Degree of Difficulty: 3 (moderate)
Activities Involved:
Bungee Jumping, White-Water Rafting, Sea Kayaking,
Camping, Jungle Hikes, Hot Springs, Snorkeling,
Beach, and Canopy Touring
Day 1: Arrival in Costa Rica
Upon your arrival in Costa Rica you will be greeted by your Costa Rica Extreme primary guide, a resident expert on all the flora and fauna of Costa Rica, as well as the many activities that await you. Your guide will accompany you throughout your excursion, serving as Trip Leader, companion and facilitator.
Your first night in our magical country will be at a plantation style retreat in Alajuela. This plantation is surrounded on three sides by coffee and orange farms and the remaining side is bordered by a 3,000 acre nature preserve encompassing a canyon with hiking trails, a waterfall and dense tropical flora. It features a main house detailed with tropical hardwoods, glass and stone, and exquisite cottages inspired by the Japanese design traditions of openness and harmony.
Adventurers arriving early in the day have their choice of an abundance of activities ranging from adrenaline-pumping bungee jumping to the serenity of a peaceful stroll through the beautiful gardens and jungle surrounding the Plantation. After an exquisite dinner on the terrace overlooking the Rio Grande Canyon, your primary guide, an expert on Costa Rica’s multitude of adventures and natural beauty, will familiarize you with the exciting activities of the days ahead.
Days 2 and 3: Arenal Volcano Region
After a relaxing breakfast and the opportunity to enjoy the excellent amenities of the retreat, you will travel along the Continental Divide via motor coach to the Arenal Region, home to the Arenal volcano, one of the 100 most active in the world.
Upon our arrival in the town of La Fortuna we will climb aboard the sure-footed horses that will carry us to the base platform for our canopy tour. Riding through coffee fields and papaya farms, we climb up into the primary rainforest, to the first of twelve platforms.
Strapped into your rappelling harness, helmet on, clipped via pulley to a braided steel cable, 100 feet above the ground without a safety net, you lunge into the air. Sailing gracefully, you enjoy an exhilarating, birds-eye view of the forest below. You’ll fly effortlessly, slowing down only to appreciate the variety of animals that live in the high canopies of the rainforest.
After our thrilling zip-line adventure we will soak our weary bodies relaxing in the warmth of lava-fed hot springs in the shadow of the Arenal Volcano. Thermal pools, steamy waterfalls and streams and a verdant landscape will enhance your escape as you melt away your day’s aches.
The next day our activities will include a hiking tour of the Arenal Volcano National Park where, weather permitting, you will be able to experience the looming giant from a very intimate perspective.
Alternatively, you may wish to forego the hiking and take a leisurely float trip down the Class I portion of the San Carlos River. Though there are no major rapids on this portion of the San Carlos, the trip will be exciting nonetheless given the lush tropical flora and the abundant riverside wildlife.
Day 4 and 5: Pacuare River Rafting
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, your activities begin with white water rafting down the mighty Pacuare River. A drive that will take you through the cloud forest of the Braulio Carrillo National Park will end at the Pacuare River put-in. Long regarded as the most scenic and best white-water rafting river in Costa Rica, the Pacuare is also considered one of the top five rafting rivers in the world.
After being properly outfitted with your safety equipment and paddle, you will be provided with comprehensive rafting and safety instruction by our world-class guides. Once the team is ready, you will begin an exhilarating trek down the powerful and mystical Class II, III and IV rapids. You will stop during the journey to hike to incredible cascading waterfalls and through dense jungle flora in the primary rain forest.
After several hours of invigorating rafting, you will arrive at the Costa Rica Extreme Tent Camp (our private 85 acre reserve). Relax during happy hour with Hors d’Oeuvres and Guaro punch (native Costa Rican sugarcane rum blended with fresh tropical fruits) while your guides prepare a delicious dinner. Platform tents will serve as your home for the night as you fall asleep to the roar of the river and the endless songs of the jungle’s countless inhabitants.
Awaking to the sweet sounds of toucans, hummingbirds, cicadas and the equally delightful smell of breakfast with robust Costa Rican coffee, you will be ready to explore the varied landscape and abundant animals of the Costa Rica Extreme private reserve. Then continue on the challenge of the mystifying Pacuare aboard your raft. Several class III and IV rapids will confront you before stopping for lunch. A natural outcropping provides a perfect perch to appreciate the majesty and beauty of the Pacuare as well as the tasty lunch prepared by the guides.
After lunch, you will gently float through the Dos Montañas Canyon, teeming with an abundance of trees, plants, waterfalls, birds and other endemic wildlife. Afterwards, you will leave the river behind you and return to San Jose for a night at a colonial style hotel built within a former coffee plantation house situated in the middle of town. The exquisite hotel features 36 individually decorated rooms and has been recognized as one of the most distinctive hotels in Costa Rica.
Day 6 – Day 9: Osa Peninsula
Today your adventures necessitate an early morning departure to Pavas airport for a 40-minute flight to Palmar Sur in the Osa Peninsula (at the southwest corner of the country). Upon landing you will be transferred to the Sierpe River for a two-hour riverboat trip to the remote and enchanting Punta Marenco at the edge of the Corcovado National Park in Drake Bay. The Punta Marenco, your home for the next three nights, is renown throughout Costa Rica for its extraordinary hospitality, incredible vistas and exotic and rustic appeal.
In addition to the Punta Marenco’s relaxing atmosphere, you will enjoy several activity-filled days ranging from a day tour of the Corcovado National Forest, a 50,000-acre jungle sanctuary filled with the incredible diversity of wildlife for which Costa Rica is famous to a day on Caño Island, twelve miles off shore where you will snorkel, explore or just lounge lazily on the beach soaking up the warm sunshine.
The Punta Marenco also features many optional activities that can be added to your excursion (for an additional charge) including deep sea fishing charters and scuba diving.
Day 9 – Day 10: Quepos/Manuel Antonio
Leaving the Osa Peninsula by small plane you will be rewarded with breath-taking vistas of the magnificent Pacific Ocean as you arrive at your next destination, the quaint seaside towns of Quepos and Manuel Antonio. Your home for the next two days will be a private bungalow amidst lush gardens on a 180-acre private reserve. This afternoon, you will enjoy beach activities and rest for the next day’s early start.
The next morning, once the tides have reached a navigable level, and after being trained in the operation of your ocean kayak, you will head across the bay to the tranquil waters of Isla Damas. Silently gliding along the water, the sun at your back, you will paddle through the mangrove canals.
The Manuel Antonio area is home to 184 species of birds, 78 types of fish, and over 100 mammals. Without much effort, you will see sloths, monkeys, crabs, egrets, iguanas and maybe even dolphins and whales. A deserted beach provides a well-deserved opportunity to stretch and enjoy lunch – topped off by milk from the fresh coconuts harvested by your guide from the nearby trees.
Your kayaking excursion will end at Playa Manuel Antonio, where you will spend the rest of the day hiking in nearby Manuel Antonio National Park, bodysurfing, swimming, joining in on a spirited beach soccer game or just relaxing on the warm, white sand.
