ITINERARY

• 01 San José
  

  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Welcome to San José , the colourful capital of Costa Rica . On arrival at the Juan Santamaria airport you will be greeted by your local tour manager ,then we proceed and check into our hotel .Evening is at leisure you are free to take a stroll and explore the vibrant city . Later dinner and overnight at the hotel.

  San José is located in the heart of a vast and fertile valley, the Meseta Central (Central Valley). Born in the 18th century, it has few testimonies of the colonial era. The capital of Costa Rica has a population of one million and is now one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities in Central America. Costa Rican cuisine is based on fresh ingredients and local products of excellent quality. We favor places or menus that allow you to discover the vegetables, meat and other fish of our tropics, whether in a popular, family restaurant or at the table of chefs who revisit local recipes. We communicate with restaurants to ensure that drinks are served without straws or at least with bamboo or recyclable straws.

  Presidente 4*

  Dinner included

• 02 San José - Irazu Volcano - Cartago - San José
  

  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Breakfast buffet at the hotel.

  Discovery of the Irazu Volcano National Park

  Departure from the Central Valley towards the Cartago Valley, the ancient capital of Costa Rica. A route that takes you through the misty countryside towards the imposing Irazu Volcano (3,432 meters above sea level) and its lunar landscape park (easy access on foot). On a clear day, it is possible to see both the Caribbean coast and the Pacific coast from its summit. The Irazu Volcano is an active volcano whose impressive main crater houses a boiling emerald-colored lake ( NB: be careful sometimes the lake can dry up ). Its name comes from an indigenous people who live at the base of the volcano “Istazu” (mountain of thunder and earthquakes). Its last significant eruption dates back to 1963.

  Visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels of Cartago

  In the heart of the city of Cartago, the former capital of Costa Rica, you will visit the Notre Dame de Los Angeles basilica. In Byzantine style, its all-wood interior is an architectural marvel. The Basilica receives more than 2 million pilgrims each year at the beginning of August during the celebration of the Virgin of Los Angeles, patroness of the country. It was built in 1912 on the site of the old church destroyed by the earthquake of 1910. It is one of the largest churches in the country and the most symbolic.

  Lunch.

  Return to central San José.

  Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

  Technical informations:

  Transfer : approx. 3 hours of driving during the day - +/- 110 km Accommodation: Autentico Torremolinos 3* - www.autenticohotel.com

  Meals : breakfast; lunch ; dinner

  Lunch drink : 1 natural juice / Dinner drink : 1 natural juice

  Presidente 4*

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included

• 03 San José - Caribbean Jungle - Tortuguero
  

  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Coffee and biscuits at the hotel.

  Departure for the northern Caribbean coast by collective transfer (lodge bus) . You leave the central valley by crossing the green immensity of the Braulio Carrillo National Park. With its 2000m passes and its Barva (2906m) and Cacho Negro (2150m) mountains, it protects different tropical rainforest and tropical cloud forest ecosystems, which you can observe as you climb. Once you have passed the central cordillera, you find yourself facing the Caribbean plain.

  Stop for a full breakfast along the way .

  Continuation of the road through the gigantic banana plantations to the pier on the edge of the river and board the boat to join the main canal to Tortuguero, a small isolated village on the North Caribbean coast, wedged between a wide estuary and the Atlantic Ocean and accessible only by plane and boat.

  Arrival, welcome cocktail (non-alcoholic fruit juice) and installation at the lodge.

  Buffet lunch .

  Visit to the village of Tortuguero

  Short stroll in the village to discover the school, the church.... Free time to stroll, do some shopping...!

  It is a small community lost at the end of the world which today comes out of its isolation with the visit of travelers to the National Park. Between the small streets, sometimes still on sandy paths, the beach and the lagoon, a moment to see the peaceful tropical life lulled by the Caribbean colors of the decorations and vegetation.

  Presentation of the guide on sea turtles

  The guide will give you a presentation on sea turtles in Costa Rica, starting with the history of the village of Tortuguero and the initiation of the project for the protection of turtles and the creation of the STC (Sea Turtle Concervancy) organization. It will provide you with explanations on the migrations of turtles, their biology and the different methods put in place to protect them, in particular the patrols which are organized each year in the country.

  Buffet dinner and night at the lodge.

