COSTA RICA HIGHLIGHTS.
COAST TO COAST TRIP

Arrival at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO). After customs and enter Costa Rica, a representative of GWA will be waiting for you outside the airport. You will have a private transfer to your hotel located in San Jose.

Meals: none

Park Inn by Radisson San Jose Hotel, or similar (Superior Hotel, 4 Stars).

You will begin your travels plundering deeper into nature as you transfer from San Jose to Tortuguero National Park via a shuttle that takes you past many banana plantations and through colorful, Carribean villages. At La Pavona Dock, you will load your things onto a specially designed riverboat that will take you to your hotel in Tortuguero. Lunch will be waiting for you at the hotel. The afternoon will be jam-packed with exciting facts and history about the town of Tortuguero as you explore it with the company of your guide.

Enjoy a delicious dinner at the restaurant of the hotel.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Pachira Lodge, or similar (Standard Hotel, 3 Stars Superior).

Sometimes referred to as “The Amazon of Costa Rica”, Tortuguero is home to an extensive assortment of wildlife and plants hidden deep within the jungle. Your guide will bring you on a boat tour that will slowly propel you through winding canals and deep into lagoons where he will spot different animals that are nearly invisible in camouflage among the trees and vines. With the possibility of monkeys jumping from tree to tree overhead, this tour is sure to make you feel 100% part of the jungle.

NOTE: The entrance fee to Tortuguero National Park is not included ($15 USD per person). Moving from water to land, your guide will then take you on a walk through the jungle to get a closer view of the surrounding flora and fauna. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore or relax with a cocktail by the pool. Lunch and dinner will be included.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Pachira Lodge, or similar (Standard Hotel, 3 Stars Superior).

Exiting by boat the same way you entered, you will be leaving Tortuguero to travel by land to the Caribbean Coast of Puerto Viejo Beach. On the way, you will enjoy a delicious typical lunch in a local restaurant. Puerto Viejo Beach is located in the South Caribbean, it is a perfect destination for beach lover and travelers that want to know about culture and traditions. Puerto Viejo was a small fishing village, that has become a popular destination offering a wide variety of restaurants and bars for vivid nightlife.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Azania Bungalows, or similar (Standard Hotel, 3 Stars).

In the morning, let the tropical ocean breezes guide you as you decide how to spend your free day. Enjoy the golden sand beaches while the sound of the waves hitting the beach soothes you, do an optional tour such as snorkeling, or simply just relax and enjoy the multicultural vibes of Puerto Viejo. Late afternoon, as mouthwatering aromas fill the air, you will learn how to cook like a Costa Rican during your cooking lessons with a highly experienced local chef. Of course, you will get to taste your masterpiece at the end (dinner included).

NOTE: Transportation is not included to the restaurant where you have this activity.

Meals: breakfast, dinner.

Azania Bungalows, or similar (Standard Hotel, 3 Stars).

Unleash your adventurous side today and prepare yourself for a day filled with exhilaration because you will be whitewater rafting down one of the top ten rivers in the world, the Pacuare River. This tour includes a delicious lunch. After the tour, when your adrenaline is starting to dissipate, you will be transferred to Arenal Volcano area.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Los Lagos Hotel Spa & Resort, or similar (Superior Hotel, 4 Stars).

Get your walking shoes on and your cameras ready because today you will experience the many different hues of vivid greens as you explore the rainforest for the very first time, both from the ground and from the treetops, as you will be crossing over the jungle via hanging bridges. The pristine forest only grows in beauty and awe as you continue your trek toward the looming La Fortuna Waterfall, where you can feel one with nature as you swim in its waters. Let’s make a break to enjoy a delicious typical lunch. After you are refreshed and refueled, the adventure will conclude with a leisurely nature walk through the Arenal Volcano National Park.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Los Lagos Hotel Spa & Resort, or similar (Superior Hotel, 4 Stars).

Let’s go to your next destination, Monteverde Cloud Forest. Van-Boat-Van transfer from Arenal Volcano to Monteverde, crossing the Arenal Lake by boat. In the afternoon, the Trapiche Cultural Tours is awaiting for you! You will learn more about the production of coffee, chocolate and sugar cane candy. During the tour, you will walk around a real Costa Rican farm. You will even have the opportunity to make your candy!

Meals: breakfast.

Monteverde Country Lodge, or similar (Standard Hotel, 3 Stars).

Fuel up on breakfast because today is full of energy-demanding adventure! As the mist from the clouds gently sprinkle on your face and a plethora of plants grow up around you, today you will enjoy the serenity and beauty of the cloud forest as you hike throughout it discovering and learning about the many different species of life that call this forest home. In the afternoon, experience life as a bird while “flying” above the canopy of trees through the Cloud Forest on this zip line tour. Enjoy the breeze through your hair and the birds eye view of this forest while taking part in one of Costa Rica’s most top-rated activity.

Meals: breakfast.

Monteverde Country Lodge, or similar (Standard Hotel, 3 Stars).

Today you will travel toward the Central Pacific side of Costa Rica to appreciate the purity of the white sand beaches of Manuel Antonio. The transfer will be split up along the way as you stop at the Rio Grande De Tárcoles to enjoy a crocodile safari boat tour with the reptiles who have inhabited this river for millions of years. Don’t forget your camera, as these creatures are sure to make an appearance and welcome you to their home. Enjoy a delicious lunch after this tour. Continue the transfer to Manuel Antonio. Rest of your day at leisure.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Hotel Playa Espadilla, or similar (Standard Hotel, 3 Stars Plus).

Reinvent the meaning of the word “paradise” as you walk through the Manuel Antonio National Park with a local nature guide. Feel the crystal clear waves of the ocean rolling over your feet onto the glowing white sand beaches, hear the rainforest come to life with the sound of animals talking among one another, and see the natural beauty of flora and fauna uncovering itself as you walk underneath the canopy of trees.

Meals: breakfast.

Hotel Playa Espadilla, or similar (Standard Hotel, 3 Stars Plus).

This morning is at your own pace, enjoy the last morning at this natural paradise. Afternoon, take a shuttle transfer back to San Jose where you will enjoy the last night in Costa Rica, eat at a local restaurant, or just relax at your hotel.

Meals: breakfast.

Park Inn by Radisson San Jose Hotel, or similar (Superior Hotel, 4 Stars).

It is not a “good-bye” but a “see you again” as you take your private transfer to Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) to travel back home and reunite with family and friends.

Meals: breakfast.