Travel Idea:
Costa Rica Natural Wonders for Families
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Length of trip:
8 days
Approximate price of this trip per person:
from $ 1395 to $ 2595
Best travel dates to go:
Dec 26, 2008 to Jan 02, 2009;
Detailed Description of this trip:
For nature-loving families, Costa Rica is perfect! Share in the wonders of the rain forest, the pleasure of jungle rivers, and the drama of the volcanic terrain. Costa Rica has a long history of nature tourism and a large range of facilities and services. Our week-long itinerary introduces you to the best activities of the season, reaching deep into natural areas and offering you a taste of how people live. Costa Rica is one of Journeys' most frequently visited destinations – not for the large all-inclusive resorts which have gained favor with conventional vacationers, but for the unique lodges, exotic rain forests, accessible wildlife, and exciting outdoor activities. You’ll marvel at how comfortable you’ll feel, how much you’ll learn every day, and how much fun you will share as a family.
This Trip is Recommended for:
Tags:
Hiking, Sightseeing, Vacations With Kids, Arenal Volcano, Horseback Riding, Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica Family Travel, Nature Tours, Rainforest Trips, Hummingbird Garden, Sardinal River, Tirimbina Biological Reserve, Hacienda Pozo Azul,
Trip Properties:
- Specialty: Family Trip, Group Retreat, Trip Around World,
- Service: Safari,
- Activity: Adventure, Hiking, National Parks, Safari, Horseback Riding, Food, Relaxation, Sightseeing,
Trip Itinerary:
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Day 1 - San Jose
You'll be greeted on arrival at San Jose's international airport and transferred to a very lovely hotel
Hotel
Stay at a very lovely hotel in San Jose. (Please note - dinner is not included in your tour price.)
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Day 2 - Costa Rica
Arenal - La Paz.
Sightseeing
Morning departure with your driver/guide. By mid-morning, you'll be at La Paz, a private natural reserve where you will visit Costa Rica's largest butterfly farm and hike the dramatic waterfall trails. The power of the enormous waterfalls will take your breath away!
Food and Dining
Explore the hummingbird garden, where you'll be able to count a number of different species, and then enjoy a wonderful buffet lunch.
Hotel
Overnight at the Arenal Observatory (or similar). Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 3 - Costa Rica
Arenal.
Hiking
This morning, you have the option of driving to Arenal Volcano and hiking a trail over black hardened lava, or you can relax at the lodge.
Food and Dining
You'll be able to buy lunch either at the Observatory Lodge or in La Fortuna.
Relaxation
In the afternoon, you will relax at the base of Arenal Volcano in the Ecotermales hot springs, which provide you with an unparalleled relaxation experience in its natural springs and thermo-mineral water pools. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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Day 4 - Costa Rica
Sarapiqui.
Private Car Service
Drive east to the Sarapiqui region in the Caribbean lowlands.
Hotel
Check in for a 2-night stay at an especially welcoming lodge above the Sardinal River.
Hotel
On the premises, they maintain a butterfly house and frog garden.
Food and Dining
Enjoy delicious home-cooked meals in the open-air dining area that overlooks the swimming pool and jungle.
Sightseeing
Spend the evening participating in a bat netting activity at Tirimbina Biological Reserve, before returning to your lodge for your overnight. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Day 5 - Costa Rica
Sarapiqui.
Horseback Riding
Today, you can choose from many different activities at a large nearby ranch called Hacienda Pozo Azul. Family members can choose to go zip-lining, whitewater rafting on gentle rapids, and/or horseback-riding. (Costs for these activities are extra and need to be chosen in advance.)
Adventure
There’s a lot of flexibility for you to decide to spend all or part of your day at Hacienda Pozo Azul, or all day at your lodge. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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Day 6-7 - Costa Rica
Tortuguero.
National Parks
Travel by road and water with your guide to Tortuguero National Park for two incredible days of exploration. The park borders the Caribbean and contains a network of canals and waterways that take you inland through the jungle.
Adventure
With help from your naturalist guide, search the trails and waterways for manatees, caimans, monkeys, sloths, river otters, poison dart frogs, and 300 species of birds, including the roseate spoonbill, American fin foot, great green macaws, trogons, oropendulas, and frigate birds. Turtle nesting season begins in the summer for the large green turtles. You might want to take a visit with a naturalist at night to spot for mother turtles digging their nests and laying their eggs in the sand (extra cost $15-$20 per person).
Hotel
Spend two nights at Mawamba Lodge (or similar).
Meals: 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners -
Day 8 - San Jose
Tortuguero - San Jose - Onward.
Commercial Flight
Fly from Tortuguero to San Jose, where you'll be greeted and transferred to the international airport for your afternoon flight home. Meals: Breakfast
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