5 Day Budget Adventure (Monteverde and Arenal) Costa Rica
Monteverde and Arenal 5 Day Adventure Budget Package Overview:
On this budget travel package you'll spend 5 days exploring the beautiful areas of Monteverde and Arenal Volcano Costa Rica. You'll see nature reserves, wildlife, volcanoes, hot springs and waterfalls and enjoy the thrill of hiking, horseback riding Costa Rican style, white-water rafting,canyoneering (rappelling) and canopy zipline tours.
Itinerary:
Day 1.
7.40am - 8.30am (depending on yout hotel location). Your vacation starts with a pick-up from San Jose by shuttle transport - forget the worries about public buses and safety. The driver will pick you up from your hotel reception (if it located in San Jose center) and if staying near the airport (in Alajuela) you just have to meet the shuttle at the Holiday Inn Express - which is less than a 5 minute taxi ride from the airport. Enjoy the scenery as you make your ascent to the beautiful green mountains of Monteverde (3 - 4 hours). There will be a stop along the way for a bathroom stop and a snack. The views of the distant Monteverde Cloud Forest are amazing as well as the Gulf of Nicoya. Now with the road improvements to Monteverde the journey is less of a challenge and more of a wonderful photo opportunity!
5.20pm Monteverde Night Hike or Twilight Hike. The Ecological Sanctuary is a wildlife refuge administrated by a Costa Rican family and was started in 1992 with the idea of protecting 30 hectares (75 acres) of forest located in the pacific zone of Monteverde. In the past it was a farm with some coffee and banana plantations. As the farm had primary and secondary forest and a wide biodiversity in plants and animals, it was felt that it was an ideal base for observing wildlife. Nowadays, the activity of the farm is solely Eco-tourism: money from visitors is used for maintaining the Ecological Sanctuary and conservation projects, with the aim of preserving and regenerating the forest and night life in the forests. On the night tour you will see bugs, sleeping birds, tarantulas and maybe a sloth or two or other small mammals.
The Ecological Sancuary tour starts at 5.30pm. This is an easy 2-hour hike with a bilingual guide that begins just before the sunset and finishes at night giving hikers the opportunity to compare diurnal and nocturnal wildlife. During the early part of the hike you may see a sloth or two and maybe some other small mammals. Once it gets really dark the hidden side of the jungle is revealed- you will hear the creatures that move around at night! Your eyes will adjust to the dark and you should be able to make out different types of insects, sleeping birds and tarantulas.
Day 2.
8.00am Local Horseback Riding:
Enjoy the wonderful scenery of the Monteverde Zone. The horseback ride will be along little used back roads passing by farms of coffee, sugar cane and bananas.The route offers open views of the surrounding countryside as well as the Gulf of Nicoya. Children's saddles and helmets are available. Rain ponchos (if necessary!) are provided. The horseback ride is fully insured and only experienced guides are used and the ride is suitable for first time riders as well as fun for more experienced riders.
Horse Trek Monteverde have some of the best horses in the area and are recommended by many of the guidebooks. The horses are healthy and well-loved and this cannot be stressed enough! The company ensures regular health checks by vets and has been working hard over the years to give horseback riding a good reputation.
The ride is 2.5 hours long plus transport time.
 
1.40 pm. Extremo Canopy Tour:
The Monteverde Extremo Canopy Tour is perfect for the adventure bound, those seeking high adrenaline experiences and not the faint of heart. Extremo canopy is not located near the main nature reserves in the area nor over prime forest like some of the other canopy tours but as its name suggest it is an extreme rush! This tour offers 14 Ziplines, nearly 3.2 kilometers (2 miles), that range in distance from 40 meters (131 feet) to 750 meters (2,461 feet), including 4 cables that are longer than 425 meters (1,394 feet). One of the things that set Extremo apart from its competitors in the area is their Tarzan Swing and the 30 meter (98 feet) rappel.
Day 3.
8.10am. Today you will go to La Fortuna, the nearest village to one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Arenal Volcano. You will travel by what is locally known as "taxi-boat-taxi". This is a method of getting from Monteverde to La Fortuna and takes about 3 hours and involves the following:
- 1.5-hour microbus ride from Monteverde to Arenal Lake
- 30-minute boat ride on beautiful Arenal Lake on the foot of the volcano.
