Costa Rica Tours and Travel

Coast to Coast / Multisport / Costa Rica Verde / Tropical Adventure / Honeymoon / Jungle Escapade
South Costa Rica / Family Adventure / Adventure Self-Drive / Highlights Self-Drive / Up & Down Self-Drive
Costa Rica-Panama Cruise / Community-based Tours - Authentic Costa Rica , Cultural Costa Rica , Watercolors of Costa Rica

WATERCOLORS COSTA RICA TOUR

12 Days & 11 Nights self-drive (can be quoted with private transfers or with shuttles) with community-based tourism

Day 1 WELCOME AT THE AIRPORT
Welcome at the Juan Santamaría International Airport and transfer to the Hotel. Lodging in San Jose. (BG. PT)

Day 2 COSTA RICA TRADITIONS (Cultural walk of (CODECE)
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Escazú. At 08:00 in the morning, your guide, a native from San Antonio de Escazú will join your group in San Rafael. He will tell you the rich history of Escazú and its agricultural activities. Once in San Antonio you will have the chance to visit the local Catholic Church, which is part of the cultural heritage. CODECE* will offer you an interesting talk about the conservation efforts of the local association. There is an impressive view of the central valley with this region, rich in flora and fauna. You will have the opportunity to hear a great variety of local tales and legends. At the end of the walk, a local will make you having a ride in his typical vehicle. The fallowing visit will be in the mask workshop of Don Gerardo Montoya, grandson of the legendary mask producer Pedro Arias. You will assist to the mask fabrication and visit a “trapiche”. Also, a typical lunch will be served. This trip takes 5 and ½ hours. The rest of the day will be free to get familiarized on your own in the San José city. Overnight in San José. (B, L, LG)

* Asociación de conservación de los cerros de Escazú.

Day 3 SAN JOSE/TORTUGUERO
At about 6:30 a.m., after having breakfast, a company driver will be waiting for you at the hotel’s lobby to take you to Guápiles. Then the trip continues to Cariari, 4 Esquinas and 20 minutes later you will get to Pavona, where you will take a boat to Tortuguero National Park, having lunch at the hostel. The afternoon is free to enjoy the zone. During the night, from July to September (optional trip), you can take a tour to watch the gigantic green turtle spawning. Lodging in Tortuguero (B, L, D, PT, BT)

Day 4 TORTUGUERO
The tour begins at 6:00 a.m. approximately, taking a canoe through the Tortuguero’s Canals (please take into account that the visitor has to row). Transportation via canoe is very attractive because the zone’s nature is rich in flora and fauna. Here you will have the opportunity to watch three different types of monkeys (howler, spider and white faced capuchin). You will also see birds like the green macaw, as well as otters and an incredibly dense forest. This tour lasts 3 hours. At 9:00 a.m. we return to the lodge to have breakfast. After that, at 11:00 a.m., the guide will take you to a walk through the path called “El Gavilán” located inside Tortuguero National Park, exiting through the beach, a zone that is not within the canoe tour. You will have the opportunity to see poisonous frogs, snakes, birds such as trogons and hawks, as well as the natural version of ornamental plants in Europe. The afternoon is free to enjoy the place. (It includes 3 meals). Lodging in Tortuguero. (B, L, D, CT, LG)

Day 5 TORTUGUERO/CAHUITA
After breakfast, at 9:00 a.m. a boat will take you back to Guapiles (Restaurant Selva Tropical), where you will take your lunch. .Simbiosis Tours. will be there to give you the car. Then you will continue on your own to Puerto Viejo, Limón, located in the southern coast of the Caribbean, where you can also find the famous national park, which has the same name. The rest of the afternoon is free to enjoy the beach. Lodging in Puerto Viejo, Limón. (B, BL, BT, PT)

Day 6: CAHUITA/BRIBRI INDIGENOUS RESERVE
Breakfast. This is a hard day. Clients must be ready at 7:00 a.m., to travel to the town of Bambú, in the margins of Telire River. You have to leave the car at a place called .Pulpería de doña Maruja. in Bambú, in order to ride the canoe, at 9:00 a.m. and navigate down the Telire River and then up the Yorkin River, until you get to the community which has the same name. On the route, depending on the stream of the river, passengers will have to walk some parts on the river bank because the stream will not permit navigation. This community is inhabited by the Bribri natives. Visitors share with local residents, listen to the community’s history, their customs and gastronomy. The natives explain the rustic process that the cacao plantations go through and how the palm leaves are woven. A 3 hour walk that includes a visit to the properties that have organic cacao and banana plantations is
done. At 2:30 p.m. visitors return to Bambú, pick up their cars and return to the hotel. Lodging in Puerto Viejo, Limón. (B, BT)

Day 7: CAHUITA/ARENAL
After breakfast, you will drive to the Arenal zone. Lodging in Arenal (B)

