Costa Rica | Jungles, Peaks, and North Pacific Shores

Upon arrival at Juan Santamaría International Airport, meet your driver and guide, who will assist you as you begin your journey to Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve, located in the lush lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica. Founded in 1985, the lodge is designed to have a minimum impact on the environment and is a proud participant in the Certification for Sustainable Tourism program (CST). After settling in, attend an orientation at Selva Verde followed by free time to enjoy the pool before dinner.

After breakfast, meet in the open air conference room with your guide who will lead a discussion about Costa Rica's biodiversity, then travel a short distance and take a chocolate tour with a local expert at Costa Rica Best Chocolate. Return for lunch at the lodge. This afternoon, take an exhilarating whitewater rafting trip on Río Sarapiquí. A professional river guide escorts all trips, and all necessary safety equipment (helmet, life jackets, etc.) will be provided. Following a thorough safety orientation and basic rafting lesson, enjoy the Class II and III rapids of this well-known river, which traverses the property of Selva Verde, where you will disembark. Enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure, perhaps poolside. This evening, meet your guide for a night hike on the grounds of the lodge.

Early this morning receive an introduction to the amazing tropical birds of Selva Verde during a short hike with your guide around the grounds of the lodge. The avifauna of Selva Verde is abundant, and feeding stations have been set up around the lodge to facilitate observation and identification of the many species that frequent the area. Return to the lodge for breakfast, and then set out for a nature hike through the reserve in search of new species. Your guide will discuss the complex details of the ecosystem and how life in the rainforest thrives. After lunch at the lodge, travel to La Fortuna. En route to Arenal, visit a pineapple plantation to learn how this delicious fruit is cultivated. This afternoon, enjoy a dip in the hot spring pools at your hotel.

This morning explore the rainforest at Arenal Hanging Bridges. The site consists of 15 bridges ranging from 16 to 330 feet long, offering a unique view of the forest canopy from below and above. Six of the 15 bridges are suspended in the upper canopy of this mature forest trail system. The elevation is approximately 1,900 feet. The trail system straddles different types of ecosystems, forming a transitional vegetation strip with high biodiversity where both highland and lowland species occur. Next, have lunch at the lodge, followed by a thrilling zip-line canopy tour. This evening enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Check out after breakfast at the lodge, and begin the transfer to Guanacaste. En route, stop for a visit at Hacienda El Viejo Wetlands, a private wildlife refuge. Here, enjoy a typical Costa Rican buffet lunch at La Casona, a historical home dating back nearly 150 years that evokes the spirit of Costa Rica's colonial era. Then, set out onto the Tempisque River on a boat tour of the wetland refuge, where you'll see an incredible number of birds, monkeys, iguanas, and crocodiles. Return to La Casona to enjoy a cup of coffee and some fruit before departing the hacienda and continuing to Guanacaste. Check in upon arrival, and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure to explore the hotel facilities. Dinner at the hotel.

This morning, go on an exciting sea kayaking adventure. Enjoy the marine life, as well as flora, as you experience the sea up close and personal. Return to the hotel for lunch. This afternoon, you will have a chance to take paddle boarding lessons. Enjoy a brilliant sunset in the evening.

After breakfast, head to nearby Flamingo Beach for a scenic catamaran journey along the beautiful Pacific coast. From the dock, take a brief ride by motorized tender to arrive at the catamaran, and then board to set sail! Enjoy a picnic style meal on board, then swim and snorkel from the catamaran in search of tropical fish, octopuses, sea stars, and rays. At the end of the cruise, board the tender back to shore and return to the hotel. The afternoon is at leisure to explore the beach or relax. This evening, gather to share a farewell dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast, travel approximately 30 minutes to the international airport in Liberia for flights home. Flights should be scheduled to depart after 2 pm. Latest hotel check out time is noon.