Costa Rica is the ecological gem of Latin America. With almost one third of its land protected in parks and preserves, this oasis for nature lovers and eco travelers is a natural wonderland of cloud forests, cascading rivers, exotic animals, uncrowded beaches, towering mountains, and awesome volcanoes.
Escape with Aventouras and experience the real Costa Rica — off the beaten path. Raft world class whitewater on the Pacuare River. Head north to the remote Volcan Tenorio and view the landscape through the eyes of expert naturalists as we hike forested trails and hanging bridges and zip through the canopy. Our active days are perfectly complimented by nights of pure relaxation at community run ecolodges and tropical retreats.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in San Jose and transfer to the Hotel Bougainvillea
We meet at the airport in San Jose, Costa Rica’s bustling capital, and transfer to the Hotel Bougainvillea in the tranquil suburb of Santo Domingo de Heredia. This attractive hotel features spacious rooms and an excellent restaurant set amid beautifully landscaped grounds with expansive views of the Central Valley.
If you have time in the afternoon, you may wish to visit one of San Jose’s excellent museums or the INBioParque in Santo Domingo with its exhibits of Costa Rican ecology and national parks. For those looking to relax and unwind, opt to simply lounge by the swimming pool.
· Transfer from Juan Santamaria Airport to the hotel (less than an hour)
· Optional visit to museums or INBioParque (dependent upon arrival time)
· Lodging at the Hotel Bougainvillea
Day 2: Rafting the Pacuare River
Wake early for a fun filled day rafting the thrilling Pacuare River through the jungle of a national park. En route we’ll stop for a ‘tipico’ Costa Rican breakfast before arriving at the river for pre rafting safety and paddling instruction. Once you encounter the first Class III and IV rapids, you’ll quickly realize why National Geographic calls the Pacuare one of the top five whitewater rafting destinations in the world. The whitewater thrills are matched only by the scenery of the jungle and canyon. The challenge is finding enough time to appreciate the numerous waterfalls cascading off the Pacuare’s canyon walls, the verdant vegetation, huge blue morpho butterflies and abundance of bird life.
After an exciting day on the river, we’ll return to the Hotel Bougainvillea where we’ll enjoy a hearty dinner followed by an evening of rest and relaxation.
· Transfer to the Pacuare River (2 hours)
· Rafting the Pacuare River (18 miles, Class III and IV rapids, 5 hours)
· Lodging at the Hotel Bougainvillea
Day 3: Transfer to Bijagua, hiking at Heliconias Lodge hanging bridges
This morning we depart early in order to enjoy an unusual breakfast, sampling the local delicacies at the farmers market in Santo Domingo. We then enjoy a scenic shuttle ride with views of mountains rising in the distance, rolling farmlands, and Ticos going about their daily lives in the small towns we pass through.
Later that morning we arrive in the town of Canas, a small and typical Costa Rican town with no particular tourist attraction, making it the perfect place to have lunch near the central town square and witness authentic Costa Rican life.
After lunch, we transfer to the town of Bijagua, beautifully situated between Volcanoes Tenorio and Miravalles. Even more off the tourist trail than Canas, Bijagua features the rustic Heliconias Lodge — the first of two community run lodges in which we’ll stay over the course of the next four nights. Set in a gorgeous rainforest on the slopes of an extinct volcano with views of Volcan Miravalles and into Nicaragua, Heliconias Lodge is famous as a nesting place for the ornate hawk eagle and is also well known for its hanging observation bridges.
Upon arrival, choose to hike the short, interpretive hanging bridges loop trail or the steep and strenuous trail to Laguna Danta. Later that evening, a naturalist guide will lead you on a night hike. You’ll hear the forest come alive and perhaps witness several nocturnal species before returning to our lodge and your cozy bed, completely satisfied.
· Explore Santo Domingo (1 hour) and Canas (1 hour)
· Transfer to Bijagua (3 hours)
· Hiking Options (hanging bridges 2.2 km, Laguna Danta 6 km, night hike distance and elevation gain are variable)
· Lodging at Heliconias Lodge
Day 4: Hiking in Parque Nacional Volcan Tenorio
Opt for birding and an early morning walk on one of the trails departing from the lodge, or choose to sleep in. After breakfast in the lodge’s open air dining room, taking in views across the valley as hummingbirds zip by looking for flowers to feast on, we explore the beautiful Rio Celeste in Volcan Tenorio National Park. En route along the beautiful azure Rio Celeste, we’ll visit a waterfall and small, undeveloped hot spring and hike to where two tributaries come together to create the river’s dazzling color.
