Costa Rica Border Hopping

Day 1: San José

Arrive in San José at any time. There are no planned activities so check into our hotel and enjoy the city.

Located in the central highlands, San José enjoys a moderate climate. The heat and humidity of the coast and lowland areas may affect you, with a general sense of lethargy and/or loss of appetite. This is no cause for alarm, it is simply your body's reaction to the heat. Be sure to drink plenty of water (bottled water is available everywhere) and do not attempt too much in any given day. We prefer fan-cooled rather than air conditioned rooms to avoid having to acclimatize to the heat and humidity every time you go outside. This is also a more eco-friendly approach.

Like most cities, San José has its good and bad sides. It is the centre of government, theatre, and art, as well as of air pollution and congestion. It has beautiful parks and museums, and a few beggars on the streets. It is big and often noisy, but even from its crowded downtown streets, you'll often enjoy a view of the surrounding lush mountains.

Start your exploration of the city in the main plaza, a great place to people-watch. A mime, juggler, marimba band, magician, or storyteller may be performing for whatever is collected when the hat is passed. Artisan booths are common, creating a regular arts and crafts fair atmosphere.

A source of pride for the ticos (as Costa Ricans are known) is the National Theatre. Inaugurated in 1897, the building was paid for by coffee growers through a voluntary tax on every bag of coffee exported. The National Museum, housed in the Bellavista Fortress, offers exhibits on pre-Columbian art, colonial art and furniture and religious art within a 19th century building that was converted from a military fortress after the army was abolished.

The Museum of Costa Rican Art, located in La Sabana Park, was once the international airport; the museum is now housed in the old terminal building. The Jade Museum is on the 11th floor of the Instituto Nacional de Seguros building. In addition to the marvellous collection of jade objects, there are pre-Columbian ceramic and stone works as well as displays with archaeological and ethnographic information. The Gold Museum is located underneath the Plaza de la Cultura. Its spectacular collection of indigenous gold art belongs to the Central Bank of Costa Rica.

The best and least expensive places to buy souvenirs in San José are the markets. The two main ones are the ones in Plaza de la Cultura, which is an outdoor open market, and the Central Market, where handicrafts are sold along with boots, fish, flour, herbal remedies, shirts and everything else you can imagine. Always watch your belongings and be ready for crowds. If you plan on spending a few days in San José after your tour, there are a number of activities within the city and area that you can participate in, many of them outdoors.

Probably the hardest thing you will do in San José, other than get safely across busy streets, is keep the street numbering systems straight. Street and avenue numbers are posted on buildings at the corners of some intersections. Keep looking as you walk, and you will eventually find one.

NOTE: Like any city where tourism is on the increase, crime also tends to increase and while San José is not a noticeably dangerous city, there are certain precautions you should take. Make sure that you are aware of your things at all times and don't go out carrying expensive gear or jewellery.

Days 2-3: Sarapiquí

Head out in the morning for Sarapiqui, which is surrounded by lush green forests and banana plantations. Options to visit La Selva Biological Station, go bird watching or try whitewater rafting.

Surrounded by the greenery of a tropical rainforest, Sarapiquí is ideal for relaxation. Located where the Sarapiquí and Puerto Viejo Rivers meet, it was once the most important port in Costa Rica in the coffee and banana trade. It is a great place to relax and enjoy the country's natural beauty.

Day 4: El Castillo (B)

Travel by boat partially along the San Juan River to El Castillo, a historic fortress to guard against pirates.

The town of El Castillo is quite small with less than 1000 inhabitants, but it dates back to the late 17th century when the Spanish created the nearby fortress to guard against pirates heading upstream towards Lake Cocibolca and the city of Granada. The fort suffered numerous attacks by pirates and British troops over the years. Today, there is a museum and a library inside the fortress.

Days 5-6: Solentiname (2B,L,2D)

Travel by boat up the San Juan River, passing by San Carlos en route before arriving to serene Solentiname. This is a chain of 36 islands in Lake Nicaragua that form a paradise for birdwatchers, nature lovers, history buffs and artists. Life here is at a slower pace. The locals mostly make their living from art, cattle, fishing and agriculture. Back in 1966, artist Ernesto Cardenal arrived to the islands and founded a “Primitivist” art school and trained many artists in this colorful style. You can visit a workshop to view artists in action and buy some of the beautiful paintings of nature and your surroundings in Solentiname.

You can opt to go bird watching – Isla Zapote alone boasts 22 species of birds! – or take a daytrip to the Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos national park to view what Nicaraguan biologists call the cradle of life for Lake Nicaragua. Possible sightings include monkeys, lizards, sloths and toucans, among many others. Other activities include fishing excursions, a trip to the Elf's Cave, which is home to rare albino bats and pre-Columbian petroglyphs, or hiking.

Days 7-8: La Fortuna/Arenal

Travel by boat to San Carlos, get your passport stamped and continue down the Río Frio to Los Chiles, Costa Rica. We'll then travel to La Fortuna, a town situated near the foot of Arenal Volcano. This is an excellent base for adventure. Optional activities include full-day Class III & IV whitewater rafting on the Toro or Arenal Rivers, mountain biking, caving, horseback riding, a tour of the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, or a relaxing soak in the hot springs.

Set on the northern plains of Costa Rica, Arenal Volcano sits on the southeast shore of artificial Lake Arenal (77 square kilometres, or 48 square miles). Separating the mountain ranges of Guanacaste and Tilarán, the lake was created by a hydroelectric dam. Winds sweeping off the Caribbean Sea reach speeds of 48 to 72 km/hr (30 to 45 mph), across Lake Arenal you can find one of the best locations in the world to go windsurfing. The volcano, once quite active, has been in a dormant state since the beginning of 2011 but still is a dramatic backdrop to the town of La Fortuna.

There are several attractions in the area aside from the lake and volcano. It is a birders' paradise, with over 600 species as permanent residents, and is inhabited by numerous species of frogs. You can also enjoy hiking the area's nature trails, or if you're more daring, you can try out canyoning on some nearby waterfalls. To soothe your muscles after all of the activities that you can do we include a visit to the Baldi Hot Springs. Soak in one of the natural thermal baths and hope for the clouds to part long enough for a glimpse of Arenal´s glowing lava.

Estimated Travel Time: 7 hours
Approximate Distance: 230 km

Day 9: San José

Return to San José for our final night on the town. If you have time, check out the sites you may have missed at the start of the trip or do some last minute souvenir shopping.

Estimated Travel Time: 5 hours
Approximate Distance: 150 km

Day 10: San José

Depart San José at any time.