All these take place in the Quepos-Manuel Antonio area, just a few minutes from the school.
ARENAL VOLCANO & HOT SPRINGS – 1 day (L & D) - $82
Departure: 08:10 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 Baldi Hot Springs, a natural spa where you will have dinner. Bring a 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 Baldi Hot Springs area, since the spa is close to the volcano. The Resort uses the thermal springs from the volcano.
THE BEST OF THE PACIFIC (B & L) - $98
Departure: 6:30 a.m. / Arrival: 6:00 p.m.
We depart San Jose towards the Pacific coast via the Old Spanish Road of 1606, briefly stopping along the way for breakfast. Once we arrive at our first destination, we will ride a boat along the Tarcoles River. Our guides will take us into a world of crocodiles, water and migratory birds.
After our boat ride we 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, which is characteristic of this region. The beauty of its’ white sands and deep blue ocean are particular to the Pacific.
You will have all day free to enjoy this beautiful place and to enjoy the optional activities such as water sports, bathing in the crystal waters of the ocean or using the hotel pools. The tour includes a delicious lunch served in one of the local restaurants.
In the afternoon you may wish to enjoy an optional guided walk thru the jungle. Sunset in Punta Leona is an extraordinary experience, which we will enjoy, and after this spectacular view we will return to San Jose.
IRAZU/OROSI/ LANKESTER GARDENS - (L)$64
Departure:7:30 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.
POÁS VOLCANO / GRECIA / SARCHÍ - (L) $57
Departure: 7:40 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 one of the best-known crafts are splendidly decorated carretas (oxcarts). Costa Ricans visit Sarchí to buy beautiful wooden furniture.
COMBO TOUR (POÁS VOLCANO & LA PAZ WATERFALL GARDENS) – 1 day (L) - $84
Departure: 6:00 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 Santamaría 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 jewel. A buffet lunch will be ready for us after the tour. Now we are ready to go back to San José.
WHITE WATER RAFTING - (B&L) $75
Departure: 6:40 a.m. / Arrival: 6:00 p.m.
Rafting on Costa Rican rivers will bring you an unforgettable experience. The company will choose the most appropriate river, according to your level. The most common ones are the Reventazón or Pacuare rivers. This trip includes transportation to and from local hotels, breakfast and lunch and all rafting equipment required for the rivers, such as rafts, lifejackets, helmets and paddles. You should be prepared to get wet. Do not forget to take with you spare clothing, shoes and a towel.
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 to continue the adventure on the ocean and see the Island of Negritos, San Lucas, Gitana and the National Sanctuary of Guayabo. The ocean on the Tortuga Island is quite calm and appropriate for swimming and kayaking ($10). You can also have fun on a canopy tour.
TORTUGUERO (2 days / 1 night) $158 (Additional charge for a single person $38)
Departure: 6:30 AM (Saturday) / Arrival: 4:00 PM (Sunday)
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. Then you continue by boat to the Mawamba lodge, one of the best hotels in the area. In Tortuguero, you can see monkeys, crocodiles (caimans), slots, toucans, parrots, butterflies and some 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.
COFFEE TOUR - $50 (Transportation and lunch included) and $34 (Lunch is not included).
You will visit the coffee farm (finca) and continue with a bilingual presentation to describe the historical importance of coffee to Costa Rica. The tour also shows parts of the production process and finishes with coffee-tasting sessions (9.30a.m. or 11:00 a.m.) During the afternoon it is operate until April 15th, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.
AERIAL TRAM $62 (with transportation and lunch)
Students has to present the Cosi´s Id to apply this price.
The Rain Forest 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.
RAINFOREST ADVENTURE 3 IN 1 $95 (with transportation and lunch)
Departure: 7:35 a.m. / Arrival: 8:00 p.m.
Drive to Sapiriquí area, through the extraordinary rain forest of Braulio Carrillo Park, one of the most important rainforest reserves of Costa Rica. On arrival to Sarapiquí, a beautiful area known for its impressive natural richness, you will board a boat for a relaxing ride on the Sarapiquí River where you will feel in close contact with nature and admire the inspiring surroundings.
After the boat ride you will continue with a walk on Selva Verde eco lodge`s private trails which are a heaven for nature enthusiasts, hikers, bird and wildlife watches. Following lunch and on route to San José, a visit to the famous Rainforest Aerial Tram is include, for a ride on a gondola through the tree canopy in company of a naturalist guide that will talk to you about the wonderful rainforest.Departure: 8.10 a.m. / Arrival: 6:30 p.m.
Set into the placid cloud forests of Costa Rican Central Valley region, the San Luis canopy tour will take you on an exhilarating and safe adventure through lush, green canopy and across the majestic Rio Cataratitas. Carried securely by a system of zip lines, you will soar weightlessly through the expanse of virgin forest that grounds the tour, and find yourself in intimacy with the habitats of Costa Rica\'s distinct cloud forest wildlife. The San Luis canopy tour also presents the \"Elevator\", a thrilling feature that securely lifts visitors high above the forest canopy, granting a paramount view of the surrounding area.
Departure: 6:00 a.m. / Arrival: 5:00 p.m.
Canyoning is specifically practiced in the natural geographic setting of canyons. This activity involves rappelling and descending cliffs and waterfalls within the canyon. The Canyoning site is located in Calle Chirraca, a small, modest, yet lush place near our own Turrialba. Canyoning tour begin with an introduction of our guides and the equipment to help familiarize you with the different uses of the equipment. We start the tour at the first waterfall where a guide will give a speech on safety. The guide will explain the course and the equipment making sure you know the necessary mechanisms and procedures for canyoning, ensuring you a safe and fun experience. After this, you are off on a 3-4 hour adventure...rappelling down four waterfalls, zip lining down four canopy cables, and walking across a 132 foot hanging bridge – all giving you an unforgettable adrenaline rush!
COMBO CANOPY (L) $92 Double / (L) $110 Single person
Departure: 6:30 a.m. / Arrival: 7:00 p.m.
This combo include 4 tours in one. Canopy Tour: the life of the forest from the top of the trees - more than 500 acres of forest with an amazing view. There are 9 cables,
10 platforms, 3 trails, 2 hanging bridges, 1 Tarzan swing - total of 845m. Adventure cables: Six twin cables for partners experience + a long cable of 750m, steel towers, hanging bridges, high velocity of 80 km
per hour, a total of 3 km long, 150m above the hidden valley. Superman: Fly like Superman - 750 meters cable. Canyoning: Magical forest, crystal clear water, beautiful canyon and more. Rappel down five descends from a 110m long waterfall with surprises at every step. At the end, the super fun Tarzan swing and a horseback ride through the cloud forest. Minimum: 2 person.
See at the front desk the tours organized by COSI during the week in the afternoons.
