Trinidad-de-Dota

We are pleased to present a new program of rural home stays whereby visitors can get an authentic view of Costa Ricans and their ways of living, while also helping to support them as a part of our efforts to foster more sustainable tourism.   By staying in homes of local families, enjoying home-made meals, and even participating in daily activities (if they so desire), visitors will experience much of our culture. At present, we offer home stays in two regions, in La Trinidad de Dota and el Roble de Sarapiqui.

Day 1:    Arrival in San Jose
Day 2:   Trinidad de Dota homestay
Day 3:   Volunteer work with host families
Day 4:   Paraiso del Quetzal half day hike. Afternoon with host families
Day 5:   To San Jose, or beach/volcano extension

Day 1: ARRIVAL TRANSFER
Upon your arrival in San Jose, Costa Rica and after clearing customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal to your right where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel.

Hotel: ROOM STD GARDEN VIEW SGL AT BOUGAINVILLEA
Rooms: 1
Meals Incl: (1B)

Located in a quiet residential area a few minutes outside downtown San Jose, the Bougainvillea Hotel offers far more than just accommodations. The Bougainvillea is a family-owned and operated inn with tastefully decorated rooms where every detail is personally supervised by owner Hans van der Wielen. The hotel´s restaurant offers excellent cuisine in an attractive dining room. The Bougainvillea also offers a gift shop, meeting and conference facilities, internet, currency exchange, a swimming pool, sauna and tennis courts.  Perhaps the hotel´s most outstanding feature is it´s wonderful landscaping of beautiful gardens with tropical flowers, orchids, bromeliads, medicinal plants and trees which host some 60 species of birds including hummingbirds, colorful tanagers and numerous songbirds.

Day 2: TRINIDAD DE DOTA HOMESTAY

La Trinida de Dota

This morning your travel host will meet you at your hotel and begin your tour of Costa Rica’s southern region.  Your destination will be the mountains of the Cerro de la Muerte range.

Your drive will be a scenic journey through mountains offering panoramic vistas of farms and forests

Today you will meet local families who will introduce you to their communities and way of life in this cool rural landscape.

Hotel: HOMESTAY TRINIDAD DE DOTA
Rooms: 1
Meals Incl: (3B, 3D)

Day 3: VOLUNTEER WORK WITH FAMILIES
In La Trinidad de Dota, visitors will enjoy the cool mountain air of a community located in mountains over5000 ft. in elevation about 25 miles south of the capital city of San José.  Many residents in this region have dairy farms, produce crops such as coffee, blackberries, apples, and even raise trout for local markets in small cold water ponds.  You may participate in harvesting some of these crops, help milk the cows, or be requested to go fishing for your lunch!   There will be plenty to see and do in this quiet Costa Rican rural community.

Day 4: PARAISO DEL QUETZAL TOUR (1L)

Quetzal

In the morning you will have the option of having a nature walk in the area.  On this tour you will see a variety of high elevation birds and have an excellent chance to observe the legendary Resplendent Quetzal, a bird worshipped as a deity by the ancient Mayans and Aztecs, and which are relatively abundant in the area.  This region´s forests are dominated by massive oak trees that may be centuries old, and are often shrouded in clouds that create lush forests with low native bamboo plants among the understory vegetation, tree ferns, palms and more.  Among the many species of beautiful birds that abound here are several species of hummingbirds including the fiery-throated hummingbird endemic to the region.

In the afternoon, you will have free time to spend with your local family hosts.  They may show you around their community, offer you a sample of the local cuisine, or simply wish to visit with you and tell more about their culture and viceversa in this quiet and peaceful setting.

Day 5: TO SAN JOSE, OR BEACH/VOLCANO EXTENSION
With your driver and guide depart for a 2-3 hour drive to San Jose or continue on to an extension to a beach or other location.

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, and room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

Costa Rica Sun Tours terms and conditions apply.
No refunds will be given for unused services as per our terms and conditions.
Any changes or cancellations made to these services while in Costa Rica are at the traveler’s expense.

Travel insurance, including trip cancellation insurance, is available and strongly recommended.

Sarapiqui

We are pleased to present a new program of rural home stays whereby visitors can get an authentic view of Costa Ricans and their ways of living, while also helping to support them as a part of our efforts to foster more sustainable tourism.   By staying in homes of local families, enjoying home-made meals, and even participating in daily activities (if they so desire), visitors will experience much of our culture. At present, we offer home stays in two regions, in La Trinidad de Dota and el Roble de Sarapiqui

Day 1:    Arrival in San Jose
Day 2:   Sarapiqui homestay, el Roble
Day 3:   Volunteer work with host families
Day 4:   La Selva OTS half day hike. Afternoon with host families
Day 5:   To San Jose, or beach/volcano extension

Day 1: ARRIVAL TRANSFER

Upon your arrival in San Jose, Costa Rica and after clearing customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal to your right where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel.

Hotel: ROOM STD GARDEN VIEW SGL AT BOUGAINVILLEA
Rooms: 1
Meals Incl: (1B)

Located in a quiet residential area a few minutes outside downtown San Jose, the Bougainvillea Hotel offers far more than just accommodations. The Bougainvillea is a family-owned and operated inn with tastefully decorated rooms where every detail is personally supervised by owner Hans van der Wielen. The hotel´s restaurant offers excellent cuisine in an attractive dining room. The Bougainvillea also offers a gift shop, meeting and conference facilities, internet, currency exchange, a swimming pool, sauna and tennis courts.  Perhaps the hotel´s most outstanding feature is it´s wonderful landscaping of beautiful gardens with tropical flowers, orchids, bromeliads, medicinal plants and trees which host some 60 species of birds including hummingbirds, colorful tanagers and numerous songbirds.

Day 2: SARAPIQUI HOMESTAY, EL ROBLE

Home Stay Sarapiqui

Morning pick-up at your hotel for a scenic drive with your driver/guide.  Your travels will take you through the mountains through the spectacular cloud and rainforest scenery of Braulio Carrillo National Park en route to the lowland community of El Roble de Sarapiquí.  This area is a region of tropical agriculture that produces bananas and pineapples on large plantations, beef cattle, and local crops such as plantains, papayas, and various root crops.  With some reserves of splendid rainforests (La Selva, Tirimbina) in the area and the Sarapiqui River, tourism featuring birdwatching, nature walks, white water rafting and kayaking, and riverboat tours are also integral parts of the regional economy. In Sarapiqui you will meet your local family(ies) who will be your hosts for the next two days.  They will introduce you to their way of life in this interesting region.

Hotel: HOMESTAY EL ROBLE SARAPIQUI
Rooms: 1
Meals Incl: (3B, 3D)

Day 3: VOLUNTEER WORK WITH HOST FAMILIES

Volunteer Work

On this day be prepared to lend a hand!  You may help do “chores” on a farm, do some handywork in the local community (painting the school, trimming up the local town park etc.) help prepare a meal with produce from the farm, “chat” with students in a local school who are trying to learn English,  or any number of country “chores”.  Here local residents raise black pepper, bananas, and pineapples, so you may be asked to help  harvest one of these crops.  As you experience the “hands-on” activity, you will share ideas and learn about your hosts’ way of life in Costa Rica.

Day 4: LA SELVA HALF DAY HIKE

Toucan

OTS La Selva ½ day private tour, including round – trip transportation, lunch and local guide. The Organization for Tropical Studies (O.T.S.) is a 1560-hectare research station and biological reserve.  There are more than 450 species of trees, 400 species of birds (over half the species that reside in Costa Rica), 113 species of mammals, 81 species of reptiles, & 48 species of amphibians that have been identified here.  Here the wildlife is accustomed to the benign presence of researchers and visitors and tranquilly “go about their business” and are easy to observe.

In the afternoon you will spend more time with your host families.  You may enjoy a walk through their community, visit with family and friends, watch a local soccer game, or enjoy some other activity they may have prepared especially for you.  This is a unique opportunity for you learn more about true Costa Rican culture and residents´ life in this small rural community and to share time with your hosts and likely, new friends.

Day 5: TO SAN JOSE,  OR OTHER DESTINATION

Return transfer to San Jose or continue your vacation with a transfer to another destination

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, and room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

Costa Rica Sun Tours terms and conditions apply.
No refunds will be given for unused services as per our terms and conditions.
Any changes or cancellations made to these services while in Costa Rica are at the traveler’s expense.
Travel insurance, including trip cancellation insurance, is available and strongly recommended.

Alex Arias

Alex is a passionate outdoorsman and has led nature tours for nearly 17 years all over Costa Rica.

His specialty is leading adventure tours: mountain biking,hiking, kayaking, fishing, canyoning and rappelling. He has competed with adventure teams in Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama, and has led friends up to the peak of Chirripo-the highest peak in Costa Rica-several times.

Families with children love him for his enthusiasm and caring personality!

We are proud to have such an active and passionate tour leader on our team!

Chocuaco

The Caño Negro and the Rio Frio are some of the most biologically diverse wetland areas in Costa Rica and some of the richest wildlife viewing and birding sites on this continent. Explore the refuge by canoe, and paddle our canoes down the Rio Frio or Rio Los Patos. The tour starts at 6:00 am with a two hour drive to just inside the national refuge, from where you paddle. Late afternoon return to your hotel.

Sustainable Tourism

We are once again proud to announce that we have been certified with 4 leaves by the ICT and the Sustainable Tourism Committee, revalidating the same category we had obtained 3 years ago when we were one of the first seven Tour Operators to be certified.

As the certification program has grown and more Operators have gone through the process, the standards are continuously raised, which gives even greater value to the high marks obtained.

 We will continue to put our best effort forward towards operating and teaching our guests about sustainable travel practices.

Outriggers Jaco

Kayak and snorkeling tour at Pacific Ocean waters, after a short briefing and safety talk you are ready to paddle.  The ocean is calm and non-threatening at Playa Agujas, where you paddle 30 to 40 minutes along spectacular cliffs filled with pelicans and frigate birds to one of the beaches.  The quality of the snorkeling, like the weather, is a variable of the tour that we have no control over.  But you will be in the best location for snorkeling on the Central Pacific Coast. Trip includes, allequipment necessary, a fresh fruit buffet served on the beach, bottled water during the trip, and natural refreshment

Leo Chaves - Naturalist tour leader

One of the best and most knowledgeable tour leaders in Costa Rica, Leo has spent nearly 10 years giving training courses for tour leaders at the national level.

With nearly 20 years of experience as a naturalist tour leader, Leo’s knowledge encompasses the broad field of natural history with birds being his favorite subject. Over the years he has written a number of short articles about Costan Rican Birds that have been published in ornithological journals in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Costa Rica.

This amiable and highly-respected travel leader enjoys giving nature tours to student groups, family tours, and naturalist groups. His nature travels outside Costa Rica have led him through several national parks in the United States, to the Andes and the Amazon in Ecuador, Panama, and to watch polar bears in Churchill, Canada.

An excellent teacher, Leo’s expertise in natural history combined with his modest personality, gentle sense of humor and passion for the natural environment make him the perfect choice for travelers who are birders and/or interested in learning about the many fascinating wonders of Costa Rica’s great outdoors.

Marco Fallas

Marco’s friends call him “Tex”, and he is full of energy and has a contagious sense of humor.

With over 20 years of experience in the tourism field in Costa Rica, Marco knows his home country well. Combined with his vast experience in the field, Marco continues to study about Costa Rica and in the off-season he has taken many courses including studies in ornithology, ecology, history etc., and recently nature photography.

His travels in the United States include the Grand Tetons, Minnesota, Sedona, and Michigan, and this has helped him to better understand temperate climate ecology and the USA culture.

With his ready laugh and caring manner, it is no wonder Marco is one of our most popular tour leaders!

O.T.S. La selva Sarapiqui

O.T.S. La Selva   Day Tour. Guided tour of the Organization for Tropical Studies field station La Selva. La Selva is an internationally recognized center for tropical rainforest research and education. Scientists, students, and natural history visitors from around the world come to discover, learn, and experience the extraordinary richness of its dynamic forest. With a strong base in systematic biology and evolutionary ecology, research at La Selva has diversified to include ecosystem level studies, bio diversity inventories, global change research, soil science, and applied forestry. Within the Station one can find over half of all the bird species native to the country, sloth, howler monkeys, butterflies, amphibians and reptiles

Contact us, for this or any other customized Costa Rican nature vacation!

Black Guan

At the end of the day of out modules to monteverde,  enjoy an amazing and unforgettable night hike, during the tour you can see birds, tarantulas, gray foxes, snakes, insects, amphibians and many species that appear during the night because most of these species are nocturnal, providing a unique and different experience. Guides will explain about the darkness of the cloudforest, rainforest and the creatures that live there. you can enjoy this adventures on any of our Daily Departures Modules

Arenal Observatory Lodge

Receive a greeting from one of our hotels in Arenal and La Fortuna area, the Arenal Observatory Lodge. They are proud to inform you that consistent with its operation responsible for the nature environment, is now a new partner of the Costa Rican Network of Natural Reserves whose objectives are the preservation, search and enjoy incentives for those who protect natural features present on their property, promotion of knowledge and social impact. Arenal Observatory Lodge is one of the best places in Costa Rica for birding with more than 400 species recorded. Near the lodge all kinds of adventure tours are available, like rafting, kayaking, biking, canyoning, hiking, caving and more!

