EXPERIENCE – Costa Rica: between sky and sea, full board

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Arrival in Costa Rica

  Departure from Paris CDG towards the Costa Rican capital, San José. After a flight of nearly 12 hours, you have arrived in Costa Rica, the paradise of great nature! Our local team will give you a personalized welcome at the Juan Santamaria International Airport, very close to San José. This city, in the heart of the Central Valley, affectionately nicknamed "Chepe" by its inhabitants, has a special charm. It is perched at an altitude of 1150 meters, in the heart of rugged mountains and dormant volcanoes. Welcome cocktail before dinner. Overnight stay at the Tryp Sabana 4* hotel in San José.

• day 2

  PUERTO VIEJO

  After breakfast, we will quickly leave the city to go admire the Irazú volcano, with an altitude of nearly 3500 meters. After descending from Irazú, you will then head towards the highlands of the central valley. A stop is planned at the superb Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago. Visit and lunch at Hacienda Tayutic. This is a site for coffee and macadamia nut cultivation, with a demonstration of the "trapiche" (sugar cane processing). You will taste the famous "tapa de dulce", a block of cane sugar. You can stroll through the gardens and in an orchid greenhouse. Then, head towards the southern Caribbean coast. Dinner and overnight at Cariblue Beach and Jungle.

• day 3

  PUERTO VIEJO

  After a traditional breakfast in the heart of the jungle, you will be immersed in the local "Pura Vida" atmosphere. You will visit, in the morning, the "Jaguar Rescue Center." This site is, above all, a rehabilitation center for wild animals that are injured or confiscated from unscrupulous people. Their main goal is to reintroduce the animals into their natural habitat. Depending on arrivals, you may have the chance to see sloths, ocelots, and many other animals up close. Lunch will be served at the famous popular restaurant Maxi’s, in the small village of Manzanillo, renowned for its typical Caribbean fish and seafood dishes. In the afternoon, discover the Manzanillo wildlife refuge, a must-see natural site on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The white sand beaches, kilometers of coconut trees, calm sea, and protected coral reef make this reserve an ideal nesting place for leatherback turtles, the largest sea turtles in the world. You can end the day by relaxing on the beautiful Manzanillo beach. Dinner and overnight at the Cariblue Beach hotel.

• day 4

  PUERTO VIEJO - TORTUGUERO

  Early departure to the Northern Caribbean region. Since there are no roads to Tortuguero, we will reach our destination by motorboat. Howler monkeys will wake you up at dawn and lull you to sleep. You could easily spot monkeys, green ibises, and crocodiles. It was right here that we admired our very first keel-billed toucan, one of the few birds in the world to display all 7 colors of the rainbow. Your boat will continue up to the fishing village of Tortuguero. Upon arrival at your lodge, you will have breakfast. In the afternoon, you will be invited to visit the small typical village that once lived off the turtle trade and whose inhabitants have since turned to the conservation of these animals. Back at your unique hotel, in the heart of nature, which we will leave as a surprise, a bit of rest by the pool will revive you or, if you are curious, you can wander the site's trails to admire the local wildlife. Dinner and overnight at Aninga Lodge.

• day 5

  TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK

  This 190 km² aquatic national park stretches over 22 km of coastline and 30 km of sea. It offers a unique feature with its world between two realms: half terrestrial and half maritime. Water reigns supreme here, whether in rivers, canals, or lagoons. This park is the most important nesting area for sea turtles in the entire western Caribbean region. In fact, it was created to preserve this exceptional species of giant turtles. Early morning meeting with your guide, a nature lover, who will help you discover some of the most extraordinary and diverse wildlife as it awakens during a boat tour of the canals. Upon returning to the Lodge at the end of the morning, your lunch will be waiting for you. Free afternoon. Additional optional activities are offered on site (not included), such as kayaking, another guided tour of the canals, or if you wish to visit again the hosts, your neighbors perched in the trees, who are just waiting for your visit to charm you. Dinner and overnight at Aninga Lodge.

• day 6

  TORTUGUERO – ARENAL

  After breakfast, the boat will take you back to the dock where you will find your bus and civilization. Your driver will take you to Sarapiqui, a rich agricultural region with lush and fertile lands, mainly devoted to agriculture. The hills are populated with pineapples, palm trees for harvesting hearts, pejjibayes with their fruits, and guanabanas. You will have lunch at the Tirimbina Biological Reserve. On site, after your lunch, you will be invited to a guided walk in the forest to ancient wild cocoa plantations, with explanations of ancestral chocolate-making methods and a tasting of the drink of the gods. Then, you will head north through the dizzying tropical forest of the region to admire the main attraction of northern Costa Rica: the majestic Arenal volcano, peaking at 1600 meters. Your hotel offers the most beautiful view, hence its name which means in French "beautiful view of the North." Splendid and extraordinary panorama of the volcano and the lake. Dinner and overnight at the Linda Vista del Norte hotel.

