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May 05, 2012 Day 01 USA /San Jose

Welcome to Costa Rica! Upon arrival at the San Jose International Airport ( all flights must arrive before 12:30PM ) where, after immigrations and customs, you’ll need to proceed to the airport exit to locate the Barcelo Palacio hotel shuttle bus.

This short 15 minute shuttle will bring you to the hotel where your will be met for inspection and lunch, 2:00PM transfer to Monteverde Cloud Forest Area to the El Establo Hotel where you will check in and overnight.

This transfer takes you from San Jose to Monteverde and it lasts for about 3 ½ hours.

May 06, 2012 Day 02 Monteverde / Selvatura Park

After breakfast, at 7:00 am we visit the Selvatura Park.

Selvatura’s Walkways is the best way to enjoy peacefully and safely of the virgin cloud forest canopy. Through our bridge system and over 1.6 miles of easy walking trails our visitors can enjoy the marvels of the cloud forest and get the chance to see some of the world’s most amazing and beautiful flora and fauna.

Which make up a total of 2400 feet of total bridge length crossing through altitudes of up to 240 feet.In the hummingbird garden, the guests can observe 14 different species, including some that aren't commonly found elsewhere in Monteverde. Relaxing waterfalls and beautiful flowers offer a perfect setting for nature-photography aficionados. It's a perfect place for a little picnic.

Selvatura Park has one of the largest butterfly gardens in the Americas - 29,000 square feet (2,700 square meters), with a gigantic dome covered in special photothermic plastic sheeting, which helps regulate the garden's temperature, enabling us to shelter more than 50 Costa Rican butterfly species from a variety of elevations and climates

They specialized guides can answer just about every question on about butterflies. They'll teach guests about the butterfly and moth life cycles and other amazing facts. Guests will come into direct contact with beautiful butterflies, such as the famed iridescent-blue Morpho peleides.

Selvatura Park’s butterfly garden is a wondrous experience, recommended for all ages and all physical conditions. We recommend combining this tour with the Bio-Art "Jewels of the Rain Forest" exhibit. This contains most butterfly species found in Costa Rica and many others from around the world, as well as insects from all over the planet. The insect exhibit is found in Selvatura Park’s educational center. Enjoy your afternoon at leisure!

May 07, 2012 Day 03 Monteverde / RIU Guanacaste

Enjoy the breakfast before your check out from the hotel for departure to Costa Rica's north pacific coast. Sit back and relax on the 4 hour drive to the beautiful beach of Matapalo where RIU Guanacaste offers the best all inclusive of Costa Rica. Check in and overnight at RIU Guanacaste Hotel.

Home to the most beautiful sunsets in the world, Guanacaste is a haven for those seeking sun, fun, relaxation and adventure. Here, take advantage of great surf breaks, world class deep-sea-fishing, sea kayaking, and a wide variety of hotels to suit every need and budget.

The interior of Guanacaste is Costa Rican cowboy country, a rich agricultural zone with vast cattle ranches and fruit orchards surrounded by the dense dry forest typical of this northern zone. From November thru May (Costa Rica's summer), this region is dry, the trees lose their leaves and the landscape becomes almost dessert like.

The weather throughout the province of Guanacaste is characterized by being hot with well-defined wet and dry seasons. The one exception is the highland portion of the province which consists of the upper Pacific-facing slopes of the volcanoes in the Guanacaste Cordillera and the northern half of the Tilarán Cordillera. Guanacaste is an ideal spot if you are after a good beach vacation in Costa Rica. With many world-class hotels for every budget, you will find the best value for your buck, here in Guanacaste's beautiful beaches.

May 08, 2012 Day 04 RIU Guanacaste

Today enjoy your breakfast and your morning at leisure! Today we will have the site inspection.

The All-Inclusive RIU Guanacaste nestled in the green forests of Costa Rica's magnificent North-Pacific Riviera, Playa Matapalo is in the region of Guanacaste, in the north-west of Costa Rica. It is a place where one can enjoy the possibilities offered by the privileged surroundings - relaxation and water sports on the beautiful beaches; diving or fishing in the waters of the Pacific; and eco-tourism in the volcanic areas and natural parks.

All this with a sophisticated, select range of tourism services that are fully integrated into a fragile medium, which is of great ecological value.

Guanacaste is less tropical, humid and exuberant than the rest of the country. Its plains and dry forests sometimes remind one of the African savannah landscape. The interior is the land of 'sabaneros', the local cowboys. Driving their herds on horseback, they have become authentic figures of popular culture.

May 09, 2012 Day 05 (Sat) Guanacaste / RIU Guanacaste

Full day at leisure .

May 10, 2012 Day 06 Guanacaste / Arenal

Early this morning at 8:00 AM, we depart to La Fortuna, time approximately 4 ½ hour’s drive towards Chachagua Rainforest lodge, lunch at a popular La Fortuna Hotel , take a glimpse of the Majestic Arenal Volcano before we head to our hotel for check-in .

Chachagua Rain Forest Hotel & Hacienda is unlike any other Costa Rican resort. The hotel is also a working farm, providing fresh and natural ingredients for our culinary offerings. The bordering natural tropical rain forest area is the perfect backdrop for your vacation. Located in one of the most biologically diverse areas in Costa Rica, near the scenic Arenal volcano and in the rain forests at the foot of Monteverde National Park and adjacent to the International Children’s Rain Forest, the Chachagua Rain Forest Hotel & Hacienda is a great destination for ecotourists, birdwatchers, naturalists, and adventure seekers alike and it is not uncommon for visitors to see a wide variety of exotic plants and animals ranging from blue morpho butterflies to oselots and even jaguars.

The hotel’s location distinguishes it from other rain forest resort hotels and allows visitors to choose from nature hikes on the trails of the rainforest; horseback riding through the scenic surroundings of the San Carlos region; white water rafting on the Peñas Blancas River; fishing and water sports at Lake Arenal; and much more.

May 11, 2012 Day 07 Arenal / Chachagua / San Jose

Today after breakfast at 8:00 AM we will have the sustainability presentation and hike At Chachagua before checkout . We will be departing at 11:00AM, making short stop mid-way for lunch ( on your own ). As we approach the capital city , our bus will drive by the most attractive sites for a condensed sightseeing experience as we visit San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica, and the largest city in the country.

Our tour will take you past historical monuments, museums and parks. After which we check in the Barcelo San Jose Palacio

Barceló San Jose Palacio, is a five-star hotel located in vibrant San José, Costa Rica , is a traveler’s dream.

Located in a quiet area of the nation’s capital, the Barceló San Jose Palacio combines all the amenities of an elite metropolitan hotel with a multitude of onsite leisure activities.

May 12, 2012 Day 08 San Jose / USA

Today, enjoy your wonderful breakfast! Shuttle transfer to the airport , time for your flight .

HotFamTrips.com by Sunny Land Tours, Inc.  Copyright 2001- 2012.   All rights reserved.