This week-long package shows you all the things that have made Costa Rica so popular over the past three decades: rainforest, volcanoes, wildlife, and gorgeous beaches. Split your week between Costa Rica’s two most popular destinations, the Arenal Volcano and Manuel Antonio, as you experience the best that this small country has to offer. Your vacation begins at the Arenal Volcano where you will have incredible views of the volcano right from your room. After your days are filled with adventure and exploring, spend the evening soaking in the thermal hot springs that are right on the hotel property. You will end your vacation at Costa Rica’s most visited national park and beach town, Manuel Antonio. Here you will enjoy tropical rainforest, gorgeous beaches, and more monkeys than you can count!
San Jose International Airport (SJO)
Trip may include activities like jungle walks and hiking, all adventure tours are optional.
Fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) where you will be met by our representative as you reach the Immigration room. After passing through Immigrations and Customs you will be escorted out of the airport where your private transfer driver will be waiting to hold a sign with your name on it. Enjoy the scenic drive to Arenal Volcano and feel free to stop along the way to eat lunch/dinner, take photos, or simply stretch your legs. Check into your hotel and after dinner treat yourself to a relaxing dip in the thermal hot springs that are located right on the hotel property.
Wake up to the sounds of the birds, and if the weather cooperates, an incredible view of the imposing Arenal Volcano. Enjoy a delicious typical Costa Rican breakfast with some famous local coffee before your tour company comes to pick you up at the hotel lobby. This morning you will enjoy a combo tour of two of the area’s most iconic attractions, the hanging bridges and the La Fortuna Waterfall. The hanging bridges span the canopy of the rain forest and allow you to get a birds-eye view of flora and fauna that you simply cannot experience any other way. Next, you will head to the picturesque La Fortuna Waterfall where you can enjoy a refreshing swim in the surprisingly cool waters or just enjoy the views with your camera.
Today you will set out on another adventure of your choosing. Arenal is known as the “adventure sports capital of Costa Rica” so if you want an adrenaline rush this is the place to get it. Tour options include white water rafting, ATVs, mountain biking, waterfall rappelling, waterfall jumping, and yes of course the famous canopy zip-line tour. If you prefer more nature and wildlife we have plenty of options like a guided river safari float, kayaking on Lake Arenal, aerial trams, or a visit up to the exotic Caño Negro Wildlife Reserve to see some incredible wildlife.
Today you will leave the Arenal Volcano and head down to our Central Pacific Coastline until you reach the popular beach town of Manuel Antonio. At about the halfway point be sure to stop at the popular Tarcoles River where you can walk out on the bridge and look down upon 20-30 huge American crocodiles that call this river home. We will have you to your beach hotel in the mid-afternoon so you can relax in the pool and find a good spot to enjoy your first Pacific sunset.
The namesake of this beach town is the Manuel Antonio National Park, which is the most visited national park in Costa Rica year after year. Established in 1972, the park consists spans just under 2,000 hectares and is home to an astonishing 109 species of mammals and nearly 200 species of birds. Enjoy a guided tour of the park with your local naturalist guide as he/she tells you more about the flora and fauna that make this park so special. Once the tour concludes you can stay inside the park and enjoy the three pristine beaches you will find there.
Today you can decide how you want to experience the Manuel Antonio area. If you crave more adventure the most exciting tours include the canopy zip-line, ATV, waterfall rappelling, horseback riding, and some of the world’s best sport fishing. For even more wildlife you can enjoy the Damas Island Mangroves by kayak or boat, visit a local spice farm, or take a catamaran cruise along the coast that includes snorkeling. If you are a beach bum you can rent jet skis, surf boards, and even go parasailing.
This is your last day in Costa Rica, so it is a free day to spend however you feel! Relax at the pool, pamper yourself with a spa treatment, explore the local shops & restaurants in the town of Quepos, or simply compete with the iguanas for who can bake in the sun the longest!
We will pick you up at your hotel and bring you to the nearby Quepos Airstrip. Enjoy a scenic 25-minute flight back to the SJO Airport and check in to your international flight home. We hope to see you again soon – Pura Vida!
