- 10 days/9 nights
- guaranteed with a minimum of 2 persons (to the actual participants)
- beweekly departures on Mondays
- guided throughout in English
- on seat-in basis
1. Day, Monday: San José – Poás Volcano– La Fortuna
After breakfast our guide and driver will pick you up at your city hotel. The beginning of the trip leads you along coffee-, ornamental plants - and fruit plantations, straight up to the 2,700m high active Poás volcano. With a little weather luck, you might observe some steam and vapor coming out of the crater and watch the bubbling lagoon. Short walk with your guide through the cloud forest to a smaller side crater. Afterwards you continue the trip to La Fortuna, located at the foot of the also active volcano Arenal and in the middle of the picturesque scenery of lake Arenal. Later in the afternoon, you will relax at one of the Hot springs of the region and enjoy a delicious dinner. Return to your hotel.
Included: Entrance Poás Volcano, Entrance Baldí Hot Springs with dinner
Accomodation: Comfort Class Hotel*** (Lomas del Volcán/ Standard or similar)
2. Day, Tuesday: La Fortuna – Arenal National Park – Sarapiquí
Hiking on the lava fields at the Arenal National Park you will get very close the volcano and enjoy beautiful views on the peak and over the lake Arenal, if weather allows. In the afternoon you continue via Aguas Zarcas and San Miguel to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, which was formerly used as the central port for coffee from the central valley, because of its location at the meeting of river Puerto Viejo and river Sarapiquí. The small town is situated in the middle of broad banana plantations and hosts a number of protected nature reserves, some of them with primary forest.
Included today: Breakfast, Entrance Arenal Volcano
Accomodation: Comfort Class Hotel*** (El Bambú/ Superior or similar)
3. Day, Wednesday: Sarapiquí – Tirimbina Reserve – Chocolate tour – Cahuita
One of the named nature reserves is “La Tirimbina”, which you will visit today. Within a two-hours walk you will discover the rainforest at the Caribbean lowlands with its rich flora and fauna. Your guide will tell you many secrets of this ecosystem and with a little luck you might even get to see some mammals: monkeys, sloths, coatis and armadillos are living here as well as many different species of birds. After that you will learn more about the ever since popular chocolate, which is won out of the cacao tree, that is originally from South- and Central America. A local guide will explain and show you the whole process from the cacao bean to delicious chocolate, which you of course will be able to taste at the end. Afterwards, the journery continues via Limón to the Caribbean coast to Cahuita.
Included today: Breakfast, Entrance Tirimbina with Chocolate tour
Accomodation: Comfort Class Hotel*** (Suizo Locolodge/ Standard or similar)
4. Day, Thursday: Cahuita National Park – Beach
The little Caribbean village of Cahuita is the gate to the Cahuita National Park, which protects about 1 hectare of rainforest and the corresponding, green-overgrown coast with some lovely, lonely beaches. Walking along the park’s trails you will again have the chance to watch different animals, as for example capuchins, howler monkeys, sloths and racoons. Enjoy the rest of the day at the gorgeous beaches and let yourself seduce by the ease of the Creole culture, the sounds of Reggae coming from the village and its exquisite cuisine.
Included today: Breakfast, Entrance Cahuita National Park
Accomodation: Comfort Class Hotel*** (Suizo Locolodge/ Standard or similar)
5. Day, Friday: Cahuita – Siquirres – Coffee Tour Golden Bean - Turrialba
Today you will leave the coast again and head for the interior of the country via Siquirres to the agricultural region around Turrialba volcano, which is characterized by its sugar cane fields, lemon- and macadamia plantations. Cattle-breeding and dairy farming do also play an important role. Your hotel Hacienda Casa Turire is situated in the middle of a coffee plantation, where you will learn more about the important export good at a coffee tour. In the afternoon you might get to know the Haciendas surroundings from the horseback perspective, if you decide for the optional tour.
Included today: Breakfast, Entrance Coffee tour
Accomodation: Comfort Class Hotel***(Hacienda Lodge Casa Turire/ Standard or similar)
6. Day, Saturday: Turrialba – Orosi – Cartago – San Gerardo de Dota
On the further journey through the picturesque scenery, you will pass numerous Pejiballe plantations. Pejiballes are tubers in the size of table tennis balls which are colouring markets because of their yellow, green or red shells. Their taste can be compared to chestnuts. You will get into the valley of Orosi, which is surrounded by densely wooded mountains, pass the dam at Cachí to reach the sleepy village of Orosi on the other side of the lake and at the foot of the Talamanca Mountains. Visit of the small, colonial church San José de Orosi that was built in 1735 counts as one of the oldest churches of the country. Afterwards you continue your journey via Cartago up the mountain called Cerro de la Muerte to San Gerardo de Dota.
Included today: Breakfast
Accomodation: Comfort Class Hotel*** (Savegre Lodge/ Standard or similar)
7. Day, Sunday: San Gerardo de Dota – Walking Tour
Climate is remarkably cooler at San Gerardo de Dota because of its altitude of about 2,600m. The dense forests around the elevated valley with the river of Savegre are characterized by cypresses and “Aguacatillos” that feed the kingbird Quetzal which can therefore be seen in the region. On a walk you will test your luck to see the beautiful bird and enjoy the fresh air and the panoramic landscape that grants an important role to market gardening and trout breeding.
Included today: Breakfast
Accomodation: Comfort Class Hotel*** (Savegre Lodge/ Standard or similar)
8. Day, Monday: San Gerardo de Dota – Dominical
Today your journey goes downwards again and you will reach sea level a little north of Dominical where you will visit the private reserve Hacienda Barú. It offers trails along typical cocoa plantations and meadows, enters then into some rests of primary forest and finally leading into fens and mangrove woods. A nice beach also forms part of the protected area that enthusiastically supports a few reforestation projects also pursuing the recurrence of native animals.
Included today: Breakfast, Entrance Hacienda Barú
Accomodation: Comfort Class Hotel***(Villas Rio Mar, Villas Gaia or similar)
9. Day, Tuesday: Dominical – local excursions/ activities
The beaches next to the modern coast way of the southern Pacific are characterized by its strong surge, attracting many surfers. Today you may join an optional excursion offered by Southern Expeditions, as for example Whale- and Dolphin watching, Kayaking in the mangrove woods or a horseback ride to the Nauyaca Waterfalls. In the late afternoon you return to the beach and get to the small hamlet of Dominicalito, where you will enjoy a sunset dinner at the restaurant La Parcela. Time to think of all the journey’s impressions you will take with you.
Included today: Breakfast, Dinner
Accomodation: Comfort Class Hotel***(Villas Rio Mar, Villas Gaia or similar)
10. Day, Wednesday: Dominical – San José (or beach extension)
After breakfast your guide and driver will bring you back to San José, end of the tour. Or you opt for a beach extension (see below-mentioned reommendations).
Included today: Breakfast
Included Services
Not included Services
Date |
Participants |
Date |
Participants |
Date |
Participants |
| 05.05.08 | 28.07.08 | 20.10.08 | |||
| 19.05.08 | 11.08.08 | 03.11.08 | |||
| 02.06.08 | 25.08.08 | 17.11.08 | |||
| 16.06.08 | 08.09.08 | 01.12.08 | |||
| 30.06.08 | 22.09.08 | 15.12.08 | |||
| 14.07.08 | 06.10.08 | 29.12.08 |
Transfers from Dominical via Palmar Sur possible.
Information
This is a seat-in tour for the English speaking market. Please inform your clients, that there might travel other clients from all over the world with them during the whole roundtrip.
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