Tricia Sample 10 Day Itin 2011

March 14th ---------- Arrive and Drive to Casa Turire Hotel (Casa Turire)

This could be you Tricia in your private Raft!!! HOLD ON!

Today we will make the trip from San Jose around Costa Rica's two largest volcanos the Turrialba and Irazu. Your first hotel is the Casa Turire hotel which is a beautiful place and is worth the price of admission. You will be on a lake surrounded by mountains and have the chance to enjoy views of the active volcano of Turrialba. This volcano at the present moment has a smoke cloud at the top of it's crater giving off little eruptions for your viewing pleasure. The trip from the airport is about 2 hours and we drive through the capital city of San Jose where we will give a short city tour. We will also drive by two of the main hospitals which might be interesting just to see from the highway for you Tricia being an RN. (Meals: None)

March 15th ----------- Raft Pacuare River and visit local Mountain Village (Casa Tuire)

Today we will take off on our rafting trip doing what National Geographic has listed as one of the top 5 rivers on the planet. The Pacuare river gets it's attention for how scenic it is and not to mention some very fun class III & IV rapids which will keep you soaked from start to finish. The trip is filled with enormous waterfalls that fall into the river as we raft by them and also beautiful canyons. After the river rafting if you are up for it we can visit a local village for a typical dinner of how the locals eat. It is actually one of the best meals you can find and a chance to get a culture experience and off the touristy path. After dinner we head back to the hotel where you can rest up for day 3 and put some aloe on that sunburn from the river. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

March 16th ----- Drive to the Arenal Volcano and make some stops along the way (Casa Luna Lodge)

Arenal Volcano, I bet this is a different view than from the long days in the hospital

This is one of my favorite days and yet not much adventure involved. Although the adventures are hard to top when you see todays tours I know you will love them. They actually involve eating! We will make a very short visit to see the heart of palms and how they are harvest. After that we can not waste much time because we will be seeing how chocolate is made. If you are a chocaholic or not this is worth the visit. Costa Rica is a country that is known for it's coffee but what most people don't know is that the cacao is very important or atleast was in Costa Rica. The cacao was once used as the currency of Costa Rica. Now a days we accept dollars and eat chocolate which makes the tour more enjoyable for you and us. After the local stops today we will make our way to the Casa Luna Lodge where you will have the chance to sit in your balcony and enjoy the view of the active volcano of Arenal which is Costa Rica's most active volcano. (Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

March 17th ------ Zipline, Arenal National Park Tour, & La Fortuna Falls (Casa Luna Lodge)

Back to the adrenaline pumping fun! We will visit the best zipline in the country. There are over 100 different zipline companies now in Costa Rica and this is by far the best. It has the best view, longest and fastest cables, and a perfect safety record. If you do not book with us make sure you do this zipline it is called SkyTrek at Arenal. After we are hanging from cables that are 700ft above the rainforest floor we will then make our way to the National Park of the Arenal Volcano which gives us an amazing view of the boulders rolling down it's side and a chance to walk over the lava rock that is erupted in recent years.  After the park we will visit one of the most beautiful waterfalls in all of Costa Rica which is La Fortuna Falls. (Meals: Breakfast)



March 18th ------- Canyoneering Tour & Danaus Reserve (Casa Luna Lodge)

Happy Birthday Celebration!!!

Today you will have a chance to make your way through a canyon that is located in the heart of the rainforest. This adventure is called canyoneering and you will get soaked as you make your way down the canyon and when you arrive to large waterfalls it is time to clip in and rappel to the bottom. After the canyoneering adventure it is off to the Danaus Reserve. This is a place that is filled with wildlife and a chance to get a quick educational intro to the rainforest and see some animals. (Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

March 19th ------- Drive to Monteverde Cloudforest (MonteVerde Hotel)

Today we will drive to Monteverde. We will take our time and we are in no rush. The area of Monteverde is one of Costa Rica's best known cloud-forest. Here you will have the chance to live in the clouds for a few days. When we arrive there are a number of things to do in the area that we will leave the afternoon open for you to decide if you want to do anything or just relax in the nature that surrounds you hotel. (Meals: Breakfast)

March 20th ------- Visit Monteverde Reserve & Night Hike (Monteverde Hotel)

Today we will spend the morning hiking through the Reserve of Monteverde which is a hike like none other. Scientist and nature lovers from all over the world have come to Costa Rica to just have the chance to see the famous Quetzal bird or just sit and enjoy the sounds of nature in the cloud-forest. This is a very educational and peaceful experience. In the evening we will switch it up and do some more hiking but in the the dark. This is an experience that you see twice as much wildlife as you do in the day it is amazing! (Meals: Breakfast)

March 21st ------- Drive to Manuel Antonio (Espadilla Hotel)

Yeh, I'm looking for a good RN?

Today we will make our way to the Pacific coast where the jungle meets the see. This is an experience that will give you the chance to see the famous squirrel monkey passing through the grounds of Espadilla hotel into the National Park of Manuel Antonio everyday at 4pm GUARANTEED! The wildlife you did not see in Monteverde or Arenal I can promise you will see here and monkeys are first on the list. This is one of Costa Rica's most beautiful beaches and your hotel is in walking distance to the beaches and national park. (Meals: Breakfast)

March 22nd ------- Visit National Park (Espadilla Hotel)

Today we will do a hike through the National Park learning about the different species of plants and animals. This is a beautiful hike and we can take the easy hike or the more intense hike and then end up just swimming in one of the most beautiful beaches in all of the Americas. (Meals: Breakfast)

I could spend a birthday here...

March 23rd --------- Beach Day or Snorkel (Espadilla Hotel)

Today is your day to finish your book, relax on the beach, or we can head out and go snorkeling. Another great option is to do the kayaks in the mangroves where you see quite a bit of wildlife. (Meals: Breakfast)

March 24th ---------- Fly Home!

Today if you still want to you can fly home but we can start planning your return trip to Costa Rica whenever you are ready. There is plenty more to see Tricia and this is a great itin for must see places on the first timers to the country. (Meals: Breakfast)