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INCLUDED TOURS: Arenal Volcano & Tabacon Hot Springs: Our program includes a 3-day tour to this area, home of the active Arenal Volcano and Tabacon Hot Springs. This is one of the most beautiful and popular areas of the country. The Arenal Volcano erupts almost continuously. On a clear night, it provides a fantastic natural fireworks display of shooting rocks and red lava flowing down the sides. It can often be seen erupting at night from the Tabacon Resort. Tabacon is a resort & hot springs heated by the nearby active Arenal Volcano. The water reaches 102 degrees. Dozens of waterfalls and swimming pools are located throughout the beautifully-manicured grounds. The spa at the resort offers massages, volcanic mud masks, pedicures and manicures and many other services. Our group has a buffet dinner at the delicious restaurant overlooking the pools. We also take a short hike or horseback ride to a spectacular waterfall in the middle of the rainforest called Fortuna Falls. After a twenty minute hike down, a swim in the waterfall is refreshing! This is a perfect place for group photos!
Butterfly Farm: Thousands of butterflies surround you in this lovely setting. Learn about the short life of a butterfly & the breeding business through a video & guided tour. Then, visit the butterfly sanctuary where thousands of butterflies surround you. This is fun and enlightening tour that all can enjoy! All entry fees are included. Duration: approx. 4 hours.
Welcome Dinner at Ram Luna Restaurant: Ram Luna is located above San Jose and has a beautiful view of the city lights. An all-you-can-eat buffet of more than 50 typical Costa Rican dishes is served. Following dinner, folkloric dancers in brightly-colored outfits and the famous paper mache “dolls” will entertain you. The evening is complete after a short “fireworks” display. Café Britt Coffee Tour: This award-winning musical tour makes learning about the history of coffee fun! First, tour the facilities with guides from the past! Then, taste the rich coffee produced & sold here. This is a perfect place to buy souvenirs to take home. Rainforest Aerial Tram Tour: An incredible experience for those who want to get a glimpse of the rainforest without having to travel far or get very muddy! Located just 30 minutes from the capital and close to Braulio Carrillo National Park, this tram ride is fun for everyone. The area is rugged and mountainous with heavy vegetation, which makes it perfect for viewing some of the flora and fauna that Costa Rica is known for. Don’t expect to see many animals, though, as they are generally nocturnal. This one hour ride through the rainforest canopy is delightful! An expert naturalist guide rides in each car to answer questions and point out different species of flowers, ferns and more. In addition to riding the tram, expert naturalist guides take visitors on a one-hour rainforest walk to point out the most interesting aspects of the rainforest at ground level, such as industrious leaf-cutter ants, brightly colored butterflies and “walking” palm trees.
The Rainforest Aerial Tram Website is: www.rainforest.co.cr Cartago/Lankester Gardens: Visit the Basilica of Our Lady of The Angels, named for the patron saint of Costa Rica. This church is beautifully decorated with a lot of detail and gold trim. The tour will stop at Lankester botanical garden, featuring over 800 species of orchids. OPTIONAL TOURS: Costa Rica is known for its National Park system, which is considered one of the best in the world. Currently, over 12% of the land in the country is designated to National Parks, with another 16% to National Reserves. This impressive commitment to the preservation and conservation of nature means that many species extinct in other countries still thrive in Costa Rica. The parks' complex ecosystems include cloud forests, rainforests, dry forests, coral reefs, and marsh lands. These national parks provide some of the highlights of an exciting tour program. Some of the most popular tours and locations that we recommend students visit during their free time are: Accessible only by boat or airplane, Tortuguero is for the adventure-minded individual!
