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THE ADVENTURE PACKAGE Operated by Aventuras
Naturales For the active traveler who is ready to experience Costa Rica's natural
treasures, the Adventure Package offers a variety of experiences,
including hiking in cloud and rainforest, ascending to the forest canopy,
mountain biking around an active volcano, kayaking a class III river and
river rafting some of the most impressive class III-IV white water in
Latin America. Day 1 - Arrival in San José After the airport pick up, our minibus will carry you to San José, for
an overnight stay at the Fleur de Lys
Hotel, located in the heart of San José's cultural district. This
hotel is an elegant Victorian house built at the turn of the century,
completely restored and made into a fine hotel with individually designed
and decorated rooms. Welcome dinner and overnight at the Fleur de Lys
Hotel. Day 2 - Monteverde Cloud Forest
Day 3 - Monteverde's Cloud Forest Canopy Tour and Arenal
Volcano After our early morning breakfast, today's adventure will take us to
the original site of the Canopy Tour. The Canopy Tour offers the
adventurer the opportunity to ascend into the forest canopy and view
jungle life from a perspective previously available only to a select few
researchers and photographers. On this tour you traverse from tree to tree
and platform to platform using pulleys on horizontal traverse cables,
sailing through the treetops and over the trails far below. Expert guides
will assist you in this exciting journey through the different layers of
the virgin rainforest. After lunch our journey will continue to New
Arenal. Here we'll encounter Arenal Lake and Costa Rica's quintessential
volcano, Arenal. Its perfect cone emerges from Alajuela's gentle green
hills and from time to time loud explosions can be heard, accompanied by
mushroom clouds of gray, brown and orange smoke. We'll end the day at
Tabacon Resort, soaking away tired muscles in the crystal clear thermal
waters emanating from nearby Arenal Volcano. We'll spend the night at
comfortable cabins near the base of Arenal where you can view the nightly
showers of glowing lava and red hot rocks spewing from the mouth of the
crater. Overnight at Montaña del Fuego Inn or similar. Day 4 - Biking toward Sarapiquí After breakfast, we'll hike through the rainforest near the base of
Arenal, stopping to observe the red-hot rocks and steam that periodically
spew from the crater. We will then begin a bike trip on a paved road that
winds through tropical rainforest to the base of the volcano. After a
leisurely picnic lunch, you will have time to swim, relax and enjoy the
beauty of nature before our journey continues through the lush lowlands of
the northeastern region of Sarapiquí. Virgin tropical rainforest and rich,
second-growth habitats are found in this region, which borders Braulio
Carrillo National Park and the La Selva Field Station of the Organization
for Tropical Studies. Over 500 species of birds, 100 species of mammals,
thousands of insects, and 2,000 species of plants, including 800 species
of trees (more than Canada and the United States together) have been
identified in this biologically rich area. The forests in Sarapiquí
provide refuge for such species as the tapir, jaguar, sloth, white-nosed
coati and white-faced capuchin and howler monkeys. Overnight stay at Selva
Verde or similar. Day 5 - Kayaking the Sarapiquí River
Today's kayak trip down the free-flowing crystal clear waters of the
Sarapiquí River offers the possibility of sighting parrots, jacamars,
hummingbirds, motmots and other exotic lowland tropical birds. During the
colonial period, the wide Sarapiquí was used as an embarkation point for
boats traveling north to the Rio San Juan, which forms part of Costa
Rica's border with Nicaragua, and from there to the Atlantic. Our kayaking
trip on the Sarapiquí River will take place on highly stable, two-person,
inflatable kayaks. Their strict engineering specifications ensure you of
the best-quality inflatable kayaks produced for use in fast-flowing
waters. For your added safety, you will be provided with an approved life
vest and a safety helmet. Prior to beginning the river excursion, you will
receive instructions from our experienced guides on how to maneuver your
inflatable kayak, so even beginners can enjoy this marvelous adventure.
