Vibrant Costa Rica
About the Trip
Become a globe-trotting adventurer on this Costa Rican expedition. Start in the coastal village of Tortuguero – known for its green turtles – where you’ll tour the jungles of the Tortuguero Canals on private trails before hitting the beach. Next, visit the famed Arenal Volcano, take a dip in the thermal waters of the Baldi hot springs and do yoga in a jungle setting. From there, travel to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve and walk on treetop walkways – you may even touch the clouds. While at the reserve, befriend the sloths at Selvatura Park. Head off to Manuel Antonio for an unforgettable guided ocean kayak and snorkeling tour before capping off your trip with a day of leisure in San José.
Member-exclusive Benefits
We reward all our CAA Members on our Extraordinary Explorations® tours.
- $25 CAD Beverage card†
- 50 CAA Dollars®^
- 25% savings on CAA Travel Insurance◊
Extraordinary Experience
CAA has curated an exceptional experience unique to your tour. Details of this experience are listed below:
Ocean Kayak & Snorkeling Tour
A naturalist guide takes you from Pez Vela Marina to the winding coastline of Manuel Antonio. Explore Beizans Bay and snorkel for glimpses of astounding coral reef systems. End your adventure with a satiating hot lunch in typical Costa Rican flavor near the beach.
Package Includes:
- Return airfare from Toronto or Winnipeg to San José
- 1+1-night stay in moderate-class accommodation in San José
- 2-night stay in first-class accommodation in Tortuguero
- 2-night stay in first-class accommodation in Arenal
- 2-night stay in first-class accommodation in Monteverde
- 2-night stay in first-class accommodation in Manuel Antonio
- Breakfast daily, 6 lunches, 3 dinners, 1 snack and 1 tasting
- Land transportation via first-class motorcoach
- All bridge, ferry and road tolls
- Sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
- Professional English-speaking tour director throughout
- Local English-speaking guides
- Hotel porterage of 1 suitcase per person
- Destination transfers
Vibrant Costa Rica: From Jungles to Cloud Forests
Activity Level: Active. Visit sanctuaries, roam around jungles, hit the beach, touch the clouds and more on this unforgettable Central American adventure.
Day 1
San Jose
Fly from Toronto or Winnipeg to San Jose. Transfer to hotel for overnight.
Day 2
Tortuguero – Travel to Tortuguero and transfer by boat to your lodge. Witness the jungle splendour while travelling through the Tortuguero Canals. After lunch, continue touring the canals. B/L/D
Day 3
Tortuguero – Take a hiking tour along private trails through the jungle. Later, visit the museum and beaches of Tortuguero. B/L/D
Day 4
Arenal – Depart by boat to La Pavona dock, then transfer by coach to Guapiles. Visit the area of La Fortuna and take in the best view of the Arenal Volcano. Afterwards, relax in the thermal waters of the Baldi hot springs. B/L/D
Day 5
Arenal – Begin the day with a guided yoga session in a jungle setting. Later, visit the Don Juan Educational Farm. Tour the site and learn about biodiversity, scientific research and sugar cane production. B/L/T
Day 6
Monteverde – Travel from Arenal to Monteverde, famous for the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. Check in to the lodge. B
Day 7
Monteverde – Visit Selvatura Park and the sloth sanctuary. Later, trek through the cloud forest on treetop walkways. B/L
Day 8
Manuel Antonio – Depart for Manuel Antonio, one of the most visited destinations in Costa Rica. Choose an optional excursion on this free day or spend your day at leisure. B
Day 9
Manuel Antonio – Today is your Extraordinary Experience: A guided ocean kayak and snorkeling tour along the coastline. End your sea adventure with a gourmet lunch on the beach. B/L/S
Day 10
Manuel Antonio – San Jose
Return to San Jose for an overnight before your early morning flight the next day. (B)
Day 11
San Jose- Toronto or Winnipeg
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Toronto or Winnipeg. (B)
B - Breakfast | L - Lunch | D - Dinner | S - Snack | T - Tasting
Terms & Conditions
*All CAA Member prices are per person, based on double occupancy, in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated and are subject to change without prior notice until final payment is paid. All prices are correct at press time and apply to new bookings only, based on availability at time of booking. To receive CAA Member-exclusive benefits, there must be one valid CAA Member travelling per booking. Non-members booking Extraordinary Explorations will not receive Member-exclusive benefits.
