Costa Rica: Pura Vida, Purest Value

You'll be greeted on arrival at San Jose's international airport and transferred to a very lovely hotel in San Jose.

Lodging: Hotel Bougainvillea or similar

Travel by road and water  to Tortuguero National Park for two incredible days of exploration. The park borders the Caribbean and contains a network of canals and waterways that take you inland through the jungle. With help from a naturalist guide from the lodge, search the trails and waterways for manatees, caimans, monkeys, sloths, river otters, poison dart frogs, and 300 species of birds, including the roseate spoonbill, American fin foot, great green macaws, trogons, oropendulas, and frigate birds. Turtle nesting season begins in the summer for the large green turtles. You might want to make an excursion with a naturalist at night to look for mother turtles digging their nests and laying their eggs in the sand (extra cost $20-$30 per person). Spend two nights at a local lodge.

Meals: 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners

Lodging: Mawamba Lodge or similar

Travel east with a driver to the Sarapiqui region in the Caribbean lowlands and check in for a two-night stay at an especially welcoming lodge. In the afternoon you can relax at the lodge or have the option of  visiting Tirimbina Rainforest Center (at own costs; can be pre arranged for transfers) for a Chocolate Tour and see firsthand how everyone's favorite treat transforms from cacao fruit to chocolate bar. (Activities are additional costs.)

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Lodging: La Quinta Country Inn or Similar

Today you can choose from many different activities at a large nearby ranch called Hacienda Pozo Azul. You can choose to go zip-lining, whitewater rafting on gentle rapids, and/or horseback riding.  A driver from Pozo Azul will transfer you from the lodge to the ranch for your activities. There’s a lot of flexibility for you to decide to spend all or part of your day at Hacienda Pozo Azul or at the lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Lodging: La Quinta Country Inn or similar

Meet your private Arenal guide this morning and transfer on a scenic drive through the mountains and agricultural lands to Arenal, Costa Rica's most active volcano. During your stay you will enjoy guided hikes in the vicinity of Arenal. The volcano erupted in 1968 and has since been continuously active. Spend a night at the Arenal Observatory Lodge, built in 1987 as a research station for the Smithsonian Institute and the National University of Costa Rica. On cloudless nights, lava flows create an awesome display.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Lodging: Arenal Observatory Lodge or similar

Today visit the Arenal Hanging Bridges with your guide. The Hanging Bridges are a complex of six hanging suspension bridges rising above the jungle canopy and almost two miles of brick and concrete trails through the lush rainforest. The bridges provide an excellent vantage point to observe the flora and fauna from the ground level to the top of the trees. Walk the trails where you will see many varieties of tropical butterflies and flowering ginger and hear howler monkeys.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Lodging: Arenal Observatory Lodge or similar

Transfer to the San Jose International Airport for your afternoon flight home. (Depending on flights an overnight in San Jose may be necessary.)