After completing our hike, you have the option to shuttle or horseback ride back to Heliconias. Either way, we will enjoy the countryside of fields, pasture, and farms interspersed with forest — all in the shadow of the extinct Volcan Tenorio.
· Optional morning birding walk (1 hour)
· Hiking Rio Celeste (4 hours)
· Optional horseback ride (2 hours)
· Lodging at Heliconias Lodge
Day 5: Volcan Arenal, hiking to La Catarata, and soaking in hot springs
This morning we transfer to Arenal National Park, passing Lake Arenal en route to our evening’s accommodation — the community run Albergue La Catarata. Similar to Heliconias, this lodge is run by an association of local families, and we’ll have the benefit of meeting the people who run the lodge and live in the community. The lodge is also set in the shadow of the very active Volcan Arenal, and if we’re lucky, we may have an opportunity to witness its amazing display.
After settling in, opt to shuttle, hike or ride horseback along a tranquil country road to our trailhead. Our destination is La Catarata, a beautiful waterfall and swimming hole popular with locals.
This evening, we’re in for a treat — Ecotermales hot springs. Ecotermales is run by a local family and features two large and several small pools as well as a spring side bar in a natural setting with vegetation surrounding us and the forest canopy above. You may even hear rocks tumbling down the slopes of nearby Arenal.
After a relaxing soak we’ll end the day with a family style dinner at the springs’ restaurant.
· Transfer to Arenal (3 hours)
· Horseback ride, drive, or walk (2 km, minimal elevation gain)
· Hiking and swimming La Catarata (2 hours, approximately 500 feet of elevation loss then gain)
· Lodging at Albergue La Catarata
Day 6: Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge float trip
We begin our day exploring the channels and lagoons that compose Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. Home to more than 350 species of birds and a variety of exotic animals, including monkeys, sloths, river otters, peccaries, silky anteaters, tapirs, jaguars and ocelots, the
refuge is truly a magical place. Upon arrival, we’ll enjoy a tranquil float on the Rio Frio, giving us an opportunity to witness the incredible variety of birds, lizards, caimans, and other wildlife.
Afterwards, we’ll have the option to hike the hanging bridges of Arenal, featuring nine hanging bridges, some as long as 300 feet; explore the town of La Fortuna; or simply relax at Albergue La Catarata.
· Transfer to Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge (approximately 2 hours)
· Cano Negro Float Trip (3 hours)
· Hiking Arenal’s Hanging Bridges (2 miles, optional)
· Lodging at Albergue La Catarata
Day 7: Canopy tour and transfer back to San Jose
On our last full day, we’ll experience the thrill of exploring the forest canopy via zip lines. Our tour is set in a private forest and consists of 7 zip lines. With special climbing equiment, we’ll slide along zip lines above and through the forest canopy at speeds of up to 40 miles an hour.
Afterwards, we’ll have lunch before departing back to the Hotel Bougainvillea and our farewell dinner at Casa de Doña Lela or another local favorite restaurant, featuring Costa Rican fare.
· Canopy tour (2 hours)
· Transfer to San Jose (3.5 hours)
· Lodging at Hotel Bougainvillea
Day 8: Airport transfers and flights home or an optional Pacific Beach extension
After our last breakfast together, we shuttle to the Juan Santamaria airport for our flights home. For anyone with flights later in the day, tours to INBioparque in Santo Domingo or to one of the museums in San Jose can be arranged.
Optional three day extension to the Pacific coast
Interested in staying in Costa Rica for an extra weekend? We have the perfect beach extension, to La Cusinga Lodge on Bahia Ballena de Osa near the Ballena (whale) Marine National Park. On Friday, day 8 of your trip, instead of flying home you’ll take a short flight to Palmar (less than one hour), followed by a 50 minute scenic drive to the lodge and beach.
At the beach you can snorkel, scuba dive, boogie board, surf, or simply enjoy the ocean views from the breezy, comfortable cabins. You’ll have Friday afternoon, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning at the beach. On Sunday afternoon you’ll be driven back four hours to San Jose along the scenic InterAmerican highway as it climbs through the high elevation paramo ecosystem.
