Adventure Rating
How much Adventure do you want? This itinerary includes a few features to help gauge the following factors.
 Tour Pace: On a scale of 1 (slowest pace) to 5 (fastest pace), we’ve rated the following factors: number of 1-night hotels; driving miles per day; fullness of schedule; mid-tour airline flights; and average amount of walking per day.
 Walk Challenge: This number represents an average walk difficulty rating for the tour using a scale of 1 (easiest) to 5 (hardest) [same criteria used by American Volkssport Association].
Costa Rica is an explosion of life! With a seashore-to-mountaintop topography and a tropical climate, it is home to an unbelievable variety of plants and animals from both sides of the equator. No other country on the planet has a greater number of species per square mile or offers so many fun and educational pursuits for the traveler in such a small package!
We’ve added a new wrinkle to this edition of Costa Rica. Leaving the Arenal Volcano region, we cross north of San Jose into Sarapiqui, an area renowned for its flora and fauna, for its excellent river safaris, and for interesting excursions offering insight into uniquely Costa Rican lifestyles. We visit a cacao plantation for the first time to learn the process of making the fifth food group – chocolate, and overnight in a deluxe jungle tent camp (don’t worry—all facilities are en suite!).
How to Register
To save yourself a spot on this Adventure, contact us to register with a $500 payment as soon as possible! Reservations will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis! Click here for more registration details.
Daily Itinerary 
Day 1 – 2/19: En route to San Jose, Costa Rica
Our Costa Rica Adventure begins today with a flight into Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaría International Airport. A representative of WAI will meet you as you exit customs and arrange your transfer to our hotel set beside a lovely pool amidst a grove of tropical vegetation in nearby La Garita. Since flights generally arrive very late in the evening, no group activities are planned today. Our first group activity is breakfast tomorrow morning in the poolside restaurant of beautiful Resort Martino.
Day 2 – 2/20: Activities in the Central Highlands (BLD)
Escazú Barrio Meander - 6 km
Today’s first activity is a cultural walking tour through Escazú, a charming mountain town near San Jose. Attractions along our route include the San Antonio church, a sugar cane mill visit with a demonstration of sugar production, and a stop at Don Gerardo’s mascarade workshop for an explanation of these colorful traditional “puppets” used to celebrate festivals and parades. This afternoon, a mesmerizing stroll through the Butterfly Farm introduces us to a sampling of the country’s 1000+ species of butterflies – Costa Rica’s most dazzling residents. Dinner tonight is a unique cultural experience at Delicias del Maiz, a popular local eatery with lots of atmosphere and few tourists.
Day 3 – 2/21: La Garita – Arenal Volcano area (BLD)
Sarchi Homesteads & Oxcarts Trek - 9 km
A morning drive takes us through the picturesque Central Highlands to the Rojas Coffee Plantation. Here, we learn about the potent little bean that revolutionized the economy of Costa Rica in the 19th century, then share lunch with our hospitable hosts in their lovely plantation home. More delights of rural Costa Rica await us on an afternoon hike along country roads past small farms growing coffee, bananas, and a host of other fruits and vegetables. Our destination this evening is an enchanting lodge in the vicinity of Arenal Volcano, one of the more active volcanoes on the planet.
Day 4 – 2/22: Activities in Arenal area (BD)
El Silencio Rainforest Walk – 3.5 km
The El Silencio Rainforest Walk takes us into thick tropical jungle opening onto breathtaking views of Lake Arenal and the volcano! Along the trail, watch for raucous howler monkeys, curious coatimundis, tiny whizzing hummingbirds, and brilliant Blue Morpho butterflies. After lunch, enjoy the tropical surroundings of our lodge, complete with its own hot spring, Jacuzzi, and pools, or join us for the optional afternoon activity – try gliding through the trees on an aerial tram, with views of the rainforest canopy, then experience a different sensation – whizzing through the jungle on a thrilling zipline tour. Estimated price: $70
Day 5 – 2/23: Arenal Volcano area – Sarapiqui (BD)
Sarapiqui is a region in northern Costa Rica boasting some of the country’s richest pockets of untouched forest. Our accommodations here are tent suites providing a magical combination of immersion into nature blended with the comforts of home. Our first activity upon arrival is an optional river experience on the Sarapiqui River. Two types of adventure are offered: 1) The River Rafting trip features a fun section of continuous rapids – four Class 2 rapids and twenty Class 3 rapids. 2) The Safari Float trip is a slower-paced experience focusing more on nature, a delight for bird watchers. Estimated price for either river experience: $60. The afternoon activity is a unique visit across a suspension bridge to La Tirimbina, a former cacao-tree plantation, to learn about the tantalizing process of transforming cacao into chocolate.
