Treasures of Costa Rica

Discovery, adventure and awe-inspiring scenery await on this one-day journey through three of Costa Rica’s most interesting areas: the vast Central Valley, the meandering Sarapiqui River region, and the densely forested Braulio Carillo National Park. Additionally, you will visit the inspiring La Paz Waterfall Gardens. It makes for a busy day. The unforgettable diversity of life and unequaled scenic beauty will constantly lift your spirit as you get to know Costa Rica’s true splendor.

The excitement begins when we pick you up at your San José hotel. You’ll ride with our knowledgeable, bilingual guides in one of our comfortable minibuses. Your guide will describe the traditional customs, peculiarities and unique cultural traits manifested by the people inhabiting the many small villages that punctuate the rolling hills of the province of Alajuela. You’ll see vast coffee plantations, which employ the same techniques that brought Costa Rica its first famous cups of rich coffee hundreds of years ago. We’ll stop for a tasty breakfast at the La Paz Waterfall Garden, and you can savor a cup of robust Costa Rican Arabica coffee and enjoy your meal while you soak in the varying shades of green that the tropical rainforest has to offer.

Once you’ve eaten, you can wander around the gardens and see living examples of the butterfly’s life cycle in the world’s largest Butterfly Garden. You’ll learn first-hand about the butterfly’s constant struggle to survive, from a tiny caterpillar to a strikingly colored adult. The Garden hosts many different species in their natural habitats, including perhaps its best-known resident, the Blue Morph, famous for its bright blue wings. From there you’ll head to the Hummingbird Gallery. The colorful birds’ tiny wings produce a subtle hum that underscores your stroll around the Gallery. Enjoy the soothing, nature-filled ambience as you watch these petite creatures buzz about; the smallest birds on earth make you stop and gaze serenely while they dart around the gardens. Then we’ll start a short, 20-minute walk through dense rainforest. Your effort will be rewarded with the rhythmic crash of four magnificent waterfalls. Each appears to plummet from the heavens, hurtling into sparkling clear pools. Cool mist refreshes your senses as the falls’ beauty calms your thoughts and soothes your soul.

Emerging from within the rainforest, we’ll take you to the shore of the Sarapiquí River where two hours of class-III white-water rafting lie ahead. Each raft will be captained by an experienced bilingual guide, who will brief you on all necessary safety measures. Next, after getting comfortable in your gear and with your paddles, the team will begin moving down the river in practiced strokes. Your senses will be in overdrive as you examine the rapids and respond to your raft’s leader’s instructions.

Teamwork is key. Your raft will come together as a group as you overpower the swelling rapids that constantly spill over the sides of your small raft. Trees close to the river’s edge dangle their giant limbs overhead as the water quickly sweeps you under them. Between rapids, you’ll have plenty of time to look for the dozens of mammals and birds that inhabit the area, including the noisy and colorful toucan, Costa Rica’s most popular bird.

A delicious picnic lunch will be served on the riverbank, and at the end of the run you’ll have a chance to shower and change into dry clothes in our private facilities before we head back to San José.