Costa Rica Family Escape: Tortuguero & Arenal

Upon arrival to Costa Rica, pass through Customs and claim your baggage. After reaching the exit to the Arrivals terminal please find your local representative, who will be holding a sign with your name on it. Your guide will review your travel details with you and then drive you to your hotel. The drive from the airport to the hotel takes approximately 45 minutes. Following check-in, the rest of the day is at leisure.

Following breakfast in your hotel, you will be picked up by a bus (shared service) which will take you through the spectacular Braulio Carrillo National Park. You’ll stop at Rio Danta Restaurant for snacks and drinks, and then continue through a series of banana plantations to a nearby pier. After boarding a boat, begin a two-hour ride through the canals which will take you to Mawamba Lodge, just in time for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the picturesque Tortuguero Village, located in the heart of the protected area of Tortuguero National Park. This small town of roughly 1,200 people has one main walkway that is paved but with no cars. The only traffic you’ll see are the many bicycles and occasional coconut carts. It’s only a couple of blocks wide at most, and the main street stretches between guest houses, tourist shops, mini-supermarkets and restaurants.

After breakfast, explore the Mawamba gardens. During this guided visit you will learn about the flora species, as well as some animal specimens you can see in the region while admiring the beautiful landscape. You will also learn about the environmental conservation projects such as the biodigestor. Lunch is included at the pool restaurant. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat tour in the Tortuguero Canals. Tortuguero is a network of navigable lakes, rivers and canals (both natural and manmade) that are used for transportation and are a great place for observing local wildlife. The climate is warm and humid. Daily temperatures average 26 degrees C (79 F) and annual average rainfall is over 5,000 mm (200+ inches). Warm days are tempered by trade winds and cool nights. Abundant wildlife inhabits Tortuguero, including 57 species of amphibians, 111 species of reptiles, and 60 species of mammals. More than 300 species of birds live in Tortuguero for all or part of the year. Birdwatchers commonly see keelbilled toucans, slaty tailed trogons, Montezuma oropendulas and a variety of parrots.

Today you are invited to simply relax at leisure, enjoy the lodge or to take an optional tour (not included in the package).

Enjoy a final breakfast at Mawaba Lodge, then prepare for the shared boat transfer back to the pier, where the trip will continue by bus (shared service) to your next destination, Arenal. A typical lunch is included en-route at Rio Danta Restaurant. The transfer from Tortuguero to Arenal takes approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes, and includes transportation by both boat and bus. Upon arrival to your hotel in Arenal, the remainder of your day is at leisure.

After meeting your guide in the hotel lobby, this incredible and educational tour begins with a talk by the guide about the global and national history of coffee and its importance in the economy of Costa Rica. Then you will learn about unique aspects of the Costa Rican culture, including some of the traditions that define the country. During this part of the tour, you will be able to observe the many processes of coffee preparation, from the grain to the delicious final product, the cup of coffee. The second part of this activity is the famous chocolate tour, in which you will enjoy an experience highlighted by delicious aromas and a captivating history. During the tour you will participate in the chocolate making process and you will enjoy, share and taste the fruits of cocoa, until you reach its magnificent transformation. After this two-hour tour wraps up, you will be returned to your hotel.

As you know, Arenal is well known for its diverse animal life, however, one of the most popular species is the sloth. Later this afternoon, get set to admire two or three fingers sloths, the most popular species in the region, all while learning all sorts of incredible facts about these fascinating creatures. After meeting you at your hotel, your guide will find the best places to observe sloths in their natural habitat, leading you through beautiful areas in La Fortuna and, along the way, help to point out the other species you may be lucky enough to spy, from the multicolored toucan to the poison dart frog, or maybe it will be iguanas and monkeys!

This morning, following breakfast, meet your tour guide and transfer to the starting point of your canopy adventure! The tour begins with a warm welcome and a brief safety speech, after which your equipment will be put on and carefully checked by the guides, all of which are certified. This certification provides you extra assurance that you will be completely safe at all times since the guides are fully trained in first aid, vertical rescue, and have ample knowledge of the flora and fauna of this beautiful country. Enjoy this thrilling aerial adventure starting from a tower 13 meters high and glide your way down 8 cables made with the best galvanized stainless steel, ranging from 80 meters to 750 meters in length, with an average height of 38 meters. Speeds will top 60 km per hour! Each of the 14 platforms, 5 of which are constructed in extraordinary trees, were strategically designed at varying heights to allow for the observation of the rainforest from different angles; be sure to bring your camera!

Following breakfast, it’s time to pack up and prepare for your return flight back home. At the pre-arranged time, meet your driver-guide in the hotel lobby and settle in for a private transfer to the airport. The drive from Arenal to San Jose Airport takes approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. Bon voyage and pura vida!