Day 6 – 2/24: Sarapiqui – Tortuguero (BLD)
Following a morning drive through the luxuriant rain forests of Braulio Carrillo National Park, we board a jungle riverboat to wind through a labyrinthine network of canals and rivers to Tortuguero National Park. Our boat provides a perfect viewing platform to spy on monkeys, crocs, and a seemingly limitless array of colorful birds. Our home for the next two nights, Laguna Lodge, is nestled in the Caribbean jungle, accessible only by boat or plane. After lunch and a siesta, we explore the surrounding jungle with our guide in search of toucans, iguanas, and any other Costa Rican critters parading through this wildlife wonderland!
Day 7 – 2/25: Activities in Tortuguero (BLD)
Tortuguero Wet Jungle Jaunt - 3 km
An unforgettable wildlife cruise early this morning takes us in pursuit of toucans, sloths, iguanas, monkeys, and other local residents. Lizards, leafcutter ants, and more of our feathered friends are just a few of the critters we’ll keep an eye out for along today’s jungle trail to the village of Tortuguero. This little strip of land sandwiched between the Caribbean and a watery world of lagoons and canals is caught in a time warp – no cars, no streets, and very few signs of post 19th century life.
Day 8 – 2/26: Tortuguero - Cahuita (BLD)
We leave Tortuguero this morning for a return journey downriver. Images of Humphrey Bogart on the African Queen come to mind as we float through this otherworldly tropical environment. Our final destination is further south on the Caribbean near the funky, Jamaican town of Cahuita.
Day 9 – 2/27: Activities in Cahuita (BD)
Cahuita Nat’l Park Dry Jungle Journey - 10 km
The wide, palm-lined trail through Cahuita National Park parallels a crystalline, sapphire sea offering opportunities to spot a menagerie of slinking sloths, brilliant butterflies, missions of monkeys, and more. This afternoon you are free to wander the Caribbean village of Cahuita, relax by the pool at the hotel, or join us for a visit to a banana plantation to learn about this giant member of the herb family.
Day 10 – 2/28: Cahuita – La Garita (BD)
We leave the Caribbean today to return to the Central Highlands and our hotel in La Garita. After an interesting drive through San Jose, the afternoon is free to relax, pack for tomorrow’s return flight, or explore Zoo Ave, the intriguing bird park across the street from our hotel. Join us tonight for a Farewell Dinner to reminisce about our explorations throughout captivating Costa Rica!
Day 11 – 2/29: Depart for Home (B)
We leave Costa Rica this morning on a return flight to the USA with fond memories of our adventures in this land of breathtaking beauty and diversity!
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What's Included
Walking Costa Rica: Land of Diversity 2012
February 19-29, 2012 l 11 Days l $2900
Including:
- Airport to hotel group transfers on first and last day*
- Quality hotel accommodations in uniquely Costa Rican settings (all facilities en suite)
- All land travel as outlined
- 24 meals: 10 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 9 dinners as listed (BLD)
- 5 walks as listed (IVV sanctions not yet obtained)
- Fees for walking credit
- WAI guide service throughout
- Cultural & historical expertise of a local guide throughout
- All tipping for local guides and coach drivers
- Single Supplements are available: $300
Entrance fees and guided tours of:
- Escazu walking tour
- Butterfly Farm
- Rojas Coffee Plantation visit
- Chocolate tour at La Tirimbina
- Jungle river cruise to Tortuguero
- Tortuguero National Park and wildlife canal cruise
- Banana plantation tour
- Cahuita National Park
…more fun stops than we can list!
Optional Excursions:
- Sky Tram and Sky Trek zipline experience (Day 4)
- Sarapiqui River experience – Rafting or Safari Float trip (Day 5)
*Details of transfers provided are listed in Adventure Advice memo sent upon receipt of tour registration.
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Registration Details
To reserve your spot on this adventure, please mail the Registration Form along with a $500 per person deposit, or call in with your credit card. Make checks payable to Walking Adventures International. VISA, MasterCard, and Discover also accepted.
The General Tour Conditions contain important information you should read before you register.
Mail payments to:
Walking Adventures International
PO Box 871000
Vancouver WA 98687-1000
USA
Travel Insurance
Walking Adventures has negotiated with an insurance carrier to provide travel insurance in the form of a Preferred Benefits™ policy. We are pleased to make this package available and believe that it will provide travelers with an important element of security at a reasonable price.
Why We Walk
Why We Walk
Walking and travel are a natural combination! For over 20 years, our Walking Adventures International team has been offering walking programs around the world, and we’ve found that walking and motorcoach travel is the best way to tour. Our coach takes you efficiently from point to point with little wasted time, but walking lets you get off the bus, stretch your legs, and explore the "must see" highlights and off-the-beaten-track wonders. For more on Why We Walk, click here.
Volkssport
Some travelers like to keep track of their walks with a system known as volkssport. Click here if you’d like to know more about volkssport.
General Questions
And follow this link for more details on topics like: WAI’s approach to airfare, the number of people accepted on a tour, and finding a roommate!
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