  NB: take note that depending on the water level in the park's canals, the pier could be modified, leading to an increase in the road journey of approximately 1h30.

  NB 2: if you take the private transfer, breakfast will be at the hotel and not en route.

  NB 3: customers who will stay at Turtle Beach, note that the operation of the lodge is different, with two free afternoons. The visit to the village will take place before settling in at the lodge.

  Technical informations :

  Transfer : approx. 3h30 drive + 1h30 boat - +/- 115 km Accommodation: Laguna Lodge - www.lagunatortuguero.com

  Meals : breakfast; lunch ; dinner

  Lunch drink: 1 natural juice + coffee or tea / Dinner drink: 1 natural juice + coffee or tea

  The options :

  - Supplement private transfer San Jose – Tortuguero: + 38 US$/person (price from 8 pax) / +28 US$/person (price from 15 pax)

  - Adopting a sea turtle was helped by the NGO Sea Turtle Conservancy (formerly known as the CCC, Caribean Conservancy Corporation) which is one of the oldest sea turtle conservation associations and has been working in Tortuguero since the early 1960s. Adopting a turtle means helping financially with conservation projects. In exchange the group receives a certificate and chooses the name given to their turtle. It’s also an opportunity for a nice souvenir photo! Price: +36 USD/group

  Laguna Lodge

  Breakfast , Lunch & Dinner included

• 04 Boat Safari & Tortuguero National Park
  

  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Buffet breakfast at the lodge.

  Discovery of Tortuguero National Park by boat safari ( NB: collective )

  Departure by boat to visit the canals of the National Park (approx. 2 hours). Observation of the flora and fauna of this 32,000 ha primary forest, which extends as far as the eye can see. It is home to hundreds of species of plants - orchids, ferns, bromeliads - and century-old trees. At the heart of this splendid tropical setting, the spectacle is everywhere and the incredibly sharp eyes of the captains will allow explorers to discover the barely hidden life that unfolds before them. Near the banks, the caimans peacefully wait their turn to appear on the scene while the spider monkeys play in the branches laden with fruit. The birds are most active and fish in the canal. The tranquility of the picture is not feigned and the lazy people who live here in large numbers are the first to welcome it.

  Walk on the lodge trails

  Crossing the tropical forest. In the gardens, the guide will introduce you to the incredible diversity of tropical plants and flowers.

  Buffet lunch.

  Afternoon, free time to enjoy the optional activities offered by the lodge (kayak, etc.) or to relax by the swimming pool.

  Buffet dinner and overnight at the hotel.

  NB: It is strongly recommended not to swim in the lagoon or the ocean due to animals and currents.

  NB 2: the boat safari is an activity organized by the Tortuguero lodges. Each boat has a capacity of approximately 15 people and travelers will be spread across several boats. Park rangers decide the distribution of each captain's routes. The boats may take different routes, however they will all be accompanied by a local English/Spanish guide.

  Laguna Lodge

  Breakfast ,Lunch &Dinner included

• 05 Caribbean Wetlands - Sarapiqui
  

  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Buffet breakfast at the lodge.

  Departure by boat before returning to the main Caribbean route.

  Buffet lunch along the way .

  Continuation towards the Sarapiqui region. This is the northern plains region of Costa Rica. We are in the Caribbean ecosystem, humid jungles, wild rivers and cultures of tropical plants and fruits.

  Optional: lunch/meeting with a heart of palm farmer (very popular tour, to be booked in advance)

  Meeting with Maria and her daughters who will make you taste their heart of palm, it will also be the opportunity to discover the process of development and harvesting of the palm tree. The owner Maria or one of her daughters will share with you their life experience between agriculture and sustainable tourism. You will end your visit with a tasting of delicious fresh hearts of palm. Specialty lunch on site: menu: hearts of palm “ceviche”; hearts of palm lasagna accompanied by vegetables and salad; fruit and homemade cake) .

  OR

  Optional: chocolate tour (highly requested tour, to be booked in advance)

  There you will be presented with the different stages of traditional cocoa production, from the plant to the chocolate drink or chocolate bar. Presentation of the different varieties and the process of transforming cocoa into chocolate (picking, fermentation and drying). Tasting of organic chocolate and derived products .

