DAY 01: SAN JOSE
Arrival to San José: There will be a minibus waiting for you promptly at the airport.

Private transportation will be provided as well as a bilingual tourist guide. From the airport we will head to the Grano de Oro Hotel located in Paseo Colon, the central thoroughfare of San José. It is a true oasis sanctuary in the heart of the city. Like a tropical mansion of the Victorian era, hotel guests will be delighted in a calm atmosphere surrounded by plants and tropical flowers. Additionally, they can relax outdoors in the terrace in one of two Jacuzzis. The bedrooms are cozy, equipped with a queen bed, and private bathroom.

DAY 02: SARCHI-ZARCERO

At 8:30 am, we will begin our trip to Arenal. Along the way we will stop to sightsee and tour delightful little towns like Sarchi, where local crafts can be purchased at a very attractive price…after all, you will be buying directly from the artisans and craftsmen who made them!

The town of Zarcero, another we will visit along the way, has a magnificent park with a beautiful garden and church. Enjoy this opportunity to try delicious cheeses and treats unique to the area. After lunch we will complete our journey to Arenal and spend a night at the Arenal Springs Hotel, which provides a wonderful view of the volcano.

DAY 3: ARENAL

At 9:00 we will take about a one hour trip to the edge of the River Balsa where our professional guides will provide training on the basics of rafting and the use of the rafting equipment. Afterwards, we will raft a total of 14 km down river, stopping midway to stop for snacks. At the end of the river raft we will eat fresh fruits, change clothing, and eat lunch. We will then return to the hotel Arenal Springs or similar at about 4pm.

HALF DAY - WHITE WATER RAFTING – BALSA RIVER
Class 2-3

Experience the excitement and adrenalin of white water rafting on this half day adventure on the Balsa San Carlos River with rapids graded 2/3. After meeting with your river guide at your hotel we will drive 30 minutes to the river where the fun begins! Your guides explain the safety procedures and safety equipment before embarking down the river. Enjoy up to 2 exhilarating hours of white water action on this beautiful tropical river.

Once at the San Carlos Bridge we end our journey, enjoying a swim, some fresh tropical fruits and a cold Costa Rican style “Michelada” This River is a great option for families and beginners.

What to bring on the trip:

• Easy dry clothes ( shorts and t-shirt are best)
• Bathing suit
• Secure shoes ( Sports Sandals and water shoes are best)
• Sunscreen

Schedule: Tour departs daily at 10:30am and returns at 3:00pm.

Tour includes: Transportation to and from most La Fortuna hotels, bilingual certified guides, fruit and snacks on the river, Ice cold drinks, and towels.

We recommend the Balsa River for those who are between the ages 7 and 60. Adventure sports require that you are in good physical condition to participate.

DAY 4: ARENAL

Arenal Hanging Bridges Welcome to the Arenal Hanging Bridges, one of the greatest eco touristic projects of Costa Rica, with the exuberant rain forest where you will find great bio-diversity, and incomparable scenic splendor. Appreciate the natural beauty of the majestic environment, thanks to the imposing and huge hanging bridges with beautiful trails that make access easy and offer great safety. The doors of our tropical paradise are open for all nature lovers and adventurers. Arenal Hanging Bridges wants to offer to all visitors contact with the natural surroundings in a responsible and sustainable way. That is why we have the permits, evaluations, and certifications required for the protection of the reserve and all the living organisms that live there.

This tour is a fun and educational way to become acquainted with our natural environment, since the contact with nature along the trail is amazing. The trails have been designed for people of all fitness levels, it is 3,100 meters in length, and is located inside the mountainous zone. Along the 3 kilometer walk, you will be able to admire the great diversity of flora and fauna typical of the rain forest, watch dozens of bird species, and enjoy the beauty of the diverse plants and animals.

The trails will open the doors to the fascinating life found in the tropical rain forest, in each one of the trails you will fall in love with learning from nature. Our goal is to offer you in a safe and sustainable way, a tiny insight into the gentleness of nature and in this way an appreciation of why this gift must be protected for future generations.

