Our Itineraries

The Iguana is our 11 day multi-activity trip around Costa Rica. This great country packs quite a punch when it comes to sheer beauty and great outdoor activities! We fill our days hiking, paddling, cycling and snorkeling our way around some of the most off-the-beaten-track parts of this friendly Central American country.

We start with an amazing day’s rafting on the mighty Pacuare River down to the Carribean lowlands, hike around the constantly erupting Arenal Volcano, and cycle on the fringes of a beautiful lake at its base. We’ll continue with a hike through the Monteverde Cloud Forest and a visit to a local coffee plantation before we make our way down to the Pacific coast. We'll hike through Cabo Blanco National Park, snorkel with sea turtles, and paddle a sea kayak to idyllic Tortuga Island before returning to San Jose, Costa Rica's cosmopolitan capital city.

The Tortuga is a fantastic way to see the Galapagos Islands. In typical ACTIVE style, we'll snorkel, dive, hike and cycle the Galapagos, cruising between the multitude of stunning islands in our boat "Christine".

We start with a short flight to San Cristobal Island to snorkel with seals and tame reef sharks in crystal clear water and hike up an island volcano with the second largest crater in the world. We get up close to some of the most intriguing and fearless wildlife on the planet, with visits to tortoise breeding grounds and sea lion colonies, and share our beach time with friendly iguanas. We explore amazing lava tunnels, cycle to the local townships and visit the fascinating Charles Darwin Research Station.

The Condor is our 11-day multi-activity trip around Chilean Patagonia. This unique part of South America is home to some of the most breathtaking scenery on the planet, and we do it all in typical ACTIVE style. We take a multi day hiking trip into Torres del Paine National Park, cycle on the edge of a pristine lake at the foot of the Andes, and sea kayak on a breathtaking fjord in the Chilean Lake District. We'll take in some incredible views as we hike to the snowline of Osorno Volcano, cycle through stunning Andean mountain beech forests, and stand at the foot of massive glaciers in Tierra del Fuego.

The Jaguar is our most action-packed, multi-activity trip in Peru. It captures everything this beautiful country has to offer; from the towering peaks of the Andes down to the steamy depths of the Amazon Jungle, you'll have a blast in this land of geographical and cultural extremes! We start our trip in the heart of the Inca empire, explore fortresses and surrounding valleys, hike over stunning mountain passes to Machu Picchu, cycle into the Sacred Valley of the Incas, view Amazon wildlife up close, sea kayak across Lake Titicaca to stay with an indigenous family, and much more!

"Active SA made my first trip to Peru a wonderful and unforgettable experience."

Gordon Beatty (Texas,USA), 2005

The Tucan is an extraordinary way to see Ecuador in a short period of time. It's packed with challenging and varied physical activity, wonderful meals, and the chance to meet the locals. We hike through virgin Amazon jungle, the mystical Bellavista cloud forest, and the fertile highlands surrounded by 'The Valley of Volcanoes'. We paddle the stunning Río Napo and climb up the waterfalls that feed this mighty river in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon basin. We cycle down Cotapaxi, the world's highest active volcano, and through the lush, green Pastaza river canyon flowing down to the jungle. You'll visit a local rainforest community and try out the wealth of optional adrenaline activities in Baños - a beautiful little town at the foot of the immense Tungurahua Volcano and an outdoor adventure playground.

While most of Costa Rica experiences heavy rain during the months we run the Quetzal, some areas are drier than during 'summer', and we’ve chosen the parts that are at their best at this time of year. On this trip we'll hike, bike and paddle into the heart of Costa Rica's exuberant green environment.

This is the only time of year you can sea kayak to Tortuguero National Park to see nesting sea turtles up close.  Paddling is also a real highlight on the Quetzal - increased rainfall high up in the mountains provides us with an exciting ride lower down the river! We'll hike around the constantly erupting Arenal Volcano, and cycle on the fringes of a beautiful lake at its base. We’ll hike through the Monteverde Cloud Forest and visit a local coffee plantation before we make our way down to the Pacific coast, where we'll snorkel with tropical fish, and paddle a sea kayak to idyllic Tortuga Island, before returning to San Jose, Costa Rica's cosmopolitan capital city. The Quetzal is simply the best of Costa Rica!

Peru is an incredible place to visit as a family, and we’ve showed the best parts of this amazing country to a lot of families over the years. We designed the Capybara family trip to explore the most highlights of Peru, meet the locals, and get into the great outdoors as a family. As well as taking care of the finer points of your trip and organizing great activities for the whole family, we make sure parents have the chance to have some down time while we look after the kids. Peru is a family-friendly place we know intimately, and we’ve taken great care in choosing the activities, accommodations and places we visit. The locally-run hotels we stay in are great for kids and parents, and the places we dine are suitable for all ages. In 11 days we venture into the Amazon rainforest to hike world renowned wildlife trails, visit the ancient lost city of Machu Picchu, sea kayak across Lake Titicaca, and stay with a local family on Amantani Island. We’ll see rural villages as they were hundreds of years ago, explore some of the most colorful markets in South America, bathe in hot springs, take an unforgettable scenic train ride, and hike the spectacular Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Capybara family trip is an awesome adventure for the whole family. To enjoy all the activities, children should be nine years of age or older, but with a little notice we can often cater to younger children.