  - Lunch/meeting with a heart of palm farmer: +US$50/person ( NB: from 10 pax )

  Selva Verde

  Breakfast & Lunch included

• 06 Pineapple Cultivation & Tierra Del Fuego
  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Breakfast at the lodge.

  Visit to an organic pineapple plantation

  In a family atmosphere, your host takes you to one of his organic pineapple fields and explains how this tropical plant so popular in the West is cultivated. You can taste the fruit on site and plant your own pineapple plant in the “souvenir garden”. You will also be able to discover many tropical plants and their secrets.

  Continuation towards the northern plain, rich in tropical fruit and citrus plantations with the perfect cone of the Arenal volcano rising in the background. The lush tropical vegetation surrounding the colossus, the warm waters that escape from it and the magnificent lake that spreads out at its feet make it one of the most spectacular sites in the country.

  Lunch.

  Arrival and installation at the hotel.

  Dinner in the village and night at the hotel.

  Lavas Tacotal 

  Breakfast ,Lunch &Dinner included

• 07 Suspension Bridges - Meeting - Arenal
  

  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Breakfast at the hotel.

  Visit to an ecological farm, trapiche tour and tortilla class

  Meeting with the Gonzalez family, a home of committed farmers who have been practicing organic farming for over 40 years. Under the Troja, a traditional place of life and discussion, you will learn everything about sugar cane and the tool formerly used for its transformation: the trapiche, before tasting all the flavors of sugar cane: the fresh fruit, its juice and its alcohol, artisanal guaro, favorite of the Ticos . Continuing the visit, you will cross plantations of plants and vegetables grown according to a sustainable organic production method and will discover some emblematic legends of Costa Rica. All in an enchanting natural setting and accompanied by the owners of the farm who will not fail to let you taste the coffee produced on the farm after welcoming you for an introductory course on homemade tortillas !

  Traditional lunch (example menu: “olla de carne” or Costa Rican “pot-au-feu” with tropical vegetables: plantain, cassava, macabo, and beef) on site, during the excursion.

  Walk on the suspension bridges of Arenal

  On a route of some 3000 meters, you will cross the tropical forest by paths linked together by 8 fixed bridges and 6 suspension bridges. The trails were designed to be accessible to everyone. Bridges are high-tech metal structures offering all the necessary safety. They measure from 8 to 98 meters in length and the tallest of them rises to 45 meters in height. The succession of trails and bridges allows you to appreciate the flora of this tropical rainforest from a different perspective, from the roots to the canopy.

  Walk and visit the village of La Fortuna, the opportunity to learn more about this famous village and its volcano! Free time to do some shopping or enjoy the hotel facilities.

  Lavas Tacotal 

  Breakfast ,Lunch & Dinner included

• 08 Tenorio Volcano Magic
  

  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Breakfast at the hotel.

  Road to the Bijagua region and the Rio Celeste.

  Tenorio Volcano National Park Walk

  Welcome to the magical world of Tenorio Volcano National Park! After leaving the last isolated farms of the community of Bijagua, we enter a world of humid forest for a splendid walk along the Rio Celeste, the “blue river”. Its name comes from its milky blue color, linked to the chemical reactions which take place in these volcanic waters loaded with mineral elements. Throughout the route, we observe numerous manifestations of the activity of the Tenorio volcano: fumaroles, gas emanations, hot water springs, pools of sulphurous water, volcanic mud... The walk offers magnificent views such as that of the waterfall, ultimate goal of the visit. Fauna and flora are also on the observation menu.

  Lunch.

  Optional: meeting with the Malekus indigenous community (including lunch)

  Visit to the Maleku community of San Rafael de Guatuso. Welcome by the cultural leader of the community who will give you explanations on the way of life of this indigenous people of which only a few individuals remain as well as on their fight between modernity and traditions to preserve their culture through their language, their history, their knowledge… Then we will move on to a craft workshop where we will make calabash engravings that you will take with you as a souvenir. This will be an opportunity to find out how it was used at the time. Then, a short walk to discover medicinal plants and the uses made of them by the natives (for example bag making...). Finally, you will try your hand at archery, an ancestral practice for hunting small animals and birds, then the family will explain the life of their ancestors through a play.

  Traditional lunch during the excursion (grilled fish served in leaves, accompanied by cassava, rice, vegetables, and fruit for dessert) . You will also have the opportunity to buy very pretty objects directly from the hands of the craftsman. This will not only allow you to acquire authentic indigenous crafts, but also to collaborate in the preservation of Maleku culture and tradition.