Here at Costa Rica Sun Tours we like to give support to green partners, Costa Ricans that practice sustainable tourism and protect our natural and cultural resources. Many of our custom and classic trips like Arenal Volcano & Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve will visit responsible hotels like Arenal Observatory Lodge!

Green Iguana

The Green Iguana or Common Iguana (Iguana iguana) is a large, arboreal hervivorous species  of the  genus Iguana to Central and South America and of course Costa Rica. It grows to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in length from head to tail, although a few specimens have grown more than 2 metres (6.6 ft) with bodyweights upward of 20 pounds (9.1 kg). To find them join any of our  daily departures itineraries

Duration: 7 days/6 nights
Price: $ 2185 per person (based on double occupancy), single supplement $765, child rate 11 & under $660 p/child
Fixed departures  dates: 2012, Feb 19-25, Mar 25-31, Apr 08-14, May 27-June 02, Jun 17-23, July 01-07, Aug 19-25, Sept 23-29, Oct 7-13, Nov 18-24, Dec 23-29

Arenal

Highlights of this tour include a visit to a spectacular waterfall in the heart of the jungle; lunch on a farm with local residents who grow organic tropical crops;  a walk to a 50 foot-tall massive lava flow that crushed its way through the forest in 1992; spectacular views of Arenal, a steaming live volcano that rises out of the rainforest; a hike along trails and amidst the treetops in a beautiful rainforest on suspension bridges; an evening visit to relax in thermal springs naturally heated by Arenal volcano; a “Polynesian-style” outrigger canoe guided tour along the scenic Pacific coast; hikes, swimming and relaxing at the beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park; an exciting “zipline” treetop canopy tour; and an island excursion by catamaran.
Day 1:    San Jose, arrival to Hotel Bouganvillea
Day 2:    Arenal. Fortuna waterfalls & organic farm lunch
Day 3:    Arenal National Park lava walk & rainforest  hanging bridges. Thermal springs
Day 4:    Manuel Antonio. Outriggers at Agujitas Beach
Day 5:    Manuel Antonio National Park hike  & Titi canopy tour
Day 6:    Manuel Antonio. Catamaran Island Tour
Day 7:    Depart. Drive back to International Airport or your hotel in San Jose

 Day 01:  ARRIVAL

Upon your arrival in San José, Costa Rica and after you clear customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal, take the right hand side exit door, where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose.

Hotel:  Bougainvillea
Meals Incl:     1B

Located in a quiet residential area just a few minutes outside downtown San Jose, the Hotel Bougainvillea offers far more than just accommodations.  The Bougainvillea is a family owned and operated inn with tastefully decorated rooms where every detail is personally supervised by owner Hans van der Wielen. The hotel’s restaurant offers excellent cuisine in a wonderful dining room with views of tropical plants in the hotel’s12 acres of gardens. The Bougainvillea also offers guests a gift shop, meeting & conference facilities, internet and currency exchange, a swimming pool, sauna and tennis courts.  Perhaps the hotel’s most outstanding feature are the beautiful gardens of bougainvilleas, orchids, bromeliads, medicinal plants and trees which are hosts to some 60 species of birds including hummingbirds, motmots, colorful tanagers and numerous songbirds.

Day 02: TRANSFER TO ARENAL, LA FORTUNA WATERFALLS  & ORGANIC FARM LUNCH (BLD)

La Fortuna Waterfall

Morning pick-up at your hotel by your private naturalist guide with air-conditioned van for 5 days for a scenic drive to Arenal.  Upon arrival visit La Fortuna Waterfall, entrance fee included. Located just 3 miles away from the town of La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano, this beautiful 200 foot-tall waterfall receives its cool clear waters from the pristine forested mountains of Arenal National Park. The steep trail to the waterfall goes down through dense, lush rain forest where one has the opportunity to see parrots, toucans and tropical hummingbirds.  In addition to seeing a majestic waterfall in a beautiful setting, visitors to the falls are helping the local community.  The fees collected are used for important community projects such as supporting area schools, buying books, and helping cover some of the expenses for the town orphanage.  Additionally funds are used for recycling projects, maintenance of the community water supply, improvement of the local roads and sidewalks and construction of an educational center.

Afterwards, visit Vida Campesina (Country Life). This tour lets you experience life in the Costa Rican countryside with a farming family that grow typical crops and are practicing newer sustainable agricultural techniques.  A few miles from Arenal Volcano among the vast rich farmlands outside the town center of La Fortuna, Erasmo Gonzales operates his organic farm with his four children Greivin, José, Andrea & Noyleen.The tour begins with a demonstration of sugarcane juice production using a manually-operated sugar mill.  The tour continues on into the cultivated sections of the farm where visitors will see and learn about common Costa Rican crops such as coffee, bananas, plantains, sugar cane, red taro, white taro, medicinal plants, ñampi, tropical fruits, yuca, Chinese “potato”, papaya, corn, rice, ñame, annatto, and more.   Also on the farm are various animals including cattle, chickens, sheep, and rabbits, whose organic waste is converted to biogas and an organic foliar fertilizer.  At the end of the farm tour, you will enjoy a traditional lunch with freshly harvested vegetables, lunch includes a hands-on demonstration on tortilla making!

Arenal Volcano is located on the north plains of Costa Rica, province of Alajuela. Besides the activity of  lava rocks and occasional eruptions for the last 40 years, the area is surrounded by lush rainforest and second growth that cover the old lava flows and river sides. There is abundant wildlife in the area, and many bird species like toucans, toucans, motmots, jacamars, tanagers, honeycreepers and hummingbirds. While Arenal Volcano continues to be the main attraction in this region, in recent years many optional activities have been developed which visitors can enjoy during their visit. Recommended activities in Arenal: canopies and hanging bridges, rafting class II & III, canyoning, birding, caving, sport  fishing, nature hikes, lava hikes, horseback riding, waterfalls, butterfly gardens, thermal springs, organic farms and more.

Hotel:  Arenal Observatory Lodge
Meals Incl: 2B.1D

Arenal Volcano

The modern Arenal Observatory Lodge offers guests spacious rooms with picture windows that enable them to admire the impressive and unequalled vision of an active steaming volcano rising out of the wilderness forest looming large in front.  The forests surrounding the Observatory are now protected in Arenal Volcano National Park and teem with tropical wildlife.  The Observatory offers guests a restaurant, Jaccuzi, swimming pool, excellent birding on its own grounds, and daily guided hikes into the forests of the national park and onto a lava flow from 1992.

 Day 03: LAVA WALK, HANGING BRIDGES & THERMAL SPRINGS (BLD)

Arenal Hanging Bridges

Optional early morning birdwatching at the lodge gardens.  This morning with your guide, you will hike a trail to the Arenal Volcano  1992’s lava flows to further explore the area. On your hike you will have an opportunity to see a variety of rainforest wildlife and view the volcano from a safe vantage point while your guide explains its fascinating history. After the tour enjoy a delicious lunch in the area.

Afternoon visit the Arenal Hanging Bridges, entrance fee included.  This is a complex of suspended bridges and trails through a beautiful rain forest. As you walk through, you may encounter a variety of the wildlife, including toucans, motmots, trogons, poison dart frogs, howling monkeys, spider monkeys and white-faced capuchin monkeys. These allow the observation of flora and fauna from the ground level to the top of the trees.  This is one of the best methods of learning about the complexity and beauty of the rainforests of Arenal.

Late afternoon, visit the Ecotermales Hot Springs, entrance fee included.  There are four hot spring pools to relax in, filled with hot mineral water heated from the volcano.  Receive a natural massage from the small cascade! Traditional dinner included.

Day 04: TRANSFER TO MANUEL ANTONIO,  OUTRIGGERS AT AGUJITAS BEACH (BL)

Outriggers

Optional early morning birdwatching. Morning depart from Arenal and drive to Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park. Stop enroute at the bridge over the Rio Tarcoles to view the crocodiles basking on the river shore.  Enjoy lunch in Tarcoles Beach at the home of a Costa Rican family.

Later enjoy the famous Outrigger Canoe Tour along the Pacific Coast. Outrigger canoes use lateral support floats to increase stability while maintaining most of the streamlined efficiency of a narrow craft.  These vessels have been used by people of Polynesian cultures for sea travel for untold centuries both within coastal waters and to migrate to remote islands far out in open oceans.  Visitors with a sense of adventure can get a taste of travel by outrigger by stopping in at Agujitas Beach and participating in a ½ day guided outrigger canoe tour.  This tour runs alongside the coast with spectacular scenery and also offers visitors an opportunity to swim (and snorkel when conditions permit) in waters off beautiful secluded beaches.   The equipment is top notch and the canoe is incredibly stable, comfortable and easy to paddle offering visitors a fun “no experience necessary” activity while visiting the beach area.   The outrigger holds up to 7 paddlers and is perfect for small groups and families who want to share laughs and adventure together!

After the tour continue on to Manuel Antonio. Manuel Antonio is a community which is composed largely of hotels, separated by trees on a hill overlooking beaches and the coastal Manuel Antonio National Park with rainforest growing to the edge of its beautiful cream colored sandy beaches.  The forest is home to a variety of wildlife that are accustomed to people and readily seen including sloths, monkeys, armadillos, scarlet-legged land crabs, iguanas, agoutis, pizotes, raccoons, parrots, and parakeets.  The ocean water temperature is always near a comfortable 80º F and great for swimming and other water sports.  The region offers numerous other activities such as boating, river rafting, fishing, snorkeling, diving, canopy tours and more.  With a large number of excellent hotels and restaurants in the area outside the Park, visitors are assured a comfortable stay and a diverse offering of local and international cuisine.

Hotel:  El Parador
Meals Incl: 3B

Manuel Antonio

Hotel El Parador is located in one of the the most pristine areas of Manuel Antonio National Park, atop a majestic bluff and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is surrounded by 400 acres of lush tropical rainforest.  All rooms have balconies with views of either the rainforest or the ocean. All are tastefully decorated and include many luxurious extras such as  cable TV, air conditioning, mini-bar, coffee maker, telephone, safety deposit box, ceiling fans and hair dryers.  The hotel’s facilities include 2 restaurants, bars, conference room, gift shop, spa services, tennis court, tropical gardens, an infinity pool, expansive views and excellent service.

Day 05: MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK HIKE & TITI CANOPY TOUR (BL)

squirrel monkeys

Today you will take a hike with your naturalist guide through the Manuel Antonio park’s forest,entrance fee included.  Visitors frequently have up-close views of white-faced capuchin and squirrel monkeys, sluggish sloths, racoons, agoutis, colorful black & scarlet land crabs, and black iguanas. Some birds possible to see in the park are Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Baird´s Trogon, Violaceous Trogon, Golden-naped Woodpecker, White Hawk, King Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Orange-collared Manakin, Chesnut-backed Antbird, Bicolored Antbird, Black-hooded Antshrike, Fiery-billed Aracari, Chesnut-mandibled Toucan. After hiking you can enjoy the beautiful beaches of the park.

After lunch in a local place you will drive to the famous Titi Canopy Tour. During your two hour journey, you will zip thru 16 platforms high above the jungle floor with dramatic views of the valley. A series of 12 zip line cables reaching up to 450 meters (1,475 ft) take guests throughout the unspoiled rainforest canopy on an exclusive tour. After the tour your guide return to San Jose.

Day 06: CATAMARAN  ISLAND TOUR (BL)

This morning enjoy the Catamaran  Island Tour Board the boat where you will marvel at the mysterious islands with their jagged rock formation, towering cliffs and nesting grounds with numerous species of marine birds and their young. Listen to the blowholes; whistle with each surge of the waves. Count the varies types of dolphins, and whales that frolic just beyond the islands, and learn interesting facts about Manuel Antonio National Park and some history of the Quepoa Indians. Witness unforgettable offshore sunsets, taking a moment to relax and enjoy another beautiful day in paradise. Lunch included. Free afternoon.

 Day 07: DEPARTURE (B)

Pick-up at your hotel for a transfer from Manuel Antonio Beach to San Jose’s International Airport on time for your departure flight. Check in 3 hours before your scheduled flight home.

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

Hotel Bougainvillea

Welcome to Costa Rica!  Let us be your first hosts to the many wonderful vacation opportunities Costa Rica has to offer. One of our staff will pick you up at the airport, bring you to your hotel and inform you about your upcoming travels in the country. The next morning you will begin with a day trip to a destination of your choosing: a visit to Poas Volcano to look into its steaming crater and the beautiful La Paz waterfalls and gardens, a class III-IV rafting trip on the scenic Pacuare River, etc. The following day, you will continue on with your own adventures.

Day 1:   Arrival San Jose. Welcome briefing. Hotel Bougainvillea
Day 2:   Adventure day, full day tour. Hotel Bougainvillea
Day 3:   Free day at leisure. Hotel Bougainvillea
Day 4:   Continue on with your own adventures.

Day 1: ARRIVAL

Upon your arrival in San José, Costa Rica and after you clear customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal, take the right hand side exit door, where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose.

Hotel: Bougainvillea
Meals Incl: 2B

Hotel Bougainvillea

Located in a quiet residential area just a few minutes outside downtown San Jose, the Hotel Bougainvillea offers far more than just accommodations.  The Bougainvillea is a family owned and operated inn with tastefully decorated rooms where every detail is personally supervised by owner Hans van der Wielen. The hotel’s restaurant offers excellent cuisine in a wonderful dining room with views of tropical plants in the hotel’s 12 acres of gardens. The Bougainvillea also offers guests a gift shop, meeting & conference facilities, internet and currency exchange, a swimming pool, sauna and tennis courts.  Perhaps the hotel’s most outstanding feature are the beautiful gardens of bougainvilleas, orchids, bromeliads, medicinal plants and trees which are hosts to some 60 species of birds including hummingbirds, motmots, colorful tanagers and numerous songbirds.

