Duration: 9 days/8 nights
Price: $2800 per person (based on double occupancy), single supplement $770.00
Dates: June 7-15

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 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: 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 2: 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 3: 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 4: TRANSFER TO BLUE RIVER. WALK THE LODGE GARDENS (BLD)

Blue River Costa Rica ( Photo by Martin Aguero)

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 5: 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 6: 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 7: 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.