Day 1
Adventure Connection: Transport from San Jose to Arenal WITH Rafting Along the Way!
Today you will be picked up early from your hotel in San Jose to set off for the first of your adventures! We head off to beautiful Sarapiqui River for a fun day of rafting.
Bring on the adrenaline! Whitewater rafting Rio Sarapiqui is for experienced and first-time rafters who love adventure. A full-day, class 3-4 rafting on one of Costa Rica’s most-exuberant rivers: a perfect rafting trip for adventurous paddlers. You’ll get about 2 - 2.5 hours of rafting with more than 12 continuous, class-3-4 rapids along more than 10kms of lush, vibrant rainforest. Make your way through exciting rapids like “The Pipeline,” “The Terminator,” and “Dos Locos”.
This fast flowing river has its origins from the mountains of central Costa Rica and runs to the border of Nicaragua. The Sarapiquí winds down a narrow waterway, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, as well as farmland and towering trees.
The area is habitat to several different species of birds such as toucans and hummingbirds. Frequently spotted are monkeys, iguanas, sloths and river turtles . The river is a mixture of exciting white water rapids and quieter sections for wildlife viewing and relaxing!
Once at the river, our experienced guides will give you a thorough safety talk, get you set up with your helmet, life jacket and paddle and then you're off – we'll stop along the way for a nice, tropical fruit break and afterward we take you out for a typical Costa Rican “casado” lunch.
You'll will arrive in the Arenal Area around 3:30-4:00pm.
Your hotel for the night will be Volcano Lodge. This is a comfortable hotel with its own hot springs, restaurants, spa and trails. You can enjoy the rest of the afternoon hanging around the pools and hot springs.
After resting a few hours at your hotel you can head to Surá Restaurant located right next to the pool for a delicious meal.
Day 2
Cayoneering. Rappelling Down Waterfalls.
Today you will rappel 4 great tropical waterfalls and hike & down-climb in an isolated canyon near the Arenal Volcano. Canyoneering in Costa Rica is more than just rappelling -- it's a life time experience, a very active and physical sport where you use your whole body to make your way down a beautiful river canyon and hike through deep rainforest.
The Lost Canyon Canyoneering Tour starts with a 15 minute fun 4x4 off road adventure on Costa Rica’s famous bumpy backroads. When you arrive our friendly guides will give you a thorough safety talk about important rappelling & down-climbing techniques. You’ll use high-quality technical climbing gear such as a harness, helmet and gloves.
To begin, you’ll practice your first descent on a small, 10-ft waterfall and as you go on, the waterfalls gradually get bigger & BIGGER!
There are several tropical waterfalls, 4 of which you repel down with the following heights:
Watefall One: 20 meters
Watefall Two: 150 meters
Watefall Three: 20 meters
Waterfall Four: 220 meters
We finish this tour we another delicious home cooked lunch.
Early Afternoon. Arenal National Park. A visit to Costa Rica is not complete without seeing Arenal Volcano and learning about its history. We will take you to the famous Arenal National Park for a slow paced, 2 hour guided hike through old lava rock fields and secondary forest where our guide will point out the different plants and wildlife you will see along your way. Hopefully you will spot for deer, monkeys and tropical birds as well as plants such as bromeliads, fungi, orchids and ferns.
Please notice that over the last few years there has been no lava activity, although sometimes you can still hear it and at times it emits gases.
The Arenal Volcano National Park covers about 12,000 hectares (just short of approx 30,000 acres) and is located within the huge Arenal Conservation Area (about 200,000 hectares) with its vast geologic and biological diversity.
Day 3
After breakfast you will pack your belongings and get ready for our next adventure; Adventure Connection from Arenal Volcano to Samara Beach with a visit to Rio Celeste along the way.
The river is famous for its amazing blue color and beautiful waterfall. You will hike along the river and through primary and secondary forests to get to the waterfall with a guide. You will have a chance along the way to soak in a natural mineral hot pool (which is located in the river itself) and time to admire the waterfall.
After the hike you will return to enjoy a delicous lunch before seting off to Samara Beach, where you should arrive by sunset. Here you can enjoy a dinner at your hotel at their famous Pizza & Pasta Restaurant.
Hotel Giada, located in Playa Samara, is a comfortable hotel with a/c and a couple of small pools and garden area. Plus the hotel has a restaurant and bar and enjoys a great location just a couple of minutes walk to the beach.
Day 4
Get Ready to “Walk on Water!” Today you will try our newest and easiest paddle sport ever! Stand Up Paddling Tour.
SUP, as it's called for short, has its roots in ancient Polynesia and looks exactly as it sounds: you stand up on a large, wide, super buoyant surfboard and paddle yourself forward with a long paddle. The great thing is you don't have to wait for the waves - you can SUP on lakes, rivers, pools and any other large body of water. This is why anyone between 7-77 years can do this tour!.