Day 2: ADVENTURE DAY

Today enjoy a day trip to choose from: White Water Rafting, Nature Hikes, Coffee Lover’s Tour and many more.

Day 3: FREE DAY AT LEISURE

Free day in the area. Optional activities and tours available through the Hotel’s front desk.

Day Ttrips

Day 4: DEPARTURE

Say goodbye to Bougainvillea Hotel.

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes. Consulting with a professional country specialist, about routes, activities.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

Honeymoon in Costa Rica

Welcome to Costa Rica! Upon your arrival at the international airport one of our representatives will meet you and bring you to your San José area hotel. The following day your tropical honeymoon vacation will start with a visit to Poas Volcano.  This 9000 ft. volcanic mountain’s peak has a main crater that vents superheated steam and sulfur. Nearby, after passing through a dense forest of gnarled trees, you can admire the tranquil beauty of an extinct crater lake surrounded by verdant forests.  Bring a sweater or jacket, for it is often cool here! Following your tour at the volcano, you will then travel to the La Paz Waterfalls and Gardens where you will enjoy a delicious lunch and tour of the gardens, waterfalls and numerous other attractions such as the butterfly flyway and hummingbird garden before returning to your hotel.  The next day you will be transferred to the local airport for your flight to the beautiful pacific coast beach town of Tamarindo where you will stay for four days.  Located on Costa Rica’s famed Guanacaste coast, this area is known for its abundant sunshine, summer weather year-round, and warm water.  You can choose to simply swim and relax on the long, cream-colored sandy beach that wraps around the wide bay, or choose to participate in various activities available in the area including snorkeling, taking a boat tour through a nearby mangrove forest, go surfing, enjoy a canopy tour or take a day trip to one of the region’s national parks.

Day 1:    Arrival San Jose. Hotel Bougainvillea
Day 2:    Poas Volcanoe and La Paz waterfalls day trip
Day 3:    Flight to Tamarindo Beach. Hotel Capitan Suizo
Day 4-6: Free time at the beach
Day 7:    Departure transfer to Liberia International

Day 01: ARRIVAL TRANSFER

Upon your arrival in San José, Costa Rica and after you clear customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal, take the right hand side exit door, where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose.

Hotel: Bougainvillea
Meals Incl: 2B

bougainvilea hotel

Located in a quiet residential area just a few minutes outside downtown San Jose, the Hotel Bougainvillea offers far more than just accommodations.  The Bougainvillea is a family owned and operated inn with tastefully decorated rooms where every detail is personally supervised by owner Hans van der Wielen. The hotel’s restaurant offers excellent cuisine in a wonderful dining room with views of tropical plants in the hotel’s 12 acres of gardens. The Bougainvillea also offers guests a gift shop, meeting & conference facilities, internet and currency exchange, a swimming pool, sauna and tennis courts.  Perhaps the hotel’s most outstanding feature are the beautiful gardens of bougainvilleas, orchids, bromeliads, medicinal plants and trees which are hosts to some 60 species of birds including hummingbirds, motmots, colorful tanagers and numerous songbirds.

Day 02: TOUR POAS VOLCANOE & LA PAZ WATERFALLS (BL)

Poas Volcano

Morning drive up to Poas Volcano, visit Doka Coffee Estate for a delicious breakfast and a coffee tour, learn about the ancient techniques used by the experts to produce one of the best coffees in Costa Rica. After the coffee tour continue to Poas Volcano where we will the impressive main crater with its sulfur fumaroles, also learn about the different ecosystems in this beautiful park. Following the visit continue to La Paz Water Fall Garden for lunch and tour. On arrival to the La Paz, walk through a trail, leading to a spectacular waterfall in the rainforest. Inside the park we will also visit the hummingbird gallery, serpentarium, the bird house, the butterfly garden and the frogs exhibit.

Day 03: TAMARINDO BEACH  (B)

Sun Set

Pick up at your hotel for your transfer to the domestic airport in San Jose, for a domestic flight from San Jose to Tamarindo (50 min). Domestic airlines in Costa Rica permit a maximum of 35 lbs. per person for checked in baggage and a small handbag for the cabin, the aircrafts do not have any overhead baggage compartments. Any baggage over 35 lbs. will be charged (they are still not guaranteed space on the aircraft) at a rate of 1.00 us per pound. For passengers exceeding their baggage allowance, please allow extra time at the airport to pay the excess.    Sporting equipment t, such as surfboards, are subject to space and are charged at an extra fee of $15 per flight.

Again, no luggage regardless of weight is guaranteed transfer on the same flight as the ticketed passenger.

Hotel: Capitan Suizo
Meals Incl: 4B

Hotel Capitan-Suizo

Capitan Suizo is located directly on the beach in a privileged area 1 km outside of Tamarindo town and at the end of the bay; it is surrounded by lush tropical gardens.  It is an ideal place for relaxation that carries a tropical ambience and lies amongst a lush garden. With a discreet elegance and a touch of Swiss quality that blends with an informal and joyful atmosphere, Capitan Suizo is an oasis where it is implicit that nature and animals are integrated with love and respect. The hotel offers an open-air restaurant, free-form pool, bar, Jacuzzi, massages, table tennis and beach volleyball. Capitan Suizo is an environmentally conscious and future oriented beach Hotel.

Day 04-06 FREE DAYS AT THE BEACH (B)

Tamarindo

Free days for optional activities, snorkeling, surfing, sailing sunset tours, sea kayak an many others

Day 07: PRIVATE TAMARINDO-APO LIBERIA (B)

Pick-up at your hotel for a departure transfer to Liberia International Airport (approximately a 1 hour & 15 minute drive). Check-in 3 hours before your scheduled departure flight.

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

Yelow-tailed Oriole

Due to its tremendous variety of habitats (most are within a four hour drive from its capital city of San José), Costa Rica offers birdwatchers some of the best birding anywhere.  Over 800 resident and migrant bird species can be found within this tiny tropical nation’s rainforests, dry forests, high mountain peak paramo habitats, cloud forests, mangroves, freshwater marshes, and coastal and marine environments on its Pacific and Caribbean coasts. This tour will bring you to some of the best birding locations in the country!  You’ll visit lush eastern lowland rainforests, the rich western transition zone of Carara National Park, and upper elevation habitats of the southern mountains.

Day 1:   Arrival San Jose. Welcome briefing. Hotel Bougainvillea
Day 2:   Birding Bouganvillea Gardens. Mid-morning depart to Braulio Carrillo NP. Tirimbina Lodge
Day 3:  Visit La Selva Rain Forest. After lunch Tirimbina Reserve hanging bridges
Day 4:  Depart to Carara National Park. Cerro Lodge.
Day 5:  Carara National Park full day. Cerro Lodge
Day 6:  Depart to Cerro/Quetzales National Park.  Savegre Lodge
Day 7:  Savegre Gardens & Oak forest
Day 8:  Tour at Quetzal Paradise. Hotel Bougainvillea
Day 9:  Transfer out to the International Airport.

Day 01: ARRIVAL &  ORIENTATION BRIEFING (D)

Hotel bougainvilea

Upon your arrival in San José, Costa Rica and after you clear customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal, take the right hand side exit door, where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose.

Join your guide for an orientation briefing where you will have the opportunity to get an overview of the following days activities, ask questions to prepare for the trip.

Hotel: Bougainvillea
Meals Incl:  1B, 1D

Slaty-tailed Trogon

Located in a quiet residential area just a few minutes outside downtown San Jose, the Hotel Bougainvillea offers far more than just accommodations.  The Bougainvillea is a family owned and operated inn with tastefully decorated rooms where every detail is personally supervised by owner Hans van der Wielen. The hotel’s restaurant offers excellent cuisine in a wonderful dining room with views of tropical plants in the hotel’s 12 acres of gardens. The Bougainvillea also offers guests a gift shop, meeting & conference facilities, internet and currency exchange, a swimming pool, sauna and tennis courts.  Perhaps the hotel’s most outstanding feature are the beautiful gardens of bougainvilleas, orchids, bromeliads, medicinal plants and trees which are hosts to some 60 species of birds including hummingbirds, motmots, colorful tanagers and numerous songbirds.

Day 02: BIRDING BOUGANVILLEA GARDENS. DEPART TO BRAULIO CARRILLO (BLD)

Chestnut-mandibled Toucan

Braulio Carrillo National Park is located only 20 kms north of San Jose. It is an amazing terrain of rugged mountains, rushing rivers, dormant volcanoes and deep canyons in cloud and rainforests. The bird life consists of over 400 species, which include the King Vulture, Great Curassow, Lattice-tailed Trogon, Lanceolated Monklet.  Among hummingbirds: Green Thorntail, Green Hermit, White-necked Jacobin, Purple-crowned Fairy, Black-crested Coquette.

Hotel: La Tirimbina Lodge
Meals Incl: 2B, 2D

White-winged Dove

Tirimbina is an educational, scientific and ecotourism destination, situated between the forests and rivers of the northern region of Costa Rica on Sarapiqui. Tirimbina offers education programs for primary schools, high schools and university students, as well as facilities for study groups, volunteers and researchers, highlighting the biodiversity and conservation of the rainforest. The Lodge, which is situated next to the Sarapiquí River and is surrounded by lush gardens, offers three sectors with accommodation so you may choose which one best satisfies your needs according to the purpose of your visit. Other services: wireless internet, library, conference room, restaurant, souvenir shop and laundry service.

Day 03: VISIT LA SELVA RAIN FOREST. AFTER LUNCH TIRIMBINA HANGING BRIDGES  (BLD)

Lesser Ground-Cuckoo

Morning private tour at OTS famous rainforest station. La Selva is a 1560-hectare research station and biological reserve.  In this reserve more than 450 species of birds have been identified. Among them: King Vulture, Semiplumbeous Hawk, Barred hawk, Bat Falcon, Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Snowy Cotinga, Spectacled Owl, Great Tinamu, Chesnut-colored Woodpecker, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Violaceous Trogon, Black-throated Trogon, Amazon Kingfisher, Broad-billed Motmot, White-whiskered Puffbird, Chesnut-backed Antbird, Spotted Antbird, Long-tailed Tyrant, Stripe-breasted Wren, Shinning Honeycreeper, Golden-hooded Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Green Honeycreeper, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Passerini´s Tanager, Crimson-collared Tanager, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Orange-billed Sparrow, Montezuma Oropendola, Chesnut-mandibled Toucan, Keel-billed Toucan, Collared Aracari. Other animals that may be seen in their natural habitat are: Howler, White-faced Capuchin and Spider monkeys, Three-toed Sloth and Two-toed Sloth, Collared Peccaries, White-nosed Coati, Agouti and Tamandua Anteater.

Later we explore and view the richness of treetop flora and fauna at the Tirimbina Biological Reserve suspended canopy walkways.

Day 04: DEPART TO CARARA  (BLD)

Golden-bellied Flycatcher

Today in the morning we travel to the Pacific coast, a very different environment is waiting for us! Driving on the way to Carara, we will look for raptors, and other open country birds.

Hotel: Cerro Lodge
Meals Incl: 2B, 2D

Cerro Lodge is an environmentally friendly project located on a farm in Tarcoles (central pacific) just 10 minutes from Carara National Park. The lodge is in the middle of one of the most important refuges for the Scarlet Macaw; these spectacular birds are often seen as they fly through the valley at Cerro Lodge.

Day 05: CARARA NATIONAL PARK FULL DAY (BLD)

Boat-billed Heron

This afternoon enjoy a hike through Carara National Park.  Carara has a transitional climate and contains flora and fauna from both the hot dry northwest, and the rainy region of the southwest.  Carara habitats includes marshes, primary and secondary forests, and is home to a rich bird life. Possible to see: Great Tinamou, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Great Curassow, Roseate Spoonbills, White Ibis, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Boat-billed Heron, Wood stork, King Vulture, Osprey, Zone-tailed hawk, Crested Caracara, White Hawk, Roadside Hawk,Laughing Falcon, Ringed Kingfisher, Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Scarlet Macaw, Blue-headed Parrot, Costa Rican Swift, Band-tailed Barbthroat, Green-breasted Mango, Baird´s Trogon, Violaceous Trogon, Black-throated Trogon, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Green Kingfisher, Amazon Kingfisher, American Pygmy Kingfisher, White-whiskered Puffbird, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Fiery-billed Aracari, Chesnut-mandibled Toucan, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Northern-barred Woodcreeper, Dot-winged Antwren, Chesnut-backed Antbird, Black-hooded Antshrike, Streak-chested Antpitta, Royal Flycatcher, Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Rufous Piha, Turquoise Cotinga, Yellow-billed Cotinga, Orange-collared Manakin, Red-capped Manakin, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Rufous-naped Wren, Riverside Wren, Rufous-breasted Wren, Buff-rumped Warbler, Cherrie´s Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Green Honeycreeper, Shinnig Honeycreeper, Orange-billed Sparrow, Thick-billed Euphonia, Yellow-crowned Euphonia.

