We are offering a special Costa Rica trip for Christmas 2014. Take advantage of the special itinerary and special pricing while there is still availability — contact us NOW!
SPECIAL BLACK FRIDAY PRICING:
$995/person
Discover volcanoes, wildlife, and adventure with this amazing Costa Rica vacation! Enjoy your Caribbean Christmas with all the comfort and quality just Costa Rica can give you.
The country’s Caribbean coast is touted as “the other Costa Rica.” Everything about this part of Costa Rica seems different: different culture, different history, different climate, and different activities. Enjoy this and unique new experience!!
ITINERARY
Day 1 / Dec 19: International Airport – San Jose
Arrive at the San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) Airport. Meet & greet by local staff at the airport and private transfer to your hotel. Overnight in San Jose.
- Lodging: Hotel Presidente, Hotel el Rodeo, or Hotel Aurola Holiday Inn
- Meals: n/a
Day 2 / Dec 20: San Jose – Tortuguero
Mawamba Lodge Costa Rica
Early in the morning you will be picked up at your San Jose hotel for the 4-hour drive to the Atlantic cost, traveling through the verdant tropical rainforest of Braulio Carrillo National Park, which is one of the largest in the country. Banana plantations dot the road en-route to Caño Blanco (or La Pavona), where you will take a scenic boat ride on the La Suerte River, the Tortuguero River, and onward through the Tortuguero Canals.
The boat trip offers lovely views of the forest and mangroves, which are teeming with exotic wildlife such as sloths, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, coatimundis, raccoons, crocodiles, egrets, parrots, and jaguars among others. Arriving at Mawamba Lodge, you’ll enjoy lunch and have a free afternoon to relax and explore the grounds on your own. You’ll be spending the next two nights at the lodge, which offers optional tours, a refreshing pool, and nightly turtle-watching tours.
- Lodging: Mawamba Lodge
- Meals: BLD
Day 3 / Dec 21: Tortuguero
Kayaking at Torguguero Costa Rica
Today you will enjoy a boat tour through the canals of Tortuguero National Park, giving you the opportunity to explore the canals winding through the rainforest, which is home to unique wildlife, from egrets to crocodiles to monkeys to butterflies.
Keep your eyes open for sea turtles! Tortuguero has many highlights, but it is named in honor of the four species of sea turtles that nest in the region. Tortuguero’s coastline is considered one of the world’s most important nesting sites of the green sea turtle, which can be found by the thousands in the summer months. The baby turtles hatch from July through early November, emerging from their nests to scrabble across the sand to the waiting waters of the Atlantic.
Also be sure to take advantage of the miles of beach and jungle trails in Tortuguero National Park.
- Lodging: Mawamba Lodge
- Meals: BLD
Day 4 / Dec 22: Tortuguero – Sarapiquí
Start the day off early with a boat ride back to the dock, then a 1.5 hour shared van transfer to Guapiles where you will have lunch at a restaurant on the way.
After lunch, you will take shared transportation to Sarapiqui (2 hours away), and spend the afternoon exploring your new surroundings at the La Tirimbina Biological Reserve. The main lodge has 18 rooms with A/C, private bathroom, hot water, Wi-Fi, telephone, radio alarm clock and a small, private terrace with rocking chairs and view of the gardens. Here you can observe a variety of birds, including the rare and beautiful Black-crested Coquette hummingbird.
One option this afternoon is to enjoy a self-guided walk in the hotel’s private rainforest reserve. Nine kilometers of maintained trails meander through the reserve’s 750-acre mid-elevation tropical forest. On the walk, you will traverse rustic trails and cross suspension bridges to discover the rainforest at your own pace. You will receive a trail map which outlines all the trails and their distances along with important safety instructions regarding walking solo in the forest. Don’t forget to ask the front desk for the brief natural history booklet with information about a few of the trails and the forest itself. Open hours for self-guided walks are between 7 am and 5 pm.