The tour takes about 4 hours (tour stating time depends on the tides) and includes snack, paddle, board, instructor, safety kayaker in case anyone needs help and transport.
After the tour you will head back to you hotel for lunch, have a free afternoon to relax at the beach or book any other tour you are interested on and have dinner at your hotel again.
Day 5
This is your last day at the beach. You will have breakfast and lunch at your hotel before having private transport to San Jose Airport or hotel.
Note: If you want to extend your vacations and visit other places in Costa Rica let us know!
Hotel Details
2 Nights at Arenal Volcano (note all hotels can be changed or upgraded with a price adjustment)
- Your first 2 nights will be at Volcano Lodge & Gardens. This hotel is located 7km from the village of La Fortuna. It’s a big hotel with 70 superior rooms all with a terrace where guests can enjoy of great views of the Arenal Volcano, 2 double beds, AC, cable TV and telephone and a swimming pool for all guests surrounded by nice green areas. It also has its own hot springs!
2 Nights at Samara Beach
- Your last 2 nights are at Hotel Giada in Samara Beach. This is a small hotel in the center of Samara, less than a 5 minute walk to the white –sanded beach, near shops, restaurants and ATMs. The hotel has 24 comfortable rooms decorated in a tropical style and with 2 small pools. Each room has A/C, ceiling fan, cable TV, private bathroom and balcony. They offer a Pizza Restaurant which is one of the best places to eat in town. Great cocktails too!
Package Extensions! If you would like to extend your vacations and visit Monteverde Cloud Forest, Manuel Antonio National Park & Beach, Tortuguero or any other place in Costa Rica let us know.
We have many contacts; our aim is to help you plan exactly the trip you want and one that you will remember forever.
NOTE:
Adventure tours such as whitewater rafting, horse riding, kayaking, canyoneering and hiking require physical effort. Clients should be in good condition. For client safety and enjoyment, Monteverde Tours reserves the right to offer a substitution, postpone, change or cancel any tour due to unfavorable conditions. Full refund is given if (on rare occasion) a tour is cancelled by the operator. Monteverde Tours and its affiliates are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items.
Tour Details
Prices FROM: $1,052 per person (inqire about prices for your specific dates and any modifications you would like)
* PRICES MAY INCREASE DURING EASTER WEEK, CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR
* HERE ARE SUGGESTED HOTELS IF YOU WANT TO UPGRADE YOUR HOTEL *CONTACT US FOR PRICES:
IN ARENAL: ARENAL SPRINGS RESORT
IN SAMARA/PUERTO CARRILLOI: THE NAMMBU HOTEL
Price based in 2 people traveling and sharing a double room. If you are traveling on your own or there are more travelers we can still arrange the package but we would have to adjust the price. Please let us know!
If you would like us to help you find an alternative hotel to those listed in the package please give us more details regarding what you are looking for. We will do our best to find the most suitable hotel to fit your needs.
Included on the tour: all transport, whitewater rafting, canyoneering, hike at Arenal National Park, Rio Celeste Hike and Waterfall tour, Stand Up Paddle Class, accommodation (see below), breakfast, evening meals and lunches
Summary
Day 1
Early Morning. Adventure Connection from San Jose to La Fortuna with White Water Rafting Class 3-4 along the way (8+ hours) – Includes transport, bilingual guides during the tour, equipment, 2.5 hours on the river, fruit snack and a delivcious typical meal at the end
Dinner at Volcano Lodge & Springs
Night at Volcano Lodge & Springs (Superior Double Room)
Day 2
Breakfast at Volcano Lodge & Springs
Early Morning. Canyoneering in the Lost Canyon (4 hours) – Includes transport, bilingual guides, equipment and a delicious home cooked lunch at the end
Afternoon Arenal Volcano Rainforest Natural History at Arenal National Park
Night at Volcano Lodge & Springs (Superior Double Room)
Day 3
Breakfast at Volcano Lodge & Springs
Early Morning. Adventure Connection from La Fortuna to Samara Beach via Rio Celeste to visit the famous waterfall and hike in the pristine forests – Includes transport, bilingual guide during the tour and lunch
Dinner at Hotel Giada
Night at Hotel Giada (Double Room)
Day 4
Breakfast at Hotel Giada
Stand Up Paddling Tour (3 hours) – Includes transport, bilingual guide, equipment and fruit snack – TOUR TIME DEPENDS ON THE TIDES
Lunch & Dinner at Hotel Giada
Night at Hotel Giada (Double Room)
Day 5
Breakfast & Lunch at Hotel Giada
1:00pm Private transport from Samara to San Jose (4 hours)