KIM COPELAND Travel Consultant An Explorer Travel Franchise owned and operated by Kim Copeland Tel: 01732 252 752 Mob: 07967 029534 www.wanderoustravels.co.uk [email protected] ABTA No.L3832 Prepared by Kim especially for you ** All searches are performed in real time so availability & pricing are subject to change ** All itineraries can be personalised and amended – please get in touch to enquire More specific hotel information can be provided just let me know your preferences. Costa Rica
2 A tour of Costa Rica, perfect for families; hightlights include Tortuguero National Park, Arenal Volcano, rainforests, birdwatching and beach with activities for families of all ages. Enjoy a landscape of smouldering volcanoes, tropical rainforests and golden beaches. Take in the abundant wildlife, hike in the foothills of the Arenal volcano and enjoy the thermal hot springs. Exeperience the hanging bridges of the Monteverde Cloud Forest and relax on the coast. 14 Days Itinerary - San Jose – 1 night - Tortuguero National Park – 2 nights - Arenal Volacano – 2 nights - Monteverde Cloud Forest – 2 nights - Tamarindo Beach – 4 nights - From £3,200pp Itinerary includes: - International flights with a Frankfurt stopover - Accommodation with Breakfast (and other meals as per details) - Transfers to and from the airport and throughout the itinerary - Excursions as listed with English speaking guides DAY 1: based on 4 th July - SAN JOSE International flights and arrive San Jose. Time at Leisure DAY 2: SAN JOSE Time at Leisure
3 DAY 3: Tortugeuro National Park Includes Lodging, land & boat tours, meals and tours Mawamba lodge is located on a land strip between the Tortuguero canals and the Caribbean Sea. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens, with direct access to the beach and only a few steps away from the town. After breakfast in your hotel, you will depart driving through the spectacular Braulio Carrillo National Park, and stop at Rio Danta Restaurant for snacks and drinks. The bus ride continues through banana plantations to the pier. A two-hour boat ride through the canals will take you to Mawamba Lodge, just in time for lunch. In the afternoon, explore the Mawamba gardens; during this guided visit you will learn about the flora species, as well as some animal specimens you can see in the region and admire the beautiful landscape. You will also learn about the environmental conservation projects such as the biodigester. Dinner in the lodge. DAY 4: Tortuguero National Park After breakfast, you will visit the picturesque Tortuguero Village, located in the heart of the protected area of Tortuguero National Park. This small town of only about 1,200 people has one main walkway that is paved but with no cars. The only traffic youll see is the many bicycles and occasional coconut carts. Its only a couple of blocks wide at most and the main street stretches between guests' houses, tourist shops, minisupermarkets, and restaurants. Lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon, you will enjoy a boat tour of the Tortuguero Canals. Tortuguero is a network of navigable lakes, rivers, and canals (both natural and manmade) that are used for transportation and are a great place for observing local wildlife. The climate is warm and humid. Daily temperatures average 26 degrees C (79 F) and annual average rainfall is over 5,000 mm (200+ inches). Warm days are tempered by trade winds and cool nights. Abundant wildlife inhabits Tortuguero, including 57 species of amphibians, 111 species of reptiles, and 60 species of mammals. More than 300 species of birds live in Tortuguero for all or part of the year. Birdwatchers commonly see keel-billed toucans, slaty-tailed trogons, Montezuma oropendulas, and a variety of parrots. Dinner in the lodge. DAY 5: Travel to Arenal Transfer to Arenal and Volcano Lodge
4 DAY 6: Hiking & Hot Springs This tour combines the enjoyment of a boat ride with a walk through the rainforest of the National Park to get the most impressive views of the colossus from all angles. The tour begins with a 20-minute drive from the hotel to the Peninsula section of the National Park, near Lake Arenal. Here you will begin a 1.5 km (1 mi) long walk along an easy trail for about an hour. Throughout the tour, you can enjoy excellent views overlooking Lake Arenal and the Tilaran Volcanic Mountain Range in the observation bays that are found along the trail. At the end of the walk, you will have the opportunity to climb to the observation platform approximately 12 meters (40 ft) high for a closer and amazing view of the volcano and receive a full explanation of its history, activity cycles, and geological formation among other relevant data. At the end of the trail, you will enjoy a snack of fresh fruit before taking the boat for a tour along the forested shores of Lake Arenal and islets to try to find some animals. This is the ideal place to take scenic photographs of the volcano if it is clear. You will cross the lake until you reach the town of El Castillo, a small developing community where a family business will welcome you with open arms to share a snack of traditional food accompanied by typical drinks; caf chorreado; agua dulce; or natural juice, while enjoying the view of Lake Arenal. After this relaxing break, you will take the boat again to navigate the lake to the pier where the minibus will be waiting for you to take you back to your hotel DAY 7: Lake Crossing to Monteverde Once at the dam, you will board a comfortable and safe pontoon-type boat, and after a 30-40 minute journey you will arrive at Chiquito River, a small community on the other side of the lake.Arenal Lake is the largest and most important in Costa Rica, it is of artificial origin built in 1974 in order to obtain hydroelectric power for the country. It is also a place where you can find a variety of resident and migratory birds, sometimes it is possible to observe mammals like monkeys and sloths in the surroundings of the place, as well as excellent views of the Arenal Volcano when it is not cloudy. Once in Chiquito River, you will leave the boat and continue another land transfer of approximately 1.5 hours to the hotels in the Monteverde area. DAY 8: Monteverde Cloud Forest The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a private nature reserve located in the mountain area that defines its climate: humid prevailing air currents from the Caribbean coast strike the mountainside, which cool to produce the high levels of rain and fog that have led to the development of the cloud Forest. In some places the wind can be strong and layers of clothing are recommended. The humidity is lower on the Pacific side of the reserve, but the temperature tends to stay between 14-20°C throughout the area. Then you will begin to discover the trails, there are several that you can choose. An alternative is to walk to the panoramic viewpoint La Ventana, where you can witness the natural contrast made by the Continental Division, a geographical feature that traces the main mountain ranges of Costa Rica. Here, you can experience the force of the trade winds loaded with moisture that blow from the Atlantic coast, and witness how they descend at great speed towards the Central Pacific and the coastal plains of northern Costa Rica. There are more than 500 species of birds, including the majestic Quetzal, 120 species of reptiles and amphibians, more than 3000 plants and the largest variety of orchids in the world.
5 DAY 9: Transfer to Tamarindo Hotel Tamarindo Diria is a beachfront property, located 50 minutes away from the Liberia International Airport, near the Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge and Las Baulas National Park. Surrounded by exotic tropical gardens, the hotel features a total of 236 guestrooms in different categories. DAY 10: Tamarindo At leisure. DAY 11: Tamarindo At Leisure DAY 12: Tamarindo At Leisure DAY 13: Return to San Jose At Leisure DAY 14: Return to the UK HOTEL DETAILS: - San Jose: Hotel Studio TRIPADVISOR LINK - Torteguero: Mawamba Lodge TRIPADVISOR LINK - Arenal: Volcano lodge & Thermal Experiences TRIPADVISOR LINK - Monteverde: Trapp Family Lodge. TRIPADVISOR LINK - Tamarindo Beach: Tamarindo Diria Beach Hotel. TRIPADVISOR LINK