FEEL THE ADVENTURE
Day 1: After finishing all the migratory controls, you will be met by your guide Gerhard Linner, who will take you then to the hotel in San José, the capital of Costa Rica. You will have a small briefing to inform about last minute details, and also to evacuate any questions or doubts.
Day 2: Before leaving the central valley you will visit Los Coyotes Private Preserve. Here you will have an introduction to the Costa Rican conservation efforts, as well as to the ornamental plant industry, and learn how an agricultural activity can be done in an environmentally friendly manner. After this, start the 2 hour and 30 minute bus ride to the area of Sarapiquí. Great place to start an adventure that you will never forget! Selva Verde Lodge is located right on the margin of the Sarapiquí River and surrounded by forest and at an elevation of 950 feet above sea level. It protects 450 ha. of tropical rain forest, where you can be lucky enough to see some monkeys, sloths, toucans or parrots, or maybe all of them!
Day 3: Today’s when the real adventure begins. You will learn how to use inflatable kayaks, canoes, river kayaks and rafts, as we float down the Sarapiquí River to the town of Puerto Viejo; historical town for the importance that it had during the colonial time as a resting place for people that where coming or going to the border with Nicaragua or the Caribbean coast .The morning practice will help for the afternoon rafting trip, that will start a few kilometers up the river and ending right at the lodge. None of these activities requires experience. The rafting guides will teach everybody how to use all the different kinds of boats and the equipment needed for that. All the equipment needed this day will provide by the Rafting Company.
Day 4: After having a healthy Costa Rican breakfast, the private preserve of the lodge is the best place to take a nature walk. There are more than 3 miles of trail. You will take the perimeter trail that is about 1 and a half miles long, with some ups and downs, but not too difficult. After lunch you will be going to the Arenal volcano area. This drive will take about 2 hours to travel a distance of 90 miles aprox.
Day 5: Arenal volcano is one the most active volcanoes in the world. It is also one of the most accessible ones. The national park that receives the name of the volcano holds a very interesting story of the activity and the ecosystems developing inside. You will take the trail that goes over some of the lava flows, and sections of the forest that have been recuperating since the 1968 eruption. This walk may take 2 hours. After the hike, you will leave this area, heading to the northwest part of the country, the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park, in Guanacaste province. This is a 4 and a half hour drive to cover some 160 miles. Elevation at the hotel is 2600 feet aprox.
Day 6: This is one of the best places to take long hikes, so that is what you will do. This park protects some of the last portions of Tropical Dry Forest that can be found in the world. This gives you the opportunity of experiencing something completely different from what you have experience so far. You will have the option of hiking from 3 to 6 hours, passing close to some of the fumaroles, boiling mud-pods, the main crater, visit one of the many different waterfalls, and of course the opportunity of observing some of the many different animals and birds that live there. The altitude gain on this walks vary depending on the trail. The one going to the crater goes from around 2910 to 6000. The others range from 2910 to 3000 aprox.
Day 7: Being able to walk in the forest is something beyond compare. But being able to fly through the forest is something else! The “canopy” is an activity that was originally design to give people the opportunity of seeing things up in the forest that otherwise would be almost impossible to see. This also can be considering an extreme adventure. You will be moving along the canopy of the forest using a cable system that has been design for that. The trees are connected by this cable that will have different lengths and altitudes. Also the tour goes through the canyon of a river, where you will do some rappelling, swing on a rope like Tarzan, and a little climbing. No experience is necessary. This is also called “canyoning”. The guides in charge will give a safety talk to the group, where they will explain all the does and don’ts, as well as the commands that they will be using throughout the activity. Once the canopy tour is over, start the drive to the beach. Tamarindo becomes a great place to spend a few days at the pacific. Located 120 miles away from the “canopy” location, it will take only about 2 hours to get there.
Day 8: The white sand beach of Tamarindo is a great place to start a sea kayak and snorkel adventure. Paddling around to some of the good snorkeling spots around and back will take all morning. If the water conditions are nice, there are possibilities of seeing more than 20 different kinds of colorful fishes in waters where the average temperature ranges the upper 60´s. Learning how to surf is an option to spend the afternoon.
Day 9: Morning can be used to practice some surfing again, or just lie on the beach and relax. Early in the afternoon you will drive back to San José to get ready for departure the next day. On the way you will stop at Sarchí town for some souvenir shopping. 4 hour and a half to cover 210 mile distance.
Day 10: Transfer to international airport for you flight back home.