- 25 minutes microbus transport from Arenal Dam where transport to your hotel in La Fortuna
3.30pm. Volcano Hike and Baldi Hot Springs. Arenal Volcano Hike: Lava Viewing
A visit to Costa Rica is not complete without seeing Arenal's exciting live volcano! Hike through lush rainforest with an experienced naturalist, bilingual guide who will point out flora and fauna in the primary and secondary rainforest that lines the base of the Arenal Volcano. You'll then arrive at the observation point - the closest you can get to the base of Arenal Volcano and wait for the sun to set. As it starts to get dark, on clear nights you can see the amazing lava flow of Central America's most-active volcano and if you're lucky, you may be able to hear explosions or big lava rocks tumbling down the side of the volcano on your Arenal Volcano night hike.
Duration: 1.5-2 hours of an easy hike (although there are some muddy sections and a little uphill)
After the night hike we will take you to Baldi Hot Springs where you can soak any aches away from the past few day's activities. Located near La Fortuna, these Arenal hot springs is a place where you can really relax and pamper yourself. Baldi's has a series of pools and hot springs fed by Arenal Volcano which are set amid glorious tropical gardens so that you can relax in the water, while enjoying the surroundings. The pools vary in temperature, from the temperature of a swimming pool to the warmest at around 39C (102F). It's a place where, on a clear night, you can sit in a warm pool, sipping the cocktail of your choice, while watching the fireworks as Arenal Volcano erupts.
You might also decide to pamper your body by opting for one of the many body treatments which are available such as massage, reflexology, body polish, volcanic mud wraps and facials (these are not included on the tour).
Includes: bilingual guide, transportation, entrance to private reserve and volcano viewpoint with beverages. Entrance to Baldi Hot Springs.
Day 4.
6.30am Mambo Combo Tour. This tour is the combination of Canyoneering tour and Rio Balsa class 2/3 rafting. Lunch included on tour.
Day 5.
1.00pm Approx. Onward Transport After the tour your shuttle bus is included back to San Jose (and if there is one available main beaches available we can book you on this.
Details: NOTE FOR AN EXTRA COST WE CAN UPGRADE THE HOTELS
Monteverde Hotels: 2 nights.
In Monteverde we use Hotel Sunset whenever possible. Hotel Sunset is a family run B&B located between Santa Elena and the Santa Elena Reserve.
The hotel offers very comfortable rooms with private bathroom and plenty of hot water. Breakfast is included in the package; just let them know what time you would like it.
Arenal Volcano Hotels: 2 nights
Located in the center of the town of La Fortuna, well-known Hotel La Fortuna is a comfortable modern hotel with spotless rooms, a/c, cable TV, private bathroom and views of the volcano from some of the balconies. A small continental breakfast is included in the package
Read more about Hotel La Fortuna - click here
Beach Extensions! Ask for details about adding some days at the beach - we can arrange all transport, hotels and tours. Manuel Antonio beach and Samara beach are popular choices. We have many contacts with Manuel Antonio hotels.
We can also arrange hotels and transport in San Jose and other parts of Costa Rica. Please let us know if you need our help. info@monteverdetours.com
Details:
Minimum 2 people (Double occupancy): $507 per person
Dates of trip: We can schedule dates by request.
Included on Trip: All accommodation except in San Jose (which can arrange for an additional cost), all transport, all tours in the itinerary, all breakfasts and 1 lunch and guides
Not Included: Flights to Costa Rica, hotels in San Jose*, evening meals and some lunches, optional tours or transportation to other places not included in the schedule
What to Bring: T-shirts, shorts, long pants for riding, sweater or light jacket, sandals, light hiking boots, rain jacket, sun screen, insect repellant, any personal medication, swimming wear, towel, traveler's insurance (to include white-water rafting and horse riding, full passport, traveler's checks if a back up wanted and a credit card (VISA and MC, other cards are difficult to use in Monteverde).
NOTE: Adventure tours such as whitewater rafting, horse riding, kayaking, canyoneering and hiking require physical effort. Clients should be in good condition. For client safety and enjoyment, Desafio Adventure Company reserves the right to offer a substitution, postpone, change or cancel any tour due to unfavorable conditions. Full refund is given if (on rare occasion) a tour is cancelled. Desafio Adventure Company and its affiliates are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items
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