Costa Rica - Nature & Adventure (8 days) - April 23, 2023

Upon your arrival at San Jose, you will be welcomed by a Rahhalah representative who will drive you to the hotel. You will enjoy the rest of the day relaxing or exploring at your own pace, until early in the evening, when the group will assemble and you will meet your trip leader for a briefing on your upcoming adventure. Accommodation: Hotel Hilton Garden Inn Santa Ana or similar.

After breakfast, you will check-out and head to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific coast (approx. a 4-hour drive). Manuel Antonio consists of several beautiful beaches, lush forests growing up to the beaches’ edge, easy walking trails, and abundant wildlife. The park´s outstanding beauty was recognized recently when Forbes Magazine listed it as one of the World’s 12 Most Beautiful National Parks. The area outside the park offers visitors a wide variety of gorgeous hotels, excellent restaurants, and many activities such as rafting, surf lessons, and horseback riding. After checking-in in the hotel, by afternoon you will go for a hike in the Manuel Antonio National Park under the guidance of a local naturalist guide. Best known for its gorgeous beaches, the park is also an important refuge for rare rainforest trees and wildlife. Here you can see white-faced capuchins, squirrel monkeys, sloths, raccoons, agoutis, black and scarlet land crabs, iguanas and a variety of birds. Hiking details: Hiking time: 3-4 hours. Hiking distance: 3-5kms (based on different trails) Evening at leisure. Accommodation: Hotel Costa Verde Manuel Antonio or similar.

Just a short drive from Manuel Antonio is the private ecological reserve at Tocori. This small authentic Costa Rican ranch is a wonderful example of people living in harmony with nature and animals, including the horses you will ride. Once on horseback, you’ll explore the countryside, Tocori Waterfall, and tropical jungle of this ecological reserve at a comfortable gate, learning about Costa Rica’s exotic plants, tropical wildlife, history, and local culture. The experience is topped off with a tasty home-cooked Costa Rican meal at the ranch! After your lunch, you will have time to enjoy the beaches and the warm tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean, and you will go surfing! It is a fun activity for all travelers, both beginners and experienced surfers, regardless of age. This half day surf lesson takes place on Manuel Antonio beach, one of the best beaches to try surfing for the first time or hone your skills. With the help of your experienced surf instructors, you will learn how to stand up on your surfboard and ride the waves. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the area at your own pace. Accommodation: Hotel Costa Verde Manuel Antonio or similar.

After an early breakfast, you will check-out and head to La Fortuna (approx. a 4-hour drive). Located northwest of the capital of San Jose, the little Costa Rican town of La Fortuna rests at the foot of the majestic Arenal Volcano. La Fortuna serves as an excellent base for the exploration of the beautiful surrounding area, being the gateway to the scenic Arenal Volcano National Park. Prepare to enjoy magnificent views of the volcano towering over the town, some spectacular landscapes from numerous viewpoints or along the rainforest hiking trails, and the relaxing ambience of the hot springs. Upon your arrival, if time allows, you will head to the Arenal Volcano National Park for a walking exploration of the surrounding area. The Arenal Volcano National Park is a protected area in northern Costa Rica. It is known for its hot springs, active Arenal Volcano, and wildlife that includes jaguars and tree frogs. In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to relax, soaking in the waters of the Ecotermales Hot Springs. ECOTERMALES HOT SPRINGS This is a family-run hot springs resort featuring volcanically heated pools. The facility offers separate changing rooms for women and men, each equipped with hot showers, lockers and toilets. The landscaping includes a regenerating forest and attractive tropical plants. Accommodation: Lomas del Volcan Hotel or similar.

After breakfast, you will head to the Sarapiqui area (approximately a 1.5-hour drive). Upon your arrival, you will go through a safety brief by a certified guide including commands and paddling instructions, before proceeding to the river for your rafting adventure. This rafting tour offers class II-III rapids with names like “Roller Coaster”, “Superman”, and “Air Force”, and it will undoubtedly fascinate you. Afterwards, you will return to the Arenal area to enjoy the rest of the day at your own pace, exploring the city or signing up for optional activities. Accommodation: Lomas del Volcan Hotel or similar.

After breakfast, you will check-out from the hotel, and you will head towards the Arenal Hanging Bridges for a brief 2.5km hike that will allow you to enjoy the views and the ecosystem of the rea. The Arenal Hanging Bridges is a complex of suspension bridges and trails through the rainforest. As the terrain undulates, the trail crosses ravines with small waterfalls and travels over bridges with panoramic vistas over the treetops or views of the Arenal Volcano. As you walk, you may encounter some of the region’s wildlife including toucans, poison dart frogs, spiders and white-faced capuchin monkeys. The 2.5km trail is an easy walk for people in good condition and loops back to the starting point. Hiking details: Hiking time: 3 hours. Hiking distance: 2.5 -3 kms. Later, you will head towards Monteverde (an approximately 3-hour drive). The Monteverde Cloud Forest is one of the world’s premier destinations for naturalists. Much of its native wildlife is unique. In addition to hiking through the forest, visitors can enjoy many other activities or attractions, including horseback riding, dining in numerous restaurants, live frog and butterfly exhibits, bird watching, crafts and gift shopping, zipline tours, bridge walks, a native orchid garden and more. Enjoy the rest of the evening, exploring the area at your own pace. Accommodation: Hotel Poco a Poco or similar.

After an early breakfast, you will embark on a hike along the different trails of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is one of the premier natural history destinations in Costa Rica. The forest is dominated by trees densely covered with mats of small plants known as epiphytes that include mosses, lichens, orchids, ferns and bromeliads. This cool, very green and often misty forest is home to a variety of wildlife. During your guided tour you may encounter monkeys, coatimundis, agoutis and birds such as Toucanets, Chlorophonias and seasonally Bellbirds and crimson and green Resplendent Quetzals. Hiking details: Hiking time: 3-4 hours. Hiking distance: 3kms (based on different trails) In the afternoon, you will embark on a thrilling, ziplining adventure with spectacular views of mountains, forest and valleys. The Monteverde Sky Tram/Sky Trek combines a ski lift ride with a zipline adventure in a cloud forest. The Sky Tram is a guided ride with short stops to observe the wonders of the cloud forest, while the Sky Trek is a zipline ride through a 4-km mountain stretch. Prepare to glide along a cable 760 m long at a speed of 65 km per hour, 160 m above the ground! Five observation towers en route rise above the trees offering exhilarating panoramic views. The tour begins with the Sky Tram bringing you up the mountain on the Continental Divide, and then you glide down on the Sky Trek zip lines. Later in afternoon, you will join the best coffee tour in Monteverde, exploring the origins of coffee, its history in Costa Rica, and its importance in the country’s development. You will follow the full production process, from the seed to the cup, and you will also observe how coffee intertwines with other aspects of the Costa Rican culture and traditions. Accommodation: Hotel Poco a Poco or similar.

After breakfast, you will check out from the hotel and head to the San Jose International airport for your flight back to home (approx. a 4-hour drive). Note: there will be only 1 group departure transfer to the airport due to the long distance. It is recommended that your departure flight leaves after 5pm. Alternatively, you may choose to extend your trip to visit Nicaragua. [Travelers who choose the Nicaragua extension will be transferred to the Nicaraguan Border. (Additional transfer cost applies)]