Day 06: TRANSFER TO CERRO/LOS QUETZALES NATIONAL PARK (BLD)

Resplendent Quetzal

Today you will drive to the upper Savegre watershed where cloud forests are dominant. These mountain forests are frequently covered by fog from low clouds and harbor unique assemblages of flora and fauna.  In these cool, moist habitats large trees are often covered by dense growths of mosses, bromeliads, ferns and orchids.

At the hotel grounds your guide will show you the many plants and colorful mountain flowers that attract hummingbirds at this elevation.  The variety of hummingbirds here is impressive! The area species include: White-throated Mountain-gem, Green-crowned Brilliant, Green Violet Ear, Volcano Hummingbird, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird and Scintillant Hummingbird.

Hotel: Savegre lodge
Meals Incl: 2B, 1L, 2D

Savegre Mountain Hotel is located in San Gerardo de Dota, a small community in Costa Ricas southern Talamanca mountains in the midst of a deep cloud forest filled with massive oaks and other native species, also known as one of the best places in the country to observe quetzals, which live here almost all year round. Each room is equipped with heating systems or fireplace, private bath with hot water & comfortable beds.  The family of community founder Don Efraín Chacón were the first to settle in this valley in 1954 and not only have developed this wonderful hotel, but have taken advantage of the crisp weather to grow apples, plums, and peaches, which when in season are part of the menu at  the hotels restaurant.

Day 07: LOS QUETZALES NATIONAL PARK FULL DAY (BLD)

Purple-throated Mountain-gem

Today in the morning you will be driven 20 min to “The Towers”, the entrance to Los Quetzales National Park at 10’500 feet elevation.  Here you will explore the Paramo, or low “subalpine” vegetation above the tree line that is composed of small shrubs and grasses. Later during the day you will descend into oak forests dominated by huge trees with branches covered by thick moss and other epiphytes.

Here some birds possible to find are: Red-tailed Hawk, Resplendent Quetzal, Emerald Toucanet, Band-tailed Pigeon, Sulfur-winged Parakeet, Black Guan, Collared Trogon, Hairy Woodpecker Acorn Woodpecker, Silvery Throated Jay, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, Mountain Elaenia, Dark Pewee, Black-capped Flycatcher, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Ruddy Treerunner, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Mountain Robin, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Mountain Robin, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher, Black-throated Green Warbler, Collared Redstart, Black-cheeked Warbler, Wrenthrush, Timberline Wren, Flame-colored Tanager, Spangled-cheeked Tanager, Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Yellow-thighed Finch, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Golden-browed Chlorophonia.

Declared a national park in July of 2005, Los Quetzales National Park has the distinction of being the most recent addition to Costa Ricas extensive park system. The park encompasses what was formerly the Los Santos Forest Reserve, stretching across12,355 acres, 3 types of rainforest, and 14 different ecosystems.

Day 08: EN ROUTE TO SJO STOP AT PARAISO DEL QUETZAL (BLD)

Green thorntail

This morning you will visit Paraiso del Quetzal, you will see a variety of high elevation birds in oak forests and have an excellent chance to observe the legendary Resplendent Quetzal, a bird worshipped as a deity by the ancient Mayans and Aztecs, and which are relatively abundant in the area.

Later depart back to San Jose.

Hotel: Bougainvillea
Meals Incl: 1B,1D

Day 09: DEPARTURE TRANSFER

Pick-up at your hotel for a departure transfer for your International flight 3 hours before your scheduled flight time

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

The Ferruginous Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum)
Is a small owl that breeds in south-central Arizona in the USA, south through to Mexico, Central America and South America to Bolivia and Argentina. Trinidad, as well as other localities, have endemic subspecies of this owl. Recent genetics work has found substantial differences in Ferruginous Pygmy Owls from different regions, and members of the northern ridgwayi group are sometimes considered a separate species, the Ridgeway’s Pygmy-owl (Glaucidium ridgwayi).This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, the family that contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owls, Tytonidae. In the southern portion of its range, the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl is generally a common bird found in a wide range of semi-open wooded habitats.

The Ferruginous Pygmy Owl is small, typically 15 cm (6 in), and stocky with disproportionately large talons. The crown has elongated white/buff spots or streaks, the wing coverts have white spots, and the underparts are heavily streaked white. There are prominent white supercilia above the facial disc. There are two eye spots on the nape. Otherwise, its overall color is highly variable, ranging from grey-brown with a black-and-white barred tail to rich rufous with a uniform rufous tail. Sexes are similar with females slightly larger and often more reddish. The flight is low to the ground and rapid with long swoops. This species is crepuscular, but often hunts by day. It can be readily located by the small birds that mob it while it is perched in a tree (up to 40 birds of 11 species have been recorded mobbing one owl). It hunts a variety of birds, lizards, mammals, and insects.
Contact us For birding trips in  Costa Rica

Prothonotary Warbler

The Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)
Is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. It is the only member of the genus Protonotaria.
The Prothonotary Warbler is 13 cm long and weighs 12.5 g. It has an olive back with blue-grey wings and tail, yellow underparts, a relatively long pointed bill and black legs. The adult male has a bright orange-yellow head; females and immature birds are duller and have a yellow head. In flight from below, the short, wide tail has a distinctive two-toned pattern that is white at the base and dark at the tip

The preferred foraging habitat is dense, woody streams, where the Prothonotary Warbler forages actively in low foliage, mainly for Insects and snails.

The song of this bird is a simple, loud, ringing sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet. The call is a loud, dry chip, like that of a Hooded Warbler. Its flight call is a loud seeep.

White Winged Dove

White-winged Doves are large, chunky pigeons at 29 cm. They are brownish-gray above and gray below, with a bold white wing patch that appears as a brilliant white crescent in flight and is also visible at rest. Adults have a patch of blue, featherless skin around each eye and a long, dark mark on the lower face. Their eyes are bright crimson. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are more brown than adults. They have no blue eye ring and their legs and feet are brighter pink/red. Young also have brown eyes. Males have a slight iridescent sheen on their heads.

Yellow Tailed Oriole

Visitor in our garden, La Chorcha o Yellow tailed Oreole Icterus Mesomelas

The Yellow-tailed Oriole is 22-23 cm long and weighs 70 g. It is mainly yellow with a black back, lower face and upper breast. The wings are black with a yellow epaulet and the tail is black with yellow sides. This is the only oriole with prominent yellow in the tail, hence the species’ name. The sexes are similar, but young birds have the black on the back and tail replaced with olive-green.

Fiery throated Hummingbird

Duration: 10 days/9 nights
Date 2012: January 29 – February 8
Maximum 12 Guests – 4 Spaces Remaining!

Join renowned wildlife photographer Daniel J. Cox on a private photographic journey in the diverse ecosystems of Costa Rica.

http://www.naturalexposures.com/photography-tours/costaricaphototrip2012/

Chirripo

Athletic lovers of the great outdoors get ready for this new tour!  Highlights feature an ascent to Chirripó peak, Costa Rica’s highest mountain; sea kayaking at Dominical off Costa Rica’s south-central pacific coast; spectacular rafting on the class III-IV scenic Savegre Rio; and a thrilling “Zipline” ride high above the forest floor among the treetops on a rainforest canopy tour.  All this and more await you on this ultimate tropical adventure tour!

Day 1, San José, Costa Rica. Arrive to International Airport
Day 2, San Gerardo de Rivas, Paraiso de los Quetzales hike
Day 3, Chirripó Peak, hike to Ranger Station shelter
Day 4, Chirripó Peak, hike to summit and park exploration
Day 5, Dominical. Hike down Chirripó & transfer to Dominical Beach
Day 6, Dominical. Sea kayak to Ballena Bay
Day 7, Rafiki Lodge. Savegre River rafting Class III-IV
Day 8, Return to San Jose, Titi Monkey Rainforest Canopy Tour
Day 9, Departure

Day 01: ARRIVAL

Welcome to Costa Rica! Upon your arrival in San José, and after you clear customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal, take the right hand side exit door, where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will transfer you to your hotel in San Jose.

Hotel: Bougainvillea
Meals Incl:   1B

Located in a quiet residential area just a few minutes outside downtown San Jose, the Hotel Bougainvillea offers far more than just accommodations.  The Bougainvillea is a family owned and operated inn with tastefully decorated rooms where every detail is personally supervised by owner Hans van der Wielen. The hotel’s restaurant offers excellent cuisine in a wonderful dining room with views of tropical plants in the hotel’s12 acres of gardens. The Bougainvillea also offers guests a gift shop, meeting & conference facilities, internet and currency exchange, a swimming pool, sauna and tennis courts.  Perhaps the hotel’s most outstanding feature are the beautiful gardens of bougainvilleas, orchids, bromeliads, medicinal plants and trees which are hosts to some 60 species of birds including hummingbirds, motmots, colorful tanagers and numerous songbirds.

DAY 02: SAN GERARDO DE RIVAS. STOP AT QUETZAL’S PARADISE (BLD)

San Gerardo de Rivas

Today you will head south on the Pan-American Highway and travel to the base of Chirripó National Park. En route, you will visit the famous Quetzal’s Paradise. Here you will challenge yourself with your resident guide to find the legendary Resplendent Quetzal and other mountain wildlife of the cloud forest. After a typical Costa Rican lunch you will continue your journey to the quaint village of San Gerardo de Rivas where you can relax, explore a bit and rest up for your hike early the next morning. Lodging and dinner at Uran Hotel.

Hotel: Hotel Uran
Meals Incl: 1B, 1D

The Hotel Urán is located just 50 meters from the trailhead to Mt Chirripó National Park. Today the hotel has 45 beds with private bathrooms and 20 beds with shared bathrooms. Uran offers the best service in an environmentally friendly manner, according to the standards and practices of sustainable tourism. 

DAY 03: CHIRRIPO PEAK ASCENT (BLD)

Chirripo Peak Ascent

At 3,819 meters (12, 529 feet) Chirripó is Costa Rica’s highest mountain and the vast 50,150 hectare (123,916 acre) park is a World Patrimony Site and Biosphere Reserve. You will have an early breakfast and start your hike on the trail a couple hundred meters (yards) outside your hotel. Your hike today will start at the base of the mountain and cover a total distance of 13 km (8 Miles) bringing you through a diverse variety of habitats from oak forests to paramo (tundra habitat) above the tree line.   Dress in layers, for you will quickly warm up on the initial ascent known as “the thermometer” (which is one of the steepest sections-subsequent sections are for the most part more gradual), and then may experience sudden drops in temperature nearer the peak. In the region around the summit, temperatures may vary from about 23 degrees Celsius (74 Fahrenheit) during the day and descend to near or below freezing at night. Travel time to the Ranger’s Station Shelter where you will stay during your two nights’ visit, varies from about 6 hours for fast hikers and up to 12 hours or more for slower trekkers. Today you will finish your hike and rest at the Ranger’s Shelter below the actual peak of the mountain. Bring plenty of water, and a portable purifying filter to refill your bottle,  a poncho, warm cloths to use in layers and snacks.  Your main pack and your meals will be brought up by horses (or local guides).

Hotel: Chirripó National Park Shelter
Meals Incl: 2B, 2L, 2D

Chirripó Park Shelter it’s a basic building which works as lodging in the top of the mountain, offers basic facilities like shared bathrooms with no hot water and a common area for meals, each room has two bunk beds.

View of summit region in Chirripó National Park

Day 04: CHIRRIPO PEAK (BLD)

Chirripo Peak

Clearest views from the summit are usually best early in the morning before clouds build up. On a clear day you can see the distant coasts from the peak! The journey to the peak is a short hike of 5.5 km (3.4 miles) from the Ranger’s shelter and generally takes an hour or two. The summit region offers a panoramic view of the landscape of small shallow lagoons (whose bases were carved out of the rock by ancient glaciers), tundra vegetation composed mostly of short hardy bamboo plants and low vegetation, and rugged craggy rock outcrops. The harsh conditions of intense brilliant sunlight alternating with dense cloud cover, sometimes strong winds, thin air, and daily fluctuations of day and night temperatures create a magical landscape of singular beauty. Other hikes in the area can include those to Rabbit Valley and the massive rock formations known as “Los Crestones” or Crests. These rise starkly above the landscape and are likely the most photographed area near the summit and practically the symbol of the park’s peak. Overnight shelter in National Park

Day 05: DOMINICAL BEACH (BLD)

Dominical Beach

Today you will hike back to San Gerardo de Rivas (a downhill journey that takes almost half the time of the original ascent) and enjoy lunch before departing to Dominical Beach on the Pacific coast.  The waters off the beach are renowned among surfers.  Waves can reach 3 m (10 feet) in height, although more commonly they are in the 1 to 3 meter (3 to 6 foot) range. The Dominical area is dominated by rural country scenes of cattle pasture, lush forests and rocky coastline and long dark sand beaches.  Offshore, one can see dolphins and sometimes whales which migrate to the region seasonally.  A variety of activities in the area include rainforest birdwatching and wildlife viewing, hiking, tree canopy tours, surfing, kayaking and other tours.

Hotel: Villas Rio Mar or similar
Meals Incl: 2B

Set on the banks of the Barú river, located 800 mts from the beach and surrounded by impressive tropical forests, the jungle resort Villas Rio Mar awaits you with traditional friendly hospitality. Bungalows have a private, terrace like living-room and are equipped with private baths with hot water, refrigerator, fans, telephone (room service and internet access available) and of course.. a hammock.

