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ACTUAR CONSERVacations 10-day tour

SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN AND NORTHERN RAINFORESTS: 9 DAYS OF JUNGLE, WILDLIFE, SEA TURTLES, CHOCOLATE, VOLCANO, HOTSPRINGS, CULTURE!

  DAY 1:  ACTUAR will meet you and take you to a comfortable B and B in Alajuela, near the airport, or in San José, depending on your arrival time. 

   DAY 2 :

   After breakfast, your bilingual naturalist guide will drive you through the lush   rainforests of Braulio Carrillo National Park on your way down to the Caribbean coast. Stay at Casa Calateas, a Caribbean-style jungle lodge owned by a grassroots conservation association. Get to know the community and their conservation efforts. Go to the lookout point where you can see the vast rainforests of La Amistad International Park. For dinner, your hosts will show you how to make the legendary Caribbean fish and coconut stew, rondón.  

DAY 3 : 

After breakfast, glide down the smooth waterways of Aviarios del Caribe, spotting monkeys, birds and sloths. Visit the sloth rescue center. Stop for lunch at a downhome Caribbean restaurant in Cahuita. In the afternoon, hike or snorkel in Cahuita National Park. Return to Casa Calateas for dinner and the night. 

DAY 4:

Get up early and travel about an hour to Bambú, where you will meet the BriBri boatmen who will take you by dugout canoe to the isolated riverside village of Yorquín. Meet the villagers, and see how they process chocolate from their sacred tree, the cacao. Taste the fruit fresh from the pod, and see how it is dried, roasted and ground into hot chocolate. The community of Yorquín works in harmony with nature in order to protect the huge number of migrating birds that touch down in this region. Stay overnight at their BriBri-style lodge by the river. 

DAY 5:

Hike in the community’s rainforest reserve or hike to a waterfall. After a delicious lunch made with freshly harvested ingredients, set off down the river again. After you disembark, you will travel to the coastal village of Gandoca. That night, join volunteers who patrol the beaches to protect nesting leatherback turtles. If you are lucky, you will observe the ancient nesting ritual of these amazing 5-foot long sea turtles. March 1-July 31). Stay overnight in Gandoca at María’s Gandoca Cabins.

DAY 6:

In the morning, a boat will pick you up and take you in search of dolphins, tehn deliver you to the beachside village of Manzanillo. Have a tasty Caribbean lunch at Maxi’s. The afternoon is for relaxing and swimming at famous Punta Uva beach. Spend the night surrounded by tropical gardens in the charming cabins at El Yüe. El Yüe members grow organic bananas, flowers and medicinal plants. A methane bidigestor provides the gas for cooking. 

DAY 7: 

Set off early for the 6-hour drive to the west side of Arenal volcano. Enjoy the beautiful view of the volcano and the lake. You are in the right position to see the lava flow, which is especially impressive at night when the weather is clear.

DAY 8: 

Visit Arenal Hanging Bridges, where you can walk at canopy level in gorgeous rainforest. Enjoy a delicious dinner and a relaxing soak in Ecotermales Hot Springs. Return to Linda Vista for another night of volcano viewing.

DAY 9: 

After a relaxing morning, head back to the Central Valley. In Zarcero, you'll stop in front of the charming church and stroll through the topiary gardens, shaped into monkeys, elephants, dancing bears, pre-Columbian figures, etc. You will stop for lunch at a typical restaurant along the way. Overnight near the airport.

DAY 10: Fly home with happy memories of your time in Costa Rica! 

To sign up, contact beatrice@keytocostarica.com or call 1-877-9-ACTUAR

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Contact us and we’ll customize a trip for you!

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• Check out our 9- and 12-day tours to the volcano, rainforests and beaches

Costa Rica Guidebook | Costa Rica Travel Planning Advice | Customized Itineraries to Costa Rica | About Us

Copyright 2007, Key to Costa Rica
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East Blue Hill, ME 04629