- Lodging: La Tirimbina Lodge (Coquette room)
- Meals: BLD
Tirimbina Lodge Costa Rica
Day 5 / Dec 23: Sarapiquí
Today you will take the fantastic chocolate tour. The tour will be led by a trained guide across the suspension bridge to an area of the Tirimbina forest of a former cacao-growing plantation. During the hike, the natural and cultural history of the cacao tree will be explained. On arrival at the plantation, the artisan process by which cacao fruit is transformed into chocolate will be demonstrated (harvest, fermentation, drying, etc.), while the story of pre- and post-colonial chocolate is told. At the site, one may taste different kinds of chocolate, which are prepared on the spot in the traditional way. By showing this processing of cacao to chocolate, the tour aids in the conservation of one of the native plants, the cultivation of which is one of the most friendly to the environment.
Afternoon at leisure to enjoy of natural trails of Lodge or area facilities.
- Lodging: La Tirimbina Lodge
- Meals: B
Chocolate Tour at Tarambina Lodge
Day 6 / Dec 24: Sarapiquí – Puerto Viejo
Cariblue Beach & Jungle Resort
This morning, you will take the shared transportation to Puerto Viejo zone. Known for its laid back attitude and famous for it’s surfing, Puerto Viejo beckons visitors to come experience Costa Rica’s eccentric side. The village’s cultural influences are interesting to be sure: a mix of Afro-Caribbean, Bribri Indian, tico and hippy-esque counterculture, this small port town is an anthropological study in itself. A mere 11 miles (18 km) from Cahuita, Puerto Viejo is accessible via Highway 36 or by simply walking south, along the beach.
- Lodging: Cariblue Hotel
- Meals: B
Day 7 / Dec 25: Puerto Viejo
Snorkeling in Puerto Viejo
Today, you will have a tour of Cahuita National Park.
At 2,711 acres (1,097 ha), Cahuita National Park is small in size compared to its counterparts, yet up to par in terms of its animal, plant, and marine biodiversity. The park is much more regarded for its underwater attractions than it is for its land sites, which are certainly stunning in their own right. This national park enables visitors the ability to explore Cahuita’s aquamarine costal waters complete with Costa Rica’s largest coastal reef. After the visit, you will have the opportunity to explore more of Cahuita National park making snorkeling. At the end of the tour, enjoy of a lunch and return to the hotel.
In the evening, you will have a great time with Christmas dinner at Cariblue Restaurant. Enjoy a delicious Caribbean and Costa Rican food accompanied of all Caribbean environment and music.
- Lodging: Cariblue Hotel
- Meals: BLD
Day 8 / Dec 26: Puerto Viejo – San Jose
This morning will be free to relax or take an additional optional excursion at extra cost.
In the afternoon you will be transferred back to San Jose (about 3 1/2 hours).
- Lodging: El Presidente or Hotel El Rodeo or similar
- Meals: B
Day 9 / Dec 27: Depart San Jose
Private transfer from your San Jose hotel to Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO) in time for your flight back home.
PRICE:
- $995/person double or triple occupancy
- $595/child sharing a room
- $425/person single room supplement
PRICE INCLUDES:
- Private transfer from Juan Santamaria International Airport to the Hotel in SJO
- Accommodations per itinerary
- 7 nights accommodation, based on double occupancy and hotels per itinerary
- Meals (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) as specified in the itinerary.
- Bilingual local guide services during local excursions on shared basis
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
- Tips & Gratuities for Guide, Driver, local guides and service providers
- Meals not listed
- International Airport departure tax of $29 p/p. payable in San Jose
- Extras at hotels (telephone calls, room service, porterage, laundry, alcoholic drinks, etc.)
- Any additional/extra tours or park fees
- Any incidentals out of pocket or medical expenses. Please ensure you carry appropriate insurance, which covers all the activities in this itinerary, inherited risks, luggage protection and holiday cancellation.