• day 7

  ARENAL - RIO CELESTE - ARENAL

  After breakfast, departure towards a top destination: the waterfall of the famous Rio Celeste. After a 1.5 km trail, you will find yourself in one of the most extraordinary settings. It is difficult to describe with simple words the wonder of this place, with the turquoise blue color of the "Rio Celeste" river. This marvel is even described by the poet Celso Alvarado as "the lake where God washed his brushes after painting the sky." The waterfall is 30 meters high and you may not realize it, but its pool is still 17 meters deep. You will have lunch in a restaurant on the way and then continue your journey to Arenal, where another surprise awaits you. You can visit the beautiful little village of La Fortuna, located at the foot of the volcano, which has become a paradise for ecological tourism. Finally, the day will end on a note worthy of the emotions experienced at Rio Celeste. A unique moment of relaxation awaits you at the Ecotermales, in the pools of volcanic hot springs beautifully incorporated into the surrounding nature. Imagine for a moment... Immersed in the hot waters of the volcano, you are surrounded by the magical nature of the jungle singing all around you. This center limits its entries to guarantee the tranquility and privacy of the place. Relaxation of the body and eyes guaranteed. You will have dinner on the illuminated site. Night at Linda Vista del Norte.

• day 8

  ARENAL - MONTEVERDE

  After breakfast, a final activity as a farewell to Arenal. You will go for a beautiful walk with impressive viewpoints on suspended bridges in a private natural reserve of 250 hectares of primary tropical rainforest. Costa Rica is the world leader in canopy exploration. That is where you will find yourself, brushing the treetops. Let yourself be overwhelmed by the unique setting of lush, humid forests and listen to these unusual sounds. Then, you will leave Arenal, skirt its magnificent lake which offers impressive viewpoints, and then discover alpine pasture landscapes in the heart of the Tilaran mountain range. You will have lunch in a restaurant on the road. The final destination of the day is sure to impress. The Monteverde reserve is the most bucolic haven of freshness and greenery in the country, with more than 30,000 hectares of protected primary forest. Upon arrival, you will visit the superb butterfly garden. Did you know that Costa Rica is home to nearly a quarter of the world's butterflies? On site, you will be able to admire, among others, the legendary and majestic Blue Morpho, the largest butterfly in the world with its 12 to 20 cm wingspan, if you have not yet encountered it. You will then go for dinner and spend the night at the Ficus hotel, in the magic of the day.

• day 9

  MONTEVERDE - TARCOLES

  After breakfast at your hotel, you will set out to discover the Monteverde Reserve, known worldwide for its cloud forest. It is home to more than 150 species of amphibians and reptiles, over 500 species of butterflies, more than 100 species of mammals, over 400 species of birds, not to mention the incredibly diverse flora with its 2,500 plants, 500 of which are orchids, and finally dozens of hundreds of insects. This reserve is so popular because it is one of the last nesting places of the most beautiful bird in Latin America: the mythical quetzal. Some call it the jewel of the tropical forests. You will then continue your journey towards the central Pacific region. You will have lunch on the way in a typical restaurant. In the afternoon, you will reach your evening destination: the incredible Punta Leona estate, 300 hectares of forest by the sea. This site is in the heart of a biological reserve. The large trees, including a ceibo nicknamed "the staircase to the sky," shelter a great diversity of birds, including the flamboyant scarlet macaw. Keep your camera close at hand, as wonderful surprises await you all the way to the restaurant with our capuchins and sometimes even blue morphos fluttering close to us. You will enjoy the magnificent Playa Blanca beach. Dinner and overnight at the Punta Leona hotel, in a little tropical paradise.

• day 10

  TÁRCOLES - MANUEL ANTONIO - SAN JOSÉ

  After breakfast, you will have to resign yourself to leaving this little corner of paradise at the end of the morning to head to the capital, San José. You will then make your way to the Manuel Antonio National Park, which covers 683 hectares and is one of the most beautiful parks in the country, on the edge of the Pacific. Here, it is a paradise of stunning white sand beaches with a magnificent tropical forest and exceptional wildlife. Walking in the park means seeing plenty of monkeys (capuchins and squirrel monkeys) everywhere, sloths of course, but also coatis, not to mention a few unexpected encounters. We assure you memories that will remain engraved in your minds and hearts. You will have a picnic on the beach in a postcard setting. You will arrive in San José in the afternoon. You will settle into your hotel and prepare for the last evening in this wonderful country. You are invited to a superb folkloric evening on the heights of San José with a colorful dinner dance full of encounters. The traditional dinner will be prepared for you by the inhabitants of the small locality of San Antonio de Escazú, who will be delighted to welcome you as honored guests. With this evening, each of you will have the privilege of being a guest of the warmly welcoming "Ticos." In the evening, you will have to leave this beautiful atmosphere and your new friends to return to your hotel. Night at the Tryp Sabana in San José

• day 11

  San José Airport

  Breakfast at your hotel. A little free time to maybe take a walk in Sabana Park, right next to the hotel, to admire the last eucalyptus trees with their extraordinary colors. Then you will have to hit the road to reach the international airport for a flight to France. Hasta luego, los amigos !

• day 12

  ARRIVAL IN FRANCE

  With your heart still a little in Costa Rica and thousands of memories in your mind, you will arrive on French soil, imbued with Pura Vida, a state of mind you will be far from forgetting! Since our first visit to Costa Rica, we have had only one idea in mind: to return to this paradise, and we think you will do the same...