Costa Rica - 9 Day Family Adventure

Day 1: Arrival San Jose

A BikeHike Adventures representative will pick you up at the international airport and transfer you to a comfortable hotel in San José.

Day 2: Arenal Volcano (Hiking and Hot Springs)

We'll pick you up early this morning to transfer to La Fortuna, the closest town to Arenal volcano. The drive is about four hours. Upon arrival you'll check into the hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon you'll meet with a naturalist guide who will lead you on a hike through a dense expanse of rainforest to the base of the Arenal Volcano. Here you'll wait for the sunset at the observation point. As the sun descends, and if it's clear, you'll be able to see red hot molten spewing down the cone. Afterwards you'll be transferred to The Tabacon spa to relax in the natural hotsprings followed by a scrumptious buffet dinner. (B,D)

Day 3: Arenal Volcano and River (Whitewater Rafting)

This morning begins with some liquid refreshment, rafting class 2-3 rapids on the Balsa River. This is a great location to encounter wildlife. You have a choice today, to raft or paddle your own inflatable kayak on exciting, bubbling swells. This river is great for beginners and seasoned rafters! After the rafting, you'll return to Arenal where you have the remainder of the evening free. (B,L)

Day 4: La Fortuna to Monteverde (Biking)

After breakfast, a bilingual guide will meet you to take you mountain biking to El Castillo. This ride is a journey along an old road connecting Arenal Dam with the main entrance to Arenal Volcano National Park. From there you'll pedal towards the village of El Castillo, biking on a quiet lane surrounded by dense forest and cattle farms. It's common to see howler monkeys swinging through the trees, sloth's sleeping in the canopy and an abundance of bird life, including keel-billed toucans, egrets and king fishers. You’ll stop for a snack and a quick refreshing swim on the shore of Lake Arenal. If the sky is clear, the volcano will be visible for most of the ride, and frequent rumblings often occur. In the afternoon, you'll transfer from La Fortuna to the Monteverde cloud forest. You'll travel by vehicle and boat, crossing Lake Arenal to Rio Chiquito first, and then driving to Monteverde. Just before sunset you'll set out for an interesting hike in a tangled tropical jungle that ends in the dark. This is the ideal opportunity to observe both the diurnal and nocturnal wildlife.(B)

Day 5: Monteverde (Canopy Touring)

Today we inject a high octane thrill ride with one of Costa Rica's most thrilling canopy tours. You'll experience different sensations while zipping between platforms through the jungle canopy. There are 16 cables, a thrilling Tarzan Swing and a rappel to the forest floor. We guarantee to get those endorphins pumping today. This canopy is owned by a Costa Rican family and was built in a private reserve located 3 km/2 miles from the town of Santa Elena. On a combination of jungle trails and elevated platforms built up in the trees, you'll observe the forest from the ground and the canopy. The tour guides are professionally trained to provide a safe and adventurous trip through the treetops. Free afternoon. Optional activities: horseback riding, butterfly farm, serpentarium, etc. (B)

Day 6: Monteverde to Manuel Antonio National Park

This morning after breakfast you will be transferred to Quepos and the beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park. The drive is about 4 hours and very scenic. There will be plenty of time for pictures along the way. The first glimpse of Manuel Antonio and the Pacific Ocean is from high on a cliff where the sea meets the jagged coastline. Upon arrival check into a comfortable hotel and the remainder of the day is at leisure to swim in the surf, hike in the park and just relax on the whitesand beaches. (B)

Day 7: Manuel Antonio National Park (Free day)

Manuel Antonio is very established and offers a great variety of restaurants, bars and activities. There are lots of optional activities to partake in today, including a horseback ride, guided hike in the park, snorkel or deep sea fishing excursion, sea kayak trip to Isla Damas Mangrove (by day or night), scooter rental, sunset sail, etc. And of course, there's always the option to merely relax on the pristine beaches. (B)

Day 8: Return to San Jose

The morning is at leisure on the beach. At noon you will be transferred to the local airport to catch a 25 minute flight back to San José. Upon your arrival a BikeHike Adventures representative will greet you and and transfer you back to your hotel. The remainder of the evening is at leisure to do any last minute shopping and sightseeing in Costa Rica's capital city. (B)

Day 9: Departure

After breakfast a BikeHike Adventures representative will drive you to the International airport to connect with your return flight home. (B)