Costa Rica Green Paradise

Included:

1. Personalized information, maps, brochures, vouchers.
2. Airport transfers upon arrival and departure.
3. 16 nights lodging at hotels indicated at the preceding proposal. Breakfast included.
4. Tortuguero Package: ground and boat transportation (SIB), full American plan (B, L, D), natural drinks, English Speaking guided regular tours.
5. 12 days rental car Daihatsu Terios 4x4 or Mitsubishi Montero if traveling 4, free mileage, BASIC INSURANCE NOT INCLUDED (US $ 18.00 per day, US $ 20,00 per day in case of Montero ))

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival San Jose.

Arrival at San José. Transfer to Meliá Cariari Hotel San Jose. Sustainability Level: 4

Located at 1149 m above sea level, San Jose maintains an average all year round temperature of 24°C. Meliá Cariari has guestrooms conditioned to offer its guests a charming and comfortable stay in San Jose. Its facilities and services such as its two swimming pools, casino and transportation to the Valle de Golf are ideal for travelers wanting to relax and enjoy this city.

Day 2: Free day San Jose

The Meliá Cariari hotel is located just 5 minutes distance from the Juan Santamaría International Airport and 10 minutes from the city centre of San José. 5 minutes away from the Plaza Real Cariari Shopping Centre, 30 minutes from the Coffee Tour and from Finca de Mariposas, 1 hour from the Irazu Volcano national park.

Day 3: Tortuguero National Park

Transfer to Tortuguero. Accommodation at Mawamba Lodge. Sustainability Level 3
Early in the morning a bilingual guide will meet you in your hotel. Due to its geologic origins the region containing the Tortuguero National Park forms an extensive floodplain made up of highly scenic, interconnected canals, waterways and lagoons rich in biodiversity. These factors allow visitors to this extensive network of waterways the opportunity to tour and explore this marvelous world—unique for its peacefulness and natural luxuriance—by boat. It is a truly relaxing experience to tour the canals and take in the exquisite green of the incredible tropical vegetation, reflected in liquid mirrors everywhere.

Mawamba Lodge with It's beautiful gardens and rustic accommodations, blend with the exuberant jungle vegetation, exotic birds and wildlife creating the perfect balance of nature. All the comfortable rooms are built in fine woods. Family style restaurant. In the pool area a "Red-eyed tree frog" project, where you will observe these lovely animals in their natural habitat. Relaxing ranchos / palapas with hammocks tucked away in the gardens, are the right place to relax after a day of adventures and discoveries, read a good book or just enjoy the sounds of the rainforest. Private nature trails featuring an open sky butterfly farm provide the opportunity to discover the different species of trees, palms trees, heliconias and many other plant species that abound in the Tropical Rainforest. On your free time, you might want to stroll by the pristine beach in front of the Lodge, sit on the sand to feel the magic of the ocean and admire this almost-endless looking palm lined beach.

Day 4: Tortuguero National Park

Today you will discover this area by boat

Day 5: Puerto Viejo de Limon

Reception car and selfdrive to Puerto Viejo de Limon, Caribbean Coast, Cariblue Bungalow. ( 6 hrs ) Sustainability Level: 3
The town of Puerto Viejo is rustic and charming. Puerto Viejo is renowned for its beautiful beaches. The famous Salsa Brava beach in Puerto Viejo is an excellent surfing spot (experts only!). The harbor after which Puerto Viejo is named is calm and peaceful, with beautiful still blue waters and inviting shores. Several bars and discos are located right on the beach, making this a great spot to hang out at night. Most of the people in Puerto Viejo speak at least some English, as well as spanish and often Patois (the local Caribbean dialect. Puerto Viejo has managed to maintain its small-town atmosphere and rustic local appeal. The atmosphere is laid back and slow paced. Puerto Viejo is a great place to relax on the beautiful Caribbean shores of Costa Rica. Cariblue offers the finest lodging among Puerto Viejohotels. Lodging at Standard bungalow. Hard wood bungalows few steps from white sand beaches, nestled in a lush tropical garden surrounded by uncontaminated beaches and wild tropical jungle.

Day 6: Puerto Viejo de Limon

Optional Activities: Indigenous Tropical Tour: visit the local Bribri indigenous people. This tour supports indigenous families. Horseback Riding: the perfect way to explore the beach and the jungle. Snorkeling: experience our incredible marine life up close!

Day 7: Sarapiqui

Located in one of the richest areas for bird watching: Sun bittern, oropendola, motmot, at least four species of trogons, umbrella birds, fruits crows, jacamars, tinamous, stripe-breasted and black throated wrens are some of more than 400 species that have been recorded in the area (50% of the species of Costa Rica). Located on a high bluff fronting the Sarapiquí River, this complex is the most unique project in the Sarapiquí region. The rooms are housed in three large, round buildings, or palenques. Based on the traditional pre-Columbian constructions of the area, each of the three palenques has a towering thatch roof rising some 18m (59 ft.).

