Day 1

On arrival into San Jose International Airport you will be met by our ground agents and have a private transfer to either the; Britannia Hotel, Alta Hotel or the Grano de Oro Hotel for 1 night BB.

• The Britannia Hotel is a Victorian mansion converted into a very comfortable hotel. It is situated in downtown San Jose and has 24 rooms, distributed within the original house and the modern annex. Its restaurant and bar is located in the old wine cellar which has a great atmosphere. This is an ideal hotel to stay in and explore the city. BB

• The Alta Hotel is a luxurious, unique hotel with architecture that combines the colonial style and current trends. It is just 15 minutes away from the airport and downtown San Jose. It is a very comfortable hotel and has a gym, swimming pool & superb views of the central valley.

• Grano de Oro Hotel is a true oasis in San Jose. It combines the character and charm of a mansion with the comfort and facilities of a classy hotel. It has 36 rooms, carefully decorated, and a secluded terrace garden with jacuzzi and tropical flowers. This European‐style hotel offers the advantage of being close to downtown, but in a peaceful, private area. It is also one of the exclusive “Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica” hotel.

Day 2

Day 3

Private transfer (3½ hours approx) to the La Ensenada National Wildlife Refuge area staying at La Ensenada Lodge for 2 nights.
• La Ensenada National Wildlife Refuge, with 1000 acres, is located on the pacific coast in the province of Puntarenas, on the Gulf of Nicoya. It is an ideal place for horseback riding; for naturalists, for bird watchers and nature lovers. The most important activities of this ranch are cattle and horses, the production of salt and fruit. It is also a paradise where you will find the perfect point of balance between place, excitement and adventure. You will become part of the typical life of Costa Rican ranch. The gulf of Nicoya, the mangroves and the salina offer those who love birds and photography many different species and variety of birds such as pelicans, herons, parrots, Montezuma oropendula, bellbird, white iris, great egret, etc.

Day 5

After breakfast you will be transferred, with the group returning to San Jose, by riverboat & bus to Guapiles, where you stop for lunch & meet up with your private transfer driver. After lunch you then proceed with the private transfer to either the Arenal Volcano area for 3 nights @ either the Arenal Springs Resort, Manoa Hotel, The Lost Iguana, Royal Corin or the Kioro Hotel all BB With the private transfers you will be driven between hotels by a driver who is fluent in English and will give you all sorts of information on Costa Rica and its people, stopping en route at places of interest. He will then leave you to your own devices whilst at the hotels.. Although we also try to give you the same driver for all your transfers we cannot guarantee this.
Arenal Volcano is the most fantastic sight in all of Costa Rica. It erupts at least once every hour, it is mesmerising at any time of day, but it is especially magical at night, when a river of red‐hot magma flows down its northern slopes. There are several hot springs resorts where you can enjoy the pools of thermomineral waters, heated naturally by the volcano, with temperatures ranging from 23^C to 40^C. The pools are reputed to cure any number of maladies. Most people spend at least half a day and evening @ a springs, relaxing in the pools whilst drinking a cocktail watching the lava flowing from the volcano, having massage treatments or dining in the resorts restaurant. In & around this area there are lots of activities; horse riding, mountain biking, Arenal Lake‐ which offers lots of activities, including fishing and water sports‐ canopy tours, suspension bridges & close by is the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge.

