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| Aerial Tram
(2pax/4pax) duration 8 hours |
L |
 Pick
up at your hotel for the 50-minute drive past Braulio Carrillo National
Park and the Rio Sucio bridge, to the 1000-acre private nature reserve
where the Aerial Tram is located. An open- sided vehicle will shuttle
guests 1.5 kms. to the Aerial Tram Visitor's Center. Guests are first
introduced to the rainforest on a walk prior to boarding the tram cars for
the 1.3 km long aerial excursion. The ride will stop several times as
passengers board at the two end stations. It takes approximately 2 hours
for the round trip as the cars glide on a breathtaking journey below,
through, and above the airy canopy. Lunch is included on site after which
you will return to your San José hotel. Includes lunch. |
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| Carara National Park duration 11 hours |
L |
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| Guayabo National
Monument duration 8 hours |
L |
| Pickup at your San José hotel for the scenic drive to Guayabo - past Cartago, fertile dairy and farm land and the small roadside towns of Pacayas, Capelladas and Santa Cruz. The Guayabo National Monument is an archaeological site with with still-functioning aqueducts over 800 years old. It is also an area of natural wonders including magnificent scenery and birds, such as the Chestnut-headed Oropendola and the Scarlet-rumped Cacique. Lunch included. | |
| Cerro de la
Muerte/Lankester duration 8 hours |
L |
 At 11,000 feet above sea
level this is an area of tropical alpine vegetation. Here many different
members of the plant community will be familiar because of their close
affinities with temperate zone relatives. Stop to hike a grail in montane
oak forests, home to the Resplendent Quetzal and Emerald Toucanet, and
seek out birds such as the Timberline Wren, Volcano Junco, Wrenthrush,
Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher, and Flame Throated Warbler, endemic to these
high elevations. Continue on to Lankester Gardens with its acres of
cultivated orchids, anthuriums and ferns and the birds they all attract -
a truly spectacular tropical garden. Lunch included. |
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| Driving City Tour -
San José duration 4 hours |
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| Visit the local market in downtown; walk a few blocks along Central Avenue's pedestrian boulevard, where you will be able to see the colonial era building occupied by the Central Post Office; then continue to the National Theatre. Visit residential areas in the suburbs, a local church, and the University of Costa Rica, the most important academic institution of the the country. Before returning to your hotel, stop in San Pedro, or at the town of Moravia, where you will have the chance to shop for some arts and crafts. | |
| Calypso Island Cruise duration 12 hours |
BL |
| An early morning bus ride from San José with a light breakfast on board the bus brings you to the Pacific port of Puntarenas, where you board Calypso's Catamaran Cruise line's Manta Raya for a relaxing day cruising among the islands in the Gulf of Nicoya. With plenty of refreshments on board, a great lunch in the island, opportunities for swimming and snorkeling during the 3-4 hours you spend on the island all will make this a memorable experience. You return to Puntarenas where your transport will be waiting to take you back to San José. You arrive at your hotel during the late afternoon or early evening. | |
| INBioparque duration 4 hours |
L |
| Located in Santo Domingo de Heredia, 20 minutes from San José, occupying an area of 20 acres, this science park recreates Costa Rica's eco-systems in living exhibits with video introductions and interactive exhibitions. On the trails you will learn, in a pleasant and interesting way, about Costa Rica's experiences in conservation and sustainable uses of Biodiversity. Enjoy lunch on site before returning to your hotel. | |
| OTS La Selva duration 8 hours |
L |
| Transfer to the Atlantic lowlands of Sarapiquí for a visit to La Selva Station, an internationally recognized center from tropical rain forest research and education. La Selva is owned and operated by the Organization of Tropical Studies (OTS), a non-profit consortium of more than 50 educational institutions in the United States and Costa Rica. At La Selva you will have an approximately 3 hour guided hike inside the private reserve, where you will have the chance to see some of the more than 300 species of birds and other wildlife, like howler monkeys and sloths. After the tour enjoy lunch at the OTS or perhaps at the nearby town of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí. Afternoon return to San José. | |
Located at the
geographical midpoint of the Pacific Coast, Carara Biological Reserve has
a transitional climate between the hot dry northwest and the rainy region
of southwest Costa Rica. Thus it contains flora and fauna from both
regions. It has year-round wet habitats and is criss-crossed by several
streams and rivers making the reserve a green oasis with its epiphytes,
ferns and palms. It is home to parrots, parakeets, toucan, trogons, three
species of monkeys, and one of only three viable populations of Scarlet
Macaws in Central America. After visiting the reserve, enjoy a relaxed
lunch break and afternoon swim at the beach. Visit a different sector of
the reserve in the afternoon prior to returning to San José late in the
afternoon. Lunch included.