Tortuguero: Tortuguero is 99 miles of Amazon jungle-type waterways located on the coast of the Caribbean Ocean. Its canals and lagoons are among the most interesting and popular spots in all of Costa Rica. It's no secret that Tortuguero is the most important nesting ground for Sea Turtles. Many tourists visit this remote area to watch the turtles come up to the beach to lay their eggs. August is the peak season but nesting goes on from June to September. Tortuguero is a MUST for nature lovers. In addition to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch the endangered turtles lay their eggs, Tortuguero is home to many other interesting endangered species, including sloths, monkeys, jaguars, manatees, and river otters. In all, 13 of the 16 endangered species found in Costa Rica are found here. The region has 57 species of amphibians, 300 species of birds, 54 species of fish and 11 species of reptiles. This area, including Tortuguero National Park is unmatched in wildlife and adventure! With an annual rainfall of almost 200 inches, you are sure to get wet in Tortuguero! But with so many activities available, tourists hardly notice. From day hikes, swimming in the refreshing pool at the hotel or visiting the Turtle Conservation Center, to world-record snook and tarpon fishing or kayaking, tourists can choose which day activities most interest them. The 2 day package we recommend, through Mawamba Lodge, includes transportation from San Jose (by bus and then boat), charming accomodations in their jungle lodge, delightful meals with lots of fresh fruit and fish, boat rides to the national park and canals with an expert guide, the night visit to the national park to see the turtles and more! Students on our program are offered discounts for this package. Check out Mawamba Lodge's site: www.grupomawamba.com OR Monteverde National Park: This rainforest is a famous spot for birdwatching & hiking trails through a scenic cloud forest & a national park. The park is filled with wonderful animal sounds and huge, green ferns and other flora and fauna. Many visitors consider this area one of the most beautiful places on earth. Guided day and night animal-spotting hikes are offered.
Check out this site for more info: www.cct.or.cr Tree Canopy - The canopy tour in Monteverde offers repelling as well as zip lines. The Osa Peninsula and Drake’s Bay: The Osa Peninsula on the South Pacific Coast is home to Corcovado National Park and Isla de Cano Biological Reserve. Corcovado National Park, the least visited national park because of its remote location, is considered to be one of the most biologically rich places on earth, according to National Geographic. The park remains one of the most pristine parks in the country. Cano Island lies about 12 miles off the coast offshore. It’s coral reefs and rock formations make it one of the best diving locations in the whole country. The Drake Bay Wilderness Camp offers visitors the opportunity to visit both of these areas as part of their tour packages. The lodge is a beautiful series of cabinas located just steps from the ocean. Animals, such as toucans and monkeys are found throughout the hotel premises. The delightful and accomodating staff serve up tasty meals, offer expertly-run tours and deliver excellent customer service! Check out this lodge at: www.drakebay.com Costa Rica group from 1999 running the rapids on the Pacuare River.
World Class Whitewater Rafting: Costa Rica is well known all over the world for its whitewater rafting adventures. The incredible scenery and amount of whitewater action the rivers hold are rarely matched. The Costa Rican rivers provide a wet and exhilarating ride through the tropical jungles of Costa Rica. Whitewater rafting is primarily done on three rivers here: Manuel Antonio National Park:
Glowing sunset over Playa Manuel Antonio This is the ideal location for some rest and relaxation at the end of the trip! This beach area is easily accessible by plane ($75 for a round trip flight) or bus and is very easy to get around. Manuel Antonio is the smallest but one of the most popular national parks in the country, as it offers a glimpse of numerous species of animals and lush vegetation. The 3 beaches inside the park are almost never crowded. Resident companies offer water activities, such as sportfishing, rafting, hiking, kayaking and more. Groups usually get together and rent a few rooms in one of the hotels located on the beach. The rooms are all equipped with kitchenettes and air conditioning. Check out one of the two hotels we typically use at: www.hotelcostaverde.com Poas Volcano:
Poas Volcano National Park is the most visited national park in Costa Rica, and with good reason. It is just 45 miles away from San Jose, located in one of the most scenic areas in the country. Poas is the 2nd largest active crater volcano in the world with TWO volcanic craters On a clear day, tourists can watch the sulfur bubble in the lakes at the bottom of the craters. The vegetation is stunted because of the constant emission of gases from the craters, but the nearby trail leads to a lagoon, which is a nice spot to picnic or birdwatch. This tour includes entry fees into Park and transportation. Easy walking to the volcano and lagoon are required. Duration: approx. 4 hours. Cost $35.00 |
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