Nature and Coffee Tour in Costa Rica (Tortuguero, Arenal Volcano, Monteverde)

On arrival in San José, Costa Rica you will be welcomed at the airport and transferred to the hotel.

The rest of the day is free. The capital is located in the middle of the central valley and the centre of the country, thus becoming a strategic place from which to make endless daily activities. In addition, you will have a varied cultural offer, with theaters, auditoriums, museums, historic buildings and beautiful parks to visit. If you prefer, you can also make purchases in one of the shopping centers and craft markets or go out to dinner in one of the many restaurants in the city, some of them, with stunning views of the great valley.

Accommodation in San José.

In the morning, you will enjoy a guided walk through the private paths of the hotel. After lunch, you will travel by boat through the canals of the Tortuguero National Park.

The Tortuguero National Park is famous for being the habitat of seven species of turtles, a great diversity of crustaceans and numerous species of freshwater fish. The night turtle nesting excursion is also recommended (July - September).

Accommodation in Tortuguero.

You will begin the day by returning by the canals in order to take the terrestrial transport after disembarking in the wharf and will make again a stop in the locality of Guápiles to have lunch. Next, you will be transferred towards the North Plains, where you will enjoy the views of the impressive Arenal Volcano, one of the natural wonders of the country due to its majesty. Along the route and until you reach the town of La Fortuna, you can see agricultural plantations, ornamental plants and livestock farms.

The visit to the town is recommended since the walk is pleasant and the town has a varied offer of restaurants for dinner. Your hotel is strategically located to appreciate the massif.

Accommodation in the Arenal Volcano area.

In the morning, you will enjoy a coffee tour at Don Juan Educational Farm (Finca Educativa Don Juan). This place focuses on living a true educational experience in organic agriculture, traversing paths of green area that make up geometric figures. It is also involved in the harvest of plants such as Yucca, which is also known as cassava root, and also in the cultivation of these species, vegetable collection, recognition and collection of fruits for homemade juice, participation in the harvest of spinach and any other necessary ingredient for lunch or dinner that can then be enjoyed fresh from the farm, cultivated in the farm through the concept of sustainability.

Your journey will begin with an introduction to the coffee production, beginning with the coffee seed planting and following its fascinating evolutionary cycle until roasting and grinding. You will receive a brief overview of the more impressive world of coffee in Costa Rica, followed by the history of the Costa Rican coffee and its importance in the socio-economic development of the country.

Then, you will learn everything about chocolate and discover how the delicious chocolate is made from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao (also called the cacao tree or the cocoa tree). You will be revealed the secrets of cacao transformation into the derivations that we know today: dark, white, and milk chocolate, or chocolate combined with fruits. The cacao tree was very important to the ancient culture, its seeds being used both as a ceremonial drink, and as a currency, including in Costa Rica. During the tour, you also will learn about the medicinal properties of the cocoa in the popular cocoa butter.

On the way you will notice, touch and educate yourself on the use of each product planted on the farm, which has medicinal plants, tubers, vegetables, fruit and basic grains. You will visit the dairy in which you will see animals such as cows (chocolate vaquitas), pigs and chickens. You will finish the tour with a lunch.

In the afternoon, you will enjoy the most extraordinary view of the Arenal Volcano in a walk along the base and slopes of this giant on the trail 1968. During this excursion you will visit one of the most extraordinary trails that teaches us about the flows of lava and rivers of the rocks during the first eruption of the twentieth century in 1968 and also other wooded areas now in the process of regeneration.

The "Colada 68" trail will give you the best lava experience you can find in the entire Arenal Volcano area. You can have a walk on volcanic rock, feel the power and serenity of nature and enjoy incredible views of Lake Arenal and the mountains of Monteverde.

In addition to a deep contact with the local flora and fauna, you will have a great opportunity for bird watching and encounters with animals.

Accommodation in Arenal Volcano area.

Your next destination is Monteverde, a small community located high in the Cordillera de Tilarán and an important destination for ecotourism in the country where the main attraction is its Biological Reserve. During the trip, you will observe really beautiful landscapes and you will cross some typical localities of the country.

Due to its high altitude, at 4,662 feet above sea level, Monteverde has the privilege of receiving a constant supply of clouds and humidity. This humidity, often in the form of fog, traps the branches of the tallest trees and falls to the other organisms below. This helps to maintain a complex and powerful ecosystem, which houses more than 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, tens of thousands of insect species and more than 2,500 varieties of plants, 420 of which are orchids only.

Upon arrival in Monteverde, you will move to Selvatura Park.
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There are many bridge systems in the world, but few of them are hanging bridges. The hanging bridges of Selvatura Park offer the best way to admire the canopy of the cloud forest.