• Arenal Springs Resort is located between the Tabacon Hot Springs and the village of La Fortuna where you can see the north face of the active volcano from your private porch. All 26 new colonial style Deluxe Cabins offer an impressive & unobstructed view of Arenal Volcano. There is also a pool, restaurant & the property has it’s own stables.
• Arenal Manoa Hotel is a beautiful place to rest, relax and enjoy the marvellous view of Arenal Volcano. Surrounded by gardens, pastures and animals, the rooms have been designed so that each one offers guests a panoramic view of the volcano. Visitors can take advantage of our spacious gardens as well as the opportunities to see the daily operations of a typical Costa Rican farm. The property has 40 junior suites, a superb swimming pool, jacuzzi & wet bar.
• The Lost Iguana Resort @ Arenal offers 24 luxury rooms & a villa within a 100 acre rain forest property with direct volcano views. All rooms are spacious, beautifully designed with large private balconies. The property has it’s own trails, a double swimming pool with swim‐up bar & excellent restaurant. The Luxury Suite is the ideal romantic room with its own Jacuzzi on the deck with fantastic views of the jungle & volcano.
• The Royal Corin Resort & Spa is a new property opened in June 2008. It has been designed to enable each of its 54 rooms to have a view of the volcano. Each room is elegantly designed and furnished to the highest standards. With a choice of bars and restaurants and its own thermal pools, the Royal Corin Hotel is a beautiful place to stay whilst in Arenal. The top floor Lava Bar has a great view of the volcano & pools below plus the Loto Spa is wonderful.
• Arenal Kioro Hotel is located in the most perfect location to view & actually be able to hear the volcano. This is one of the newest hotels and offers excellent facilities with each room having direct views of the volcano & each room has it’s own private Jacuzzi bath, also with volcano views. The hotel has a wonderful restaurant, spa, it’s own nature trails & pool. They now also have their own hot springs on the property exclusively to hotel guests, as well as offering transfers to their other hot springs which is open to other guests.

Day 8

Private transfer to the Monteverde Cloud Forest & Santa Elena area for 3 nights @ the El Sapo Dorado Hotel Monteverde is a lush plateau that is 4,592 feet above the Guanacaste plains. The Cloud Forest Reserve is extraordinary – a lush mountain habitat formed by a combination of high humidity and low cloud cover from trade winds. The area receives between 3 and 5 metres of rain each year, water that provokes incredibly lush plant growth: ferns and moss, orchids and magnolia and huge zapote trees. Animal life is also abundant; more than 1200 species of reptiles and amphibians, 400 types of bird and 100 different mammals are found here. You can walk unguided on the Cloud Forest Trail, join a group guided tour or arrange for a private tour if you wish, all the hotels have a tour desk and can make reservations for you. Downtown Monteverde is a bustling little village.

• El Sapo Dorado Hotel is ideally located within minutes of the local attractions of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, the Santa Elena Rain Forest Reserve & the Sky Walk & canopy tour. It has 30 spacious mountain suites which are scattered on a hill. Each suite is built in wood with its own balcony. The dining room has a splendid view & offers international, vegetarian & typical Tico cuisine.

Day 11

Private transfer to the Pacific Coast in the Manual Antonio area staying for 4 nights at either the El Parador Hotel

Option A: Nosara & Lagarta Lodge BB.

Nosara Biological Reserve is a private nature‐reserve of about 125 acres, including mangroves and humid forest. It is situated along the Nosara River. Many different birds, such as seabirds, herons, waders, tukanes, motmots, manakins, etc, can be found in this area, altogether more than 170 species. You can also see some other animals, such as monkeys, coatis, raccoons, armadillos, snakes, anteaters, crabs, reptiles, etc. Local ornithologists offer tours into the Nosara‐Montana‐River‐Delta. The soundless electric powered boat brings you really close to nature.

• Lagarta Lodge is set on a promontory about 40 m above sea level and offers magnificent views of the coastline of Ostional, the mountains, the river mouth from Rio Nosara and also over the forest, which belongs to the Reserva Biologica Nosara. The hotel has 12 bedrooms, for up to 3 people, with private bathroom, hot water and ceiling fan. Each room has an exceptional view of the beach, river and our nature reserve. The beautiful beach is only 10 minutes walk away or you can just relax at the swimming pool. You can walk on trails through the mangroves and humid forest observing or taking photographs of nature and the animals. The hotel also provides some activities, such as tours to Ostional (turtle nesting site) and Guaitil (pottery manufacture) and horseback riding or mountain bike rental.

