July 21, 2024: Flight to Costa Rica (TBA)

Welcome to Costa Rica! Right after you go through immigration and customs a representative will meet you at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) exit to load the luggage into the vehicle and transfer you to the hotel. The hotel for tonight is close to San Jose city, located 25-15 minutes away from the airport. During the short drive, you will receive a brief introduction to Costa Rica and some recommendations for your trip. The guide will explain your itinerary in detail once you are in the hotel.

Costa Rica’s capital and the largest city in the country, San Jose is among the most cosmopolitan cities in Latin America. Downtown San Jose is the busiest part of town. A maze of streets and avenues, here you can find most of the city’s museums. In the center of the city, several attractions can be found, such as the National Theater, the National Museum, and the Jade Museum. Also, several parks like Plaza de La Cultura and Parque Morazan are interesting places to visit.

July 22, 2024: The best natural expedition awaits you today. Your expert guide will meet you early at the hotel. You will start traveling northeast to the Caribbean lowlands. You will stop for breakfast at a local restaurant in Guapiles town. After breakfast, you will continue to La Pavona dock, there you will board the special boat that will take you to the lodge immersed in the jungle. This afternoon, you will have a guided tour to the Village of Tortuguero where you will walk around the town to learn about the relaxed way of life in the Caribbean. Your guide will explain to you how this village developed and why they changed their minds about turtle conservation. Lunch and dinner are included at the hotel.

July 23, 2024: Early morning, you have a boat tour on the Tortuguero National Park with the company of a local expert nature guide. The small boats go deep into the canals of the national park, further beyond where other boats can go. Due to the ability to explore further into the canals, you will have the opportunity to find rarer species of wildlife. After this tour, go back to the hotel and enjoy a delicious breakfast. In the morning, the guide will meet you at the main dock of the hotel to return by boat to Pavona’s dock; from there continue with land transportation to Guapiles town where you will have another delicious Caribbean lunch. After the meal, a representative will pick you up to take you to the next destination of this journey.

• Guided Night Walk Tour

The guided night walking tour allows you to discover the wonders of the night-time Tropical Rainforest when most wildlife species are active. During this 2-hour walk, you will learn about the natural history of different rainforest species, with a focus on nocturnal species such as frogs, insects, spiders, sloths, kinkajous or opossums, revealing a completely different perspective of the rainforest.

July 24, 2024:

• Educational Talk / Water Quality Analysis

Sarapiquí River is one of the most important rivers in the area and the longest in the province of Heredia, with more than 80 kilometers in length. In the waters of the Sarapiquí River, recreational activities are carried out such as navigating the rapids (Whitewater rafting), artisanal fishing, boat tours to observe flora and fauna, local people use the river to swim or just to enjoy with the family a weekend by the riverbanks. However, the conditions of the river can change since it is exposed to cattle farms and pineapple and banana crops, for this reason the objective of this program is to monitor the quality of the water through 3 stages (physical, chemical and macroinvertebrate tests),

Transfer from Sarapiqui to Arenal Volcano (appr. 1h30)

La Fortuna is home to the greater Arenal recreation area, the entire region is paradise on Earth for outdoor adventurers. Volcanic views grace the landscape and heat several geothermal hot springs. A lake and rivers beckon you toward aquatic adventure. Refreshing waterfalls reward you after hikes, offering crisp pools and spectacular views.

• Intercultural exchange with local community

In partnership with a local organization in the northern area of Costa Rica, you will visit a local community for intercultural exchange. You will learn about the different cultures and traditions from these communities and you can share about yours. This will be a day full of activities such as Costa Rican typical dances, traditional games and if you are up to a football match between the locals and the visitor. At the end of the day, you will enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by the community.

• Hot Springs time with Dinner

The therapeutic uses of natural hot springs can be internal or external, ranging from water treatments (hydrotherapy) to medicinal clay (geotherapy). The Los Lagos Hotel, Spa & Resort hot springs are an extraordinary gift from nature and result from the interaction of groundwater with magma from the active Arenal Volcano. The volcano’s internal energy and minerals, the same that emerge from the entrails of the planet, provide a natural treatment for your skin as well as your whole body.

July 25, 2024:

• Canopy Tour (Zip Line)

If you like adventure, visit one of the attractions that makes Costa Rica famous as a worldwide tourist destination, the Canopy Tour of Arenal Ecoglide Park is located 3.5 km west of the Catholic temple in La Fortuna de San Carlos.

• Hike Arenal 1968 Volcano View and Lava Trail

Witness some of the closest views of Arenal Volcano on a guided hiking tour of the Arenal 1968 Trail, a route that winds through the lava flows from the volcano’s notorious 1968 eruption. Two different hiking trails walking on hills formed by lava during the Arenal Volcano 1968 eruption. Here you will see Los Patos Lagoon, in a medium difficulty trails through a very original landscape and great panoramic views of Arenal Volcano and Arenal Lake. Learn about native plant and animal species from your guide and soak up the incredible views from an observatory.

July 26, 2024: Transfer from Arenal to Monteverde (appr. 3h10)

• Hanging Bridges, Guided Walking Tour

Immerse yourself in the exuberant cloud forest. The tour, which is 3 kilometers approximately, consists of a combination of trails and seven bridges where you will have the opportunity to explore all the levels of the cloud forest, as well as the habitats of every single one, starting from the ground and getting to the top of the great trees.

July 27, 2024: Transfer from Arenal to Monteverde (appr. 3h00)

• Beach Tour / Carrillo, Samara & Buena Vista

Carrillo: Eight km south of Samara you find one of Costa Rica’s most picturesque beaches. The wide crescent bay of Playa Carrillo looks almost Caribbean with its clear, turquoise waters and palm-lined white-sand beach. Rocky headlands protect the bay on both sides so that the water is calm and well-suited for swimming.

Samara: Protected by an island off the Pacific Coast, Samara Beach is great for families. The long beach on the Nicoya Peninsula wraps around a horseshoe bay dispersing the crowds that gather on the weekends. Kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, and sport fishing are nice activities in the calm waters off Samara Beach.

Buena Vista: Buena Vista beach is located near Samara in Guanacaste. This spot is divided by a river that you will need to cross to enjoy the ocean. The sand color is brown; it is very stony and intermediate waves. It is surrounded by mountains that decorate the landscape. Although is nearby Samara, this corner is less crowded that its neighbor.

July 28, 2024: Transfer from Samara Beach to Liberia (appr. 2h15) for your flight home. Return home with a treasure chest full of unforgettable memories!