We wait for you to enjoy this unforgettable experience.

In the evening you will visit Baldí, where you will find more than 30 thermal water swimming pools. There are five different swimming pools fed from natural springs. Lodging will be provided by Arenal Springs hotel.

Baldi Hot Springs: Complete with over 30 hot and cold pools of different temperatures, Baldi Hot Springs is a friendly and affordable alternative among the Arenal Costa Rica Hot Springs. The facilities include 3 swim-up bars, 2 waterslides, restaurant, Spa, and changing rooms.

The Baldi Hot Springs are easily the most expansive hot spring facilities in the Arenal Volcano area. There are many different walking paths and gardens, and there is a combination of large and small pools with cascading waterfalls. At Baldi, the cold pools you encounter are very enjoyable after sitting in the neighboring hot ones. Since more than 20 minutes in the hot springs will raise your core body temperature, it is healthy to cool off in these cold pools throughout your visit.

The Baldi Hot Springs are outside of the risk zone (as established by the National Prevention of Risks and Emergency Commission in a 2001 law) so you rest assured that you are safe. Visiting the Baldi Hot Springs provides a nice combination of relaxation and festive energy.

DAY 05: ARENAL- MONTEVERDE

At 8:30 pm, we will take a long walk along the cool lava at the 1968 Arenal Park and explore the lava current. You will be able to observe panoramic views of the volcano and the Arenal lake as well as the paths of the lava flow and the forest zone. Finally, we will head towards Monteverde by car or boat crossing the Arenal lake.
Lodging will be at the Fonda Vela hotel or similar at night.

DAY 06: MONTEVERDE

Around 8:30 a.m., we will leave to the Canopy Adventure. This canopy is an experience of interaction between canopy, rappel, Tarzan swing and a small suspension bridge. It is an extreme adventure.

Our tour begins with a warm welcome at our facilities where our receptionist will help you fill out all the documents and formalities needed to do this type of activity. Then we will head towards the area where all the equipment is placed. Our guides will proceed to install harness and safety garments that you will need during the adventure. After that, different instructions and techniques will be taught to safely enjoy this canopy experience.

Once everyone has no doubts, the guides will be properly introduced. We are now ready to start our adventure. We will begin by climbing a spacious metal ladder, which will takes us to the first platform. The guides will check again the equipment and provide the necessary information on this cable; the pulley and the safety line will be secured and then we will be ready to slide over the top of the trees.

We will have the opportunity to travel along six more cables of different heights and altitudes before arriving to the “rappel”. There you will fall in to the vacuum helped by a 15 meter vertical rope. For this activity, you will be helped and instructed by our guides. We will go back to flying over the forest canopy, passing tree more cables which will lead to “Tarzan swing”. It consists of a swing in the middle of the forest which will reach a 30 meter height, properly tied from two ropes.

For this activity, we count with four guides, two helping on the upper platform and two receiving on the lower platform. When you arrive here, you can rest or take pictures while the rest of the group is still finishing their ride.

Now, we will make a short 300 meter hike that will take us to a new section of the property. It consists of four more cables, including a 700 meter long line. This part of the tour is very popular because it has longer and higher cables, giving you a better look of the landscape and nature with epiphyte cover trees, bromeliads, orchids, birds and animals. After this, we will start our second hike taking us to the last cable, the longest and highest, 600 meter long and 80 meter high.

The ideal place to forget our problems and enjoy an unforgettable experience in this cloudy forest.

Around 2pm, we will take a long walk in the Reserve of the Cloudy Forest, one of the richest and more diverse tropical cloud forests in the New World. It is more well-known as the home of the shining Quetzal. It protects hundreds of other birds, mammals and species of plants. From here, we will be able to observe the Caribbean Sea and the Sea Pacific.

The spectacular Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is a very important and popular ecotourism destination in Costa Rica. With its unique cloud canopy, this biological reserve located in Puntarenas province is 6 km east from the town of Santa Elena. About a four-hour drive from the capital city of San Jose, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is one of the most stunning and breathtaking nature reserves in the entire world.