Day 06: DOMINICAL BEACH (BLD)

Sea Kayak tour

After breakfast you will enjoy your Sea Kayak tour. You will start at Ballena Marine National Park from Piñuela Beach and travel to Ventanas Beach. En route you will enjoy views of the coastline, seabirds, and perhaps sight dolphins, sea turtles and whales and then take a break at Hermosa Beach.  Off the beach you can try your luck surfing the waves with your kayak, and follow this by visiting caves located behind the beach.  En route to the hotel, you can visit Uvita Waterfall and freshen up in a cool natural river pool in the forest.

Day 07: RAFIKI (SAVEGRE RIVER) (BLD)

Savegre River Rafting Class IV

Today you will be picked up at your hotel in the morning to enjoy a Class III-IV rafting trip on the pristine Savegre River.  The journey to and on the river is a scenic voyage in remote backcountry. Your guided rafting trip will include a short briefing and safety talk, and then you will start down river.  En route you can take breaks to cool off in natural swimming holes and during the journey you will enjoy views of the rural scenery and likely a variety of tropical bird life.

Hotel: Rafiki Tent Camp
Meals Incl: 1B, 1L, 1D

Rafiki Safari Lodge is a luxury tent camp in the rainforest outside of Manuel Antonio30 km south of Quepos. The lodge is nestled on 750 acres of pristine jungle along the Savegre River, with safari tents set atop hardwood decks, each with rocking chairs to admire the view in privacy. Imported from South Africa, the tents’ design lets you experience nature up close while keeping insects at bay, each unit features its own modern, attached bathroom.  Guests can enjoy a wide array of activities such as whitewater rafting, horseback riding to waterfalls, hiking, world-class birding, first rate food, hospitality and accommodations.

Day 08: BACK TO SAN JOSE (BL)

After breakfast at the Rafiki restaurant, you will stop at the famous Titi Canopy Tour. Named after the local species of squirrel monkey this cable and harness “zipline” canopy tour is well known for the beauty of the rainforest in their private reserve. On the tour you will have the thrill of gliding on a pulley that rolls on cables high above the forest floor through the trees! Between glides, while on the 16 platforms in the forest canopy you will have a good chance to see Titi monkeys as well as howler and white faced monkeys. After the tour you will have lunch in a local restaurant and then drive back to San Jose.

Hotel: Bougainvillea
Meals: 1B

Day 09: DEPARTURE (B)

Transfer to San Jose’s International Airport on time for your departure flight. Check in 3 hours before your scheduled flight home.

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

Los Quetzales Trail

This guided hiking tour begins in Costa Rica’s high southern mountains of the Savegre River watershed and descends to sea level on the beautiful Pacific Coast! For adventurous travelers, this new and unique tour will immerse you in the variety of ecosystems that have made Costa Rica a world famous destination for naturalist travelers.  You will begin in misty cloud forests dominated by oak trees and members of the avocado family and have an excellent chance to see the legendary quetzal and other birds living in these forests above 10,000 feet elevation.  Then over several days you will descend into lower elevation forests on your journey to the coast where you will encounter wildlife such as sloths, iguanas and monkeys. En route you will stay in a variety of accomodations overnight and enjoy typical Costa Rican cuisine and gracious hospitality.  Your travels will include travel by foot, 4 x 4 vehicles and even by raft!  At the coast, you will relax amidst the incomparable beauty of Manuel Antonio National Park, one of Costa Rica’s jewels of its national park system where lush forests edge cream-colored beaches and the tropical pacific water is always warm!

Day 1, San Jose to Quetzal Paradise Hotel
Day 2, Trek from Quetzales National Park to Providencia de Dota
Day 3, Providencia to La Chaqueta and then to Albergue del Rio Lodge
Day 4, Albergue del Rio to El Brujo Tent Camp
Day 5, Savegre River Rafting.Then to Manuel Antonio
Day 6, Manuel Antonio National Park and beach day
Day 7, Depart. Drive back to International Airport or your hotel in San Jose

Day 01: SAN JOSE TO QUETZAL PARADISE HOTEL  (BLD)

Quetzal

This morning your travel host will meet you at your hotel and begin your tour of Costa Rica’s southern region.  Your first destination will be in the mountains of the Cerro de la Muerte range.  At Paraiso del Quetzal you will see a variety of high elevation birds in oak forests and have an excellent chance to observe the legendary Resplendent Quetzal, a bird worshipped as a deity by the ancient Mayans and Aztecs, and which are relatively abundant in the area.  This evening after dinner and perhaps after stepping out to listen to the night sounds of the forest, you will likely wish to turn in early in preparation for the start of your journey the next day!

Hotel: Quetzal Paradise
Meals Incl: 1B, 1D

Lodging at Quetzal’s Paradise is special for those who enjoy direct contact with nature. This is true due to fact that all the cabins are located in an area where the flora and fauna are abundant. Just looking out the window of your cabin you can identify several species of birds. These cabins are built with cypress and pine wood, cultivated and certified, in order to guard the environment of the farm.

Day 2: TREK FROM LOS QUETZALES NATIONAL PARK TO PROVIDENCIA DE DOTA (BLD)

Distance covered (17kms/10.5 miles). Hike Description: Semi-challenging section, up and down hills, some mud, roots and bridges.

Today you will be driven 20 min to “The Towers”, the entrance to Los Quetzales National Park.  With your guide you will trek from 3200m elevation (10,500 feet) down to 1800m (5900 feet). This trail begins in Paramo or low “subalpine” vegetation above the tree line that is composed of small shrubs and grasses and then descends into oak forests dominated by huge trees with branches covered by thick moss. At the end of your day’s hike, 4×4 trucks will be waiting to bring you the last 6 kms (3 ¾ miles) to the Hotel Cascadas del Savegre for the night (a small local lodge with shared bathrooms) and a well-earned rest!

Hotel: Cascadas del Savegre or similar
Meals Incl: 1B, 1D

Day 3:PROVIDENCIA TO LA CHAQUETA. THEN TO ALBERGUE DEL RIO LODGE (BLD)

Distance cover (22kms/13.6 miles). Challenging section with up and down hills and creeks to cross.

La chaqueta

After a hearty breakfast, you will be driven for about 5km (3 miles) to the starting point of our next trek.  Today you will hike the route to La Chaqueta which descends to about 700m (2000 feet) elevation and will cover about16 kms (10 miles). Here you will take a break and have a typical local lunch with Mr. Edwin and his family (your meal will usually include rice, beans, chicken soup, plantain, and green banana picadillo). After lunch you will continue on to Albergue del Rio Lodge traveling 6 more kms (3 ¾ miles). As an option, there will be 2 or 3 horses available if you are too tired to continue hiking or want to try Tico (Costa Rican) style horseback riding.  At this elevation, you are entering lowland vegetation and may encounter wildlife species more typically thought of as rainforest wildlife such as monkeys, toucans and sloths.  You will spend the night at the Albergue del Rio Lodge (shared bathrooms, no electricity).

Hotel: Albergue del Rio Lodge
Meals Incl: 1B, 1D

DAY 4:  ALBERGUE DEL RIO TO EL BRUJO TENT CAMP  (BLD)

Albergue del rio

Distance covered (10kms/6miles).  Some challenging sections with up and down hills.
Today you will hike to El Brujo Tent Camp, a beautiful place next to the rivers Rio Savegre and Division. You will have then completed your “mountain jungle and valley” hikes and entered into the lowlands with a mixture of rainforests, beef cattle pastures, and plantations of African oil palms, and teak trees. You can relax here in the afternoon listening to the many different bird species typically found in the lowland habitats around the camp and if you wish, visit the little local town of El Brujo. You will stay one night at the tent camp.

Hotel: El Brujo Tent Camp
Meals Incl: 1B, 1D

DAY 5: SAVEGRE RIVER RAFTING CLASS IV. TRANSFER TO MANUEL ANTONIO (BLD)

Savegre River Rafting Class IV

After a safety talk by your river guides, you will start your white water rafting trip beginning right next to your camp.  The thrilling class IV white water of the Rio Savegre is one of the most exciting rafting trips in Central America!   Following all of your adventures, you will spend two nights relaxing in Manuel Antonio.

Manuel Antonio is a community composed largely of hotels, separated by trees on a hill overlooking beaches and the coastal Manuel Antonio National Park with rainforest growing to the edge of its beautiful cream colored sandy beaches.  The forest is home to a variety of wildlife that are accustomed to people and readily seen.  The ocean water temperature is always near a comfortable 80º F and great for swimming and other water sports.  The region offers numerous other activities such as boating, river rafting, fishing, snorkeling, diving, canopy tours and more.  With a large number of excellent hotels and restaurants in the area outside the Park, visitors are assured a comfortable stay and a diverse offering of excellent local and international cuisine.

Hotel: Espadilla or similar
Meals Incl: 2B

Hotel Espadilla is located within 3 minutes walk away from the National Park of Manuel Antonio and 2 minute walk from the beach front. A nice two story building with rooms over looking a private biological reserve which belongs to the hotel. Rooms are equipped with A/C, Private bath with hot water, Cable TV, Internet connection, Safety box, Phone, and Anatomical mattresses.

DAY 6:MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK AND BEACH DAY (BLD)

Manuel Antonio National Park

Today you will take an easy hike with your naturalist guide through Manuel Antonio Park’s forest  (entrance fee included).  Visitors frequently have up-close views of white-faced capuchin and squirrel monkeys, sluggish sloths, raccoons, agoutis, colorful black & scarlet land crabs, and black iguanas, as well as breathtaking views of the tropical Pacific Ocean from the park’s forested trails and beaches.   After hiking you will have time to relax on the beautiful beaches and swim in the warm water.

DAY 7: DEPARTURE.  BACK TO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT  OR YOUR HOTEL IN SAN JOSE. (B)

Pick-up at your hotel for a transfer from Manuel Antonio Beach to San Jose’s International Airport on time for your departure flight. Check in 3 hours before your scheduled flight home.

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

Hacienda-El-Viejo

This tour features a steaming volcano and a hike on its 1992 lava flow, a canopy walk through the rainforest, a hike to a waterfalls in a lush forest, lunch at an organic farm, a visit to a tropical garden which also hosts butterflies and hummingbirds, naturally heated thermal springs, a magical light blue river, a visit to a steaming volcanic landscape at Costa Rica’s own version of “Yellowstone,” waterfowl viewing at a northern plains wetland, and a day at the beach at Playa Hermosa.

Day 1, San Jose, arrival to Hotel Bouganvillea
Day 2, Arenal. Fortuna waterfalls & organic farm lunch
Day 3, Arenal National Park lava walk & rainforest hanging bridges. Thermal springs
Day 4, Blue River Lodge.Tropical garden walk featuring heliconias, butterflies and hummingbirds
Day 5, Blue River hike and thermal springs
Day 6, Playa Hermosa Guanacaste. Rincon de la Vieja National Park
Day 7, Playa Hermosa Guanacaste. El Viejo Wetland & Hacienda
Day 8, Playa Hermosa Guanacaste. Free day.
Day 9, Depart. Drive back to International Airport or your hotel in San Jose

Day 01: ARRIVAL

Upon your arrival in San José, Costa Rica and after you clear customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal, take the right hand side exit door where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose.
Hotel: Bougainvillea
Meals Incl: 1B

bougainvilea-gardens

Located in a quiet residential area just a few minutes outside downtown San Jose, the Hotel Bougainvillea offers far more than just accommodations. The Bougainvillea is a family owned and operated inn with tastefully decorated rooms where every detail is personally supervised by owner Hans van der Wielen. The hotel’s restaurant offers excellent cuisine in a wonderful dining room with views of tropical plants in the hotel’s12 acres of gardens. The Bougainvillea also offers guests a gift shop, meeting & conference facilities, internet and currency exchange, a swimming pool, sauna and tennis courts. Perhaps the hotel’s most outstanding feature are the beautiful gardens of bougainvilleas, orchids, bromeliads, medicinal plants and trees which are hosts to some 60 species of birds including hummingbirds, motmots, colorful tanagers and numerous songbirds.

Day 02: TRANSFER TO ARENAL, LA FORTUNA WATERFALLS & ORGANIC FARM LUNCH (BLD)

Arenal Volcano

Morning pick-up at your hotel by your private naturalist guide with air-conditioned van for 5 days for a scenic drive to Arenal. Upon arrival visit La Fortuna Waterfall, entrance fee included. Located just 3 miles away from the town of La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano, this beautiful 200 foot-tall waterfall receives its cool clear waters from the pristine forested mountains of Arenal National Park. The steep trail to the waterfall goes down through dense, lush rain forest where one has the opportunity to see parrots, toucans and tropical hummingbirds. In addition to seeing a majestic waterfall in a beautiful setting, visitors to the falls are helping the local community. The fees collected are used for important community projects such as supporting area schools, buying books, and helping cover some of the expenses for the town orphanage. Additionally funds are used for recycling projects, maintenance of the community water supply, improvement of the local roads and sidewalks and construction of an educational center.

Afterwards, visit Vida Campesina (Country Life). This organic farm lets you experience life in the Costa Rican countryside with a farming family that grows typical crops and are practicing newer sustainable agricultural techniques. Enjoy a traditional lunch with freshly harvested vegetables, lunch includes a hands-on demonstration on tortilla making!

