Hike & bike Arenal, Monteverde cloud forest, rafting Pacuare & San José - Costa Rica holiday.
You'll never be bored on an ACTIVE trip
and the people who are attracted to this kind of trip are people you'll want to stay in touch with for a long time.- Bo Lycke, (USA) Dec 2008 Tortuga
PHOTO OF THE MONTH:
Iguana Apr 2006
Costa Rica has some amazing beaches, with the rainforest almost spilling on to the waves.
GUIDE OF THE MONTH:
Arturo Rojas
"Arturo was outstanding. He has a great personality. I love his wit. He is also extremely patient and professional. He was a great guide and really made the trip a pleasure."
Laura Silverstein (USA) Apr 2008 Jaguar
News Clips and Reviews
Finding the Real Gold in Costa Rica
by Linda BallouAfter nine days of non-stop fun on a multi-sport adventure with Active South America in Costa Rica, floating belly-up in a secluded cove at Playa Coyote gave me a chance to savor the journey. A morning swim in placid waters beneath pastel pink heavens soothed muscles put to tests that included mountain biking, white water rafting, pony trekking, hiking in rain forests, kayaking across blue-green depths to a picnic on a palm-studded island, and a night patrol with turtle conservationists along a strand of deserted beach. These were just a few of the high points of this holiday designed for those who want to breathe deeply of the landscape. Read more...
"WOW! This will be the wedding anniversary we'll remember forever! We had so much fun and accomplished some great feats while seeing such beautiful scenery. It'll be hard to think of something as exciting for our 40th anniversary!"
Alan and Char Bouts (New Mexico, USA) July 2006 Jaguar
Alan and Char Bouts (New Mexico, USA) July 2006 Jaguar
Raft Pacuare River · Visit a sea turtle rescue project · Explore and discover Coyote beach and the Pacific Coast · Hike Cerro Chato volcano · Visit Arenal volcano · Soak in Baldi Hot Springs · Cycle Lake Arenal · Hike Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve · Snorkel and sea kayak Tortuga Island · Explore San José
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| Year Round | 11 days | US$2799 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 day option | US$2199 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Printable Itinerary (PDF) | Currency Converter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday - Arrive San José Your trip begins in San José, Costa Rica’s capital city. If you’re flying in on day one of the trip, your ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA trip leader will meet you at the airport at 2pm and take you to your accommodation. You’ll have a couple of hours to explore San José’s beautiful town squares, quaint cafés and bustling streets where lively street performers dot the sidewalks. San José sits in a beautiful valley surrounded by towering volcanoes. Its location, just 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the West and the Caribbean Sea to the East, gives it a mild, spring-like climate. In the evening you’ll meet up with your ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA trip leader and the rest of your group for a full briefing and a delicious tico dinner! ACCOMMODATION: Fleur de Lys Hotel, San José (D) Sunday - Raft the Pacuare River You’ll have an early start this morning to the rafting put-in on the Pacuare River, one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. The rafting is suitable for all experience levels and you will receive a full 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 to the Caribbean lowlands through virgin rainforest. Lush, green vegetation hangs down the towering vertical walls of this amazing river canyon. This trip is known as one of the world’s best rafting trips and you’ll see why – with exciting white water, stunning scenery and pleasant water temperature, it’s an unforgettable rafting experience for novice paddlers and experts alike! After take-out, we continue on to Fortuna, a small town at the foot of the Arenal Volcano where we’ll stay for the next two nights. The views are amazing from your accommodation – on a clear night you can often see the glow of lava from the volcano! ACCOMMODATION: Cabinas Los Guayabos, Fortuna (B,L,D) Monday - Hike Cerro Chato, La Fortuna waterfall, soak in Baldi Hot Springs This morning we’ll begin our ascent of Cerro Chato, a dormant volcano with a picturesque crater lagoon in its centre. We begin by hiking through typical tico farmland, before entering stunning virgin rainforest on the side of the volcano. It’s a heart-pumping hike to the top, but the rewards are worth the effort! At the summit we’ll be greeted with views of Arenal volcano. We’ll head back down to enjoy our lunch at the spectacular Catarata La Fortuna. This 230-foot (70m) waterfall, surrounding rainforest and black volcanic rock are a dramatic finale and the plunge pool is the perfect place to cool off for a well-deserved swim! Later, we’ll wind down with a soak in the Baldi Hot Springs. ACCOMMODATION: Cabinas Los Guayabos (B,L,D) Tuesday - Cycle