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Iguana Multisport Tour

The Iguana is our 11 day multi-activity trip around Costa Rica, with an 8 day option. This great country packs quite a punch when it comes to sheer beauty and great outdoor activities! We fill our days hiking, paddling, cycling and snorkeling our way around some of the most off-the-beaten-track parts of this friendly Central American country. We start with a heart pumping hike up Turrialba Volcano, paddle a raft on the mighty Pacuare River down to the Carribean lowlands, and hike around the constantly erupting Arenal Volcano. Our trip continues with a hike through the cloud forest, and a visit to a local coffee plantation before we make our way down to the Pacific coast. We'll hike through the Cabo Blanco National Park, snorkel with sea turtles and paddle a sea kayak out to Tortuga Island before returning to San Jose, Costa Rica's capital city.

Sunday - Arrive San Jose
Your trip begins in San José, Costa Rica’s capital city. If you’re flying in on day one of the trip, someone will meet you off your flight and take you to your accommodation. You’ll have the rest of the day to explore San José’s beautiful town squares, quaint cafés and bustling streets where lively street performers dot the sidewalks. San José sits in a beautiful valley surrounded by towering volcanoes. Its location, just 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, gives it a mild, spring-like climate. In the evening you’ll meet up with your trip leader and the rest of the group for a full briefing and a delicious Tico dinner!
ACCOMMODATION: Local hotel, San José (D)

Monday - Raft the Pacuare River
An early start this morning sees us leaving the city behind and driving to the rafting put-in on the Pacuare River, one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. The rafting is suitable for all experience levels and you will receive a full safety briefing from our guides. We’ll set off down the river, descending Grade III and IV rapids from Costa Rica’s central highlands down through virgin rainforest to the Caribbean lowlands. Lush, green vegetation hangs down the towering vertical walls of this amazing river canyon. This trip is known as one of the world’s best rafting trips and you’ll see why – with exciting white water, stunning scenery and pleasant water temperature it’s an unforgettable rafting experience for novice paddlers and experts alike! After we take out, we’ll continue on to Fortuna, a small town at the foot of the Arenal Volcano where we’ll stay for the next two nights. The views are amazing from our accommodation – on a clear night you can often see the glow of lava from the volcano!
ACCOMMODATION: Cabinas Los Guayabos, Fortuna (B,L,D)

Tuesday - Hiking Cerro Chato Volcano
This morning we'll begin our ascent of the Cerro Chato Volcano. After a short time hiking through the typical Tico farmland, we'll enter stunning virgin rainforest canopy, as it flanks the trail. It's a heart pumping hike to the top of this magnificent volcano, but the rewards are worth the effort! When we arrive at the summit we'll be greeted with views of the beautiful turquoise lake nestled in the thick rainforest crater.After lunch at the top we'll head down for a well deserved soak in the thermal pools outside town.
ACCOMMODATION: Cabinas Los Guayabos, Fortuna (B,L,D)

Wednesday – Cycling around lake Arenal, Monteverde
This morning take an amazing cycle trip around the edge of Lake Arenal. After an early breakfast we'll begin riding under the rainforest canopy as we follow the shores of the Lake. You'll be amazed at the cacophony of Tucan calls, howler monkeys and other wildlife sounds under the rainforest canopy. If cycling isn't your thing you can spend the morning hiking through the rainforest to the Catarata de La Fortuna - one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Latin America. The views down into the plunge pool and surrounding rainforest from above the waterfall are gorgeous. We'll meet in the Monteverde cloudforest.
ACCOMMODATION: Sunset Hotel, Monteverde (B,L,D)

Thursday – Hiking Monteverde Cloudforest
Today we’ll explore some of the most intriguing forest trails in Central America in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Laden with native flora and fauna, and tucked in a highland valley of the Costa Rican mountains, Monteverde offers a peaceful hiking experience with stunning waterfalls, lush forest canopy, and plenty of native animals ducking in and out of the trails. When we get back from our hike, you’ll have the afternoon free to try some of the wide range of optional activities on offer at Monteverde – you’ll find everything from canopy tours to horse riding or even a mariposario (butterfly garden)! If you’d like an adrenalin-pumping view of the forest canopy from above, there’s an option to take a zip line high above the trees. It’s an unforgettable ride with magical views of the rainforest and the valleys below.
ACCOMMODATION: Sunset Hotel (B,L,D)

Friday - Exploring Coyote beach, coastal hiking or relax at the beach
Today we’ll continue down to the tropical warmth of the Pacific lowlands, and hit the Pacific Ocean for the first time on the trip. Our home for the next couple of nights will be Rancho Tanga, an idyllic beach camp on Playa Coyote – an isolated white sand Costa Rican beach on the Nicoya Peninsula. This afternoon we’ll have time to explore the Rio Coyote estuary, where caiman are often seen and howler monkeys swing through the trees above us. If you prefer, you can relax at the beach, swim, wander along the shore, explore tidal rock pools, or just laze in a hammock while we set up camp. Later we’ll enjoy a dinner prepared by Tanga’s wife Mayela – you’ll never forget the seafood feasts you eat here.
ACCOMMODATION: Camping on Coyote Beach – paradise on Earth! (B,L,D)

Saturday - Coastal hike to sea turtle rescue project
Today we’ll hike over Punta Coyote to Caletas Beach – incredibly, even more beautiful and deserted than Coyote – where we’ll meet the hardy volunteers of Pretoma, a sea turtle preservation organisation. These dedicated conservationists live for months at a time in tents and lean-tos, and patrol the beach every night to save the eggs of rare sea turtles from predators (project open July – February). We’ll wander back to camp, through reefs and rock pools where tropical fish, snails, crabs and molluscs abound, before hiking up Cerro Coyote to watch another incredible sunset against a background of panoramic views of the Pacific and miles of deserted coastline.
ACCOMMODATION: Camping on Coyote Beach (B,L,D)

Sunday – Hiking Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve
We'll leave Coyote beach this morning and make our way south to the tip of the Nicoya peninsula to the Cabo Blanco Nature reserve. This national reserve is the oldest wildlife sanctuary in Costa Rica , and is home to several native species of monkey, sloth, raccoon, and parrot. We'll spend the afternoon hiking through the steep, forest terrain to the tip of the peninsula, and back along the white sand beaches to the trail head. We'll spend the night at Curu Nature Reserve, our home for the next two nights.
ACCOMMODATION: Curu Nature Reserve Lodge (B,L,D)

If you’ve joined us for the first eight days of the Iguana this is the last day of your multi-activity trip in Costa Rica. This afternoon we’ll arrange your transport back to San José, where your trip ends.