Option B: Playa Tambor & the Tango Mar Hotel BB

• The Tango Mar Hotel is situated in Tambor along the Nicoya Peninsula it is situated directly on a beach generally regarded as the most beautiful beach in Central America. The hotel is a 60 hectares exclusive private beachfront reserve; it offers a 9 hole golf course, 2 swimming pools, tennis courts, restaurant and lots of activities including scuba diving, snorkelling and horse riding. Curu Reserve is only 20 minutes away & a boat trip to Tortuga Island is really nice. During high season the new restaurant has typical dances on a Friday night.

Option C: Playa Esterillos & the Xandari by the Pacific Hotel BB

• Xandari By The Pacific hotel is the sister hotel to the San Jose Xandari Plantation & is an equally stunning property, which is located directly on the beach. Playa Esterillos Este is between Jaco & Manuel Antonio. All the accommodation is private villas which have been designed by the architect owner & decorated by his artist wife. All open out on to a perfect beach view, have a terrace & a walled in garden area.

Options D & E

Reputed to have some of the best beaches in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio has an ideal combination of beach and wildlife. The National park is one of the countries smallest, but is also one of its liveliest. The animals and wildlife are easily viewed here. There are lots of activities that you can enjoy in this area .. deep sea fishing, snorkelling, white water rafting, take a canopy tour, visit the national park and just relax on a beach or by your hotels pool.

• Option D: The El Parador Hotel is hidden in a small private world, surrounded

by beautiful gardens and plenty of space. Some rooms have a fabulous view of the Pacific Ocean and the jungle, which is very close. El Parador Hotel brings luxury to the jungle. It is built in a Spanish style with antique Spanish furniture. Facilities include a gym, infinity swimming pool, tennis courts, mini golf course and shuttle service to the National Park and beach. They have various room types within the hotel grounds. The hotel has a choice of rooms
◊ Garden rooms have garden views with terrace with direct access to the garden. Ideal for families as are close to the swimming pool & facilities
◊ Jungle rooms are large rooms with either 2 queen or 1 king‐size bed, with a balcony & garden view. These rooms are particularly recommended for families requesting interconnecting rooms.
◊ Deluxe Superior rooms. Are the lovely & spacious, generally have a glimpse of the ocean. They are close to pool & facilities.
◊ Premium rooms. Are located in a separate building, along with the Premium Plus rooms, and have a “cliff lift” up to them. Rooms are spacious and have a balcony with either a jungle or ocean view.
◊ Premium Plus rooms. These rooms are located on the top floor in the same building as the Premium rooms. However the premium Plus rooms are for adults only, have 1 large king size bed & have recently been refurbished.
◊ Golden Suite. This is a new room type located in a brand new building @ the hotel, which opens in December 2008. This block has a superb ocean view, its own reception desk, restaurant & swimming pool. The Golden Suites also have a Jacuzzi

Option E: The Arenas del Mar Hotel in a Ocean Breeze Superior room or Suite BB.

• Arenas del Mar Hotel is locally in a perfect location to combine nature with a stunning beach. It is the best hotel in the area to have direct beach access. The hotel only opened in 2007 & has 38 rooms – which are either superior rooms or suites. As this is small hotel availability can be a problem, so early booking is recommended. The hotel has 7 small blocks with 3 blocks by the beach & the other 4 @ the top with the best views. There is a pool @ both locations. All rooms are equipped with ceiling fans, air conditioning, flat screen cable televisions, wired internet access, telephones, mini‐bars, coffee makers, safe deposit boxes, luggage racks, irons and ironing boards. The superior rooms have a king size bed, large bathroom & balcony. The suites have a separate bedroom, 2nd bathroom & a larger L shapes balcony with Jacuzzi. We can book 1 superior room & the adjacent suite to create a 2 bedroom apartment & use just the 1 main entrance door.

Day 15

Private transfer to the airport to check‐in for your return flights back to the UK.