All that the Caribbean has to offer in one tour. Explore a myriad of rich habitats. You will visit arenal volcano, one of the world's most active volcanoes, the cloud forests and highlands of cerro de la muerte, the rich waterways of tortuguero, and the tropical lowland rain forests of Sarapiqui, known for being the most bio diverse area in costa rica.
Day 1: Arrive in San Jose where you will be warmly welcomed by your guide and chauffer and escorted back to your hotel. Spend the afternoon Relaxing by the poolside or taking a walk in the lovely gardens to recuperate from your long day of travel. If you feel like getting some exercise, there are lighted tennis courts available to you at the hotel.
Day 2: Travel to Cerro de la Muerte. We will spend the morning exploring the misty highland cloud forest reserve at the Finca Mirador de Quetzales, where up to 20 pairs of quetzals have been seen. Here we will marvel at this astounding habitat with its moss-covered trees. We will be delighted by a variety of orchids, bromeliads and other epiphytes, colorful tanagers and highland hummingbirds.
Day 3: Travel to Arenal where we will enjoy breath-taking views of the thundering Arenal Volcano. It is one of Costa Rica's active volcanoes, where we are sure to enjoy some fireworks. Great photo opportunities! We will spend the afternoon soaking in the hot springs surrounded by lush gardens. With the weather on our side, we will take in spectacular night views of the volcano with red lava streaming down its peak.
Day 4: In the morning we will hike through the National Park at the foot of the volcano. Here we could see monkeys and Coati-Mundis bounding through the forest, while Toucans call to one another from the canopy above. This is also a good spot for seeing the brightly colored eyelash viper (an arboreal snake). After lunch we will venture down to a cascading waterfall nearby. Bathing suits required!
Day 5: Travel by boat to Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean. Here we will explore the rich labyrinth of waterways which will afford us excellent wildlife viewing. The area boasts 320 bird species, including Tiger Herons, Agami Herons, White-fronted Nunbird, and all six species of Kingfishers belonging to the Americas. Along with birds, we may also see sloths, cayman, iguanas, poison-dart frogs, fresh-water turtles, basilisk lizards, the Honduran White tent-making bats, and three species of monkeys that frequent the banks. After lunch we will visit the Turtle Museum to gain background information for our evening excursion. Some time after dinner (depending on the tide) we will venture out along the beach to look for the Giant Leatherback Turtles, who come up to nest on the Tortuguero beaches from mid-February to July, while the Hawksbill turtles are also nesting there during July.
Day 6: After an incredible morning boat ride through the forest-lined canals of the National Park, we will spend the afternoon hiking at the foot of the only mountain in Tortuguero.
Day 7: Travel to the tropical lowlands of Sarapiqui. After lunch, explore the wildlife-rich riparian zone along the banks of the Sarapiqui river. This lowland rain forest region at the base of the Caribbean slope is well-known for hosting the greatest diversity of tropical flora and fauna in the country. This is the most likely spot on the trip to see the Great Green Macaw, an endangered species that depends on the Dipteryx tree for feeding and nesting. This is one of the emergent trees commonly found in Sarapiqui. Also lurking in the forest are two- and three-toed sloths, 3 different species of monkeys, and peccaries. In the afternoon we will enjoy a talk about the local plant-life by Orlando Orlich, a Botonist from the area. After the talk, he will take us into the jungle to practice plant identification techniques that he will be teaching us.
Day 8: Spend the morning at La Selva Biological Station run by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), clearly a highlight of the tour. The station is among the four most famous tropical research facilities in the world. We will see an outstanding abundance of wildlife. The station is home to more than 420 bird species, more than 500 species of butterflies, 55 species of snakes, and 120 species of mammals. A vast variety of different species of trees can be seen in the arboretum. Animals here are not camera shy, so there will be ample photo opportunities. Peccaries (wild pigs), agoutis, coatis, sloth, and monkeys frequent the area. All of which makes for an unforgettable experience.
Day 9: After breakfast we will gear up to go rafting down the beautiful Sarapiqui river. In the afternoon we will visit the butterfly and botanical gardens nearby.
Day 10: On our way back to San Jose, we will visit the Waterfall Gardens bordering on the Braulio Carillo National Park, where we will enjoy the extensive butterfly and hummingbird gardens. Up to 12 different species of jeweled hummingbirds visit the garden. Then, we will walk along the river, experiencing close-up views of 5 spectacular waterfalls. Upon arriving in the San Jose area, we will enjoy a farewell dinner with time to look back upon our rich experiences and share in a final evening together.
Day 11: Flights back home.
Tour includes all lodging and meals (lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 11, all transportation in Costa Rica in a modern air-conditioned vehicle; full time private bi-lingual professional guide specializing in birds and natural history; entrance fees to parks, reserves, boat tours(airport taxes and tips to local staff not included). Price based on double occupancy.
