, it is the perfect "base" for exploring the rest of the country.

The evening is free to explore.

Depart early in the morning from the hotel in San Jose to the northern Caribbean lowlands, to the Tortuguero town, crossing the impressive Braulio Carrillo National Park. Breakfast will take place at El Ceibo Restaurant in Guapiles, on the way to La Pavona dock located in Cariari. By boat you will travel first on the river and then through the canals that run parallel to the coast until Tortuguero National Park. The ride provides an excellent chance to take a closer look to wildlife. Upon arrival, lunch will take place at the hotel's Restaurant.

In the afternoon visit the village of Tortuguero which lies in the northeastern corner of the park, on a thin strip of land between the sea and the main canal, the beach and the Caribbean Conservation Corporation's visitor center and turtle museum.

Dinner included at the hotel's Restaurant.

In the initial tour, you will participate in a boat outing first thing in the morning. From Pachira Lodge, you will head to the docks and take a boat ride through Tortuguero's canals. These north to south waterways were engineered to connect the meandering rivers and the lagoons of the area. The canals are teeming with fauna and early morning is the perfect time for wildlife spotting, especially bird watching.

In the afternoon there will be a boat tour along the Tortuguero Canals. Tortuguero is one of the most important nesting sites in the western half of the Caribbean for the green turtle from June to September each year. The park is formed by a navigable network of lakes and canals with a large variety of wildlife, including monkeys, crocodiles, iguanas, sloths, turtles and more than 300 species of birds.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included at the hotel's Restaurant.

Breakfast will be at the hotel's Restaurant, then transfer by boat and then by bus to Guapiles, where lunch will be served at El Ceibo Restaurant. After lunch, you will meet a representative of Camino Travel, who will provide the Transfer from Guapiles to Arenal.

At present, the volcano's green area is located mainly on its eastern side; other small green segments can be found on the north and the south. During this gentle hike, you will be able to enjoy the most extraordinary view of the colossus, walking around its base. The hike begins on a trail close to the volcano, a path that will take you through the forest and the area destroyed by the 1969 eruption (now in regeneration process). The whole hike takes around 2.5 hours.

After the walk, participants can enjoy a healthy and relaxing soak at Ecotermales. This place guarantees your visit will be unforgettable from the moment you arrive. You will immerse yourself in the energy generated by the natural beauty of the surrounding rainforest and the natural volcanic thermal springs. Ecotermales has created 6 elegant areas, with pools of differing temperature (37 degree Celsius/99 degree Fahrenheit to 108 degree Fahrenheit /41 degree Celsius) and one fresh waterfall. These combine to create a natural spa of endless comfort.

This service, half tour/half transfer, is a scenic and fast way to go or come from La Fortuna to Monteverde. You will be picked up at your hotel at La Fortuna around 7:30am and take a 30mins drive to Arenal Lake. There you will board a very comfortable and safe pontoon boat for a 30 to 40min journey to Rio Chiquito, a little town on the other side of the lake.

Arenal Lake is the largest and most important lake in Costa Rica. It was man-made, in 1974, in order to provide hydroelectric energy for the country. It is the home of different kinds of resident and migratory birds. On clear days, the views of the volcano seen from the lake are spectacular.

Once at Río Chiquito, you will leave the boat and stretch your legs for a bit. Afterwards, you will ride a microbus for 1.5 hours to your hotel in Monteverde. During the rainy season, this last leg of the journey can take longer.

Created in 1972, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is one of the most famous in the world. It is one of the most important private reserves in Costa Rica, with a total of 3,500 hectares of land. In 2007, it was chosen as one Costa Rica's 7 Wonders.

It's geographic, topographic, and climatic conditions have allowed for the surprising biodiversity found within the reserve. In this forest we can find four ecological ''Live Zones'' that harbor different ecosystems for hundreds of species of mammals, birds, butterflies, amphibians, reptiles, insects and arachnids; a variety of mosses, vines, other plants, and typical trees of the Cloud Forest.

Enjoy a four hour nature tour through the reserve where a local professional naturalist guide will show and give you explanations concerning all the different macro/micro flora and fauna. Visit the Golden Toad's unique habitat; see birds like the resplendent quetzal (the most beautiful bird of the Americas), the three-wattled Bell Bird, and the Black Faced Solitaire. Trees like Strangler Figs, Avocados, and Cecropias as well as epiphytes like Bromeliads, Orchids, and Mosses are common. A wide array of insects, mammals, and reptiles can also be spotted.

El Trapiche tour is a project run by a Costa Rican family and it consists in a 2 hour long guided visit around their property. It begins with a walk through the farm, giving you the chance to observe the different crops; also, you will cross a small area of forest where you can occasionally spot wildlife. You will get to see the farm's tilapia (a kind of fish) project, banana plantation, arracache, macadamia nuts, oranges, sugar cane, and coffee crops.

During the walk, your guide will show you the process involved in growing sugar cane and inform you about its natural history. They will also give you the chance to taste the sugar cane and its various derivatives. Following you will learn about the coffee production process, starting from the planting and continued with the crushing, peeling, and machine roasting.

Additionally, enjoy a quick oxcart trip (you have the option of walking as well), from the sugar cane plantation to the mill. Once at the mill, you will witness the extraction of the sugar cane's juice and learn the artisan's way of processing sugar cane and its different products. The tour continues with an exhibit and explanation of some traditional Costa Rican artefacts, such as a wood stove, the marimba (musical instrument), and the pylon. You will also see the manufacturing of the 'Saca de Guaro' (a liquor distilled with pure water).

The tour ends with an opportunity to eat some 'arracache' served with a drink (lemonade, coffee or aguadulce - hot drink made from sugarcane). You will be given a small 'tapa dulce' (sweet made from sugar cane) as a souvenir.

After breakfast, transfer to Tamarindo Beach, a super sun location on the North-Pacific coast about 4 hours drive from Arenal. Tamarindo has all the amenities of a Costa Rican beach town: surf, sand and sun, sun, sun. But it offers much more. It is the ideal place for honeymoons and weddings, couples, and families, and wonderfully suited to eco-adventures.

Tamarindo offers first class sport fishing, sailing, surfing, golf, ATV tours, turtle watching, diving, horseback riding, canopy tours, jungle boat rides, beauty spa, an art gallery and crafts and pottery stores. A multi-cultural community, Tamarindo boats several bakeries, an outdoor vegetable market and more than 40 restaurants. Whether you like to eat Vegetarian, 'Tipico' Costa Rican, Italian or Sea Food, it is all here.

Spend two full days at leisure in Tamarindo for optional activities such as fishing, diving, horseback riding, hiking or just relaxing on the beach.

Today is totally free and at leisure. You can take advantage of any optional activities available or simply relax.

You will be transferred to Liberia airport for your onward travels.