The route of the suspension bridges consists of 3.06 kilometers of trails in which the visitors will find eight bridges of different sizes, ranging between 57 and 170 metres in length. Each bridge has a width of 1.50 metres and a capacity of up to 80 people per bridge which means that the hanging bridges of the Selvatura Park are not only the largest in the suspension bridge system, but also the strongest of Costa Rica. In addition to this, the suspension bridges of Selvatura Park are certified by the Federated College of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica, which guarantees that they have been built following the best construction standards and offer the best possible quality.

You will admire these magnificent structures that were assembled in San José and then transported to Monteverde to be carried by the workers in the forest and in this way minimize the damage to nature.

Then you will enjoy a guided tour of one of the largest exhibits of live butterflies in the world with an area of more than 29,000 square feet (2,700 square meters) of walking. You will be amazed by all the wonders you can discover in this wonderful world of butterflies.

Later you will enjoy a beautiful garden of hummingbirds. Now imagine more than 100 beautiful hummingbirds flying happily around you! That's what the incredible Hummingbird Garden has to offer. More than 14 species of hummingbirds will surprise you with their incredible aerial maneuvers and bright vivid colors.

Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation in Monteverde.

The day begins with the transfer to the Monteverde Reserve. One of the main attractions of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is its network of 13-kilometer trails. While walking the trails, visitors are presented with a series of options. An alternative is the walk to the "La Ventana" scenic viewpoint, where they can witness the contrasting panoramas that are naturally exhibited in the continental divide, a geographic feature that tracks the main mountain ranges of Costa Rica. In this place, visitors can experience the strength of the trade winds charged with moisture that blow from the Atlantic coast and observe how they descend at great speed towards the Central Pacific and the north coast.

Then, you will travel to the Ecological Sanctuary for a traditional Costa Rican cooking class.

One of the best ways to learn about a country and its culture is by learning about its more flavors, spices and traditions.

Accommodation in Monteverde.

This morning you will begin your journey descending from the mountains to the warm Central Pacific coast. Manuel Antonio, the next destination, is the smallest of the national parks of Costa Rica but also the most visited. During the tour you will do a safari tour by boat on the Tárcoles River to observe the great American crocodile, a species that lives in the area.

Today you will have the opportunity to see magnificent ancient reptiles with sizes over 4 meters. Crocodiles have been on the planet for more than two hundred million years. As they have not changed much over time, they are considered living dinosaurs. You can also see iguanas and basilisks in their natural environment. You will be accompanied by a captain and a bilingual guide, both experts in navigation willing to provide all the information about the fauna and flora of the river while giving you the opportunity to photograph more and film wildlife at close range.

During your trip, you will enjoy beautiful views of the sea. The lush landscape along the Central Pacific coast is made up of rice plantations and palm oil.

It is considered one of the most beautiful parks in Costa Rica. During this tour, you will visit virgin beaches, with coral reefs, bordered by lush vegetation and natural wonders of the rainforest. The beaches of Manuel Antonio are highly coveted as some of the best Costa Rica has to offer. Many popular activities such as world-class surfing and snorkeling are available.

Accommodation in Manuel Antonio.

On this day of the Nature, Coffee and Chocolate Tour in Costa Rica you will discover Manuel Antonio National Park, known for its beautiful beaches between mountains and forests that reach the sand itself. It has several walking trails, viewpoints and the probability of crossing with animals.

In the park, you can simply relax and enjoy the beach, sunbathe or walk the trails of the park, which will allow you to observe the abundant flora and fauna of Manuel Antonio. You can see several species of monkeys, iguanas, birds, raccoons and possibly even the three-toed sloth.

Keep in mind that Manuel Antonio National Park is closed on Mondays!

Accommodation in Manuel Antonio.

The day begins with a transfer to the dock in Quepos in order to take the catamaran and enjoy the catamaran tour.

The tour is a truly amazing trip for nature lovers who can enjoy not only the complete experience, but also the breathtaking sunset in the Pacific Ocean. You will see humpback whales, dolphins and beautiful marine wildlife. On board you will be offered an excellent selection of appetizers and natural juices. While sailing along the coast, you will enjoy the sea breeze, the Costa Rican sun and this unique tropical paradise. It does not matter if you are with your whole family, your partner or a group of friends, make sure you do not miss this unique and memorable trip! Surf with us, dive with us, slide into the refreshing Pacific Ocean and have fun with a live music show. Experience Manuel Antonio with us, the ones who really know it.

Accommodation in Manuel Antonio.

This day you will be transferred at the agreed time from the hotel to San José International Airport to take your return flight.

It is important to remember that you must be at the airport 3 hours before the departure time, the transfer will be scheduled to arrive on time.