When you've enjoyed the river to your satisfaction, we will transfer to
the Suerre Hotel and Resort in Guápiles for our overnight stay. Day 6 - Tortuguero National Park This morning, after breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to
the town of Freeman. There, we'll board a boat for a three-hour ride to
our jungle adventure. Imagine a natural environment, with fresh air,
exotic birds, sloths, monkeys, iguanas, turtles and incredibly colored
butterflies, all in one of the most unspoiled jungles existing. You will
meander through canals, rivers and lagoons of incomparable beauty during
the next two days. Tortuguero National Park is located on Costa Rica's
northern Caribbean coast, with the larger Tortuguero region a navigable
network of lakes and channels crossing the national park. The region is
the most important western Caribbean nesting site for the green turtle
(Chelonia mydas). We'll arrive at the lodge mid-afternoon, leaving the
afternoon and early evening for you to experience the local culture and
habitat at your leisure. Day 7 - Tortuguero Canals After a hearty breakfast, we'll take a boat through the smaller canals
in Tortuguero in order to explore plant- and wildlife more difficult to
find on the main waterways. We'll depart Tortuguero mid-morning, and enjoy
the boat ride back to Freeman. You will be picked up from the dock, and
then make a short transfer to Guápiles, where you will have a free
afternoon to enjoy the hotel's facilities. Overnight at Hotel Suerre or
similar. Day 8 - Rafting the Pacuare River This morning we will make the short transfer to the small town of Tres
Equis, where we'll initiate our two-day Pacuare white-water rafting trip
down one of the most exotic and scenic rivers in the world. This journey
through unspoiled jungle wilderness offers an adventurous ride Day 9 - The Pacuare River - San José Morning arrives with a deep stillness as you wake to the songs of
exotic tropical birds and the rushing rapids of the Pacuare River. After a
hearty breakfast, you'll experience the excitement of the bigger and more
challenging rapids to come. At a designated point along the way, you will
stop to visit pristine waterfalls and natural waterslides. Lunch will be
served along the river. River take-out is mid-afternoon, and you'll have a
transfer back to San José in time for dinner. Dinner on your own, and
overnight at the Fleur de Lys. Day 10 - Departure from San José After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
The Adventure Package was a wonderful way to experience Costa
Rica! Ten days of diverse activities allow the traveler a unique way
of getting to know the 'real' Costa Rica. The idea of booking
smaller groups, a professional staff, knowledgeable guides, and that
'personal touch', is what will continue to make your operation a
success! Thanks for being so accomodating along the way. Fantástico! Lots of personal attention from all Adventuras
Naturales personnel. Saw to our every need in planning. Outstanding
guide-great personality. Very informative about all aspects of Costa
Rica. Personal concern about each member on the tour. Overall the trip was excellent. I had a fantastic time. Your
guide was excellent. Thanks for a great trip! We all felt part of a close knit family by the end of the
trip, making it very special. It was the little surprises, different
foods, and the knowledge that the guide had about Costa Rica, its
people, plants, birds and animals that enriched our vacation. Thank
you 'all' for being flexible and providing the excitement and
laughter we enjoyed! 10-DAY ITINERARY How to contact us : Home | One-Day Adventures | Multi-Day Adventures | The Pacuare Lodge |
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After our early morning
breakfast we'll depart for Monteverde, Costa Rica's premier cloud forest.
Home of the exotic and resplendent quetzal, the cloud forest is also the
habitat of many rarely seen endangered species, such as the jaguar. The
forest stretches from the lush ferns and mosses that cover the ground, up
to the darkest canopy formed by the tallest trees. Today's tour will
include a visit to one of the local reserves, where you may spot birds
including yellow-throated finch, black-thighed grosbeak, spangled-checked
tanager, and silvery-throated jay. Mountain deer, pumas, and peccaries are
also occasionally seen. Overnight at Hotel Fonda Vela or similar.
filled with stunning
natural beauty and exciting rapids. Regarded as some of the finest white
water in Latin America, this wild, untamed river may be the ultimate
wilderness experience in the tropics. The Pacuare is a swiftly running and
rapidly changing river, making it one of the most invigorating rafting
trips of Aventuras Naturales. Today's rafting journey will take you down
remote rapids, where you will work as a team, skillfully running your
small raft past steep canyons where cascading waterfalls plummet hundreds
of feet into the river below. A stately jungle rises thousands of feet
above the riverbanks, and rare birds and animals hide in the forest cover.
Today is filled with excitement as you squeeze through narrow openings
between huge boulders and run long stretches of powerful rapids.
Action-packed adventure fills each moment of the day as the river weaves
and bends, providing a stimulating ride. Your rafting adventure on the
first day ends at our private jungle oasis, the 