The purpose of this program is to provide our guests with a profound immersion in Costa Rica's nature and culture. From one of the most famous biological stations is the world till a community-based rural tourism operation, it's all about learning why Costa Rica is like it is.
DAY 1 | Arrival
Upon arrival at the Juan Santamaria International Airport, you will be met by your transfer guide and driver and taken to your hotel. It is just a 20 minute drive, and then will be escorted to your room to get ready for a Welcome Dinner, where you will have a briefing regarding the activities you will be performing in the coming days. Overnight San Jose Hotel
DAY 2 | Volcanoes and waterfalls
You will enjoy a nice breakfast at your hotel, your Nature Interpreter will meet you then. Today, you will be visiting Poas Volcano National Park. This magnificent volcano is located within an hour and a half drive from the city of San Jose and it is one of the most important volcanoes in the history of Costa Rica and particularly the Central Valley. Right after your visit to the volcano, you'll leave towards the La Paz Waterfall Gardens where you will enjoy a great Costa Rican lunch. Then, you will go on a beautiful hike that will take you through the impressive Butterfly and Hummingbird Gardens, were you will have great views of Blue Morphos, Owl Butterflies, Black bellied Hummingbirds and the amazing Violet Sabrewing. In the late afternoon we drive on into the Caribbean slope to stop for the night at the Selva Verde Lodge [B,L,D]
DAY 3 | The birds of the rainforest
If you feel like going on an early morning hike through the rainforest, this is a great place to do this. Selva Verde's trail system near the lodge is really great and you will be able to find an incredible diversity of birds and mammals in the surroundings. After breakfast, we drive to La Selva Biological Station, the most famous of all Neotropical Rainforest Biological Stations. We'll have a nice and easy nature walk with one of the local naturalists and hope to find some of the wildlife that inhabits these forests. Central American Agouti, White nosed Coati, Central American Spider Monkey and Brown throated three toed Sloth share these woods with Great green Macaws, Red lored Parrots, Slaty tailed Trogons and 400 other bird species. We go back to freshen up at the Lodge and have a nice healthy lunch. In the afternoon we are going to have a nice relaxing River Safari, in one of the local boats that make us feel like we are in one of those Humphrey Bogart's movies. American Crocodiles, Emerald Basilisks, Green Iguanas, give the feeling of an ancient world, but you will also find Mantled howler Monkeys and lots of water birds. Back to Selva Verde for dinner. Overnight Selva Verde Lodge [B,L,D]
DAY 4 | The sights of the Carribean coast
Right after breakfast we leave towards the Caribbean Coast, and here is where our most culturally oriented experience begins. We proceed to the city of Limon where we will enjoy a Caribbean lunch and visit the Central Park of the city. Right after some time in Limon we drive toward the area of Puerto Viejo. En route, we arrive in the mid afternoon at our hotel and can have a good time to relax and enjoy the surroundings, we have dinner at our hotel. Overnight at Samasati Nature Retreat [B,L,D]
DAY 5 | On the way to the beach
This is going to be a wonderful day. We have breakfast at our hotel and then move down towards some of the local indigenous preserves, two different groups of local aborigines can be identified in the region, the Cabecar and the Bri-bri, their traditions are still kept by the older members of the tribe as well as the medicine doctors. We will enjoy some of these locations and even have the possibility to purchase hand made indigenous artifacts. Right after the visit, we will drive to one of the most beautiful beaches in the Southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, this is Manzanillo, we can just share some time there and then have a wonderful Caribbean Lunch in one of the most famous Caribbean Restaurants in the country, Maxi's. Right after our lunch we can spend some time in the area, for resting and swimming or go to a nearby beach where you can do some snorkeling or head back to the hotel and walk some of the trails at the Retreat. Overnight Samasati Nature Retreat [B,L,D]
DAY 6 | The second part of the adventure�on the way to paradise
Today is a traveling day, we will first have a nice and healthy breakfast and then our driver is going to take us to the Limon International Airport where we will take a 30 minute flight back to San Jose, where we will be catching another plane that is going to take us to Puerto Jimenez, in this case the flight is going to be 50 minutes on a charter plane. Then you will board a 4 wheel drive jeep that is going to transfer you to Luna Lodge, where the adventure is just starting. The beautiful bungalows at Luna Lodge are just charming, this place has been awarded as one of the best 25 Ecolodges in the World!!! by Conde Nast Traveler. The afternoon is free for different nature activities and to enjoy in the surroundings of Luna Lodge Overnight at Luna Lodge [B,L,D]
DAY 7 | Rediscovering nature!
This place is a paradise. Costa Rica has been blessed with the highest biodiversity of any country in the world per surface area, that means there are more living species of most everything per acre here, and the Osa Peninsula is the most special and gifted region in the whole country. Because of its geographical location it has more rare species that are found nowhere else and that is just overwhelming. After breakfast we will have a hike into the forests of the Osa Peninsula, and visit a pristine waterfall located not too far from our lodge where we can refresh ourselves in the middle of the warm and humid neotropical forests. We return to the Lodge for a late lunch and then relax for the rest of the afternoon. Overnight at Luna Lodge [B,L,D]
DAY 8 | Walking the rainforest and meeting its inhabitants
This is a long day of walking in the area of Corcovado National Park. We will have an early breakfast so we can defeat the hottest part of the day. It'll take us like 1 hour to get to the park on foot, and then we will walk as long as we want in the National Park, for this we will have a box lunch with us, so we don't have to rush to the Lodge and enjoy a full day in one of the most exciting rainforest regions on the planet. White faced capuchin Monkeys, Central American spider Monkeys, Mantled howler Monkeys, Central American Agoutis, Tayras, Baird's Tapirs and even some of the rarest mammals like Ocelots and Jaguars have been sighted in the trails of this the Wildest National Park in the Southern Central American Isthmus. Beautiful beaches bordered by lush tropical forests are the most common experience in this paradisiacal location. We return to Luna Lodge in the mid to late afternoon and just relax in the surroundings before dinner. Overnight Luna Lodge [B,L,D]
DAY 9 | Discover the history of coffee
Right after breakfast we get ready to drive back to Puerto Jimenez, this 1 � hour drive is really exciting and definitely astonishing, lots of farms, deserted beaches and wetlands are along the way. We take our plane back to San Jose, where our driver is going to meet us to take us to the Britt Coffee Plantation, where we will enjoy a nice Typical lunch and an award winning theatrical presentation about the history of coffee both in the world and particularly Costa Rica. Here you can make your coffee purchases for gifts to your friends, besides the fact that you can find a great Gift Shop that sells other interesting goods. After our presentation we are taken to our hotel in the Central Valley, and get ready for a Farewell Dinner. Overnight at San Jose hotel (first priority is Xandari Plantation) [B,L,D]
DAY 10 | Farewell�
This is the day of departure, your driver and transfer guide are going to take you to the Juan Santamaria International Airport where you have to arrive between 2-3 hours before your flight scheduled departure. We hope you have enjoyed The Greatest Rainforest Experience. [B]
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