Arenal, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio

Depart to San Jose. Upon arrival, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel. You will have the rest of the day free to relax and enjoy San Jose. Overnight in San Jose.

Today you will be transported to Arenal by private driver/guide. On the way you will visit Poas Volcano, the Doka Estate Coffee Plantation, Grecia, and Sarchi. Poas Volcano is Costa Rica’s most visited national park. It is an active volcano with a steaming main crater nearly one mile wide, and has two other craters. After viewing the main crater, you can hike the Sendero Botos trail to Botos Lagoon, learn about the park’s different ecosystems, and enjoy the park’s natural scenery and wildlife. At Doka Estate Coffee Plantation, learn about the production, harvesting, and processing of coffee. You will have lunch (included) at the Estate after the tour, and then continue on to Grecia, known for its metal church (the only one in in Central America), and the artisan town of Sarchi, where you can shop for handicrafts. Overnight in Arenal. (B,L)

In the morning, you have a choice of two (included) half-day excursions: Arenal Hanging Bridges (a private, 250 hectare tropical rain forest reserve located near Arenal Volcano. The tour consists of two miles of trails crossing 15 bridges from 16 to 330 feet long, suspended above the primary rain forest. A wide variety of rain forest plants and animals can be observed) or Horseback Ride to La Fortuna Waterfall (a scenic ride through pastures and rainforest, where wildlife can be observed. At the end of the ride, you will hike down to La Fortuna Waterfall, an impressive 200 foot cascade of rainforest water). Mid-afternoon, you will have a guided hiking tour of El Silencio Trail in close proximity to the volcano. Your naturalist guide will point out indigenous rain forest plants and inform you of their medicinal properties. Frequent wildlife sightings include monkeys, toucans, White-Nosed Coatis, Oro Pendulas, Golden Eyelash Vipers, Boa Constrictors, White-Tailed Deer, and Great Curassows. Before dark, you will stop at the observation point, which offers the closest, most direct view of the Volcano’s lava flow. The day finishes at the Tabacon Hot Springs Resort for a relaxing mineral bath followed by dinner at the restaurant. Overnight in Arenal. (B,D)

You will be taken to the Arenal Lake Dam dock for a scenic 30 minute boat ride across the lake. Disembark at the Rio Chiquito dock on the other side of the lake, where a 4 x 4 vehicle will be waiting to take you by gravel road to Monteverde (+/- two hours). Monteverde was founded about 40 years ago by a small group of conservation-minded Quakers who were looking for a peaceful place to live. Its Cloud Forest Reserve is one of the most outstanding wild life sanctuaries in the New World. After checking in at your hotel, and lunch, you will visit the Monteverde Cloudforest Biological Reserve, a 10,500 hectare privately owned reserve that straddles the continental divide. The reserve has several well-marked hiking trails, and is popular with bird watchers, who come to see the Reserve’s more than 400 bird species, including the resplendent Quetzal (the Mayan bird of paradise). The reserve also contains over 3,000 plant species (including 500 orchid species), and a wide variety of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Overnight in Monteverde. (B)

Selvatura is a cloud forest conservation project located in the Monteverde area. You will have a guided Treetop Walkways tour through the cloud forest on eight different bridges of various lengths from 150-510 feet up. Each of the bridges are five feet wide, and are suitable for people of all ages. The tour also includes a Butterfly Farm, Hummingbird Garden, and a zip-line Canopy Tour. Lunch at Selvatura. Overnight in Monteverde. (B,L)

Morning transfer to Manuel Antonio. You will have the rest of the afternoon free to enjoy the area. Overnight in Manuel Antonio. (B)

In the morning, you will have a half-day guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park. This 1,685 acre park is one of the last remaining tropical lowland wet forests in Costa Rica. It is very popular with the native Costa Ricans due to its unspoiled beaches, and also features several hiking trails, spectacular natural scenery, and the possibility of seeing over 350 species of birds, and a wide variety of animals, including sloths, monkeys, white-nosed coatis, agoutis, iguanas, and jesus christ lizards. After the tour, you will be returned to your hotel, and have the afternoon free to enjoy the area. Overnight in Manuel Antonio. (B) Note: Manuel Antonio National Park is closed on Mondays.

Transfer to San Jose International Airport for your return flight to your final destination. (B)