Itinerary

Saturday - Arrive San José
Your trip begins in San José, Costa Rica's capital city. If you're flying in on day one of the trip, your ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA trip leader will meet you at the airport at 2pm and take you to your accommodation. You'll have a couple of hours to explore San José's beautiful town squares, quaint cafés and bustling streets where lively street performers dot the sidewalks. San José sits in a beautiful valley surrounded by towering volcanoes. Its location, just 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the West and the Caribbean Sea to the East, gives it a mild, spring-like climate. In the evening you'll meet up with your ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA trip leader and the rest of your group for a full briefing and a delicious tico dinner!
ACCOMMODATION: Fleur de Lys Hotel, San José (D)

Sunday - Raft the Pacuare River
You'll have an early start this morning to the rafting put-in on the Pacuare River, one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. The rafting is suitable for all experience levels and you will receive a full safety briefing from our guides. We'll set off down the river, descending Grade III and IV rapids from Costa Rica's central highlands down to the Caribbean lowlands through virgin rainforest. Lush, green vegetation hangs down the towering vertical walls of this amazing river canyon. This trip is known as one of the world's best rafting trips and you'll see why - with exciting white water, stunning scenery and pleasant water temperature, it's an unforgettable rafting experience for novice paddlers and experts alike! After take-out, we continue on to Fortuna, a small town at the foot of the Arenal Volcano where we'll stay for the next two nights. The views are amazing from your accommodation - on a clear night you can often see the glow of lava from the volcano!
ACCOMMODATION: Fortuna lodgings, Fortuna (B,L,D)

Monday - Hike Cerro Chato, La Fortuna waterfall, soak in Baldi Hot Springs
This morning we'll begin our ascent of Cerro Chato, a dormant volcano with a picturesque crater lagoon in its centre. We begin by hiking through typical tico farmland, before entering stunning virgin rainforest on the side of the volcano. It's a heart-pumping hike to the top, but the rewards are worth the effort! At the summit we'll be greeted with views of Arenal volcano. We'll head back down to enjoy our lunch at the spectacular Catarata La Fortuna. This 230-foot (70m) waterfall, surrounding rainforest and black volcanic rock are a dramatic finale and the plunge pool is the perfect place to cool off for a well-deserved swim! Later, we'll wind down with a soak in the Baldi Hot Springs.
ACCOMMODATION: Fortuna lodgings, Fortuna (B,L,D)

Tuesday - Cycle Lake Arenal, Monteverde This morning we'll do an amazing cycling trip around the edge of Lake Arenal. After an early breakfast, we begin by riding under the rainforest canopy as we follow the shores of the lake. You'll be amazed at the cacophony of calls from tucans, howler monkeys and other wildlife. Later we'll head to Monteverde Cloud Forest, nestled in the heart of one of the most beautiful valleys in the Americas in the cloudy heights of the Tilarán mountain range. Monteverde will be our base for the next two nights. We'll enjoy spectacular views of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean from our cosy lodging in the hills just outside Santa Elena township.
ACCOMMODATION: Sunset Hotel, Monteverde (B,L,D)

Wednesday - Hike Monteverde Cloud Forest, free afternoon
Today we'll explore some of the most intriguing forest trails in Central America in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Laden with native flora and fauna, and tucked in a highland valley of the Costa Rican mountains, Monteverde offers a peaceful hiking experience with stunning waterfalls, lush forest canopy, and plenty of native animals ducking in and out of the trails. When we get back from our hike, you'll have the afternoon free to try some of the wide range of optional activities on offer in Monteverde - you'll find everything from canopy tours to horse riding or even a mariposario (butterfly garden)! If you'd like an adrenalin-pumping view of the forest canopy from above, there's an option to take a zip line high above the trees for an extra US$45. It's an unforgettable ride with magical views of the rainforest and the valleys below.
ACCOMMODATION: Sunset Hotel (B,L,D)