Unlike rainforests, cloud forests usually receive much less rain. However, because a cloud forest is situated at a higher altitude, it has more humidity and is therefore cloudier than a rainforest. This biological reserve
sits at an elevation between 1,200 m to 1,600 m, and is surrounded by a misty cover that supports a fantastic diversity of flora and fauna. This reserve which often creates a surreal environment is considered to be among the most exceptional wildlife sanctuaries in the New World Tropics.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve covers an area of 26,000 acres (10,522 hectares), and it is home to more than 2,000 species of plants and trees, 100 species of mammals, over 400 species of birds, and roughly 1,200 species of amphibians and reptiles. When exploring the forest, you will come across a variety of birds and animals including bellbirds, guans, toucans, jaguars, pumas and monkeys, as well as the golden toad, a toad species that is only known to exist here in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

This unique landscape is also the habitat of more than 300 species of orchids and 200 species of fern. With views of both the Pacific and Caribbean Oceans, this reserve is filled with a huge array of lofty and soaring trees laden with stunning epiphyte plants.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest has excellent trails for hiking and exploration. However, this reserve is not meant for the weak at heart. A great way to explore the forest is to take a skywalk or a Rappelling Tour or Canopy Tour, where visitors can view the forest from a series of bridges and cables that offer a bird’s eye view of the reserve below. Due to the fragile nature of this reserve, a maximum of 120 people are allowed on a single trail at a time, which are often bordered with exotic flowers such as ‘hot lips’ and a variety of ferns and plants.

A nature lover’s paradise, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is a great place for bird watching, especially from February through May, when plenty of birds nest and migrate here. Home of the beautiful quetzals and a number of hummingbird species, early mornings and late afternoons are the best times to bird watch.

We will stay at the Fonda Vela Hotel or similar at night. (B)

DIA 07: MONTEVERDE- MANUEL ANTONIO

Around 9:30 a.m., the transfer by land will be made from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio, with beautiful views and where crocodiles and lapas will be able to be observed on our way.

Lodging will be at the Costa Verde Hotel or similar at night.

DIA 08: MANUEL ANTONIO

In the morning, we will visit the Manuel Antonio National Park. This Park is one of the most popular national parks due to its unique combination of beaches and forest footpaths, great amount of monkeys, sluggish bears, white nosed coati, iguanas, raccoons and many more. Here we will enjoy the beautiful Pacific Ocean water and activities such as snorkeling. This package includes roundtrip transportation from your hotel, local tourist guide and entrance fee to the park.

Lodging will be at the Costa Verde Hotel or similar at night.

DAY 09: MANUEL ANTONIO

This is a free day in Manuel Antonio to enjoy the park or an additional activity.
Among some of the activities available at an extra cost are: Rafting, kayaking, fishing and/or riding by boat to the Ladies Island. We will stay at the Costa Verde Hotel or similar at night.

DAY 10: SAN JOSE

You will have a free morning and transportation by land to San José will be during evening hours. Lodging will be at the at the Grano de Oro hotel or similar at night.

DAY 11:
Returning to your country of origin. Private Transfer from your hotel to the airport.

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• Private arrival transfer with bilingual tourist guide from airport to hotel.
• 2 nights of lodging at the Grano de Oro Hotel or similar hotel (breakfast included).
• Visit to Sarchi and Zarcero
• Rafting with lunch included.
• 3 nights of lodging at the Arenal Springs Hotel or similar hotel.
• Entrance fees to the Hanging Bridges
• Visit to thermal waters of Baldi
• Long walk tour of lava at the 1968 Arenal Park.
• Canopy Adventure
• Long walk to the Biological Reserve of Monteverde
• 2 nights of lodging at the Fonda Vela hotel or similar with breakfasts included.
• 3 nights of lodging at the Costa Verde hotel or similar with breakfasts included.
• Entrance fees to the Manuel Antonio National Park
• Private departure transfer with bilingual tourist guide from hotel to airport.