Day 8: Sarapiqui

The hotel has several interesting attractions, including a small natural-history museum, an on-site excavation of a pre-Columbian graveyard, and a well-marked botanical garden. Just across the river lies the 300-hectare (741-acre) Tirimbina Biological Reserve, with a small network of trails and several impressive suspension bridges, both over the river and through the forest canopy. Tours of the museum and reserve cost extra and are open to guests at other hotels in the area.

Day 9: Arenal Volcano

Nothing short of “awesome” is the only way to describe the feeling one has when seeing Arenal Volcano for the first time. Moving through the valleys of the agriculturally rich Northern Zone up through San Carlos and into the towering rain forest, this is one of the most inviting regions in Costa Rica.

At the Arenal Paraíso hotel you can enjoy a peaceful and quiet atmosphere with a very good view of the majestic Arenal Volcano. From a height of 1633 mts above sea level, the volcano erupts rocks, fire and lava over its upper slopes. Here the natural beauty of the rain forest with its great variety of exotic plants, animals and birds of tremendous beauty, merges with the magnificence of one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Really the best place to enjoy the peace and nature. Accommodation in Superior Room, each one located strategically with its respective balcony and one of the best views to the Arenal Volcano, surrounded by exuberates tropical gardens, special swimming-pools with 100% natural volcanic hot springs

Day 10: Arenal volcano

Optional tours available: Horseback rides to cascading waterfalls and hiking through surrounding forests should satisfy even the most discerning traveler, Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, among others.

Day 11: Monteverde Cloud forest

Self-drive to Monteverde Cloudforest. Accommodation at Hotel Sapo Dorado, Classic Mountain Suite. ( 5 to 6 hrs drive ) Sustainability Level 2
Founded in the 1950's by a group of Quakers from the U.S., Monteverde has gained international renown as one of the most outstanding wildlife sanctuaries in the tropics. The reserve spreads out over 10,500 hectares of land that hold six different life zones. The climate and terrain of the preserve produce an incredible bio-diversity. There are at least 400 bird species in this high elevation rain forest, including the Resplendent Quetzal, ancient holy bird of the Mayans, over 100 species of mammals, 120 species of amphibians and reptiles and an estimated 2,500 species of plants making Monteverde a true "nature lover's paradise". Delicate orchids, more than 400 species, grace the limbs of majestic trees. Their captivating colors of whites, lilacs, and yellows contrast with the emerald green of the forest.

Day 12: Monteverde Cloud forest

Aside from the preserve, some other places merit attention while you're staying in nearby Santa Elena. The Children's Eternal rain forest, the first international children's rain forest in the world, the Monteverde Butterfly Garden, and the Hummingbird Gallery a must for those with a penchant for these winged, colored jewels of the forest, to name a few.

Accommodation at Sapo Dorado Hotel, which offers you the privacy and seclusion of mountain suites, each with its own entrance and balcony. Lodging in Classic Mountain Suites with the coziness of a fireplace. Surrounded by spacious tropical grounds.

Day 13: Manuel Antonio National Park

Self-drive to Manuel Antonio National Park, ( 5 to 6 hrs drive ) accommodation at Hotel Tulemar. Sustainability Level 1

Manuel Antonio National Park with an extension of almost 1,800 acres attracts the visitor with gorgeous hiking trails through abundant, tropical jungle that borders white sand beaches and blue-green waters. The evergreen fascinating forest is the home of about 100 species of mammals and 180 kinds of birds. A hiking trail through dense vegetation all around the cape enables one to catch the beautiful sight of 12 smaller islands just in front of it. A splendid combination of nature experience and beach fun.

Day 14: Manuel Antonio National Park

Tulemar Boutique Resort’s Exclusive beach is located in a protected bay allowing your to take advantage of the various water activities that Tulemar offers, without having to worry about dangerous undertows or riptides. As a guest at Tulemar Bungalows, kayaks and snorkeling equipment are for your exclusive use. Turtle Trap Beach Bar ensures that you don't have to go far to order your favorite cocktail or satisfy the rumbling in your stomach while you relax at the beach.Tulemar's spacious 645 sq. foot Bungalows provide all the luxurious comforts of home only, perhaps, with a better view!.

The rooms are equipped with a kitchenette, mini bar, living room with sofa-beds, and air conditioned, master bedroom with two queen size beds, television and vcr, ideal for your family or just for the two of you. The octagonal design of the Premium Bungalows was created so that you have a special view from every room

Day 15: Manuel Antonio National Park

Day 16: Self drive to San Jose

Self drive to San José, ( 3 to 4 hrs drive ) drop of car at Meliá Cariari Hotel San Jose.

Day 17: Transfer to Juan Santamaria Int. Airport