Costa Rica Five Star Experience

Upon arrival you will be welcomed by one of our representatives who will meet you at the airport exit with your name on a board. Once you are ready the driver will take you to San Jose city. Your hotel for tonight is close to downtown, just 30 minutes away from the airport.

During the short drive to the hotel, you will receive a brief introduction to Costa Rica and some recommendations for your trip. Your guide will explain your itinerary in detail once you arrive at the hotel. Tonight you can have dinner out and explore the lively and cultural city of San Jose. The city offers a variety of dining options and different cultural experiences such as theaters and public plazas in the downtown area.

An exciting adventure is waiting for you!

Our representatives will pick you up early today, they will take you to the area of Siquirres on the Caribbean slopes. On the way you have the opportunity to admire the beautiful Braulio Carrillo National Park and then Guapiles with all the banana plantations. On the way you will enjoy a delicious typical breakfast as you will taste the famous “Gallo Pinto” that is truly the best breakfast for a day full of activity.

After breakfast you will change clothes and get ready to jump into the river, which is only few minutes away. Upon arrival to the river, the expert guides will proceed with the safety talk, technical instructions, and you will have the chance to practice paddling on calm water. From there you will explore the stunning river rapids and enjoy the E; today you will relish the river for about 1.5 hours until you reach the amazing Lodge immerged in the dense rainforest.

Upon arrival to the lodge you can have lunch. The afternoon is free and you can rest in your comfortable suite, explore the hotel private trails or swim in the natural river pools.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For these two days, you can carry a bag with your clothes and things you will need. The maximum luggage weight is 25 pounds per person. The rest of your luggage will stay safely in the Lodge’s operations center in Siquirres.

Today is at your leisure. We have no doubt that you will have an unforgettable time here because of the entire environment around and the incredible lodge you have to enjoy. Some optional activities are available but the lodge offers tranquility and beauty on every corner.

In the Caribbean region of Costa Rica there is a protected zone of incomparable beauty that begins near the town of Siquirres and covers approximately 25,000 acres as it ascends the Talamanca Mountain Range. This is the area known as Pacuare, the most important protected area in the region. Its proximity to the lowlands and its high annual rainfall nurtures the complex ecosystems giving extraordinary and colorful scenery.

Located within this zone, the Pacuare River is part of Central America’s most important network of national parks and reserves and offers some of the finest white water in Latin America. This is without a doubt a wild and scenic river, the water flows deep inside a remarkable primary rainforest, coursing through a wild, dense vegetation that covers the sides of steep gorges rising above the riverbanks. This rainforest provides shelter to jaguars, ocelots, monkeys, sloths, and numerous other species of mammals and birds.

Because there is not a better way to get out of this jungly paradise than riding a wild river for 4 hours, surrounded by magnificent scenery and accompanied by the best tour guides who will make sure you have a great rafting experience in tropical surroundings.

This is without a doubt the most exciting activity you can do in the rainforest and takes place in one of the most beautiful rivers of the world. White water rafting in Pacuare river will remind you the first time you ride a bike without help, or the first kiss… here you will forget about everything and only focus on nature and enjoyment. Along the ride you will face exhilarating rapids that will keep you alert, some of these are Upper and Lower Huacas, Cimarron, and Dos Montañas.

High waterfalls on the river banks makes you think that this place came straight from Jurassic Park. Your mind flies while you paddle river down and try to stay in the raft. Once half of the river is conquered the guides will prepare a picnic lunch on the banks of the river; recharge your energy with a delicious meal and enjoy the last part of this water adventure.

You will continue traveling northwest after all the excitement, to the northern plains of the country where the stunning Arenal Volcano will welcome you. Arenal Volcano was discovered after the full force unleash of the volcanic explosion in July of 1968, locals thought it was a mountain before that. Since then it has erupted in 1975, 1993 and 1998 and is currently dormant.

You will arrive by the late afternoon to the hotel in Arenal and the rest of the day will be free to rest and enjoy the hotel facilities.

Today in the morning you will enjoy one of the most popular and highly rated activities in Costa Rica, the zip line or Canopy Tour as it is called locally. It consists of zip lining by means of cables between trees and mountains while you are wearing a special harness designed for the tour. While you “fly” through the dense cloud forest you can see and feel all the natural activity that occurs within the treetops, such as, birds, insects and some mammals. Do not forget your camera so you can capture the amazing views of the forest.

By mid-afternoon you will be picked up by our local representatives who will take you to the Arenal National Park for a guided nature walk. The trails are mostly flat and not very strenuous, perfect for a leisurely and informative hike with one of our expert guides. We will head through the jungle, hiking through well-groomed, easy trails that skirt around the base of the Arenal Volcano. Your eagle-eyed guide will point out different species of flora and fauna and teach you about the volcanic activity in the area.