Arenal Volcano is located on the north plains of Costa Rica, province of Alajuela. Following a 40-year period of activity emitting molten lava and red-hot rocks accompanied by occasional eruptions, Arenal contines to steam and heat area waters. The area is surrounded by lush rainforest that harbors abundant wildlife and many bird species like toucans, motmots, parrots, parakeets, jacamars, tanagers, honeycreepers and hummingbirds. While Arenal Volcano continues to be the main attraction in this region, in recent years many optional activities have been developed which visitors can enjoy during their visit. Recommended activities in Arenal: forest canopy tours, and treetop suspension bridges, rafting class II & III, canyoning, birding, caving, sport fishing, nature hikes, lava hikes, horseback riding, waterfalls, butterfly gardens, thermal springs, organic farms and more.
Hotel: Arenal Observatory Lodge
Meals Incl: 2B.1D

Fortuna-waterfall

Today Arenal Observatory Lodge offers guests spacious rooms with picture windows that enable them to admire the impressive and unequalled vision of an active steaming volcano rising out of the wilderness forest looming large in front. The forests surrounding the Observatory are now protected in Arenal Volcano National Park and teem with tropical wildlife. The Observatory offers guests a restaurant, Jaccuzi, swimming pool, excellent birding on its own grounds, and daily guided hikes into the forests of the national park and onto a lava flow from 1992.

Day 03: LAVA WALK, HANGING BRIDGES & THERMAL SPRINGS (BLD)

Hanging Bridges

Optional early morning birdwatching at the lodge gardens. This morning with your guide, you will hike a trail that brings you on top of a 50 foot tall lava flow from Arenal Volcano that formed in 1992. On your hike you will have an opportunity to see a variety of rainforest wildlife and view the volcano from a safe vantage point while your guide explains its fascinating history. After the tour enjoy a delicious lunch in the area.

Afternoon visit the Arenal Hanging Bridges, entrance fee included. This is a complex of suspended bridges and trails through a beautiful rain forest. These allow the observation of flora and fauna from the ground level to the top of the trees As you walk through, you may encounter toucans, motmots, trogons, poison dart frogs, howling monkeys, spider monkeys and white-faced capuchin monkeys.

Late afternoon, visit the Ecotermales Hot Springs, entrance fee included. There are four hot spring pools to relax in, filled with hot mineral water heated from the volcano. Receive a natural massage from the small cascade! Traditional dinner included.

Day 04: TRANSFER TO BLUE RIVER. WALK THE LODGE GARDENS (BLD)

Blue River Costa Rica

Optional early morning birdwatching. Morning depart from Arenal to the Blue River Lodge. En route your guide may stop along the way if sloths and other roadside wildlife are spotted. Later after a delicious lunch, enjoy a walk at the heliconia, butterfly and hummingbird gardens. Here there is an incredible colletion of flowers that attract many butterflies and birds. Among the butterflies you can see Blue Morphos, Owl butterflies, Postman butterfles, Zebra and Tiger Longwings. Hummingbirds that visit here include the Little Hermit, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Violet-crowned Woodnymph and Purple-crowned Fairys that are regulars at the gardens.. Nearby iguanas are raised and there is a frog pond to explore. In the area’s forests you may encounter wildlife including toucans, motmots, trogons, poison dart frogs, howling monkeys and white-faced capuchin monkeys.

Free time to enjoy the hot springs of the lodge!
Hotel: Blue River Lodge
Meals Incl: 1B, 1D

Blue River Resort and Hot Springs features new, spacious 720 square foot cabins. The hotel’s hot springs have spectacular natural mineral “green” hot spring pools a large fresh water pool & bullet slide, a spa, botanical gardens, butterfly farm, iguanas and frog pond and much more. Tours offered include visits to gorgeous blue volcanic rivers and waterfalls by horseback, nature walks, rappelling waterfalls and much more.

 Day 05: BLUE RIVER HIKE AND THERMAL SPRINGS (BLD)

Optional early morning birdwatching. After breakfast, you will have a guided hike to see the famous Pénjamo River which is also known as the Blue River. The river is tinted a turquoise color by volcanic minerals. Visitors will have time to explore trails by this natural beauty, enjoy the many natural pools, swim and relax. Back at the hotel there will be more time to see the grounds, or enjoy the hotel spa and hot springs before dinner.

Day 06: PLAYA HERMOSA GUANACASTE. RINCON DE LA VIEJA NATIONAL PARK (BLD)

Optional early morning birdwatching. Morning depart from Blue River to Rincon de la Vieja National Park.

Rincon de la Vieja national park

This park is the “Yellowstone” of Costa Rica and features a landscape of steaming vents, boiling mud, and a hot river all heated from volcanic sources set in forest below a number of ancient volcanoes. Extending back from this section are forests with ancient trees and home to spider monkeys, howling monkeys, white-faced capuchin monkeys, agoutis, leaf-cutter ants, toucans, morpho butterflies and other creatures great and small. After the hike you will continue on and be driven to the beach!
Hotel: Bosque del Mar
Meals Incl: 1B, 1D

Playa Hermosa Bosque del Mar, is a unique beach front property in Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste with a high-end boutique eco concept. The hotel has a Jacuzzi and swimming pool area, laundry service, gated parking, wireless internet access, Niromi gourmet international restaurant, conference rooms, lounge bar and scuba diving center.

Day 07: PLAYA HERMOSA GUANACASTE. EL VIEJO WETLAND & HACIENDA (BLD)

El Viejo Wetland

Today in the morning you will visit El Viejo Wetlands and a traditional Casona de Guanacaste. Located in Filadelfia, Guanacaste, the magnificent 5000 acre private Wildlife Refuge called El Viejo Wetlands will introduce you to an exciting place recognized internationally for its exuberant wetland and dry forest flora and fauna. In the same place you will see the area’s famous “Casona”. The Casona is typical type of house built by hard-working people of the Guanacaste countryside during the1800s. In the afternoon your guide goes back to San Jose.

Day 8: PLAYA HERMOSA GUANACASTE. FREE DAY.

Guanacaste Beach

Free day to explore or relax on the beach. There are a number of optional activities available in the area including watching turtles dig nests at night during the nesting season,, diving, snorkeling, body surfing, zip-lining, horseback riding and fishing.

Day 9: DEPART. DRIVE BACK TO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OR YOUR HOTEL IN SAN JOSE (B)

Pick-up at your hotel for a transfer from Playa Hermosa to San Jose’s International Airport on time for your departure flight. Check in 3 hours before your scheduled flight home.

 Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

 Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

Photography Workshop

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you’ll be able to increase your skills and experience as a photographer while enjoying the spectacular wildlife and exquisite landscape of Costa Rica.

With instruction in the field, and several formal workshop sessions in the evenings, covering a wide variety of basic and advanced topics, you will have a unique opportunity to expand your photographic knowledge and skills.

Visiting Rain Forests, Mountainous Regions, and Coastal environments, seeing a huge variety of birds, along with monkeys, butterflies, reptiles and amphibians, you won’t ever forget your experiences there, and you’ll bring back a wonderful collection of photographs to treasure.

The topics covered during the Workshops will be customized according to the specific experience level, needs and requests of the participants, based on information that will be obtained from questionnaires to be sent out in advance. Potential areas include: choices in equipment (cameras, lenses, accessories), the basics of exposure, getting the most out of your camera’s light meter, flash and fill-flash photography, composition basics, how to capture the image you’re looking for, understanding the basics of using a digital camera (file format options, including Raw Format, histograms, white balance, etc.), Photoshop editing (basic and advanced), Color Management, printing your images, and addressing storage, organizational and archiving issues, enabling the participants to design an overall Workflow that will meet their individual needs.

The sessions will be very interactive in nature, and using Laptops or an LCD Projector when available, we will have the ability to view and learn from images taken during our photo outings, as well as demonstrate, in real-time, Photoshop techniques and use of various software applications.
Creating High-Quality Nature Photographs: A Practical Guide

You don’t have to be an engineer or computer geek to capture beautiful images: who’s behind the camera is more important than the camera itself. But a basic understanding of the fundamentals allows you to be in control of your photography and capture the images you see in your mind’s eye.

1. The Basics of Exposure:

Define the basics of exposure control: Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, and the concept of “stops” and how these variables are inter-related
How your light meter works, and using EV Compensation to achieve proper exposure
How and when to change Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO, to control the nature of the image, as well as get proper exposure
Avoid “blowing out the highlights” while “exposing to the right.”

2. The Basics of Metering:

Understanding how the camera’s light meter works, and how to use it to get proper exposure
Defining the different metering modes available (Evaluative/Matrix, Center-Weighted, Spot, etc.)
Defining the different exposure modes available (Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter-speed Priority, Manual, etc.)
Understanding the concept of Exposure Compensation, and how to use it to get proper exposure under different lighting situations
Study of Histograms, what they tell us, and how to use them in obtaining proper exposure

3. Use of Electronic Flash in Outdoor Photography:

How to control flash exposure through both Flash Exposure Compensation and Flash Exposure Lock

How and when to mix ambient and electronic flash in exposure
Synch speed issues
“Flash Extenders” and other methods to change Flash behavior

4. Macro Photography:
Understanding the concept of Magnification
Defining the challenges, including depth of field, subject and camera movement, lighting
Recommendations and options available in addressing these challenges
Use of Flash in Macro Photography

5. The Basics of Composition:
“Rule of Thirds”
Subject choice and placement
Lighting
Check the background!
Depth of Field

6. Digital Topics:
Storage Media
File Formats
Getting images from your camera to your computer
Working with Raw Format
Cataloguing and Organizing your images
Image Storage and Archiving Strategies
Sensor Cleaning Options
Photoshop (Curves, Levels, Shadows/Highlights, Layers, History Brush, etc.)
Color Management (including Color Profiles, Color Spaces, etc.)

For more information Contact us at DLC Photography

Quetzal

This tour gives you a wonderful variety from mountain ecosystems to coastal wilderness rainforest.  You will begin in the highlands where you may see the legendary resplendent quetzal and other mountain birds of the area’s ancient oak forests.  Further south you will descend to the coast and have an ocean tour searching for dolphins, whales and other sea life before continuing on to see a collection of Costa Rica’s unusual stone spheres made by a mysterious long-lost indigenous culture some thousand years ago. One of Costa Rica’s crown jewels of its national park system, your visit to Manuel Antonio will give you an unforgettable experience of rainforest, diverse wildlife, warm water of the tropical Pacific, and one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. Additionally you will enjoy an exciting canopy tour, and a delightful sea voyage offshore to view marine wildlife easily seen by snorkeling in a cove off the beach.

Day 1,    San Jose, arrival
Day 2,    Savegre valley. Quetzal Paradise hike
Day 3,    Punta Uvita, Dominical. Cloudforest hike & waterfall
Day 4,    Whale watching tour & Spheres Park
Day 5,    Manuel Antonio. Uvita Waterfalls
Day 6,    Manuel Antonio National Park
Day 7,    Titi Canopy Tour
Day 8,    Depart to San Jose or to International Airport

 Day 01: ARRIVAL

Upon your arrival in San José, Costa Rica and after you clear customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal, take the right hand side exit door, where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose.

Hotel:           Bougainvillea
Meals Incl:    1B

Bougainvillea Gardens

Located in a quiet residential area just a few minutes outside downtown San Jose, the Hotel Bougainvillea offers far more than just accommodations.  The Bougainvillea is a family owned and operated inn with tastefully decorated rooms where every detail is personally supervised by owner Hans van der Wielen. The hotel’s restaurant offers excellent cuisine in a wonderful dining room with views of tropical plants in the hotel’s12 acres of gardens. The Bougainvillea also offers guests a gift shop, meeting & conference facilities, internet and currency exchange, a swimming pool, sauna and tennis courts.  Perhaps the hotel’s most outstanding feature are the beautiful gardens of bougainvilleas, orchids, bromeliads, medicinal plants and trees which are hosts to some 60 species of birds including hummingbirds, motmots, colorful tanagers and numerous songbirds.

 Day 02: SAVEGRE VALLEY. QUETZAL PARADISE HIKE (BLD)

This morning your travel host will meet you at your hotel and begin your tour of Costa Rica’s southern region.  Your first destination will be in the mountains of the Cerro de la Muerte range.  At Paraiso del Quetzal you will see a variety of high elevation birds in oak forests and have an excellent chance to observe the legendary Resplendent Quetzal, a bird worshipped as a deity by the ancient Mayans and Aztecs, and which are relatively abundant in the area.

Cerro-de-la-Muerte

After lunch, continue to Savegre Valley. At the hotel grounds your guide will show you the many plants and colorful mountain flowers that attract hummingbirds at this elevation.  The variety of hummingbirds here is impressive! The area species include: White-throated Mountain-gem, Green-crowned Brilliant, Green Violet Ear, Volcano Hummingbird, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird and Scintillant Hummingbird.

Hotel: Savegre Lodge
Meals Incl: 1B.1D

The Savegre Mountain Hotel, also known as Cabinas Chacón, is located in San Gerardo de Dota, a small community in the in Costa Rica’s southern Talamanca mountains in the midst of a deep cloud forest filled with massive oaks and other native species. Each room is equipped with heating systems or fireplace, private bath with hot water & comfortable beds.  The family of community founder Don Efraín Chacón were the first to settle in this valley in 1954 and not only have developed this wonderful hotel, but have taken advantage of the crisp weather to grow apples, plums, and peaches, which you may sample in meals in the hotel restaurant depending upon which fruits are in season.  This is known as one of the best places in the country to observe quetzals, which live here almost all year around. The Hotel hosts the Quetzal Education Research Center Complex (QERC), a cooperative venture between the Chacón Family and Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma.