Thursday - Explore Coyote beach and relax in a hammock!
Today we'll continue down to the tropical warmth of the Pacific lowlands, and hit the Pacific Ocean for the first time on the trip. Our home for the next couple of nights will be Rancho Tanga, an idyllic beach camp on Playa Coyote - an isolated white sand Costa Rican beach on the Nicoya Peninsula. This afternoon we'll explore the Rio Coyote estuary, where caiman are often seen and howler monkeys swing through the trees above us. If you prefer, you can relax at the beach, swim, wander along the shore, explore tidal rock pools, or just laze in a hammock while we set up camp. Later we'll enjoy a dinner prepared by Tanga's wife Mayela - you'll never forget the seafood feasts here.
ACCOMMODATION: Coyote Beach camp - paradise on Earth! (B,L,D)

Friday - Coastal hike to sea turtle rescue project
Today we'll hike over Punta Coyote to Caletas Beach - incredibly, even more beautiful and deserted than Coyote - where we'll meet the hardy volunteers of Pretoma, a sea turtle preservation organisation. From July to February, these dedicated conservationists live in tents and lean-tos, and patrol the beach every night to protect the eggs of rare sea turtles from predators. We'll wander back to camp, through reefs and rock pools where tropical fish, snails, crabs and molluscs abound, before hiking up Cerro Coyote to watch another incredible sunset over the Pacific and enjoy panoramic views of the deserted coastline.
ACCOMMODATION: Coyote Beach camp (B,L,D)

Saturday - Hike Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve
We'll leave Coyote Beach this morning to make our way down to Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. This national reserve is the oldest wildlife sanctuary in Costa Rica, and is home to several native species of monkeys, sloths, raccoons and parrots. We'll spend the afternoon hiking through steep forest terrain to the tip of the peninsula, and back along the white sand beaches to the trailhead. Tonight we'll stay on the Nicoya Peninsula, in charming bungalows right on the beach surrounded by jungle. Our hosts, Belgian couple Hilda and Andre, will welcome you and make sure you're well fed, with several local specialities on this evening's menu! After dinner you can enjoy a stroll on the beach, swim in the beautiful calm waters, or just relax.
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel Celaje, Montezuma (B,L,D)

If you're short on time, it's possible to finish your Iguana trip on this afternoon and we'll arrange for you to head back to San José.


Sunday - Sea kayak and snorkel Tortuga Island
This morning we'll paddle our sea kayaks across to Tortuga Island, a short distance offshore from the Curu Nature Reserve. After a familiarisation briefing from our guides, we'll set off across the warm, clear waters of the Golfo de Nicoya. This beautiful stretch of water is frequented by whales, so bring your camera! When we arrive on the island, we'll have lunch on a picture-postcard beach. Tortuga Island is a stunning place, with pristine beaches laden with coconut palms, clear water and a green rainforest interior. In the afternoon, we'll set off with our masks and snorkels into the warm Pacific waters surrounding Tortuga Island to look for sea turtles, iguanas, lobsters and to swim among hundreds of varieties of fish in the crystal clear waters. Then we'll head back to the mainland for another night in Montezuma.
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel Celaje, Montezuma (B,L,D)

Monday - Hike Curu Nature Reserve
Today you'll be hiking in beautiful Curu Nature Reserve, which boasts rich and diverse wildlife in five different habitats, ranging from marine zones and mangrove swamps, to tropical dry and moist forest. In the early afternoon, we'll take a ferry across the Golfo de Nicoya to Puntarenas where we'll stop for lunch before heading back to our hotel, just outside San José, to enjoy our final evening together.
ACCOMMODATION: Local hotel, near San José (B,L,D)

Tuesday - San José, depart
Today is the last day of your Iguana trip in Costa Rica with us. If you have time before your flight or you're staying on for a few days, we'll be happy to make some suggestions on how to make the most of it. For example, you won't want to miss San José's bustling central market, and relaxing with an ice cream in the central square makes for fantastic people-watching and a priceless view of tico city life. If you prefer to take in a little culture, your guide will be happy to point you in the direction of San José's many museums, art galleries and charming streetscapes. Alternatively, if you're flying out today, we'll send you home refreshed, relaxed and invigorated, after experiencing the best that Costa Rica has to offer - great activities, fantastic scenery and friendly people. Pura Vida! (B)

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