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Tour Code: SRF
Tour Length: 9 days
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COLORS OF COSTA RICA
Day 1 - Arrival in San José. (Sat.) Upon your evening arrival, you will be met by your Tour Director who will help you check into your hotel. Day 2 - Explore Poas & Arenal Volcanoes. (Sun.) This morning, journey through coffee and sugar plantations on the way to POAS VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK. With close-ups of Poas Volcano's enormous crater and deep green lake, you may witness one of its sporadic geyserlike eruptions. Stop in the local town of Zarcero before continuing on to Arenal to relax in hot springs or perhaps take a thrilling zip-line ride through the forest canopy and fly more than 275 feet high through the air. From the comfort of your resort this evening, enjoy the spectacle of Arenal's bright red lava coursing its way down from the cone - an awesome sight indeed. (B,L) Day 3 - Hiking in Arenal National Park. (Mon.) Travel to La Fortuna, a small town at the slopes of the Arenal Volcano, which rises to 5,350 feet. From here, pass into ARENAL NATIONAL PARK to hike the trails and listen for the constant sound of volcano rumblings. Next, visit ECO TERMALES FORTUNA HOT SPRINGS for a leisurely dip in the natural hot spring waters inside the forest. While relaxing, observe the many different species of birds found in this region. (B,D) Day 4 - River Cruise in Palo Verde National Park. (Tue.) This morning, pass the shimmering waters of Arenal Lake, surrounded by emerald, sloping hills of dense forest, before reaching the wildlife sanctuary of PALO VERDE NATIONAL PARK. A CRUISE on Tempisque River highlights this rich ecosystem that combines rivers, marshland, mangroves, and dry forest. Watch out for crocodiles, monkeys, iguanas, and thousands of birds that migrate to Palo Verde! Arrive this afternoon at the white sand beaches of Tamarindo on the Pacific coast in the Guanacaste area. (B,L) Day 5 - Beach Time. (Wed.) Free time today allows for a day at the beach. Perhaps try snorkeling or even a surfing lesson! Alternately, you may opt for a guided visit of Rincon de la Vieja National Park, known as Costa Rica's Yellowstone. Explore the steamy sulfur water ponds and pungent fumaroles that punctuate this jungle, home to toucans, monkeys, and many other exotic animals. (B) Day 6 - Sky Walk in Monteverde Cloud Forest. (Thu.) Depart for Monteverde, one of the most famous nature reserves in Costa Rica. A naturalist-guided SKY WALK tour in MONTEVERDE takes you on a network of hanging bridges, trails, and platforms built inside the cloud forest canopy. Its main purpose is to offer a different perspective of the tropical forest, while being specially designed to reach all the different layers mostly within primary forests. During your tour, keep an eye out for Resplendent Quetzal, beautifully colored birds often found in this area. (B,L) Day 7 - Explore Santa Elena Cloud Forest. (Fri.) On today's guided walk through SANTA ELENA CLOUD FOREST RESERVE learn how this highland forest experiences nearly 100-percent humidity throughout the year. Warm northeasterly trade winds filled with moisture blow in over the Atlantic and up the Continental Divide where they cool and condense to form clouds, bathing the forest in a constant soft mist. The cloud forest here receives an incredible 12 feet of rain every year, creating a lush, green garden of mosses, ferns, flowers, and epiphytes growing thickly on every tree with dangling roots and vines sweeping across the trails. Home to many species of insects, amphibians, and mammals, the air is rich with the sounds of birds, the occasional scurrying of small mammals on the forest floor, and even the roars of howler monkeys. (B,L) Day 8 - Visit a Local Town. (Sat.) Returning to San José, visit the town of SARCHI. For centuries this town has been a production center of Costa Rica's famous hand-painted oxcarts. Here you will have a chance to shop for unique souvenirs. Tonight, your Tour Director hosts a farewell dinner, ending a colorful discovery of Costa Rica. (B,D) Day 9 - Depart San José. (Sun.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B) |
