Costa Rica Tours - Costa Rica's Delights: Monteverde National Park & Arenal Volcano.

Costa Rica's Delights
Monteverde, Arenal & Options
7 / 8 - days itinerary

Costa Rica's territory is blessed by nature's generous bounty. Our seven-day journey to some of the country's most prized natural treasures will captivate and entice your senses!

We can customize
your vacation!

First, experience our must-do portion of the adventure: Costa Rica's famous Monteverde Cloud Forest and the active Arenal Volcano. Then, choose one of three attractive options, carefully designed to fulfill your tropical vacation dreams: (1) Sarapiquí lowlands and Pacuare River, (2) Sarapiquí region and the Tortuguero canals, or (3) Corcovado National Park and the Osa Peninsula. This enchanting opportunity to explore Costa Rica's delights will take you from peaceful highland cloud forests to warm lowland rainforests, filling your vacation with intense thrills and peaceful rest. Best of all, you get to choose the activity that best quenches your thirst for adventure!

Your extensive menu of activities includes: walking on suspension bridges at treetop levels; witnessing an active volcano expel colorful clouds of smoke and candescent lava as you relax in natural hot springs; paddling down the Pacuare River - one of the top rafting experiences in the world - and ending your day in a delightful jungle lodge; biking, horseback riding, bird-watching, hiking through lush trails and bathing in refreshing waterfalls, flying to the southern Pacific coast for some of the best diving in the country; and simply indulging in nature's delights as you travel from one magical place to the next...

The following three transportation options are available to provide you with a flexible price structure and allow you to travel the way you want:

Option #1: Minivan Transportation (most economical)
Private bus companies serve several different tourist routes daily throughout the country. The vehicles are late-model minivans with a capacity for up to 15 people. Guests are picked up at their hotel of departure and taken to their destination hotel. This is an ideal choice for independent travelers who wish to explore Costa Rica in a comfortable and economical way, but would like to enjoy the safety and comfort of reliable transfers. Some transfer portions of your itinerary may be handled by the operator of a specified lodge or tour attraction as part of the tour, to provide flexible pick-up and return schedules.

Option #2: Car Rental
You will be supplied with a car rental, which will be delivered to your hotel in San José the day after your arrival. Each tour specifies a rental-return point, when you will no longer need the car for the remainder of your trip. Some transfer portions of your itinerary may be handled by the operator of a specified lodge or tour attraction as part of the tour, to provide flexible pick-up and return schedules.

Option #3: Private Guide and Driver
The day after your arrival, a driver and a bilingual naturalist guide will pick you up at your hotel. Your guide will remain with you during your transfers from San José to Monteverde, from Monteverde to Arenal and from Arenal to Sarapiquí. Once you arrive at the different destination hotels, tour operators will supply you with their own specialized tour guides for the various activities. Some transfer portions of your itinerary may be handled by the operator of a specified lodge or tour attraction as part of the tour, to provide flexible pick-up and return schedules.

The Basics:
Monteverde Cloud Forest and Arenal Volcano
3 nights / 4 days

Day 1 - Arrival in San José

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to San José for an overnight stay at the Hotel Don Carlos, in the heart of San José's cultural district. This hotel is located in an elegant Victorian home built at the turn of the century, completely restored and made into a fine hotel with individually designed and decorated rooms.

Day 2 - Monteverde Cloud Forest

After an early morning breakfast, you will depart for Monteverde, Costa Rica's premier cloud forest. Home of the exotic and resplendent quetzal, the cloud forest is also the habitat of many rarely seen endangered species, such as the jaguar. The forest stretches from the lush ferns and mosses that cover the ground up to a dark canopy formed by the tallest trees. The Monteverde tour includes a visit to one of the local forest reserves, where birds such as the yellow-throated finch, black-thighed grosbeak, spangled-checked tanager and silvery-throated jay might be spotted. Mountain deer, pumas and peccaries are also occasionally seen. Stay overnight at the charming Hotel Sapo Dorado or an equally welcoming establishment.

