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Blog - Jim's Thoughts

Costa Rica Tours and Travel

Coast to Coast / Adventure / Costa Rica Verde / Tropical Adventure / Honeymoon / Wonders / Highlights
South Costa Rica / Family Adventures / Highlights Self-Drive / Up & Down Self-Drive
Costa Rica-Panama Cruise / Experience / Eco-Exclusive / Kayak / Multisport / Comfort / Birds Trail

COSTA RICA HIGHLIGHTS - (14d/13n)

Day 1 - Arrival in San José. Meet and greet at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Villa Tournon

Day 2 - (B) After breakfast, you will depart to the South Caribbean Coast, where Puerto Viejo is located. Check in at the hotel and rest of the day at leisure. Villas del Caribe. The hotel offers 4 two-story villas with fully-equipped kitchens and private terraces which accommodate up to six people. Besides the villas, the hotel has 8 junior villas with kitchennete, one king size bed and one sofa-bed plus an ample terrace facing the beach. Villas del Caribe also offers 8 standard rooms each with one king size bed and one sofa-bed plus and a balcony facing the ocean. All units have private bathrooms and face the sea catching the prevailing breezes for effective cross ventilation. Ceiling fans, air conditioned in some units as well as large eaves add to the comfortable temperature inside the villas and rooms. They are tastefully designed and furnished for comfort with lamps, cushions, loungers, hammocks free safety boxes and hair dryers in each room.

There are beautiful gardens with tropical plants and a convenient car park located in front of each rooms. Villas del Caribe has an open-air restaurant facing the sea, where guests may savor Caribbean dishes whilst relaxing to the sound of the waves breaking on the shore and the soothing sea breeze. There is a small souvenir shop in the lobby and reception area.

Among the activities offered are walks to the hotel's 100-acre private reserve, entertainment inside the hotel such as ping-pong and various tours operating within the area such as visits to indigenous reserves, the Gandoca-Manzanillo Reserve and Cahuita National Park. Horseback riding, snorkeling, fishing, bicycle rentals and surf board rentals are available as well.

This hotel is an excellent option for families that enjoy holidays in a peaceful location facing the sea. It is also recommended for small groups of young people due to the nightlife in this area.

Days 3-4 - (B) Days at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities and explore the surroundings. Villas del Caribe

Day 5 - (B, L, D) Today morning, you will travel to Caño Blanco. Once there, you will board the boat and continue along the canals that run parallel to the Caribbean Coast. Tortuguero National Park will be your final destination. During the afternoon visit to the Turtle Museum and the picturesque Tortuguero village. Pachira Lodge

Day 6 - (B, L, D) After breakfast travel along the Tortuguero Canals which are ideal to spot the wildlife of the area. Afternoon at leisure to enjoy the private trails of the lodge, ride a boat through the canals (at an additional cost) or just relax by the swimming pool. Pachira Lodge

Day 7 - (B, L) After breakfast, you will return by boat to Caño Blanco, from where you will be transferred by land to the Arenal Volcano area. Rest of the afternoon at leisure. Lomas del Volcán is a cozy hotel situated on a mountainside within the property of a 150 hectares farm. It is surrounded by tropical forest with a great variety of plants and animals. The hotel sits at the foot of the Arenal Volcano, just 4 km from La Fortuna, and 3-4 hours from San Jose.

It offers 46 spacious, rustic cabin-like rooms. Each cabin includes two terraces, with spectacular views of the Arenal Volcano, two queen size beds, private bathroom w/ hot water, A/C, coffeemaker, telephone, free safety box, and a refrigerator. Facilities and services include a bar, restaurant, a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, room service until 9pm, parking, and wireless Internet connection at the lobby and the hotel’s restaurant.

Some of the activities this area has to offer include: Arenal Volcano Hiking Trip, Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, Safari Float Adventure, Canopy Tour, Rio Celeste Hiking Exploration, White Water Rafting, Horseback Ride to the La Fortuna River Waterfall and Trip to Danaus Butterfly Farm and Gardens. A middle option place, ideal for clients looking for a comfortable, pleasant hotel. Good choice for nature lovers or bird watchers.