†Beverage card is one per person, in Canadian funds and has no cash value.
^CAA Dollars awarded per adult Member. To earn and redeem CAA Dollars, you must be a current CAA Member in good standing (CAA Membership dues paid in full by membership expiry date). CAA Dollars will be credited at time of departure. For more information on CAA Dollars, please visit www.caasco.com/caadollars.
◊CAA Travel Insurance is underwritten by Orion Travel Insurance Company, a CAA Company. Twenty-five percent (25%) Member savings is made up of a ten percent (10%) Member savings as well as a promotional fifteen percent (15%) savings when you purchase an Extraordinary Explorations tour through CAA Travel, applies to CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba Members in good standing (CAA Membership dues paid in full by membership expiry date). This promotional offer is valid until December 31, 2023. Ten percent (10%) Member savings applies to Members in good standing of all other CAA clubs. Savings apply to the total premium excluding applicable taxes. Minimum premium applies. Visitors to Canada Insurance is limited to the promotional savings. Certain exclusions, limitations and restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice. A Medical Questionnaire may be required to purchase travel insurance. Extraordinary Explorations vacations are organized and booked by CAA Travel (South Central Ontario) Inc. and CAA Manitoba (“CAA Travel”) on behalf of CAA Club Group (o/a CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba). In the event of an increase in any of the cost factors, CAA Travel reserves the right to increase the price whereby the provisions of the Travel Industry Act shall prevail. CAA Extraordinary Explorations packages are 100% non-refundable at final payment. CAA Travel service fee for cancellation prior to final payment varies by program. For full payment terms and conditions, please ask your CAA Travel Consultant. CAA Travel reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any tour departure in accordance with operating requirements (minimum number of participants) or circumstances beyond its control. Additional fees for checked luggage or other incidentals may be incurred and vary according to itinerary and airline. Air schedules with some tours are not available at press time and may include several connections or forced overnight at passenger’s expense. CAA Travel strongly recommends the purchase of trip cancellation and emergency travel and emergency medical insurance at the time of booking. Please note: Participants must be able to embark and disembark cruise ships and coaches without assistance as well as have a good level of mobility for walking tours in destinations where stairs and traditional cobblestone streets can be challenging. International transportation vehicles and facilities may not meet accessibility standards.
Flight
IncludedTour Itinerary
Day 1
San Jose
Fly from Toronto or Winnipeg to San Jose. Transfer to hotel for overnight.
Day 2
San Jose – Tortuguero
Travel to Tortuguero, and transfer by boat to your lodge while witnessing the jungle splendor along the Tortuguero Canals. A Costa Rican breakfast is served enroute. Have a once in a lifetime experience in this unique place surrounded by a great variety of flora and fauna of breathtaking beauty.
Enjoy a refreshing cocktail and a delicious lunch as you are welcomed to your hotel. Tour more of the canals after lunch. Dinner will be served upon your return to the hotel. (B/L/D)
Day 3
Tortuguero
Experience a hiking tour through private trails. Later, after lunch at your lodge, visit the museum, beach and the small, picturesque city of Tortuguero. Dinner will be served upon arrival at the lodge. (B/L/D)
Day 4
Tortuguero – Arenal
Depart by boat to La Pavona Dock. Travel by coach to Guapiles and enjoy lunch there.
Visit the area of La Fortuna and the viewpoint of the Arenal Volcano where you can enjoy the colossus at its best as well as the view from Arenal Lake. Afterwards, relax at the Baldi Hot Springs, 100% natural, thermal waters heated from a subterranean volcanic river 60 metres below the earth’s surface. (B/L/D)
Day 5
Arenal
After breakfast, enjoy a one-hour yoga session in the lodge’s bamboo yoga pavilion, surrounded by the abundance of the rainforest, singing tropical birds and the perfume of exotic flowers.
In the afternoon, visit Don Juan Educational Farm. Learn about production, conservation and organic sustainability. Learn how sugar cane is processed and taste candy and cane liquor. (B/L/T)
Day 6
Monteverde
Travel from Arenal to Monteverde.