Day 3 - Monteverde Cloud Forest's Sky Walk and Arenal Volcano

After an early morning breakfast, your senses will be delighted upon arrival at the SkyWalk - a system of trails and suspension bridges built at canopy levels within the Monteverde Cloud Forest. This attraction allows you to become one with nature in the cloud forest, as you are able to view much of it from above!

After an invigorating lunch, your journey continues on to Arenal Volcano. Here, you will encounter Arenal Lake and Costa Rica's quintessential Arenal Volcano. Its perfect cone emerges from Alajuela's gentle green hills, and from time to time loud explosions can be heard, often accompanied by mushroom clouds of gray, brown and orange smoke. Your day ends at Tabacón Resort, where you can sooth your body in the crystal-clear thermal waters naturally emanating from the nearby volcano.

You will spend the night at either Tabacón Resort or the cozy cabins of Montaña de Fuego Inn, near the base of Arenal, where on clear nights you might view the nightly showers of glowing lava and red-hot rocks spewing from the mouth of the crater.

Day 4 - Half-day in Arenal, continuing with selected optional itinerary

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After breakfast, a guided tour will take you on a bike trip to the area where the forest, the Arenal Volcano and Arenal Lake meet, leading through a beautiful trail. Our journey starts at Arenal Lake Dam, where you will take an old trail into the forest. At the end of the trail, you will arrive at the entrance of Arenal Volcano National Park, leading you to the Arenal Observatory Lodge and later back to the main road.

On this exciting and peace-evoking ride, you will be able to come accross many bird species, such as toucans and trogons, as you enjoy the beauty of the Arenal area. At the end of your journey, we will take you back to your hotel, where you may leisurely have lunch and get ready to continue the adventure for the remainding three days of your adventure!

Above itinerary includes: Transportation, one night stay at Hotel Don Carlos or similar with breakfast; one-night stay at Hotel Sapo Dorado or similar with breakfast, Monteverde Skywalk tour. Entrance into Tabacón hot springs, 1-night stay at Tabacón Lodge or similar with breakfast; guided mountain biking tour w/ snacks in Arenal area.

The Basics: Monteverde Cloud Forest and Arenal Volcano
Price per person (double occupancy):	Tourist Minivan (semi-private): US $368 Rental Car (Rav4-manual or similar, mandatory insurance included): US $387 Private Transfer: US $460

Choose one of the following three options to continue your nature filled journey:

Option #1:
Explore Sarapiquí and Pacuare
(4 days)

Option #2:
Explore Sarapiquí and Tortuguero
(4 days)

Option #3:
Explore Corcovado
(5 days)

I just wanted you and everybody at Aventuras Naturales to know how much we enjoyed our trip to Costa Rica. The hotels you recommended were excellent, especially the Trapp Family Lodge and Le Bergerac. The rafting tours were awesome and the guides on the trips really added to our enjoyment of the tour. Chilli Willy was wonderful on the drive to Monteverde - he gave us lots of great information and kept us laughing almost the entire way!! Yency was an inspiration to us on the Treasures of Costa Rica tour because she is such an incredible person. We felt lucky to meet Miguel the next day for our drive to the Pacuare. Jonathan, Esdras, and Manuel were fabulous on the overnight trip. We were impressed with their skill on the river as well as Esdras' skill in the kitchen. Manuel was the guide in our raft and he had to depend on five women for paddle power! We loved the way he said, "Forward, please" when he wanted us to paddle! It was so polite. I am telling all my friends that Costa Rica is a great place to visit and that Aventuras Naturales is a great company to work with. Judy, Lauren and I are already trying to decide when we can go again.
Thanks a gain for everything
Debbie Zartman
Brentwood, Tennessee

We would like to share some of the comments we have received from our clients.

We can assist you in planning your trip in Costa Rica! Please contact our travel division on how to customize your vacation to meet your budget and expectations. We replay with a suggested itinerary and cost within 24 hours.

Toll-free from the U.S.: 1-866-707-9163
Telephones: (506) 280-4041
Fax: (506) 253-6934

P.O. Box 11071-1000
San Jos�, Costa Rica
or
SJO 745
P.O. Box 025216
Miami, FL 33102-5216

We would like to share some of the comments we have received from our clients.

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