Day 8: AGROTOURISM IN THE ARENAL VOLCANO AREA
After breakfast you will be heading, on your own, towards San Marcos de Cutris, at 8:15 a.m. You have to take the road to Guatuzo until you get to the junction of Tanque. 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) after you will get to the junction of Muelle. When you are there, look for the Muelle gas station. Then you continue towards the road to Boca Arenal. 1 mile (1.5 kilometers) before the sawmill, only 50 meters from there, there is an entrance, on the right. This is where .La Casa de la Araña. is located and where the local guide will be waiting for you. The tour begins with a visit to the house of the Morales Vega family, we will be taking a look at how the organic wastes from a pigsty are treated to convert them to biogas and how through this interesting process pollution is eliminated and social well-being and economy are strengthened. At the Gamboa family’s house we will see how organic wastes produced at home and in the corral are transformed into fertilizer in form of little worms. This is also used in the crops. We will also go through the process of milking and tasting the cheese they produce. Finally, we will visit the Vega Soto family. There, we will make tortillas with cheese by hand, on a type of fireplace (fogón) located next to the house and we will make coffee in a traditional way. Lodging in Arenal. (B, L)

Day 9: ARENAL/ SAVEGRE DE QUEPOS (COOPESILENCIO)
After breakfast, (transportation is at your expense) travel from Savegre de Quepos, located 45 minutes from the famous Manuel Antonio National Park. It takes about 6 hours to get there. You take the road from Arenal to San Ramón and then, take the highway to Puntarenas and Jacó Beach. Continue to Manuel Antonio, continue on the road to Savegre de Quepos, 1 hour later you will find the bridge above Savegre River. After the bridge, take the first entrance at the right. After getting installed in the cooperative’s hostel, a visit to get to know the town is done. During the walk, you will be told about the history and development of Coopesilencio, which originally was a settlement and then made legal by the government. There will be a visit to the school, local families and .comisariato.. Lodging in Coopesilencio hostel. (B)

Day 10: COOPESILENCIO
Breakfast. Free to contract tours provided by the cooperative. Among the activities you can enjoy: rafting in Savegre River or you can visit several community projects. The first one is the palm plantations (African palm) where an explanation on how oil is extracted is offered to tourists, as well as the cares that a palm tree has to have and everything related to it. After that, there is a visit to an organic vegetable garden and the composter, then the milking house. There is also a visit to the cabinetmaker’s workshop and the place where pigs and chicken are bred. Last but not least, you can visit the .comisariato. (a little grocery shop), which is the place where locals get their groceries. Other activities you can do on your own include: visit to Manuel Antonio National Park or Matapalo Beach. Lodging in Coopesilencio Hostel. (B)

Day 11: SAVEGRE DE QUEPOS / SAN JOSE
Enjoy your breakfast and then the rest of the day is free. After midday, you drive to San José. From the hostel, it’s 800 meters until you get to a bridge over the Savegre River, 6 kilometers (3.8 miles) North, take the Coast highway, then turn to the right and take the road to Quepos – Parrita – Orotina – Atenas – San José (210 kilometers (130 miles) – approximately 5 hours). (B)

Day 12 TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT.
After breakfast, at the scheduled time, transfer out to the airport. (B, PT)

NOMENCLATURE MEANING: B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, PT: Private transportation, LG: Local guide, BG: Bilingual guide, BT: Boat transportation, S: Shuttle

STANDARD HOTELS:

San José - Rosa del Paseo or Britannia - www.rosadelpaseo.com or www.hbritannia.com
Tortuguero - La Casona Tortuguero
Arenal - Arenal Oasis or Faro Arenal or similar - www.arenaloasis.com
Puerto Viejo de Limon - Hotel Yare - www.hotelyare.com
Savegre de Quepos - El Silencio

PRICES PER PERSON IN US$, VALID FROM DEC 15th 2008 TO APRIL 15th 2009 / JULY 01 TO AUGUST 31 2009: Single: $1890, Double: $1134 Triple: $930

PRICES PER PERSON IN US$ FROM APRIL 16 TO JUNE 30 / OCTUBER 01 TO DECEMBER 15 2009: Single: $1818, Double: $1098, Triple: $912

These prices are not valid in Christmas season, Holy week or Easter week.

IMPORTANT NOTES: The local guides are qualified and have received training. This quote is based in Dahiatsu Terios or Susuky Jimmy 4x4 with basic insurance. The pick up of car will be on day 5 at around 1:30 p.m. . The drop off of car will be on day 12..

Phone: 800-232-5658 or 1-512-443-5393 email

Costa Rica Tours and Travel

WATERCOLORS COSTA RICA TOUR

Phone:
800-232-5658 or
1-512-443-5393
email