Monday - Sea kayak and snorkel Tortuga Island
This morning we'll paddle our sea kayaks across to Tortuga Island, a short distance offshore from the Curu Nature Reserve. After a familiarisation briefing from our guides we'll set off across the warm, clear waters of the Golfo de Nicoya. This beautiful stretch of water is frequented by whales, so bring your camera! When we arrive on the island, we'll have lunch on a picture-postcard beach. Tortuga Island is a stunning place, with pristine beaches laden with coconut palms, clear water and a green rainforest interior. In the afternoon we'll set off with our masks and snorkels into the warm Pacific waters surrounding Tortuga Island, to spot sea turtles, iguanas, lobsters and hundreds of varieties of fish in crystal clear waters. Then we’ll head back to the mainland to our base at Montezuma.
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel Celaje (B,L,D)

Tuesday - Visit butterfly lab, hike overlooking the Golfo de Nicoya
We have a chance to learn about the local culture and ecology of Costa Rica with a visit to Colegio Technical Profesional in the tiny village of Paquera. We’ll be shown around the college which includes a lab to study Costa Rican butterflies, in particular the Blue Morpho, a breeding programme for Tepezcuintles (a large nocturnal South American rodent) and a nature reserve. We’ll get to meet the students of the college and take a hike uphill through the reserve for views over the Pacific Ocean. This is a great chance to learn more about the butterflies and birdlife of Costa Rica and we’ll also have the opportunity to sample some of the exotic fruit that is grown in the area. In the early afternoon we’ll take a ferry across the Golfo de Nicoya to Puntarenas where we’ll stop for lunch before heading back to San José where we’ll enjoy our final evening together.
ACCOMMODATION: Local hotel, San José (B,L,D)

Wednesday - San Jose, depart
Today is the last day of your Iguana trip in Costa Rica with us. If you have time before your flight or you’re staying on for a few days, we’ll be happy to make some suggestions on how to make the most of it – you won’t want to miss San José’s bustling central market, and relaxing with an ice cream in the central square makes for fantastic people-watching and a priceless view of Tico city life. If you prefer to take in a little culture, your guide will be happy to point you in the direction of San José’s many museums, art galleries and charming streetscapes. Alternatively, if you’re flying out today, we’ll send you home refreshed, relaxed and invigorated, after experiencing the best that Costa Rica has to offer – great activities, fantastic scenery and friendly people. Pura Vida! (B)

ACCOMMODATIONS : The Iguana is an active adventure-orientated trip around Costa Rica. As with all ACTIVE trips, we've chosen interesting, clean and comfortable accommodation throughout. Most of the places we stay are off the beaten track and truly spectacular.

FITNESS : You must have a reasonable level of fitness to enjoy yourself. You don't have to be young nor extremely fit (although if you are, you won't be bored) but you should be in the habit of doing at least some exercise. Age and experience is not important. We would rather have an older person with a good attitude than a 22-year-old couch potato!

EXPERIENCE : You don't have to have any outdoor experience to do one of our trips. We offer trips that enable you to make the most of Latin America 's awesome outdoor environment, culture and history. Our staff are highly trained and very experienced outdoor guides, and we'll look after you! You don't need any experience in snorkeling, rafting or sea kayaking on the Iguana. All you need is to be energetic and in reasonable shape - and we guarantee you'll have a wonderful time. But if you like a challenge
we will certainly give you one! We can offer activities to suit people who only do a little exercise and those who have a very high level of fitness and experience in all our activities. We manage the level of commitment to suit your experience, and we have an impeccable safety record.

FLEXIBILITY : Costa Rica is in a developing part of the world, and we can't tell you that everything runs like clock work in Latin America. What we CAN tell you as that we are experienced adventure travel leaders, and we know how to keep things operating as smoothly as possible, even when conditions are challenging. That's why we are here! If you bring flexibility and a sense of humor you'll find your trip goes even smoother!

PRICE: The trip fare is US$2799 for 11 days, US$2499 for 8 days

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INCLUDED : . The trip fare includes just about everything, specifically:
All guiding services. We always have an experienced trip leader with every trip and will usually have a local guide on many of our excursions for extra local knowledge.
Comfortable accommodation for the entire trip. We can also organize pre and post trip accommodation for you if you let us know.
All your breakfast and lunches. Alcohol is not included.
All snorkeling, rafting, sea kayaking, hiking and biking as described in the itinerary, excluding optional activities as noted. No activities are compulsory, and nor will your trip be less awesome if you chose to sit out any of the activities.

DATES: 2010 - Mar 6 10 - Mar 16 10 , Mar 20 10 - Mar 30 10 , Apr 3 10 - Apr 13 10 , Apr 17 10 - Apr 27 10, Nov. 27-Dec. 7, Dec. 11-21, Dec. 25-Jan. 4

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

Costa Rica Tours and Travel

Iguana Multisport Tour

BOOKING REQUEST

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

BOOKING
REQUEST