Eco-Luxury Adventure

Arrive and Travel to Hacienda Tayutic (Hacienda Tayutic)

Today you will be met by your naturalist guide who will be waiting outside of the San Jose Airport. Your first day will be a travel day as you pass through the capital city of San Jose. You will learn the history of the city from your guide. Your final destination, located around two hours South of San Jose, is the Hacienda Tayutic. This is a one-of-a-kind type of place and one of the most luxurious settings in all of Costa Rica. It is a small six bedroom hotel that treats it's guests like royalty. You will have breath-taking views of the valley below and also of the smoking Turrialba.

Volcano which sits on the other side of the valley. The weather is somewhat cool as you will be at a higher elevation for the first two nights. A light jacket might be required in the evenings and early mornings. This village is called Sitio de Mata and it is known as the Eternal Spring of Costa Rica. (Meals: None)

Let the adventure begin. If you are not familiar with duckies they are basically a canoe but built with the same material as a raft. This allows us to take you to a small river of class II & III rapids and have your own boat. The rafting on this river is for all ages and if the child is younger than 12 we just require that they go with one of our guides in a two person duckie. The river we'll be on is called Pejibaye and is nicknamed the "Baby Pacuare" which is the larger river you will be on during day 3 & 4. With a visit to the "Baby Pacuare" you will be all set for the adventure to come.

Some argue that the duckies are more enjoyable than the rafts at times because folks get to feel what it is like to control your way through some whitewater. It is quite the adrenaline rush even though they are just class II rapids. For lunch we will head back to a nearby village and taste the local cuisine in a family's home. We'll have a popular Costa Rican, The Casado. This is part of our commitment to ecotourism visiting the local places and at times involving local families when possible such as making a meal and allowing them to earn some income and show off their splendid cooking. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Considering National Geographic has rated this river as one of their top 5 favorite on the planet, I have to do much convincing that this adventure is well worth the price of admission. Because it is an amazing adventure, we feel staying the night on the river really adds to the experience. We will be starting our rafting trip in the morning and rafting some of the smaller rapids of the river the first day. This will take us through the virgin rainforest where you start to see the river close in with enormous walls of green that will guide us to our destination of the Pacuare Lodge.

This is one of the finest lodges in all of the planet. It is located on the banks of the Pacuare river and it is where luxury meets the rainforest no doubt. We believe the best part about staying here is hearing the river run all night. A close second to that is relaxing in the beautifully appointed bungalows. You will again be treated with the highest level of hospitality as you enjoy your evening under the stars on your balcony looking out over the famous Pacuare River. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

After breakfast you will experience two hours of your Costa Rica Adventure that I know you will never forget. Once we get all geared up and back on the river you will raft the Pacuare Canyon. This is where some of the river's top rapids are found. Their names are Upper and Lower Huacas (Indian Cemetery), Cimarrones, and Two-Story Rapid. This is a great day on the river as we not only pass the larger rapids but we see the waterfalls that fall into the river and we visit one of the most scenic canyons in Costa Rica. After we take out of the river we will drive to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. If you are in the mood for seeing some wildlife, then this is the place.

The Caribbean side is filled with some of the most biodiverse waters and low lying rainforests in Costa Rica. You will be staying at the Almonds & Corals which was voted Costa Rica's top ecolodge in 2010 and has been awarded the highest level of living sustainably with the certification of 5-Leaves. You will enjoy dinner at the hotel just steps away from the beach. (Meals: Breakfast & Dinner)

Today we will make our way inland to visit the mountains of the Talamanca in southern Costa Rica. The area, home to the Bribri Indians, is rolling hills, mountains, and rivers, and some of the most beautiful landscapes in the tropics. On our way to visit the tribe we will stop along the way, get out the ropes and descend a 100ft waterfall. This is a beautiful waterfall found in the middle of the rainforest and makes for an excellent waterfall rappel.

After we do the rappel we'll continue on our way to the Bribri Reservation where we will cross a river by boat and then continue on to the Culture Center where we will meet with members of the Bribri Tribe who will be waiting to present us with their traditional language, food, & dance. This is an excellent experience for this tribe that is rich in tradition but fighting to keep it's traditions inline with ancient beliefs. Through ecotourism we feel we can support their effort in developing programs for the young of the tribe to keep an interest in their traditions. (Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

With over 500 endemic species of fish and 35 different species of corals on the Caribbean side it makes for the perfect spot to go snorkeling. We will spend the morning visiting different areas that are known to have the best sites of coral and fish. The rest of the day is for you to relax and enjoy the beach.

You can relax at the beach club the hotel offers with a number of hammocks lined up waiting for you to finish your next book or just sit and think. In the evening there are a few places where we can take you out to dinner and enjoy some different cuisine or you are welcome to stay and dine in the hotel. (Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

Today is a travel day back to San Jose. We will have the morning to spend at the beach and can do some local souvenir shopping. The drive back to the San Jose area will be around 3 1/2 hours. In San Jose you will be staying in one of the nicest city hotels in the city. It is a small hotel but designed perfectly with attention to detail on everything.

The hotel is also known to have one of the best restaurants in all of the capital city. This will put us in location to do your airport transfer. The hotel is only 15 minutes from the airport. (Meals: Breakfast)

Today you are welcome to extend your tour or if you have a flight home we can transfer you to the airport. (Meals: Breakfast)

Tour Ends but you can extend the tour if you want, just let us know!