Departure: 09:10 a.m. / Arrival: 11:00 p.m.

You will have lunch in the restaurant of La Casa de Victor, located in San Ramón. The price includes the entrance fee to the Tabacón Resort, a natural spa where you will have dinner. Bring bathing suit & a towel. The Volcán Arenal National Park is relatively new. It was founded in 1995. Visiting the active volcano is an unforgettable experience. The best time to see it is definitely at night. You can watch it from the Tabacón Resort area, a natural spa close to the volcano. The Resort uses hot water which springs from the volcano.

Departure: 6:30 a.m. / Arrival: 6:00 p.m.

You depart San Jose towards the Pacific coast, briefly stopping along the way for breakfast. Once you arrive at your first destination, the guides will take you into a world of crocodiles, water and migratory birds.

After the boat ride you will visit one of the most beautiful protected areas, Punta Leona Resort it’s an exotic paradise surrounded by 750 hectares of transitional tropical wet forest to tropical dry forest. The beauty of its’ white sands and deep blue ocean are particular to the Pacific.

Departure: 8:00 a.m. / Arrival: 5:30 p.m.

In the morning you will visit the Irazú Volcano National Park and the church of La Basílica de los Angeles in the former capital of Cartago.

You will have lunch in the restaurant of La Casona del Cafetal located in Cachí. In the afternoon, you will visit Valle de Orosí, Lankester Gardens and the colonial church of Orosí. The centerpiece of the Volcán Irazú National Park is Irazú, the highest active volcano in Costa Rica.

The park is created by several craters and from the summit, it is possible to see both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts on a clear day.

A Lankester garden is an orchid garden run by the University of Costa Rica. Apart from orchids, there are many other plants and an arboretum with a variety of Costa Rican ecosystems. Orosí is one of the few colonial towns to survive Costa Rica’s earthquakes. It was named after a Huetar Indian chief who lived here at the time of the conquest. There is a church that was built in the first half of the 18th century that is still in use.

Departure: 8:00 a.m. / Arrival: 5:00 p.m.

In the morning, you will visit the Volcán Poás National Park. After having lunch in the restaurant of Las Chorreadas in Fraijanes you will visit Grecia and Sarchí with its respective churches and factories.

The Volcán Poás National Park is about 37 km north of Alajuela. It is one of the oldest and best-known national parks in Costa Rica. The centerpiece of the park is Volcán Poás, which has been active since 1828. The volcano is surrounded by a cloud forest abundant in flora and fauna.

It has also a beautiful lagoon worth visiting. Grecia is an agricultural center and is known for its red church, a local landmark. Sarchí is probably Costa Rica’s most famous crafts center. Among the best-known crafts are splendidly decorated carretas (oxcarts). Costa Ricans visit Sarchí to buy beautiful wooden furniture.

Departure: 8:00 a.m. / Arrival: 5:00 p.m.

The tour will take you along the Pan-American heading towards the town of Alajuela and pass by the way to the Agriculture Monument, Juan Santamaria statue and Mango´s Park. On the top of the volcano you will spend enough time to observe the principal crater with its sulphur fumaroles. As we continue towards the Caribbean area, we will stop to discover La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a Nature Park where we will walk on the truly spectacular trails that will lead us to Magia Blanca (the largest and the most spectacular of the falls in the area).

At the Park you will also witness the largest enclosed butterfly observatory in the country and a amazing hummingbird gallery with a beautiful collection of tropical jewels. A buffet lunch will be ready for us after the tour. Now we are ready to go back to San José.

Departure: 6:00 a.m. / Arrival: 6:00 p.m.

Isla Tortuga is a romantic place with white sand located close to the Puntarenas port. This tour includes transportation by bus, by boat, a light breakfast on the bus, fruit cocktail on the boat and lunch on the island. You will pass through small towns, sugarcane fields, and green coffee plantations and continue the adventure by sea where you will encounter the Island of Negritos, San Lucas, Gitana and the National Sanctuary of Guayabo.

The ocean at Tortuga Island is quite calm and appropriate for swimming and kayaking ($10). You can also have fun on a canopy tour.

This tour includes all meals and lodging in double or triple rooms. One of the most beautiful places in Costa Rica is the area of Tortuguero. You can only get there by boat. The beach is protected since thousands of turtles come to nest here from May to October.

Next you continue by boat to the Mawamba lodge, one of the best hotels in the area. In Tortuguero, you can see monkeys, crocodiles (caimans), sloths, toucans, parrots, butterflies and other animal species.

This is a great place to visit. It is half-a-day tour where you will learn about the relationship between the beautiful winged insects, their host plants, and their predators, as well as the amazing transformations that take place within their life cycle. The price includes transportation, entrance to the garden and the guide service.

The Rainforest Aerial Tram is only 45 minutes away from San José. It is located in a 450-hectare (1000 acres) private reserve of virgin forest that borders Braulio Carrillo National Park, one of the biggest and most biologically diverse parks in Costa Rica. Your experience includes transportation in an open-air vehicle to the Visitor Center, viewing a video about the project, a guided walk along the nature trails which are enjoyed by bird watchers from around the world, and an aerial excursion through the canopy accompanied by local guides.

A) Cartago / Lankester Gardens - $18
Departure: 12:00 m.d. / Arrival: 6:00 p.m.

You will visit Lankester Gardens (admission: $2.5), a beautiful orchid garden run by the University of Costa Rica. In Cartago, students visit La Basílica, the most important and famous church in Costa Rica which holds the patron saint of Costa Rica La Negrita. Students will also see Las Ruinas, a church destroyed by earthquake in 1910 which is surrounded by a huge wall and houses a pretty garden.
Cartago is the former capital and the most historical city in the Central Valley (founded in 1563). Unfortunately, major earthquakes ruined some of the old buildings but there are still interesting places to see.

B) Heredia - $18
Departure: 12:00 m.d. Arrival: 6:00 p.m.

After leaving COSI at noon, you can stop to have lunch on your way to Heredia. You will travel to the Monte de la Cruz mountain where there is a great view of the whole city. Next, you will continue to downtown Heredia where you will visit the main buildings and most important points of interest. Heredia is a small, but historical city founded in 1706. It is called the “city of flowers” and still retains its colonial character, which is the main reason to visit this charming city. The Parque Central is the best place to see the older buildings, such as the church La Inmaculada Concepción, the colonial tower “El Fortín” and La Casa de la Cultura which houses art and historical exhibits.

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