 Day 03: CLOUD FOREST HIKE AND WATERFALLS. PUNTA UVITA & DOMINICAL (BLD)

Optional early morning birdwatching at the lodge gardens.  Today you will drive down into lower elevation forests , but first your guide will take you to a beautiful waterfall, part of the upper Savegre watershed where cloud forests are dominant. These mountain forests are frequently covered by fog from low clouds and harbor unique assemblages of flora and fauna.  In these cool, moist habitats large trees are often covered by dense growths of mosses, bromeliads, ferns and orchids..

Hotel: Cristal ballena
Meals Incl: 2B.1D

 The Cristal Ballena Hotel Resort is located at Playa Ballena (Whale Beach), at the Ballena Marine National Park just off the new Costanera Sur Highway. it is 25  kilometers (15.5  miles) south of Dominical and 7  kilometers (4 miles) south of Uvita.  The guests’ accomodations, known as Adventure Lodges, are situated in a colorful garden, surrounded by a forest. Each lodge is complete with terrace, separate tiled bathroom, king size bed, electricity and ceiling fan.  A buffet-style breakfast is included with your stay.  The café-style bar and “Pura Vida!” restaurant is located by the swimming pool and features international and Costa Rican cuisine and offers a variety of refreshing cocktails and beverages.

 Day 04: WHALES WATCHING TOUR & SPHERES PARK (BLD)

Today you will visit the Pacific Coast at Uvita Point and enjoy an ocean tour for dolphins, sea birds and humpback whales. Humpback whales make seasonal migrations between northern feeding areas and tropical wintering areas where they mate and give birth to calves.

After lunch, you will visit the exhibit of round carved stones at the new Spheres Park near Sierpe Town.  Still a mystery, most of these spheres were carefully carved out of rock sometime between 500 to 2000 years ago by unknown indigenous people. The spheres were first discovered in the 1930’s during the clearing of the area’s jungles by a banana company, and ranged in size from that of a grapefruit to over 6 feet in diameter and weighing over 15 tons.  How the indigenous people moved these massive spheres and why they made them remains unknown.

 Day 05: MANUEL ANTONIO. UVITA WATERFALLS (BLD)

Optional early morning birdwatching. Morning depart to Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park. Stop enroute at the Uvita waterfalls to enjoy a natural pool surrounded by tropical rainforest. A perfect spot to relax!

After a refreshing swim, continue on to the Quepos area and Manuel Antonio. The community of Manuel Antonio iis largely composed of hotels, separated by trees on a hill overlooking beaches and the coastal Manuel Antonio National Park.  The park is famed for its rainforest that grows to the edge of beautiful cream colored sandy beaches.  The forest is home to a variety of wildlife that are accustomed to people and readily seen including sloths, monkeys, scarlet-legged land crabs, iguanas, agoutis, pizotes, raccoons, parrots, and parakeets.  The ocean water temperature is always near a comfortable 80º F and great for swimming and other water sports.  The region offers numerous other activities such as boating, river rafting, fishing, snorkeling, diving, canopy tours and more.  With a large number of excellent hotels and restaurants in the area outside the Park, visitors are assured a comfortable stay and a diverse offering of local and international cuisine.

Hotel: La Mariposa
Meals Incl: 3B

Manuel Antonio

Hotel La Mariposa is best known for its stunning 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean, Manuel Antonio National Park, and surrounding tropical vegetation.  With its Spanish-Mediterranean architecture and its well appointed rooms, La Mariposa is magnificent, yet intimate.  Fine dining is available at their restaurant “Le Papillon”, the “Sunset Bar” where you can watch Manuel Antonio’s legendary sunset while enjoying a tropical cocktail, three swimming pools with stunning ocean views, meticulously landscaped tropical gardens featuring walkways and trails, private parking with 24-hour security, free shuttle service to and from Manuel Antonio National Park, and a gift shop featuring handcrafts, jewelry and quality souvenirs

 Day 06: MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK HIKE (BLD)

squirrel-monkey

Today you will take a hike with your naturalist guide through the Manuel Antonio park’s forest, entrance fee included.  Visitors frequently have up-close views of white-faced capuchin and squirrel monkeys, sluggish sloths, racoons, agoutis, colorful black & scarlet land crabs, and black iguanas, as well as breathtaking views of the tropical pacific ocean from the park’s forested trails and beaches.   After hiking you will have time to relax on the beautiful beaches and swim in the warm water.

Following lunch your guide will return to San Jose.

 Day 07: TITI CANOPY TOUR (BLD) 

Drive to the famous Titi Canopy Tour. During your two hour journey, you will zip thru 16 platforms high above the jungle floor with dramatic views of the valley. A series of 12 zip line cables reaching up to 450 meters (1,475 ft) take guests throughout the unspoiled rainforest canopy on an exclusive tour.

 Day 08: DEPARTURE (B)

Pick-up at your hotel for a transfer from Manuel Antonio Beach to San Jose’s International Airport on time for your departure flight. Check in 3 hours before your scheduled flight home.

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

arenal volcano

The Arenal Volcano became active on July 29, 1968 with a piroclastic flow that devastated an area of about 12 square kilometers west of the volcanic cone. Then, for the following 42 years, Arenal has been active with gas emissions and lava flows. Between1984 and 1994 there were frequent explosions that would emit piroclastic materials into the air (ash and blocks of lava). Other types of flows due to the lava front breaking up or the volcanic cone collapsing are more recent, with the last ones on May 24, 2010 and October 10, 2010.

In the past few years the volcanic activity started diminishing. Sometimes the volcano would pass days and even weeks accumulating material in its crater and forming gases before another explosion occurred or the dome would collapse forming a piroclastic avalanche. All of this suggests that the volcano was beginning to loose its energy.

Since July 2010 there have been no new lava flows. There are still signs of steam and other hot gases and occasional collapses of the cone, however we have not witnessed any new ash or lava activity. According to the vulcanologists we have consulted, this further indicates that the volcano is entering a more dormant or less active phase. Although it is difficult to predict the future, they now think that Arenal will remain quiet and emit steam for decades or longer.

Arenal Volcano

The volcano remains an imposing presence as the centerpiece of Arenal National Park, and continues to be attractive to visit. It is one of the few natural laboratories in the world where visitors, accompanied by a professional guide, can learn about the zone that was devastated on July 29, 1968 – about the materials expelled from the volcano, rock formation from recent lava flows, the natural regeneration of the vegetation, flora and fauna in area, as well as many of the area’s natural wanders.

Given the decrease of volcanic activity, we suggest that the wide variety of other attractions in the area be emphasized in addition to the volcano itself. And in reality there are many that genuinely merit attention.

The area has vast rainforests with hundreds of bird species and tropical wildlife and offers great hiking. Additionally there are canopy tours, a gondola ride, horseback tours on country roads, biking, boat tours on the lake, birdwatching, waterfalls, canyoning, the Danaus reserve, volcanically heated hot springs, bridge walks, visits to farms and campesino home-cooked meals to name a few. The Arenal area is a base for day trips to Caño Negro which has tremendous wildlife. Arenal is also part of our combined tour packages to Monteverde, Rio Celeste and the Guanacaste beaches or Manuel Antonio.

We are sure your clients will enjoy the variety of attractions and activities this beautiful area has to offer. But we do need to downplay the “active volcano” since we don’t want to have clients arriving there and expecting an active volcano with nightly fiery eruptions.

If the volcanic activity changes again, we will be sure to let you know.

Sincerely,

John Aspinall & Leo Chaves

Guanacaste Beach

This tour offers visitors a delightful variety from active volcanoes, to verdant rainforests and sunny beaches. You will travel to one of the active volcanoes in Costa Rica, Arenal. Afterwards you travel on through farmlands into the mountains to visit communities of Costa Rican and Quaker origins and the renowned Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.   You will end your trip in the dry Guanacaste region to relax and enjoy the beautiful beaches, tropical waters and Pacific sunsets of Tamarindo.

• Day 1      Arrival in San Jose
• Day 2      Farmer’s Market, Cocora Cloud Forest and Gardens, Arenal
• Day 3      Arenal Hanging Bridges, Monteverde
• Day 4      Monteverde Reserve, Sugar Mill and Coffee Tour
• Day 5      Guanacaste, Tamarindo beaches. Sky trek
• Day 6      El Viejo Wetland and Traditional Casona
• Day 7      Free day at the beach. Optional activities
• Day 8      To Liberia, departure

Tropical-Forest-&-guanacaste-beach

Day 1: ARRIVAL

Upon your arrival in San José, Costa Rica and after you clear customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal, take the right hand side exit door, where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose.

Hotel: Bougainvillea or similar (1 nt)
Meals Incl: 1B

Day 2: COCORA GARDENS; TRANSFER TO ARENAL VOLCANO

Cocora

Your journey will begin by traveling northwest along the Interamerican Highway to head north through the town of San Ramon. Here you will take a short break and visit the community’s agriculture town market. This market offers a variety of tropical fruits and vegetables, including some that are rarely seen outside the tropics.

You will continue on with a visit to the Cocora Private hummingbird and butterfly gardens. Cocora is located in the cloud forest belt at 3000 feet elevation and offers the visitor attractive tropical plants and colorful butterflies and hummingbirds.

After a traditional lunch at Doña Mara´s house, you will continue on to your Arenal area hotel, travelling in the north central lowlands of Costa Rica among farmlands of tropical crops and cattle ranches. (L)

Lunch at Doña Mara´s house. In the foothills of the mountain range adjacent to Arenal volcano lives Doña Mara Rojas.  She is a housewife (or domestic engineer as she prefers to say) who has lived all her life in Chachagua.  Her husband Edgar is from Guanacaste and has worked as a chofer in the tourism industry and now works with the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity.   They have seven children although only their youngest son Geraldo still lives with them at home. In their backyard, typical of rural homesteads in the area,  they have several orange trees, coconut palms and one cacao tree (the source of chocolate).

Hotel: Arenal Observatory Lodge or similar (1 nt)
Meals Incl: 1B

Day 3: ARENAL HANGING BRIDGES; TRANSFER TO MONTEVERDE

Hanging Bridges

Today in the morning you will visit the Arenal Hanging Bridges.  This is a complex of suspended bridges and trails through a beautiful rain forest. As you walk through the forest, you may encounter a variety of the forest wildlife, including toucans, motmots, trogons, poison dart frogs, howling monkeys, spider monkeys and white-faced capuchin monkeys.

After your rainforest bridges walk, you will travel up into the mountains on your way to the world-famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. A place that has been intensely studied by scientists since its founding in 1972, and is the site of important pioneering research on the effects of climate change in tropical ecosystems. Outside the reserve the most important farm products around are organic coffee and milk for the local Cheese Factory.  The factory has been producing a variety of high-quality cheeses in Costa Rica since shortly after Quakers from the United States settled the area in 1950´s. Near and around the community centers, a large selection of restaurants, and other visitor attractions are found, such as butterfly gardens, horse rentals, treetop forest canopy tours, an orchid garden, art galleries, and a bat exhibit among others.

Hotel: Fonda Vela or similar (2 nts)
Meals Incl: 2B

Day 4: MONTEVERDE RESERVE, SUGAR MILL AND COFFEE TOUR

Trapiche Monteverde

Today in the morning you will visit the Trapiche (‘sugar mill’) and coffee farm, that first began operation in 1948. The Monteverde Trapiche is run by a local family, and on your tour you will not only learn about the local process of making sugar, but also about the other most important agricultural product of the region, “café”. There you will enjoy a refreshment of sugar cane juice or lemonade, eat picadillo de arracache (a typical Costa Rican food) and make candy out of sugar cane (everyone makes their own candy!).

After lunch enjoy a guided visit to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the premier natural history destinations in Costa Rica.  The forest consists of lush, verdant vegetation containing understory palms, majestic canopy trees, arching “ropy” lianas, bizarre “strangler” fig trees and epiphytes-small plants that grow on the trees. As you walk through the forest, you may encounter a variety of wildlife including white-faced capuchins, white-nosed coatis and two-toed sloths.  Among birds, you may see the Resplendent Quetzal, hummingbirds, toucanets, guans and solitaires.

Day 5: GUANACASTE & TAMARINDO BEACHES. SKY TREK

In the morning visit The Sky Trek, a system of zip lines ranging from mountain to mountain, that gives you the opportunity to fly through a cable and have a unique experience of adventure and adrenaline at speeds up to 40 miles per hour with distances ranging up to 2500 feet and heights of 524 feet. In addition the tour offers 5 observation towers that exceed the cloud forest treetops providing a panoramic view. The tour starts with the Sky Tram that will lead you up to the Continental Divide.

Later , depart from the Monteverde cloudy mountains and travel through the drier northwest Guanacaste province lowlands. This is beef country and you may see Costa Rican cowboys riding behind herds of massive long-eared brahma cattle as you pass through large savannas on your way to the coastal beach community at Tamarindo on the north Pacific Coast.

