Thursday, August 7, 2014

Claire Poe Costa Rica Adventure 2015

Day 1 ---  Arrival and drive to La Condesa (La Condesa)
Your Transportation will be slightly more modern




Today your bilingual private guide and driver will meet you outside of the San Jose Airport. You will have the same guide and driver the entire trip and we promise you will fall in love with our knowledgable, energetic, fun expert naturalist and adventure guides. 

After a long day of travel you'll take the short drive to the La Condesa Hotel which is a beautiful hotel in the mountains and a good place to relax and get some rest for the adventure that's about to begin. (Meals: None)

Day 2 -- Poás Volcano and Waterfall Gardens (La Condesa)
Today we will visit two very unique sites. The first is the Poas Volcano crater. This is one of the most jaw-dropping sites you will find anywhere and a chance to look down into an active volcano crater. After the volcano we will take a hike to see some of Costa Rica's most majestic waterfalls measuring over 200ft each.

For lunch we'll go to "Freddy Fresas", one of our favorite places to eat. Then we'll drive back to the La Condesa where you can relax during the evening. You can either dine at the lovely restaurant at La Condesa or we will take you to another nearby restaurant that we love eating at. (Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 3 --- Travel to Turrialba & Visit Local Village (Turrialtico)
120ft Tree Rappels
After another La Condesa breakfast we'll drive 2.5 hr. to Turrialba. We'll make stops along the way including Sitio de Mata.  This is a small village where we bring many of our families and student groups. It is a very welcoming place and is filled with the most amazing people on this planet. It is also a very scenic spot with awesome views of the smoking Turrialba Volcano and surrounding mountains and lakes.

Here the kids will get to meet and play with local kids and we'll all enjoy a meal in the home of Fressy, mom of one of our guides. Our little feast will include a humble and very authentic cultural presentation of song and dance.

Lodging tonight is at Turrialtico Hotel. Here you can get a good night's rest before heading to our unique Pacuare Ecolodge! (Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 4 --- Enter Pacuare River Rafting (Pacuare Ecolodge)
Volcano Turrialba

Today after breakfast at Turrialtico, which also has amazing views (have you caught on that we like views) then you will enter the Pacuare, what National Geographic has listed as one of the top five most scenic rivers on the planet.

Pacuare Ecolodge
You will enjoy a private day on the river and your CRR river guides will stop along the way and prepare lunch for you and give you plenty of time to swim and relax in the midst of the tropical rainforest. You'll arrive to the Ecolodge after lunch where you will have yet more breath-taking views of the Pacuare Canyon and river.

This is a jungle experience like non other and your CRR guides will treat you like royalty during your stay out our Pacuare Ecolodge. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 5 --- Tree Rappels & Adventure Tarzan Swing (Pacuare Ecolodge)

Let the adventure continue as you enjoy a full day of zipping through the rainforest to arrive in canopy trees that are 120ft high in the rainforest. Here we rappel the different canopy trees down onto platforms. We then hook you up and send you on one of the most spectacular tarzan swings you will every encounter.

This is a full day of adventure and also some time to relax down by the river bank and have more great meals at the Pacuare Ecolodge. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 6 --- Rafting Pacuare Canyon (Casa Luna Lodge)
Raft Pacuare
Today you'll be rafting the most scenic part of the river. We will be paddling down the Pacuare Canyon and passing by canyon walls that measure 300 ft high and 200 ft waterfalls that fall into the river bank. The day is also filled with some adventurous rapids keeping us wet from start to finish.

After taking out of the river, we will make the drive to Costa Rica's Arenal Volcano which is the perfectly cone-shaped volcano that one everyone loves to stare at. Here you'll be staying at the Casa Luna Lodge where you will have (wait for it....) MORE GREAT VIEWS! from your rooms. (Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch)

Day 7 --- Zipline & La Fortuna Falls (Casa Luna Lodge)

With over 70 different ziplines in the country this one is still our favorite. We will travel to the other side of the volcano and zip on cables that rise 700ft high above the rainforest floor and offer breath-taking views of the Arenal Lake and Volcano.

After a morning of ziplining we'll head to La Fortuna Falls, another waterfall that is worth taking 100 pictures of but also offers one of the best swim holes of any waterfall in Costa Rica.

In the afternoon we can take you out to eat in the town of La Fortuna or you can relax at the pool at the hotel. (Meals Included: Breakfast)

Day 8 --- Drive to Manuel Antonio. (Hotel Espadilla)
La Fortuna Falls
Today is a travel day to Costa Rica's most scenic coastal national park. There are still more monkeys than people at Manuel Antonio and you will be staying in a small hotel in easy walking distance to the National Park and public beach both of which are incredible.

Here there are many places to go out and eat and we can take you out for a bite after your day in the sun. This is a travel day of 4 1/2 hours but a beautiful drive so we will plan on leaving after breakfast from the Arenal area. (Meals: Breakfast)

Day 9 --- Manuel Antonio National Park (Hotel Espadilla)

Manuel Antonio National Park
Today your naturalist guide will take you through the National Park of Manuel Antonio where you will see sloths, monkeys, more monkeys, birds, butterflies, and more monkeys!

The afternoon can be your day to relax on the sand or we can sign you up for some surf classes if you think its something the kids would enjoy. (Meals: Breakfast)

Day 10 --- Drive to Airport

It's back to San Jose today (2.5 hr. drive) to catch your flight home, taking with you a lot of great memories & Pura Vida! (Meals: Breakfast)

--