Costa Rica
Arenal and Manuel Antonio National Park
Day 1: After your arrival at the airport in San José, pick up your rental car and drive directly to the Arenal area, where you will spend your first three nights in this friendly and enchanting country. Make sure to have a good GPS unit available, as many roads in Costa Rica—while safe—are not well marked, including some major roads. For dinner or any of your meals while in Costa Rica, ask your hotelier about local restaurants often called “sodas,” where you will find good, inexpensive meals. If there is a clear night while you are staying in the Arenal area, make sure to find an unobstructed view where, with the aid of binoculars, you can see the red hot action at the top of the volcano. Day 2: On your first full day in beautiful Costa Rica, take the short hike down to gorgeous La Fortuna Waterfall. If you want to cool off in the water, make sure to wear something you don’t mind getting wet. After lunch, visit one of the thermal water parks in the area and have a relaxing soak in the hot water courtesy of nearby Arenal volcano. Day 3: Today, drive to Arenal National Park, where you can hike within earshot of the rumbling volcano and see some of the devastation from the 1968 eruption. After your hike, take one of the amazing zip line canopy tours offered by local vendors near the volcano. Once you have had some lunch, drive to the Arenal Hanging Bridges, where you can wander through the rainforest on suspended bridges trying to spot as many birds and monkeys as you can find. Day 4: After breakfast, begin your drive to Quepos, where you will stay the next two nights. Along the way, make a quick stop at Carara National Park to observe birds, monkeys, sloths and other creatures within the confines of the park. Make sure to also stop your car near the bridge to watch the crocodiles laze in the river below. Day 5: In the morning, pack a lunch, water and swimming gear for an all-day adventure in one of the most visited places in the country, Manuel Antonio National Park. Because of the notoriety of the park, makes sure to get there early, especially in high season as the number of visitors allowed in the park is controlled. Once inside the park, you can hike the trails, relax at the beach and enjoy watching the abundant wildlife in this extraordinary place where the rainforest meets the ocean. Day 6: On your last day, drive back to San José for your flight back home, but make sure to leave enough time to stop along the way for anything that looks interesting as you say adiós to this unique land. |