  Celeste Mountain Lodge

  Breakfast ,Lunch included

• 09 Guanacaste Region - Rincón De La Vieja
  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Breakfast at the lodge.

  Departure for Rincon de la Vieja.

  Discovery of the central region of Guanacaste : livestock farming area with pampas and savannah landscapes. Cowboy and ranchero atmosphere...This dry region in the northwest joined Costa Rica through a referendum. The population here is much more mixed, we are on the lands of the descendants of the Chorotegas. The road now reaches the Inter-American, the legendary road that connects all of America, from Alaska to Chile.

  Lunch en route.

  Arrival and installation at the lodge.

  Dinner and night at the lodge.

  NB: Buena Vista del Rincon is located approximately 1h30 from the national park.

  Buena Vista del Rincon

  Breakfast ,Lunch &Dinner included

• 10 Rincón De La Vieja Volcano National Park
  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Breakfast at the lodge.

  Transfer to the national park.

  Discovery of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano National Park ( NB: park closed on Mondays )

  Two-hour walk, on a relatively easy route in the area of “Las Pailas” (the boiling mud pits). Discovery of the dry tropical forest, its mud cauldrons, its fumaroles and its gigantic trees. Many trees are parasitized by Ficus Matapalo, which grow around their victim until they overtake it and suffocate it...The trees are thus often doubly gigantic. This forest is crossed by rivers and veins of burning gas which have created “cauldrons” of boiling mud. You will feel the earth alive at your feet!

  Lunch .

  Free afternoon to relax, enjoy the hotel's thermal baths and mud baths or to do an optional activity departing from the lodge.

  Optional: canopy tour (zip line) – English/Spanish guide

  The canopy tour represents a fashionable way to discover nature. You slide from one treetop to another, safely supported by a system of cables and pulleys. This way you enjoy a new and attractive angle from which to observe the grandeur of nature. Experienced guides ensure your safety throughout.

  OR

  Optional: Horseback riding – English/Spanish guide

  Through the meadows and dry forest characteristic of this region of Guanacaste, this horseback ride will allow you to discover the many landscapes of the region.

  Dinner and night at the lodge.

  NB: if there are no activities planned on D7, we will skip the park visit that day in order to leave D8 free.

  Buena Vista del Rincon

  Breakfast ,Lunch & Dinner included

• 11 Rincón De La Vieja - Pacific Beaches - Tambor
  

  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Breakfast at the lodge.

  Departure for the beaches of the Pacific Passage through the warm lands of Guanacaste between mango tree plantations and herds of zebu.

  Arrival and welcome cocktail (non-alcoholic fruit juice) .

  Lunch at the hotel.

  NB: Room key delivery from 2:00 p.m./3:00 p.m. End of guide and driver services.

  Free afternoon at the seaside in an all-inclusive formula .

  Dinner and night.

  Barcelo Playa Tambor 4*

  Breakfast ,Lunch &Dinner included

• 12 Pacific Beaches - Tambor
  

  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Breakfast buffet at the hotel.

  Free day at the seaside in all-inclusive formula

  Services included in the all-inclusive formula:

  Ø Breakfast, lunch and dinner in the “El Tucán” buffet restaurant

  Ø From the 3rd night you can reserve a free à la carte meal at the El Rancho restaurant or Miyako (subject to availability). Reservations are required.

  Ø Snack at the “El Palenque” bar, open from 12:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

  Ø Unlimited drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, beer, liqueurs, cocktails and coffee)

  Ø Pool bar “El Ron Ron” open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

  Ø Lobby bar “Le Cocobolo” open from 5 p.m. to midnight

  Ø Free entry to “El Rancho”; disco open from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.

