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Iguana: Complete itinerary

Rafting Pacuare River · Arenal Volcano · Baldi Hot Springs · Hiking Cerro Chato Volcano · Cycling around Lake Arenal · Explore and relax at Coyote beach and the Pacific Coast · Sea turtle rescue project · Hike Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve · Hike Curu Nature Reserve · Snorkel and sea kayak Tortuga Island · San Jose

Sunday - Arrive San Jose

Your trip begins in San Jose, Costa Rica's busy cosmopolitan capital city. If you arrive in the morning you'll have time to explore its beautiful town squares, quaint cafés, and bustling streets where lively street performers dot the sidewalks. With a mild, spring-like climate, San Jose sits in a beautiful valley surrounded by towering volcanoes, just 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

In the evening you'll meet your ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA trip leader for a full briefing and a delicious Tico dinner!

ACCOMMODATION: Hotel Amistad, San Jose (D)

Monday - Raft the Pacuare River

This morning we'll drive to the rafting "put-in" on the Rio Pacuare, one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. After a safety briefing from our guides, we'll set off down the river, descending Grade III and IV rapids from Costa Rica’s central highlands down through virgin rainforest to the Caribbean lowlands. Lush, green vegetation hangs down the vertical walls of this amazing river canyon - some of them hundreds of feet high! This is one of the world’s classic rafting trips - along with exciting white water, the scenery is stunning, and the water is warm! After we take out, we'll continue on to Fortuna, at the foot of the Arenal Volcano.

ACCOMMODATION: Cabinas Los Guayabos, Fortuna (B,L,D)

Tuesday - Hike Cerro Chato volcano, Catarata La Fortuna, Baldi Hot Springs

This morning we'll begin our ascent of Cerro Chato. After a short time hiking through typical Tico farmland, we'll enter the stunning virgin rainforest canopy that flanks the trail. It's a heart-pumping hike to the top of this magnificent dormant volcano, but the rewards are worth the effort! At the summit we'll be greeted with views of Volcan Arenal and a beautiful turquoise lake nestled in the thick rainforest crater.

We’ll head back down to enjoy lunch and a well-deserved swim at spectacular Catarata de La Fortuna (Fortuna Waterfall). The plunge pool and surrounding rainforest are gorgeous! Later, we’ll wind down with a soak in the Baldi Hot Springs.

ACCOMMODATION: Cabinas Los Guayabos (B,L,D)

Wednesday - Cycle around Lake Arenal, Monteverde

This morning we’ll take an amazing cycle trip around the edge of Lake Arenal. After an early breakfast, we'll begin riding under the rainforest canopy as we follow the shores of the lake. You'll be amazed at the cacophony of calls from Tucans, howler monkeys and other wildlife. Later, we’ll head to Monteverde Cloudforest. Nestled in the heart of one of the most beautiful valleys in the Americas, in the cloudy heights of the Tilaran mountain range, Monteverde is our base for the next two nights. We’ll enjoy spectacular views of the sun setting over the Caribbean from our cosy lodging in the hills just outside Santa Elena township.

ACCOMMODATION: Sunset Hotel, Monteverde (B,L,D)

Thursday – Hike Monteverde Cloudforest, free afternoon

Today we'll explore some of the most intriguing forest trails in Central America – the Monteverde Cloudforest. Laden with native flora and fauna, and tucked in a highland valley of the Costa Rican mountains, Monteverde offers a peaceful hiking experience with stunning waterfalls, lush forest canopy, and plenty of native animals ducking in and out of the trails!

Monteverde offers a wide range of optional activities to choose from this afternoon – everything from canopy tours to horse riding or even a cheese factory! If you'd like an adrenalin-pumping view of the forest canopy from above, there's an option to take a zipline canopy tour, high above the trees. It’s an unforgettable ride with magical views of the rainforest and the valleys below!

ACCOMMODATION: Sunset Hotel (B,L,D)

Friday – Explore Coyote beach and relax in a hammock!

