Costa Rica - Variety Tour 2012

INCLUDED ACTIVITIES ON THE WAY FROM SAN JOSE TO ARENAL

Espiritu Santo Coffee Tour
(Naranjo)

On the Espiritu Santo Coffee Tour you will see every step of coffee production, from the planting of seedlings, through the harvest of the beans (they look like cherries on a bush), cleaning, drying, roasting, and packaging. The entire crop of the farm’s Arabica beans are sold exclusively to Starbucks.

El Silencio

de los Angeles

Cloud Forest

Walk

El Silencio de Los Angeles Walk - Conveniently located within Villa Blanca’s 75 acre hotel property, this very user-friendly 3,000-meter (3 Kilometer) trail network was carefully engineered and designed by our 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 this guided nature interpretive walk. 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 tourists alike.

INCLUDED ACTIVITIES IN ARENAL
See www.arenal.net for general area information, including a good description of a volcano

Arenal Hanging

Bridges Rainforest Hike

Walk along sturdy bridges up among the trees in this unique rainforest environment. Your private naturalist guide will introduce you to the extremely rich biodiversity and help you spot wildlife with his powerful telescope & binoculars. You are likely to see many types of birds, orchids and other exotic plants and perhaps even a sloth or monkey! From two bridges you can have a good view of Arenal Volcano and

perhaps the lava coming down.

Tabacon Hot Springs & Spa

A virtual "Garden of Eden" awaits you at Tabacon Hot Springs & Spa located at the foot of the Arenal Volcano. From the heart of the volcano spring fountains of thermo-mineral water which form the Tabacon River, running at a soothing 39C (102F), forming natural pools which cascade into the thermal lagoons, guaranteeing an unforgettable sensation.

Swim up to the Wet Bar where you can enjoy a wide variety of tropical drinks and cocktails, relax in the sun deck areas surrounded by exotic tropical gardens.   While you enjoy a delicious buffet dinner you may catch the sight of the smoldering lava flow coming down the slopes of Arenal Volcano.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES IN ARENAL

Canopy / Zipline

Experience this uniquely Costa Rican invention of sailing across the canopy of the rainforest on over 2 kilometers of cables connecting 18 platforms.  This is a sport, not a nature activity! This exciting tour lasts about 2 hours. There is no weight limit as their harnesses and equipment are certified for 2,000 pounds.

The canopy/zipline was developed in the 1970's and 80's.  Scientists had built platforms in the tropical rain forest to observe nature at different heights.  Then, someone had the idea of using zip lines to move between these platforms, and today it has become one of the most popular adventures in the country.  Safety is the number one priority and expert guides assist you in this exciting journey through the different layers of the virgin rain forests and explain what's going on around you, from the time you leave the ground, until you rappel back down to the forest floor.

COST:  $ $ 55.00 per person (minimum 2).  Pick-up at 8:00am  

Spa Treatments

At Tabacon Hot Springs, you have a wide selection of spa treatments.

Relax as you enjoy your treatments while hearing the sounds of the forest and the rushing of the water coming down from Arenal Volcano.  See more information at www.tabacon.com

At Mayim Spa (Arenal Paraiso Hotel), the prices are reasonable and we have heard very good comments about their spa treatments.  There is price information and a video on the hotel’s website:  www.arenalparaiso.com. 

INCLUDED ACTIVITY ON THE WAY FROM ARENAL TO TAMARINDO

Las Pumas

Refuge

There are six native cats of Costa Rica: jaguarundis, jaguars, ocelots, cougars, marguays, and "tiger" cats. Each of these species can be seen at  Las Pumas Refuge, near the town of Cañas. They are stray, injured or orphaned cats, as well as those captured from hunters and private owners.  You will also see monkeys, birds and otters. The Refuge was started by a woman who dedicated her life to the care of these animals asking only for a voluntary contribution from visitors to help purchase food for the animals.  After her recent death, the refuge is operated by a foundation to continue her work. 

INCLUDED ACTIVITY IN TAMARINDO

Turtle

Nesting Tour

During December-February, giant leatherback turtles come ashore at Las Baulas National Park in Playa Grande.  The largest turtle measured six feet wide, and 2,000 pounds.  It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event to witness the sea turtles coming out from the ocean to make their nests, deposit their eggs and return to the sea. 

NOTE:  Park Rangers at Las Baulas National Park will determine if the park will open for turtle nesting tours based on the turtle count of the week prior to your arrival.  If the National Park is closed, we will have dinner together at one of the many excellent restaurants in Tamarindo.

Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge

(optional)

The Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge protects mangrove areas around the estuary and river mouth of the Rio Matapalo. This river empties into the Pacific Ocean between Playa Tamarindo and Playa Grande. On your boat tour, you can see a variety of water fowl and sometimes howler monkeys and crocodiles.   Playa Grande is part of the Las Baulas National Marine Park, which is a protected area for leatherback sea turtle nesting.   

www.costarica-nationalparks.com/tamarindowildliferefuge.html

COST: $ 80.00 per person (minimum 4). Pick-up TBD: time varies by tide

ON THE WAY FROM TAMARINDO TO SAN JOSE

Guaitil

     Village

Guaitíl is a tranquil little village where many of the inhabitants -descendants of Chorotegas - have been making their unique pottery of red or black or ocher using the same methods for generations.  You will see a demonstration of how the artisans turn the pots on wheels, transforming the clay they dig from the hills above the hamlet into works of art.

Sarchi

(craft town)

You will stop in Sarchi, the “crafts capital” of Costa Rica, located 40 minutes away from San Jose.  The village is well-known for its artisans who reproduce all sizes of the painted oxcart, the national symbol of CR.  The large-size carts can be used as a bar, and are a dramatic focus in the entrance foyer of houses.  Both the ox carts and leather rocking chairs can be packed flat to take on the plane with you!  There are also items of leather, ceramic,  wood, and jewelry with pre-colombian indigenous designs. 

From the mid-nineteenth century, oxcarts were used to transport coffee beans from Costa Rica’s central valley over the mountains to Puntarenas on the Pacific coast, a journey requiring ten to fifteen days. The oxcarts used spoke-less wheels, a hybrid between the disc used by the Aztec and the spoke wheel introduced by the Spanish, to cut through the mud without becoming bogged down. Today’s painted oxcart is a colorful representation of the original rough-hewn, rectangular, cane-framed vehicles covered by rawhide tarps.