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Days 1-3
San Jose / Arenal Volcano National Park
At Nectandra Cloud Forest, a biological preserve, we walk trails through primary and secondary forest for an introduction to the tropics with our Trip Leader, an expert naturalist, then continue to lush Arenal Volcano National Park. Here the perfect cone of Arenal, sacred to the pre-Columbian people, is a dramatic sight. The volcano is most spectacular at night, when its red lava flows glow in the sky. From our lovely lodge overlooking Arenal, we hike, soak in hot springs, and explore the rainforest amid the playful sounds of toucans and howler monkeys. Highlights include a walk on spectacular hanging bridges into the orchid-draped treetop canopy.
Days 4-7
Zip Line / Manuel Antonio National Park / Hotel Parador
En route to Manuel Antonio National Park, we visit a private forest reserve to try Costa Rica’s popular adventure sport—the canopy zip line. Clipping into steel cables rigged among the trees, we fly across the treetops among huge kapok and elephant-ear trees for a bird’s-eye view of the canopy, the habitat where 90 percent of rainforest wildlife lives. We continue to Manuel Antonio National Park, where our accommodation for three nights is the Hotel Parador, set on its own peninsula overlooking the blue Pacific. Our Pacific Ocean setting offers us gorgeous tropical forests and turquoise seas edged by white-sand beaches. We hike trails through the forests of Manuel Antonio National Park, with its treetop canopy full of howler monkeys, toucans, and iguanas, and down to the beach. We also set out for a morning of exploration by sit-on-top kayaks in coastal estuaries and mangroves, the perfect way to view wildlife up-close. At sunset one evening, we head out by catamaran for a snorkeling excursion, with the tropical sky turning pink and orange. Sea turtles, flying fish, and birdlife including boobies and frigatebirds share this beautiful environment with the many dolphins that frolic and roam along this coast. Depart on Day 7 via San Jose, or join our Whitewater Rafting Extension.
Whitewater Rafting Extension
Enjoy a one- or two-day journey on the wild Rio Pacuare, with its profusion of waterfalls, monkeys, and toucans.
Please call us or download the Full Trip Brochure for more information about our extensions