· Transfer to/from La Cusinga Lodge via air (less than 1 hour) and land (4 hours)
· Snorkel, scuba dive, boogie board, surf or relax for two days
· Lodging at La Cusinga Lodge
About Hidden Costa Rica activities
Aventouras trips are active, designed for people who want a lively vacation with a variety of activities. We do not expect guests to have experience in the included activities, nor do these activities require a significant amount of learning or technical understanding. We recognize that not all guests may want to take part in all activities, or may have varying comfort levels with certain activities, and alternatives are available in almost all cases. Hidden Costa Rica is an action oriented trip intended for the average active adult who feels comfortable being active 3 to 6 hours a day; activities include:
· Rafting the Pacuare: The Pacuare River is a Class III to Class IV river with almost constant rapids throughout the 18 mile stretch that we run. We’ll be on the river for about five hours.
· Hiking at Heliconias Lodge: On the first afternoon at Heliconias guests have the option of the easy hanging bridges hike of 2.2 fairly flat kilometers in a loop, or the Laguna Dante hike, which is 6km round trip but is very steep, rocky, and challenging. Both provide an excellent introduction to the forest.
· Hiking Volcan Tenorio National Park: We’ll spend most of a day at Volcan Tenorio, with options for the distance and elevation to be hiked. Most people will spend about four hours hiking this day, with an option to horseback ride two hours back to the lodge after.
· La Catarata hike and swim: The hike to La Catarata is about 2km on the back road for those who choose to walk the road, then a descent of about 500 feet down stairs to the river, swimming hole, and falls.
· Cano Negro float: The Cano Negro trip is a tranquil float in which we’ll be focused on birds, caimans, and perhaps other wildlife. We’ll have chances to get out of our raft to walk along the shore at lunch and perhaps at one other stop.
· Canopy zip lines: We’ll take a tram up and then zip down a series of 7 lines. This is not an aerobic activity, but your heart will be beating hard due to the speed you’ll be flying through the trees. This perspective on the canopy, volcano, and lake are not to be missed.
About Hidden Costa Rica lodging
Aventouras trips use a variety of lodging options, ranging from traditional hotels (most often in cities) to small, community run lodges and homestays. All accommodations are clean and comfortable, and all have been inspected by us or by our partner companies in each country.
All have private hot water bath unless otherwise noted. Within these parameters, lodging options are selected more for location and access to activities and local communities than for other amenities.
Hidden Costa Rica lodging includes hotels and lodges:
· The Hotel Bougainvillea is very modern, with beautiful grounds, a large dining room with picture windows, and a free shuttle to downtown San Jose. It is located a three minute cab ride to downtown Santo Domingo. For those inclined to use the Internet on their vacation (we don’t recommend it!), the hotel has computers with Internet access.
· Heliconias is a rustic lodge located on the slopes of the extinct Volcan Tenorio. It is run by an association of local families and has simple rooms in one main building. A separate dining/meeting room has a bar and a fantastic view to the Volcan Miravalles and across fields and forest all the way to Lake Nicaragua. The rooms are dark wood and very simple, but comfortable, with private hot water baths.
· Albergue La Catarata is also run by an association of local families, and is simple, clean, and comfortable. Rooms are basic with hot showers and smooth cement floors. Rooms are in several different buildings; the grounds are beautifully landscaped and feature gardens and butterflies. The open air restaurant serves ‘tipica’ comida but no alcohol.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
All inclusive pricing: $1,998
Single supplement: $325
Beach extension: $530
Included:
· Personal expenses such as telephone bills, laundry expenses, and alcoholic beverages
· Airport departure tax of $26.00 USD for your return flight
· Insurance against illness, accident, and/or theft
· Standard clothes for the activities listed
· Any additional costs incurred due to circumstances beyond our control, such as delayed flights
· Seven nights accommodations as listed above, double occupancy with a single supplement optional
· All meals starting with dinner on the first night and ending with breakfast on the last day
· Permanent English speaking tour leader throughout the trip
· All in country ground transportation, entrance tickets, for example to national preserves
· All excursions and activities included above, including gear and local expert guides
· A detailed pretrip departure packet with packing suggestions, background reading, and other trip specific information
Also see tour packages in:
Central America and Caribbean
Costa Rica
Ecotourism
Hiking & Trekking
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