Lake Arenal, Monteverde This morning we’ll do an amazing cycling trip around the edge of Lake Arenal. After an early breakfast, we begin by 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 Cloud Forest, nestled in the heart of one of the most beautiful valleys in the Americas in the cloudy heights of the Tilarán mountain range. Monteverde will be our base for the next two nights. We’ll enjoy spectacular views of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean from our cosy lodging in the hills just outside Santa Elena township. ACCOMMODATION: Sunset Hotel, Monteverde (B,L,D) Wednesday - Hike Monteverde Cloud Forest, free afternoon Today we’ll explore some of the most intriguing forest trails in Central America in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. 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. When we get back from our hike, you’ll have the afternoon free to try some of the wide range of optional activities on offer in Monteverde – you’ll find everything from canopy tours to horse riding or even a mariposario (butterfly garden)! If you’d like an adrenalin-pumping view of the forest canopy from above, there’s an option to take a zip line 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) Thursday - 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 explore the Rio Coyote estuary, where caiman are often seen and howler monkeys swing through the trees above us. If you prefer, you can relax at the beach, swim, wander along the shore, explore tidal rock pools, 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 here. ACCOMMODATION: Camping on Coyote Beach - paradise on Earth! (B,L,D) Phil: "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." Friday - 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 organisation. From July to February, these dedicated conservationists live in tents and lean-tos, and patrol the beach every night to protect the eggs of rare sea turtles from predators. We’ll wander back to camp, through reefs and rock pools where tropical fish, snails, crabs and molluscs abound, before hiking up Cerro Coyote to watch another incredible sunset over the Pacific and enjoy panoramic views of the deserted coastline. ACCOMMODATION: Camping on Coyote Beach (B,L,D) Saturday - Hike Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve We’ll leave Coyote Beach this morning to make our way down to 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 monkeys, sloths, raccoons and parrots. 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 on the Nicoya Peninsula, in charming bungalows right on the beach surrounded by jungle. Our hosts, Belgian couple Hilda and Andre, will welcome you and make sure you’re well fed, with several local specialities on this evening’s menu! After dinner you can enjoy a stroll on the beach, swim in the beautiful calm waters, or just relax. ACCOMMODATION: Hotel Celaje, Montezuma (B,L,D)
Sunday - 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 familiarisation 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 beach. Tortuga Island is a stunning place, with pristine beaches laden with coconut palms, clear water and a green rainforest interior. In the afternoon, we’ll set off with our masks and snorkels into the warm Pacific waters surrounding Tortuga Island to look for sea turtles, iguanas, lobsters and to swim among hundreds of varieties of fish in the crystal clear waters. Then we’ll head back to the mainland for another night in Montezuma. ACCOMMODATION: Hotel Celaje, Montezuma (B,L,D) Monday - Visit to butterfly lab, hike overlooking the Golfo de Nicoya Today we’ll have a chance to learn more about the local culture and ecology of Costa Rica with a visit to Colegio Technical Profesional in the tiny village of Paquera. We’ll be shown around the college, which includes a lab to study Costa Rican butterflies (in particular the iconic Blue Morpho), a breeding programme for Tepezcuintles (a large nocturnal South American rodent) and a nature reserve. We’ll meet some of the students of the college and take a hike uphill through the reserve for views over the Pacific Ocean. This is a great chance to learn more about the butterflies and birdlife of Costa Rica and we’ll also have the opportunity to sample some of the exotic fruit that is grown in the area. In the early afternoon, we’ll take a ferry across the Golfo de Nicoya to Puntarenas where we’ll stop for lunch before heading back to our hotel, just outside San José, to enjoy our final evening together. ACCOMMODATION: Local hotel, near San José (B,L,D) Tuesday - San José, depart Today is the last day of your Iguana trip in Costa Rica with us. If you have 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. For example, you won’t want to miss San José’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 José’s many museums, art galleries and charming streetscapes. Alternatively, 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) We'll see you soon!
Itinerary valid through April 2010
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