Today we'll continue down to the tropical warmth of the Pacific lowlands, and hit the Pacific Ocean for the first time on the trip. Our home for the next couple of nights will be Rancho Tanga, an idyllic beach camp on Playa Coyote - an isolated white sand Costa Rican beach on the Nicoya Peninsula. This afternoon we'll have time to explore the Rio Coyote estuary where caiman are often seen and howler monkeys swing through the trees above us, or if you prefer, you can just relax at the beach. Swim, wander along the shore, explore tidal rockpools, or just laze in a hammock while we set up camp. Later we’ll enjoy a dinner prepared by Tanga’s wife Mayela – you’ll never forget the seafood feasts you eat here.

Phil says: “Coyote Beach is a very special place to me. I first met Tanga in 1992 when I stumbled across Coyote beach on a surf trip with a couple of Tico friends. We hit it off so well that I ended up staying for a few months, and helped Tanga build his first house, or ranchito, which is still standing today! It’s an amazing place, and Tanga and Mayela are great hosts.”

ACCOMMODATION: Camping on Coyote Beach – paradise on earth! (B,L,D)

Saturday - Coastal hike to sea turtle rescue project

Today we’ll hike over Punta Coyote to Caletas Beach – incredibly, even more beautiful and deserted than Coyote – where we’ll meet the hardy volunteers of Pretoma, a sea turtle preservation organization. These dedicated conservationists live for months at a time in tents and lean-tos, and patrol the beach every night to save the eggs of rare sea turtles from predators (project open July – February).

We’ll wander back to camp, through reefs and rockpools where tropical fish, snails, crabs and molluscs abound, before hiking up Cerro Coyote to watch another incredible sunset against a background of panoramic views of the Pacific and miles of deserted coastline.

ACCOMMODATION: Camping on Coyote Beach (B,L,D)

Sunday – Hike Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve

We'll leave Coyote beach this morning and make our way to the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. This national reserve is the oldest wildlife sanctuary in Costa Rica, and is home to several native species’ of monkey, sloth, raccoon, and parrot. We'll spend the afternoon hiking through steep forest terrain to the tip of the peninsula, and back along the white sand beaches to the trailhead. Tonight we’ll stay at the gorgeous beach village of Montezuma where there’s time to take a dip in beautiful calm waters on yet another unforgettable beach.

ACCOMMODATION: Montezuma accommodations, Montezuma (B,L,D)

Monday - Sea kayak and snorkel Tortuga Island

This morning we'll paddle our sea kayaks across to Tortuga Island, a short distance offshore from the Curu Nature Reserve. After a familiarization briefing from our guides we'll set off across the warm, clear waters of the Golfo de Nicoya. This beautiful stretch of water is frequented by whales, so bring your camera! When we arrive on the island, we'll have lunch on a picture-postcard white sand beach. Tortuga Island is a stunning place, with pristine beaches laden with coconut palms, clear water and a green rainforest interior. This afternoon we'll set off with our masks and snorkels into the warm Pacific waters surrounding Tortuga Island, to spot sea turtles, iguanas, lobsters and hundreds of varieties of fish in crystal clear waters.

ACCOMMODATION: Curu Nature Reserve Lodge, Curu (B,L,D)

Phil says: “Curu has flown under the radar of mainstream tourism, because its lodgings are rustic and its mission is simple – to protect and preserve Costa Rica’s native wildlife. It took a while for me to find a place that’s true to the tradition of down-to-earth beach hacienda, and while there are more luxurious places we could stay, Curu has a magic of its own! There aren’t many places around where you can see baby monkeys and other wildlife this close!”

Tuesday - Hike Curu Nature Reserve, return to San Jose

This morning we’re back on dry land with time to explore the extensive nature trails of the Curu Nature Reserve - which is rich with life of its own. There are 200 species of birds, native deer, and numerous troops of howler and capuchin monkeys, all inhabiting the low- level canopy environment of the reserve. The animals of the reserve are renowned for their bold and friendly nature, which makes for great close-up viewing and photos.

Later we’ll head back to San Jose, where we’ll have some time for exploring – you won’t want to miss San Jose’s bustling central market, and relaxing with an ice-cream in the central square makes for fantastic people-watching and a priceless view of Tico city life. If you prefer to take in a little culture, your guide will be happy to point you in the direction of San Jose’s many museums, art galleries and charming streetscapes.