Hotel: Capitan Suizo or similar (3 nts)
Meals Incl: 3B

Day 6: EL VIEJO WETLAND AND TRADITIONAL CASONA

Today in the morning you will visit  El Viejo Wetlands and the traditional Casona de Guanacaste. Located in Filadelfia, Guanacaste, this magnificent 5000 acres of Wildlife Private Refuge called El Viejo Wetlands will introduce you to an exciting place recognized internationally for its exuberant wetland and dry forest flora and fauna. In the same place you will see The elderly “Casona”. This house of ancient lineage proudly represents the hard working spirit of those who lived and died by the midst of the 1800s in a faraway era of colonial Costa Rica. In the afternoon your guide goes back to San Jose.

Day 7: FREE DAY AT THE BEACH. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Tamarindo beach

Free day to explore or relax on the beach. There are many ecological friendly optional activities in the area, including watching turtles during the nesting season at night, diving, snorkeling, body surfing, zip-lining, estuary trips, horseback riding and fishing.

Day 8: DEPARTURE

Transfer to Liberia International Airport to check in 3 hours before your scheduled flight home.

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

Duration: 7 days/6 nights
Price 2012: $1260 per person (based on double occupancy), single supplement $310
Departs: Daily with a minimum of 2 participants

Tortuguero

This trip begins with two days in wildlife-rich Tortuguero National Park- Costa Rica’s “little Amazon”. Then fly back to San Jose where you will be picked up and driven to Arenal Volcano via the cultural road of San Ramon. Following  Arenal Volcano lush rain forests, travel west into the mountains to visit the cool forests of Monteverde Cloud Forest. Reflective of its name, Monteverde (Green Mountain), is the striking result of a forest shaped by regular and prolonged cloud baths.

• Day 1      Arrival in San Jose
• Day 2-3   Tortuguero National Park
• Day 4      Farmer’s Market, Cocora Cloud Forest and Gardens, Arenal
• Day 5      Arenal Hanging Bridges, Monteverde
• Day 6      Monteverde Reserve, Sugar Mill and Coffee Tour
• Day 7      To San Jose or Liberia, departure

tortuguero-&-tropica-forest

Day 1: ARRIVAL

Upon your arrival in San José, Costa Rica and after you clear customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal, take the right hand side exit door, where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose.

Hotel: Bougainvillea or similar (1 nt)
Meals Incl: 1B

Day 2-3: TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK

Start your journey to Tortuguero National Park in the northeastern lowlands.  With its abundant wildlife Tortuguero is one of the best areas in Costa Rica for viewing wild animals! You will have the chance to see everything from a variety of bird species; howling, white-faced, and spider monkeys; sloths; crocodiles; iguanas, basilisk lizards and more from the comfort of your boat. During July to September, green sea turtles come ashore at night to nest on the beach.

Hotel: Evergreen Lodge or similar (2 nts)
Meals Incl: 2B, 2L, 2D

Day 4: COCORA CLOUD FOREST AND GARDENS; TRANSFER TO ARENAL VOLCANO

Olingo

Flight back to San Jose. On the way to Arenal Volcano stop en route at the community’s agriculture town market of San Ramon. This market offers a variety of tropical fruits and vegetables, including some that are rarely seen outside the tropics.

You will continue on with a visit to the Cocora Private hummingbird and butterfly gardens. Cocora is located in the cloud forest belt at 3000 feet elevation and offers the visitor attractive tropical plants and colorful butterflies and hummingbirds.

After a traditional lunch at Doña Mara´s house, you will continue on to your Arenal area hotel, travelling in the north central lowlands of Costa Rica among farmlands of tropical crops and cattle ranches. (L)

Lunch at Doña Mara´s house. In the foothills of the mountain range adjacent to Arenal volcano lives Doña Mara Rojas.  She is a housewife (or domestic engineer as she prefers to say) who has lived all her life in Chachagua.  Her husband Edgar is from Guanacaste and has worked as a chofer in the tourism industry and now works with the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity.   They have seven children although only their youngest son Geraldo still lives with them at home. In their backyard, typical of rural homesteads in the area,  they have several orange trees, coconut palms and one cacao tree (the source of chocolate).

Hotel: Arenal Observatory Lodge or similar (1 nt)
Meals Incl: 1B

Day 5: ARENAL HANGING BRIDGES; TRANSFER TO MONTEVERDE

Today in the morning you will visit the Arenal Hanging Bridges.  This is a complex of suspended bridges and trails through a beautiful rain forest. As you walk through the forest, you may encounter a variety of the forest wildlife, including toucans, motmots, trogons, poison dart frogs, howling monkeys, spider monkeys and white-faced capuchin monkeys.

After your rainforest bridges walk, you will travel up into the mountains on your way to the world-famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. A place that has been intensely studied by scientists since its founding in 1972, and is the site of important pioneering research on the effects of climate change in tropical ecosystems. Outside the reserve the most important farm products around are organic coffee and milk for the local Cheese Factory.  The factory has been producing a variety of high-quality cheeses in Costa Rica since shortly after Quakers from the United States settled the area in 1950´s. Near and around the community centers, a large selection of restaurants, and other visitor attractions are found, such as butterfly gardens, horse rentals, treetop forest canopy tours, an orchid garden, art galleries, and a bat exhibit among others.

Hotel: Fonda Vela or similar (2 nts)
Meals Incl: 2B

Day 6: MONTEVERDE RESERVE, SUGAR MILL AND COFFEE TOUR

Quetzal

Today in the morning you will visit the Trapiche (‘sugar mill’) and coffee farm, that first began operation in 1948. The Monteverde Trapiche is run by a local family, and on your tour you will not only learn about the local process of making sugar, but also about the other most important agricultural product of the region, “café”. There you will enjoy a refreshment of sugar cane juice or lemonade, eat picadillo de arracache (a typical Costa Rican food) and make candy out of sugar cane (everyone makes their own candy!).

After lunch enjoy a guided visit to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, entrance fee included. Located in the Tilaran Mountain Range of Puntarenas Province, the Reserve is one of the premier natural history destinations in Costa Rica. Later in the afternoon the forest may be cool and misty from low cloud cover, so bring a light jacket for your walk.

The forest consists of lush, verdant vegetation containing understory palms, majestic canopy trees, arching “ropy” lianas, bizarre “strangler” fig trees and epiphytes-small plants that grow on the trees. Outstanding among the epiphytes are orchids-although most are small and high in the tree canopy, more orchid species are found in Monteverde for its size than any other place yet known (some 500!). As you walk through the forest, you may encounter a variety of wildlife. Frequently-sighted mammals include white-faced capuchin and howler monkeys, white-nosed coatis, two-toed sloths, kinkajous, and agoutis. Of the 400 bird species found in or nearby the reserve, outstanding species you may see include the legendary crimson and iridescent-green Resplendent Quetzal (which spends about ½ the year in the area during its breeding season from February or March to July), Emerald Toucanets, Black guans, Keel-billed toucans, Blue-crowned Motmots, Orange-bellied Trogons, Three-wattled Bellbirds (approximately April to August), and hummingbirds such as Purple-throated Mountain-gems, Violet Sabrewings, and Magenta-throated Woodstars. The wonderful songs of many of these birds will accompany you as you travel through the forest.

Day 7: DEPARTURE

Transfer to San Jose or Liberia International Airport to check in 3 hours before your scheduled flight home.

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.

Duration: 9 days/8 nights
Price 2012: $2495 per person (based on double occupancy), single supplement $580
Departs: Daily with a minimum of 2 participants

red-eyed tree frogs

This tour combines a volcano, rainforest, beaches and the ultimate forest wilderness experience!  You will visit the imposing majesty of Arenal Volcano, afterwards you travel to one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful national parks at Manuel Antonio to enjoy the beach and diverse tropical wildlife in its adjacent forest. Finally you will fly to Costa Rica’s remote southwest corner! Osa Peninsula. Drake Bay is your home base to explore this remote Pacific paradise, equally famed for Corcovado National Park and the idyllic Isla del Caño. National Geographic considers Corcovado to be “the most biologically intense place on earth”, Caño Island beckons 10 miles distant across the dazzling sea. Snorkel the coral reefs, a rarity on the Americas’ Pacific coast, and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the island.

• Day 1      Arrival in San Jose
• Day 2      Farmer’s Market, Cocora Cloud Forest and Gardens, Arenal
• Day 3      La Fortuna Waterfalls, Danaus Ecological Center
• Day 4      Arenal Hanging Bridges; Transfer to Manuel Antonio
• Day 5      Manuel Antonio National Park hike
• Day 6      Transfer to Corcovado
• Day 7-8   Drake Bay, Corcovado National Park
• Day 9      To San Jose, departure

jungletour & exotic volcano

Day 1: ARRIVAL

Upon your arrival in San José, Costa Rica and after you clear customs & immigration, exit the airport terminal, take the right hand side exit door, where you will meet a representative of Costa Rica Sun Tours who will present you with land portion vouchers and transfer you to your hotel in San Jose.

Hotel: Bougainvillea or similar (1 nt)
Meals Incl: 1B

Day 2: COCORA GARDENS; TRANSFER TO ARENAL VOLCANO

Coffee

Your journey will begin by traveling northwest along the Interamerican Highway to head north through the town of San Ramon. Here you will take a short break and visit the community’s agriculture town market. This market offers a variety of tropical fruits and vegetables, including some that are rarely seen outside the tropics.

You will continue on with a visit to the Cocora Private hummingbird and butterfly gardens. Cocora is located in the cloud forest belt at 3000 feet elevation and offers the visitor attractive tropical plants and colorful butterflies and hummingbirds.

After a traditional lunch at Doña Mara´s house, you will continue on to your Arenal area hotel, travelling in the north central lowlands of Costa Rica among farmlands of tropical crops and cattle ranches. (L)

Lunch at Doña Mara´s house. In the foothills of the mountain range adjacent to Arenal volcano lives Doña Mara Rojas.  She is a housewife (or domestic engineer as she prefers to say) who has lived all her life in Chachagua.  Her husband Edgar is from Guanacaste and has worked as a chofer in the tourism industry and now works with the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity.   They have seven children although only their youngest son Geraldo still lives with them at home. In their backyard, typical of rural homesteads in the area,  they have several orange trees, coconut palms and one cacao tree (the source of chocolate).

Hotel: Arenal Observatory Lodge or similar (2 nts)
Meals Incl: 2B

Day 3: LA FORTUNA WATERFALLS, DANAUS ECOLOGICAL CENTER

Fortuna-waterfall

In the morning you will visit the beautiful 200 foot-tall Fortuna Waterfalls.The fees collected are used for important community projects such as supporting area schools, buying books, and helping cover some of the expenses for the town orphanage. Later you will have lunch at a local organic farm in the town of La Fortuna. With your guide, you will learn about many of the crops and the challenges and benefits of farming organically in the tropics.

After lunch you will have a natural history walk at the Danaus Ecological Center. Slow-moving sloths live here, and along the main trail visitors may see a number of the 154 bird species recorded.  (L)

Day 4: ARENAL HANGING BRIDGES; TRANSFER TO MANUEL ANTONIO

Today you will visit the Arenal Hanging Bridges. This is a complex of suspended bridges and trails through a beautiful rain forest. As you walk through the forest, you may encounter a variety of the forest wildlife, including toucans, motmots, trogons, poison dart frogs, howling monkeys, spider monkeys and white-faced capuchin monkeys.

After your rainforest bridges walk you will be taken overland to Manuel Antonio National Park. Manuel Antonio consists of several beautiful beaches on the Pacific coast, a forest growing to the beach’s edge, easy walking trails and abundant wildlife. In the afternoon your guide goes back to San Jose. In the afternoon your guide goes back to San Jose

Hotel: Costa verde or similar (2 nts)
Meals Incl: 3B

Day 5: MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK VISIT

Howler

Today hike with a naturalist guide through the park’s forest. Visitors frequently have up-close views of white-faced capuchin and squirrel monkeys, sluggish sloths, raccoons, agoutis, colorful black & scarlet land crabs, and black iguanas.  Some birds possible to see in the park are Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Baird´s Trogon, Violaceous Trogon, Golden-naped Woodpecker, White Hawk, King Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Orange-collared Manakin, Chesnut-backed Antbird, Bicolored Antbird, Black-hooded Antshrike, Fiery-billed Aracari, Chesnut-mandibled Toucan.

Among the many optional activities available in Manuel Antonio are rafting, sea kayaking, surfing lessons and horseback riding.

Day 6-7 & 8: DRAKE BAY & CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK

Corcovado

This morning you will fly to the South Pacific Coast where Drake Bay is located. Here you will venture into the crown jewel of Costa Rica’s protected areas: Corcovado National Park, described as “the most biologically intense place on earth” by National Geographic. This coastal wilderness park is home to shy and elusive jaguars (you may see their tracks on forest trails!), tapirs, all four of Costa Rica’s monkey species, white-lipped peccaries, stunning scarlet macaws, several species of parrots, toucans and an incredible number of other bird and wildlife species. You will find plenty to keep you busy during your stay, from a number of optional tours such as sea kayaking, visit to Caño Island, horseback riding, or simply relaxing in this exhuberent wilderness environment.

Hotel: Casa Corcovado or similar (3 nts)
Meals Incl: 3B, 3L, 3D

Day 9: DEPARTURE
Today you will fly back to San Jose and then transfer to the International Airport to check in 3 hours before your scheduled flight home.

Included: As specified in the above itinerary, arrival, lodging, transportation within Costa Rica, meals [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], specified entrance fees to National Parks & Private Reserves, bilingual naturalist licensed guide services, ground operator support within Costa Rica 24/7, and taxes.

Not Included: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control.