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Rainforest Hike -
Tortuguero - Poas Volcano - Butterfly Garden - Hot Springs -
Cloud Forest - Manuel Antonio - Carara - Coffee Plantation
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10 Days
from $1095
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Tour Price Includes
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All Meals
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All Excursions
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Fully Escorted
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1st
day - San Jose', Costa Rica
Welcome to the "rich coast," friendly land of
democracy and rare natural beauty. With naturalist guides,
see exotic birds and wildlife, hike in jungle rainforests,
view volcanoes, soak in hot springs and cruise through
biological reserves. Relax on both the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts. Caravan provides transfers from the San Jose airport
to the Barcelo Palacio Hotel. Rooms are available for check
in after 3:00 p.m. Dine at your hotel, then participate in
an 8:00p.m. welcome briefing. D
2nd day-Poas Volcano
After breakfast, see the statue of the drummer boy: Costa
Rica's hero. Next, weather permitting, visit Poas Volcano,
dormant since 1991. You can safely view this dramatic
mile-wide crater from an overlook. Enjoy lunch. See San
Jose's Plaza de Ia Cultura, Central Park and the National
Theatre. Visit the National Museum. See pre-Columbian
granite spheres and dazzling displays of gold and jade.
Enjoy dinner BLD
3rd day-Rainforest Hike, Tortuguero
Scenic morning drive through Braulio Carrillo Park. Look for
cascading waterfalls. With a naturalist guide, enjoy a short
rainforest hike on level terrain. Lunch, then cruise through
rivers and canals to the 47,000 acre Tortuguero Park.
Tortuguero is home to more than 300 species of birds. Look
for toucans, kingfishers, parrots and the rare green macaw
Enjoy a two night stay at your lodge. After dinner in
Tortuguero, a naturalist talks about the rainforest. BLD
4th day-Tortuguero Park, Canal Cruise
Cruise this morning with naturalist guides along canals
lined by raffia palm, habitat of howler and white-faced
monkeys, green iguanas and tropical birds. Look for white
and snowy egrets and the amazing nests of the montezuma
oropendola. Then, enter the mysterious reflecting waters of
Cano Palma wildlife reserve. Next, visit the Green Turtle
Research Station. Learn about efforts to protect the
turtle's nesting habitat, eggs and young hatchlings. Walk
along the Atlantic turtle nesting beaches with a naturalist
guide. Next, to Tortuguero village. Meet Costa Rican school
children on your visit to a local school (when in session).
Return to your lodge for lunch. Free time to enjoy your
lodge's swimming pool and tropical flower gardens. Visit a
butterfly garden. See colorful butterflies. Enjoy an
afternoon boat excursion into Tortuguero Park. Look for
otters, turtles and manatees. Dinner. BLD
5th day-San Carlos Valley, Fortuna
Morning cruise on Tortuguero River. See a banana plantation.
Lunch, then a brief stop at Selva Verde Rainforest
Rainforest Reserve. Here you can walk the nearly 300 foot
long suspension bridge through jungle canopy and over the
Sarapapiqui River. Next, through scenic countryside to the
San Carlos Valley for a two night stay in Fortuna. Dinner. BLD
6th day-Cano Negro, Hot Springs, Arenal
Head north this morning, passing through sugar cane, teak
and orange plantations. Then, cruise on the Rio Frio through
the world famous Cano Negro wildlife refuge, home to many
migratory birds found nowhere else in Costa Rica. Look for
whistling ducks, cormorants, anhingas, blue heron. Watch for
caimans, spider monkeys and web-footed water-walking
lizards. Box lunch. Return to Fortuna. Free time to explore
the charming village of Fortuna. Then enjoy a relaxing soak
in the volcanic hot springs. Weather permitting, see nearby
Arenal Volcano's softly glowing lava flow. Dinner at Las
Cabanitas. BLD
7th day-Cloud Forest Hike, Jaco
This morning drive by the Children's Eternal Rainforest,
part of the Monteverde cloud forest region. The Children's
Rainforest was purchased with donations from school children
around the world to be preserved forever. Next, enter a
cloud forest reserve, home to epiphytes, orchids, ferns and
tropical birds, for a guided walk. Cloud forests are like
rain-forests, but with less rain and more humidity Look for
many species of hummingbirds in the feeding gallery. Lunch
at a cloud forest lodge. Then, to Jaco on the Pacific Ccean
for a two night stay Dinner is at your resort. This evening
you may wish to explore the shops along Jaco's lively main
street. BLD
8th day-Manuel Antonio, Tarcoles Cruise
Visit Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica's most beautiful park, this
morning. Time to beach-comb or swim at the three pristine
beaches, rated among the top ten in the world. Easy hiking
trails wind through the jungle, home to one of the last
natural habitats of the playful rare squirrel monkey Lunch
at your resort. Next drive by the Carara Biological Reserve.
Carara is an Indian word meaning "river of
crocodiles." Enjoy a bird and crocodile spotting cruise
on the Rio Tarcoles this afternoon.
Cruise through a mangrove
reserve. Look for roseate spoonbills, northern jacanas and
boat billed herons, toucans, trogons, sloths and monkeys.
This tropical bird and wildlife sanctuary is one of the
world's few nesting places for the scarlet macaw. Your
cruise time depends on tidal fluctuations and may take place
in the morning, with a visit to Manuel Antonio National Park
in the afternoon. Dinner in Jaco. BLD
9th day-Sarchi, Coffee Plantation
Morning visit to Sarchi, see the painted ox carts and
colorful handicrafts. Lunch. Next, see the metallic church
of Grecia. Then, visit a coffee plantation. Pick a few beans
when in season. Sample fresh Costa Rican coffee and enjoy a
musical comedy devoted to the coffee bean. Next, return to
San Jose'. Tonight, celebrate your Costa Rica adventure at
farewell dinner. BLD
10th day-San Jose'
Your tour ends after breakfast this morning at the San Jose'
Palacio. Transfers throughout the day to the San Jose'
airport. Hasta la vista! B
B=Breakfast
L=Lunch D=Dinner
Bottled water provided on motorcoach.
Purified water provided at all meals.
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All Hotels Included -
listed by day
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1,2
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San
Jose- Barcelo Palacio
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3,4
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Tortuguero Park-Laguna Lodge
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5,6
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Fortuna-Las Cabanitas
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7,8
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Jaco-Barcelo Amapola
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9
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San Jose-Barcelo Palacio
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Departures
Twice a Week
Final payment due 60 days prior to departure.
Travel protection plan available.
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