Day 8 - (B) Free day for optional activities such as tour to Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, horseback riding, a visit to Arenal Volcano or a relaxed dip at the Ecotermales Hot Springs. The Arenal Volcano, which has been in constant activity for more than 30 years, is definitively the main attraction in this area. Lomas del Volcán

Day 9 - (B) After breakfast, check out from your Arenal hotel and transfer towards the Monteverde area by boat and minibus. Balance of day at leisure in Monteverde. Montaña Monteverde. The hotel offers a total of 47 comfortable rooms, 12 of which are standard rooms and 35 Superior rooms. All the rooms have a private bathroom with hot water. Standard rooms have either one single and one double bed, or one double and two single beds. Superior rooms feature, in addition to the above-mentioned facilities a King size bed, a private balcony, cable TV, mini bar hair dryer and bathtub. Other hotel services include a common Jacuzzi and sauna, conference room (accommodating up to 50 people), bar, restaurant, reading area, laundry service, safety deposit box at the reception, trails and a small pond along the lodge’s 15 hectare/ 37 acre private reserve.

Further activities offered include horseback riding tours, hikes to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, the Santa Elena Rainforest Reserve, Canopy Tour, Sky Walk and Sky Trek, a Butterfly Garden, and an Orchid Garden, among others. Due to its geographical conditions, temperatures can drop to 12º C/53.6 ºF, therefore, we recommend you bring at least a jacket, and a raincoat (after all, it is the rainforest!).

Convenient location, near the town’s main hotel and restaurant area. Good option for those seeking comfort, and a centrally situated mountain lodge. Ideal for nature lovers and bird watchers.

Day 10 - (B) Free day for optional activities such as guided hikes to Monteverde Reserve, the Sky Trek and the Sky Walk, canopy tour and the butterfly garden. Montaña Monteverde

Day 11 - (B) Leave San José for the 3½-hour ground transfer to Quepos and Manuel Antonio on the Central Pacific coast. Free day to relax, swim, or sign up for optional tours (at additional cost). Casitas Eclipse. This Mediterranean-style hotel is located just 3 hours from San José on the Pacific Coast in the beautiful Manuel Antonio area, 192 Km / 118 miles from san José. It has 35 rooms divided among standard, suite and small houses. The standard rooms can accommodate up to three persons, and the suites offer space for up to four persons, the latter have a fully equipped kitchen. The small houses can accommodate up to 5 people and have 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a television room, fan, air conditioning, cable television, refrigerator, safety deposit box, hair dryer and balcony or terrace. The hotel has 3 swimming pools, located in the different blocks, 2 bars, and a spacious restaurant next to the blocks where the rooms are, reception service, gift shop, spa and car parking. The hotel concerned about environmental preservation recently gave birth to the “Eclipse Ecopark” an ecological project, which includes ecological trails and two hanging bridges.

Among the tour options on offer at the hotel are activities in keeping with the area such as the visit to the Manuel Antonio National park, sunset boat trips and more adrenalin-fired activities such as rafting or kayaking. This hotel is ideal for couples looking for privacy and comfort, but is also appropriate for families as it offers the option of two-bedroom accommodation.

Day 12 - (B) Day at leisure at the Manuel Antonio National Park area. Optional tours such as rafting trips and guided walks are suggested. Casitas Eclipse

Day 13 - (B) Morning at leisure in Manuel Antonio. Early afternoon you will return to San José. Villa Tournon

Day 14 - (B) Private transfer to the San José International Airport.

Rates per person based on double occupancy in US$ dollars:

The program includes:
• Meet & greet upon arrival
• Accommodation at hotels described above
• Ground transfers or Rental Car
• Guided excursions in Tortuguero including boat transportation
• Entrance fee to Tortuguero National Park
• Meals as specified each day: B, L or D
• Map and information kit
• All taxes
• Does not include optional activities

*Option with Private Transfers Alternative: A private driver will pick up the clients directly at the hotel and will take them to the next destination. The schedules can be flexible (unless they have to connect with other transfers or be in a certain place at a specific moment) and they do not have to wait for other clients, since this is a private service.

**Shared Transportation Alternative: This service works on routes and pre-established schedules. A driver picks up the clients in different hotels and goes directly (without stopping) to the destination. Once there, the driver goes to the different hotels to leave the passengers. This is called door-to-door Ground operation. An individual client usually travels with other tourists that he/she does not know.

***Rental Car Alternative: Renting a car is a convenient way to move around the country as it gives you the freedom to explore at will. Our preferred car rental companies offer a complete list of services, including a modern fleet of vehicles and pick-up and drop-off services in San José as well as in the main tourist destinations. We would recommend a 4WD whenever possible and depending on the places you wish to visit, as they are more robust vehicles and a more reliable option for difficult roads. The rate provided does not include the Mandatory Insurance (USD 18.00 per day of rent). Clients will pick up the vehicle (Daihatsu Bego 4x4) on Day 02 and return it on Day 09.