  Ø Beach activities and water sports

  Ø Children's park (Kids Club from 4 to 12 years old and Teen House from 13 to 17 years old)

  Ø Daytime and nighttime entertainment program

  Ø Aerobics, dance and stretching classes

  Ø Swimming pool with waterfall for children and adults

  Ø Sports fields (football, basketball and handball) and beach courts (volleyball, football)

  Ø Archery, darts, table tennis

  Ø Water sports center: windsurfing, bodyboarding, shuffle boarding, canoeing

  Ø Three lighted tennis courts

  Ø Water polo, gym

  Ø Library (to borrow books)

  Ø Ecological park

  Services and activities NOT included in the All Inclusive

  Ø Room service from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

  Ø Laundry

  Ø Telephone and telecommunications, fax, mail, Internet access

  Ø Water sports center: underwater fishing and scuba diving

  Ø Imported drinks

  Ø Jewelry and gift shop

  Ø Billiards

  Ø Excursions, travel agency, car rental

  Ø Air taxi

  Ø Hair salons and massage

  Ø Conference room

  Buffet lunch and dinner at the hotel and overnight stay.

  Technical informations : Accommodation: Barcelo Playa Tambor 4* - www.barcelotamborbeach.com

  Meals: breakfast; lunch ; dinner

  Lunch drink: all-inclusive formula / Dinner drink: all-inclusive formula

  Barcelo Playa Tambor 4*

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included

• 13 Tambor - San José
  

  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Breakfast buffet at the hotel.

  From the hotel, you will first have to reach the small port of Paquera to board the ferry. The crossing of the Nicoya golf course will offer the last spectacle of the wild beauty of the islands before taking the road to the other side of the golf course at the port of Puntarenas then going up towards the central valley.

  Lunch en route.

  On the way, we will make a stop at the village of Sarchi.

  We go to the monument to the cart, “Monumento a la carreta”, passing through the central park with a pleasant atmosphere between the garden and public square.

  Sarchi, with its 5,000 inhabitants, is the most famous town in all of Costa Rica for its crafts. In Sarchi, there are more than 200 craft workshops where they mainly produce hand-painted ox carts with bright, joyful and very typical colors, symbolic of Costa Rica, but also wooden or leather furniture. ... Carts were used to transport coffee in the 19th century from hilly, difficult-to-access lands to the Pacific coast. But for the record, this craft developed due to the proliferation of tractors and other vehicles in the countryside... Facing ruin, the cart manufacturers had the idea of miniaturizing their know-how and launched the fashion for this ornament...

  Continue to the hotel.

  Installation at the hotel.

  Dinner

  Balmoral 3*

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included

• 14 San José
  

  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Breakfast at the hotel.

  The mountains of the Central Valley are rich lands suitable for agriculture. They are covered with coffee and strawberry plantations and pastures for cows.

  Coffee tour

  The visit to the plantation and its coffee processing site, classified as cultural heritage, is an invitation to discover the black gold of Costa Rica: coffee. “From seed to cup”, the visit takes you through the entire coffee production process, starting with an in-situ explanation of coffee cultivation: nursery, seedlings, cultivation method. The visit continues with the discovery of industrial installations which have the particularity of using hydraulic energy as the only source of energy. All the processing stages, from cherry to green export bean then from green bean to roasted coffee, are detailed for you. To end the visit, you will be invited to taste the brand's different coffees, all 100% Arabica and awarded several times for their quality.

  Return to San José.

  Lunch .

  Visit to the gold museum

  The Gold Museum, installed in modern infrastructures, is one of the few museums in the world dedicated to gold and certainly constitutes one of the most beautiful and rich collections in Latin America with those of Colombia and Peru. . It presents a fascinating collection of more than 1,600 pre-Columbian pieces dating from the year 500 to 1500. An extraordinary collection of objects and numerous paintings illustrate the goldsmithing techniques dominated by the pre-Columbian peoples of what is now Costa Rican territory, the use and function of these objects as well as their relationship with nature and the daily life of different ethnic groups.

  Guided walk in the center of the capital

  You will discover the magnificent National Theater which is the pride of the Ticos because it is considered the main national monument by virtue of its architectural beauty, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the numerous parks which green the city center, and the Avenida Central, a large pedestrian street where find many “made in China” stores. The central market ( NB: closed on Sundays ) and its maze of covered streets is essential to experience the Latin atmosphere.

  Dinner and night.

  Presidente 4*

  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included

• 15 San José - Departure
  • Overview
  • Accommodation
  • Meals

  Breakfast at the hotel.

  Transfer to Juan Santamaria airport for your return flight in the company of your driver (without guide).

  Free lunch.

  Technical informations :

  Transfer : approx. 20 minutes - +/- 20km

  Meals : breakfast

  Accommodation included

  Breakfast ,Lunch &Dinner included

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