Monteverde is considered a major ecotourism destination in Costa Rica. The area is known worldwide for the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve and many other private reserves, which attract a considerable number of tourists and naturalists interested in mountain and tropical biodiversity. Overnight in Monteverde at Rustic Lodge. If you like, choose from a couple of optional excursions for this free day. (B)
Irazu Volcano, Orosi Valley and Lankester Gardens
This tour is the combination of the Irazu Volcano National Park, the Orosi Valley and Lankester Garden tours. See an impressive volcano, visit important historical and cultural places and have the opportunity to see beautiful plants. To that end, the tour offers the mystique of the Irazu Volcano,and the enchantment of the lush gardens in Orosi.
Included: Transportation, bilingual guide, entrance fees to Irazu Volcano National Park, Lankester Gardens, lunch.
Authentic Rainforest Experience
Drive to Sarapiquí area, through the extraordinary rain forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park, one of the most important rainforest reserves of Costa Rica. On arrival in Sarapiqui, board a boat for a relaxing ride on the Sarapiqui River where you will feel close to nature. After the boat ride, continue with a walk on Selva
Verde Eco Lodge’s private trails, which are a heaven for nature enthusiasts.
Following lunch and on route to San Jose, a visit to the famous Rainforest Aerial Tram is included. Enjoy a ride on a gondola through the tree canopy with a naturalist guide that will talk to you about the wonderful rainforest. (11 platforms of zip lining is available, if you prefer more adrenaline).
Included: Transportation, bilingual guide, boat ride on Sarapiqui River, guided walk on Selva Verde trails, rainforest aerial tram tour or zipline, lunch.
Day 7
Monteverde
Today, visit the sloth sanctuary. In close collaboration with the Caribbean Sloth Sanctuary, Selvatura Park exhibits the sloth bear; one of Costa Rica's most iconic animals in a carefully designed exhibit that replicates their natural habitat and houses 20 sleepy, slow-moving, tree-dwelling individuals. In this sanctuary, time takes on a new meaning and invites you to quietly contemplate these extraordinary mammals.
These beautiful mammals arrived at our sanctuary having been rescued from the effects of poaching, habitat destruction, disease, and accidents, among other reasons that now prevent them from being reintroduced to their natural habitat.
Enjoy a delicious lunch and later continue with a visit to the Treetop Walkways. The Treetop Walkway is a peaceful 1.9-mile trail through the cloud forest combining forest trails interconnected with 8 bridges ranging from 170ft up to an amazing 560ft in length. These stunning bridges are not only a leisure experience, but they also create immense enjoyment and excitement for adventurers of all ages and physical conditions, who can wander through and over the cloud forest at their own pace.
During your walk, explore the forest canopy, wildlife and nature, reach out and touch the sky and feel an incredible sense of freedom. The suspension bridges offer the best angle to observe the beauty of the cloud forest in all its levels and heighten possibilities to spot endemic and iconic species that call the forest home. (B/L)
Day 8
Monteverde- Manuel Antonio
Transfer from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio. Manuel Antonio is one of the best places to see in Costa Rica. It is the most visited destination in the Central Pacific Region of Costa Rica, offering a variety of hotels carefully built into hillsides in the rainforest just between Quepos town and the popular Manuel Antonio National Park. (B)
Day 9
Manuel Antonio
Today, your Extraordinary Experience has you departing for the Ocean Kayak & Snorkeling Tour. The adventure begins near the developing Pez Vela (Sail Fish) Marina in Quepos and winds along the Manuel Antonio coastline. Indulge yourself at a rare jewel of a beach – a hidden Manuel Antonio treasure at Biezans Bay – for a refreshing swim and delicious local snacks. Allow your bilingual naturalist guide to direct you to the best snorkeling spots as you experience three small, but actively astounding coral reef systems nestled very close to the shore of Biezans Bay.
After an unforgettable experience at Biezans, continue paddling – if you choose to do so – towards Manuel Antonio National Park and admire the nearby nesting islands where exotic Bobbies and frigates call home year-round. Ask your naturalist guide to steer you towards their favourite species' nesting spots and most popular locations for local aquatic marine life. Finally end your adventure with a delicious lunch in typical Costa Rican flavour near the beach at a local Manuel Antonio hot spot before returning to your hotel. (B/L)
Day 10
Manuel Antonio – San Jose
Return to San Jose for an overnight before your early morning flight the next day. (B)
Day 11
San Jose- Toronto or Winnipeg
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Toronto or Winnipeg. (B)
B - Breakfast | L - Lunch | D - Dinner | S - Snack | T - Tasting