ACCOMMODATION: Hotel Amistad, San Jose (B,L,D)

Wednesday - San Jose, depart

Today is the last of your 11 magical days in Costa Rica with us! If you have some time before your flight or you're staying on for a few days, we'll be happy to make some suggestions on how to make the most of it. If you're flying out today, we'll send you home refreshed, relaxed and invigorated, after experiencing the best that Costa Rica has to offer – great activities, fantastic scenery and friendly people. Pura Vida!

(B)

ACCOMMODATIONS:  The Iguana is an active adventure-oriented trip around Costa Rica. As with all ACTIVE trips, we've chosen accommodations for their comfort and cleanliness - not the number of channels available on the television! Most of the places we stay are off the beaten track and truly spectacular. For example, Curu Nature Reserve Lodge isn’t known for its glamorous rooms - but it is known for its stunning location, abundance of monkeys in the trees outside the rooms, and rustic charm! At Tanga’s Beach Camp, we camp on the beach which is often the highlight of the trip.

RECOMMENDED FLIGHTS:  You can fly into San Jose anytime on the first day of the trip. On the last day of the trip you can fly out at any time. If you want to arrive earlier or leave later, we’re happy to help out with extra hotel accommodation bookings.

PICK-UP INFORMATION:  Regardless of when you arrive, an ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA representative will meet you off your flight and take you to your accommodation. You’ll meet your trip leader and the rest of your group at the trip briefing at 6pm on day one.

DROP OFF INFORMATION:  You’ll wake up in San Jose on the last day of your trip, so you can book a flight home departing any time that day – we’ll be happy to drop you off at the airport.

TRIP DIRECTION:  To keep our group sizes down, we run the Iguana in two different directions around Costa Rica - northbound (refers to the initial direction of travel from San Jose) and southbound. This itinerary happens to be written up in the northbound format. Whichever direction you take, you'll do all the activities we've mentioned, just in a different order. The Iguana works perfectly whichever way you do it!

FITNESS:  You only need a reasonable level of fitness to enjoy yourself on the Iguana trip. You don't have to be young nor extremely fit (although if you are, you won't be bored) but you should be in the habit of doing at least some regular exercise. Age and experience is not important. We would rather have an older person with a good attitude than a 22-year-old couch potato!

EXPERIENCE:  You don't have to have any outdoor experience to do one of our trips. We offer trips that enable you to make the most of Latin America's awesome outdoor environment, culture and history. Our staff are highly trained and very experienced outdoor guides, and we'll look after you! You don't need any experience in snorkeling, rafting or sea kayaking on the Iguana. All you need is to be energetic and in reasonable shape - and we guarantee you'll have a wonderful time. But if you like a challenge we will certainly give you one! We can offer activities to suit people who only do a little exercise, and those who have a very high level of fitness and experience in all our activities. We manage the level of commitment to suit your experience, and we have an impeccable safety record.

FLEXIBILITY:  Costa Rica is in a developing part of the world, and we can't tell you that everything runs like clockwork in Latin America. What we can tell you as that we are experienced adventure travel leaders, and we know how to keep things operating as smoothly as possible, even when conditions are challenging. That's why we’re here! If you bring flexibility and a sense of humor you'll find your trip goes even smoother!

INCLUDED:  The trip fare is US$2099. The trip fare includes just about everything, specifically:

• All guiding services. We always have an experienced trip leader with every trip and will usually have a local guide on many of our excursions for extra local knowledge.
• Comfortable accommodation for the entire trip. We can also organize pre and post trip accommodation for you if you let us know.
• All your meals and all drinking water. Alcohol and other drinks are not included.
• All snorkeling, rafting, sea kayaking, hiking and biking as described in the itinerary, excluding optional activities as noted. No activities are compulsory, and nor will your trip be less awesome if you chose to sit out any of the activities.
• Tips for local activity guides and drivers are taken care of by ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA.

NOT INCLUDED:  This is your holiday, and we are serious about not nickel-and-diming you!  You’ll have a few meals and drinks to cover, extra activities if you choose them, and you’ll probably feel like tipping your guide at the end of a fabulous time, but you won’t be pulling out your wallet every few minutes on your ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA trip!

Pura Vida!

Itinerary valid through April 2008

If you have questions about getting down to South America, basic questions about our trips, how to pack, what to do with extra time before or after your trip, or have general questions about South America, click here to read answers to frequently asked questions.