Discover, Plan & Go!

"DAY 1 : ARRIVE COSTA RICA Arrive San Jose's Juan Santamaria Airport and after passing through customs your family is met and transferred to your hotel. Overnight Hotel Bougainvillea or similar. [meals on own] Your guide will educate you on the wonders of the forest. DAY 2 : LA PAZ WATERFALL GARDENS AND ARENAL VOLCANO Meet your family group traveling companions and begin your vacation with your driver/guide with a scenic one hour drive through the Costa Rica countryside. La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a paradise of four spectacular waterfalls connected by three kilometers of easy walking, paved trails. On site you may also visit the hummingbird garden and the world's largest enclosed butterfly observatory. Expect to see species of birds and butterflies from the cloud forest and rain forest environments. The reserve encompasses both ecosystems and has a year round cool climate. A small restaurant features typical Costa Rican fare and refreshments. Continue on to the Arenal Volcano area and check in to your hotel. Overnight Arenal Observatory Lodge or similar [BLD] DAY 3 : ARENAL VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK Explore the surrounding forest and slopes of Arenal Volcano on a half-day guided hike with an expert naturalist. Search for local wildlife and clamber over the lava flows from the 1968 eruption. Learn about the geology that makes this area of Costa Rica so unique before an afternoon drive (approximately 2.5 hours) brings you to Los Angeles Cloud Forest in San Ramon, a small farming community in the heart of Costa Ricas Central Highlands. Based from a reclusive hacienda, featuring twenty cozy chalets with private baths and lots of charm, you explore the adjacent Los Angeles Cloud Forest. Trails through this private 800-hectare reserve begin at 2,300' elevation winding up through lush tropical cloud forests to 6,000.' Listen for the calls of Howler monkeys and watch for Spider monkeys and Capuchins. Some 210 species of birds have been identified including Bellbirds and Trogons. Local guides and horseback rides are available for hire. We have also included a guided nocturnal nature walk on the hotels trail network. Beginning just before nightfall, at 5:30pm, participants are given a flashlight to help navigate the trail and spot animals in the dark. Your guide will discuss the unique qualities of the night habitat of cloud forest revealing that most nocturnal species are very small, especially the great variety of insects you will observe, including many frogs, snakes, owls and other nocturnal mammals. This is a slowly paced tour to enable the greatest opportunity to observe the wildlife close-up and discover many characteristics never seen during the daylight hours. Overnight at Hotel Villa Blanca. [BLD] Watch for Keel billed toucans in the cloud forest. DAY 4 : VILLA BLANCA CANOPY TOUR AND NATURE TRAIL This morning, get a bird's eye view of the cloud forest as your zip-line canopy adventure takes you through treetops and passing clouds. Observe the exuberant flora and fauna while enjoying the canopy that hosts a variety of bird species in this unique ecosystem. This safe canopy adventure takes you to seven different platforms through zip-lines varying from 30 to 260 meters in length. In the afternoon, explore the Silence of the Angels trail with your private Naturalist Guide. Conveniently located within Villa Blanca's 75 acre hotel property, this user-friendly 1,000-meter (1 kilometer) trail was carefully engineered and designed by Villa Blanca's own professional nature guides. It has no steps or obstacles to compete with the enjoyment of observing the countless variety of tropical flora and fauna along the specially designed interpretive trail. With only 2.5% of the planet's cloud forest remaining, the unique energy of this cloud shrouded forest habitat continues to marvel both scientists and novices alike. Overnight at Hotel Villa Blanca. [BL] DAY 5 : MANUEL ANTONIO In a private vehicle, descend toward the Pacific coast and the Quepos region of western Costa Rica, arriving in the Manuel Antonio area in the late morning with a free afternoon to explore the area as a family, or simply relax poolside. Settle into the Hotel Parador, an upscale hotel located on 5 acres near the tip of Punta Quepos. The elegant Mediterranean style architecture is modeled after the traditional Spanish Paradores and quaint European boutique hotels. The Parador overlooks Playa Besianz to the North and Playa Espadilla to the South and offers a huge terrace bar, fine restaurant, two swimming pools, and health spa. All rooms have large sliding doors and are carefully decorated with earthy tones and hues of blue blending the natural environment with the decor. Overnight Hotel Parador or similar [B] Squirrel monkeys are one of the species of primates in the Manuel Antonio area. DAY 6 : MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK Arise early to hike in Manuel Antonio National Park, one of Costa Rica's smallest yet most beautiful rain forest reserves. It is composed of three long strands of magnificent white sand Pacific beach bordered by an exuberant jungle filled with wildlife. In spite of its smallness, the park is rich in flora and fauna with 109 species of mammals and 184 species of birds. There is a subspecies of the ""titi"" monkey that is only found in the park and is in danger of extinction. While hiking through Manuel Antonio's open forest trails you will likely spot iguanas, monkeys, three-toed sloths and many colorful birds. Enjoy the opportunity to swim and hike on your own in the park before returning to your hotel. The park entrance is at the southern end of Playa Espadilla, where you wade or ferry across the Rio Carmonera. Overnight at Hotel EL Parador or similar. [B Pic-nic L] DAY 7 : MANUEL ANTONIO FREE DAY Your day is free for each member of the family to choose their own idea of a vacation from the many optional (not included) activities in the area. You may also relax at the hotel or visit the nearby beach. Optional activities in the Manuel Antonio area include rafting, kayaking, sport fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, mangrove tours, dolphin & giant sea turtle viewing, beachcombing, horseback riding, or additional rainforest hiking in the national park. Overnight at hotel El Parador or similar. [B] DAY 8 : SAN JOSE Continue to enjoy the hotel facilities and activities in the Manuel Antonio area before your pick-up and transfer to the Quepos airstrip for your 30 minute flight to San Jose. (An overnight in San Jose enables you to make an early morning international departure. Alternatively, those with a later international departure may choose to spend the night in the Manuel Antonio area on a space available.) Overnight Hotel Bougainvillea or similar [B] DAY 9 : DEPARTURE Depart for the airport approximately two hours before your scheduled international flight. [B]"