Family Costa Rica Culture/Safari

Cloudforest

Day 1 --- Arrive and Drive to Cloud-Forest (Trogon Lodge)

Today your private naturalist, bilingual guide and driver will meet you outside of the San Jose Airport. All of our trips are privately operated giving you a chance to go as you feel needed. Our transportation is modern and allows for smooth comfortable traveling throughout your stay.

Our first stop will be the cloudforest located in the mountains of Cerro de la Muerte. This is our favorite area for experiencing the cloudforest and it really gives you the true essense of being in this type of ecosystem. You will also encounter a second unique ecosystem of the tropics called the Paramo. To give you an idea this area is what Montverde was 20 years ago before the large tourist boom, where you will now find more tourists than wildlife. (Meals: Dinner)

See you in the Cloudforest!

Day 2 --- Trogon Nature Hike (Trogon Lodge)

Today is a nature hike in and around the cloud-forest. Our main goal will be to first find the amazing Resplentant Quetzal which people travel from all over the world to see. It is considered one of the most beautiful birds on the planet. After we site the Quetzal we'll then make our way hiking to a nearby waterfall. 

This is a fabulous day in and around astonishing scenery and we will even make some local stops to give you a feel for the culture of the area. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 3 --- Travel to Turrialba (Casa Turire)

We'll get an early start today and drive to Turrialba which is a town sitting in a valley surrounded by mountains and the smoking volcano of Turrialba. On our way to the area we will make a stop to look down into the crater of the Irazu Volcano. Here we'll be able to see both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts from the top of Costa Rica's tallest volcano.

We will also be making some stops along the way in the town of Cartago where we will learn about Costa Rica's first capital city and have a chance to visit some if it's most well-known historical sites.

In the early afternoon we'll arrive at our favorite hotel, Casa Turire. This is a small hotel located on a lake with great views of the volcano and in the design of a old sugar-cane plantation. (Meals: Breakfast)

Early Morning Coffee Anyone?

Day 4 --- Golden Bean Coffee Tour  and Dinner with  Dona Fressy (Casa Turire)

Today we are going to enjoy some more culture and education about the people and country of Costa Rica. We will start with a coffee tour. This is an excellent tour and again not one of the larger commercial tours but gives you a great feel for the real production of coffee and why and how it became known as the golden bean in Costa Rica.

After our coffee tour you will have time  enjoy the grounds of the hotel and take some walks with your guides or float around the lake in kayaks.

In the evening we'll make the 15 minute drive up to the village of Sitio de Mata where you will meet some of the nicest people and get a chance to experience a locally home cooked meal, traditional dance, and even learn how to make tortillas! (Meals: Breakfast & Dinner)

Arenal Volcano

Day 5 --- Travel to Arenal & Chocolate Tour (Manoa Resort)

Today is a travel day to one of the most breath-taking areas you will find. The Arenal Volcano is a perfectly cone-shaped volcano. You will be staying at its base and have marvelous views from your rooms at the Manoa. This is a travel day and to break up the drive we will be stopping at a chocolate tour in the Tirimbina Reserve. Here you will learn the history of chocolate and how they grow and process it organically. 

We will arrive to the Arenal area after lunch. You will have the afternoon to enjoy the hotel's hotspring and just relax while viewing the magnificent volcano. (Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

Who turned the lights on?

Day 6 --- Arenal (Danaus & Hanging Bridges)

This next part of the trip we will dedicate to wildlife. The first two days were cloudforest, then we moved on to culture & food, and now we are going to give you a full dose of the wildlife and the amazing biodiversity of Costa Rica.

Our first stop will be the reserve of Danaus, where your naturalist guide will help you understand the wonders of the tropical rainforest as we follow a walking trail looking for different species such as butterflies, hummingbirds, toucans, sloths, and much more.

After the walk on the reserve floor we will take you to an entirely new area. This will be the hanging bridges which will have us enjoying the canopy of the rainforest where you can find some of the tropics most miraculous species and life forms. 

In the evening we can take you out to eat to any one of our favorite places in the area. (Meals: Breakfast)

GET UP! YOUR FLIGHT IS LEAVING!

Day 7 --- Cano Negro (Manoa Resort)

The Cano Negro Wetland (about an hour from Arenal) in northern Costa Rica is well known worldwide for its biodiversity.  We'll take a private boat ride in the wetland today, and get upclose looks at different species of monkeys, sloths, birds, caymans, Jesus Christ Lizards, and much much more. It gives us the feeling we are working for National Geographic.

In the afternoon it will be back to the Manoa Resort where we will have a final meal prepared for you to celebrate you last night in Costa Rica and get you ready to pack your bag and your memories after an unforgettable trip! (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 8 --- Fly Home!

Today we will make the two and a half hour driver to the airport. It would be ideal if your did not have a very early morning flight but we can always make due if needed. (Meals: Breakfast)