Costa Rica adventure travel to challenge your body while discovering a new world.
It’s a very full week – horseback riding and climbing trees in the jungle and wild rafting (the magnificent Pacuare), great food and nature and, of course, rain forests and hiking and rappelling into a jungle canyon and hot springs and a zip line canopy tour on ropes and cables.
And don’t think this is strictly a hard core trip — we’ll guarantee you can do it all whatever your prior experience, if you have an open mind and good sense of humor. This high adventure Costa Rica vacation trip is quick-paced and mentally challenging. You will pass through four areas of Costa Rica — the coffee country west of San José, the Arenal volcano, the lush central northern Sarapiquí region, and the white water center near Turrialba. And we’ll start and end in San José if you’d like to add some Latin Dancing.
Itinerary
Day 1: ARRIVE AND HEAD FOR WATERFALL EXCITEMENT
A hotel representative will meet your flight (San José airport, airport code SJO) and head directly to a hotel away from the city. If you arrive early and prefer lodging in the city center, feel free to let us know and we’ll make the arrangements*.
(*airport transfer not included if you are staying in San Jose city)
Day 2: COSTA RICA TREE CLIMBING – THEN ARENAL VOLCANO AFTER DARK
Eat a hearty breakfast, and your Serendipity guide picks you up to cross the mountains. The destination is a primary forest. A forest so ancient that it contains trees aged over 600.
Within the forest is the awesome strangler fig. We’ll explain what that is when you’re gazing right at the intriguing creature. And climb it (for those who have no fear of heights, or bats). Inside it. Wow!
This afternoon, we’ll move closer to the cone-shaped Arenal volcano, for an up-close experience. We’ll walk the National Park’s trails, discovering the geological formations close up, looking for animals that live in these forests such as coatis, anteaters, and toucans.
Day 3: HORSEBACK THROUGH COUNTRY VILLAGES AND OPEN HIGH PASTURES – THEN THE HOT SPRINGS
Serendipity horses are well cared for. Even if you have never ridden, allow Serendipity to coax you into really learning horse riding. Or if you are very experienced, we have horses that will challenge you to dance and race and play. With Serendipity you’ll be running in wild places, crossing rivers, then tie up your horse at the hitching post while we eat lunch.
After the horses, the hot springs beckon. Away from the crowds and buses, our favorite hot springs is in real jungle.
Day 4: THE CANOPY TOURS – ZIP LINES IN THE RAIN FOREST
In the morning we start our move to the white water area. As we climb over a mountain range and view the diverse changes in climate.
We’re stopping en route to take on this popular Costa Rican “sport” — an ascent into the higher branches of the forest with harnesses and zip lines. The cables connect massive trees, and you dangle from the cables, one after another, and zip across from platform to platform.
We sleep at 4,000 feet elevation, high on the side of smoking Turrialba volcano, at a charming countryside B&B surrounded by proud and prosperous farming communities.
Day 5: COSTA RICA WHITE WATER RAFTING ON THE PACUARE RIVER
It’s time for a real teamwork expedition – the Class IV Pacuare River.
Today you will learn the essential skills of great rafting, then venture down into the canyons, with constant rapids and almost nonstop action.
Our guide-to-paddler ratio is unprecedented in Costa Rica, and most other places in the world. These security measures may appear excessive, but we prefer not to test this…
Day 6: CANYONING! ROPES, HARNESSES, WATERFALLS, WOW!
Canyoning is all the stuff from the movies — going down waterfalls attached to ropes, trusting your Serendipity guides, your traveling companions, your harness, and your own adventurous spirit. We’ll move from small to bigger to the biggest. And you’ll appreciate the hot chocolate or hot soup to rejuvenate your shaking hands —After today’s adventure, we’re headed back to San José. You’ll say goodbye to your Serendipity leader, by now your good friend.
Day 7: IN SAN JOSÉ IN PREPARATION FOR YOUR RETURN
Today, sadly, you depart, but you will definitely take with you some great memories and new experiences as well, and probably a few Serendipity bumps and bruises.
Pricing
Making Your Reservation
The cost for a PRIVATE trip (where you will have exclusive use of Serendipity’s guide, vehicle, and activities) is
Two people: U.S. $3,430 per person (double occupancy); single supplement $300 per person
Four people: $2,790 per person (double occupancy); single supplement $300 per person
Six or more people: $2,350 per person (double occupancy); single supplement $300 per person
Detailed TERMS, DIRE WARNING! – please READ this before making a reservation.
The price includes all hotels (3 star). Breakfast and lunch included each day. Included are all adventures as listed (and some others you’ll just happen upon as you move along from place to place), transportation in robust, 4×4 full size vehicles. NOT INCLUDED are your airline tickets, meals not listed, alcoholic beverages, your exit visa for Costa Rica, and the tips and gratuities.
EVENING MEALS: We do not include evening meals. Why? There is a wide variety of choices, from cowboy cantinas to the (pretty repetitive) meals available at hotels. Our guides will decide WITH YOU what restaurant or meal selection you’d like, and we will go there together. By pricing evening meals independently, we are offering you a much larger choice: local restaurants or Americanized hotel food, or perhaps a very elegant Italian dinner in one of Costa Rica’s best restaurants at the beach, or fresh seafood at a place all the locals enjoy.
By the way, many people add a beach stay on the Pacific or Caribbean coast, or for a nature retreat in Corcovado or Tortuguero. We can arrange extensions for you as well.
The first step to enjoying a Serendipity adventure is to contact us.