Finally, you will visit the exclusive Tabacon hot springs where you will find several natural heated pools to soak and relax after a day full of activity. A complete buffet dinner is included at Tabacon.

Today, after breakfast, we will take you to the Central Pacific area of Costa Rica. On the way you will get close to one of the biggest reptiles of the world. After a couple of hours on the road you will stop at “Rio Grande de Tarcoles” river where you have the opportunity to see magnificent reptiles of 6 meters in size. They have been on this planet for more than two hundred million years. Since they have not changed much over time they are considered living dinosaurs. Your driver will stop by the bridge so you can see the crocs and take beautiful pictures.

Continue towards Manuel Antonio after the leg stretch. Manuel Antonio is just south of Quepos on the Pacific Coast, 132 km from San José. One of the reasons it is so popular is because of its expansive white sand beaches that are backed by an evergreen forest that grows right up to the high tide line. The principal habitats are primary forests, secondary forests, mangrove swamps, lagoons and beach vegetation. There is quite a varied fauna with 109 species of mammals and 184 species of birds. The park includes 12 little islands just off the coast, these are often visited by a number of dolphins and, at times, migrating whales can be observed from the beach.

The area itself is full of luxury and high-end properties, exclusive restaurants with excellent cuisine where you can sit and admire the ocean and spectacular sunsets. Here you will find the perfect combination between Mother Nature and the best of civilization.

This day in the afternoon you will enjoy a Sunset Sailing tour on a 70-foot modern catamaran. The boat expedition departs from Quepos marina you will be transfer to the meeting point by our local representatives.

Your guide will help you to board the Tom Cat catamaran anchored on the marina. Once on board an introductory talk is given, the anchor is pulled and we begin our motor sail to one of the many pristine beaches in the area. En route to our secluded beach we look for turtles, dolphins, flying fish or whales. We will also cast a line off the back in the hopes of hooking a yellow fin tuna, mahi mahi or maybe even a sailfish. Eventually, the boat will pull into a secluded bay and drop anchor.

Snorkel equipment is provided so you can admire the colorful rocky reefs and look for exotic sea life. Some of the more common animals seen include tangs, puffers, porcupine fish, eels, starfish, rays and seahorses. While you enjoy the bay, the crew prepares a light lunch. Following lunch the anchor is pull, raise the sails and start navigating among the bay. You will arrive to the final anchor location as the sun nears the horizon and the sky melts in thousands of colors (the tour is also available in the morning).

Return to the hotel after this exciting activity, rest of the day free.

Today you will travel south of this beautiful country. One of our drivers will take you to the local airport in Quepos where you will board a domestic flight to Puerto Jimenez. Upon arrival you will be taken on a 4x4 vehicle to the remote reserve of Lapa Rios Eco-Lodge. Due to its secluded location in a hill's summit this luxurious lodge has incredible ocean and rainforest views. The primary forest around the lodge makes wildlife encounters very common in the property.

This private nature reserve of over 1,000 acres of lowland tropical rainforest is a paradise for wildlife, nature and beach lovers. The lodge’s bungalows line three ridges overlooking the pristine point where the Golfo Dulce meets the Pacific Ocean. Built over 350 feet above sea level, the property was designed in harmony with surrounding forest and beaches and was built with locally harvested materials; all the hotel activities and tours have been developed without affecting the environment. Home to monkeys, macaws, pumas, toucans, tree frogs and thousands of other creatures, a trip to this area will be the trip of a lifetime.

Today is dedicated to rainforest exploration and you can choose any of the activities offered by the lodge. Some alternatives are early and sunset bird tours, waterfall hike, local medicine hike, rainforest ridge walk, Osa trail hike, Matapalo tour, night walk, and “Twigs, Pigs and Garbage”. All these activities are focus on the wildlife observation but some include aspects of the hotel sustainable practices. Optional tours to Corcovado National Park are available with additional costs.

Today you travel back to civilization. The lodge staff will take you to the local airport in Puerto Jimenez so you can take the domestic flight back to San Jose. The flight is short but you can admire incredible landscapes of rivers, mountains, valleys and volcanoes as you get close to the city.

Arrive by midday, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the city or enjoy the hotel facilities. The hotel for tonight is located in San Jose. We recommend you to visit the central avenue where you can interact with locals and learn a little about our way of living, museums and historical buildings are close by.

All good things come to an end, unfortunately!!

Say good-bye to beautiful Costa Rica and its people or depart on your next journey.

One of our drivers will pick you up at the hotel and take you straight to the International Airport, if you wish, located just 30 minutes from the hotel. In Costa Rica you must be at the airport 3 hours prior the departure time.