Day 1

On arrival into San Jose International Airport you will be met by our ground agents and have a private transfer to Alta Hotel for 2 nights 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.

Day 2

Day 3

Early morning pick‐up to join a small group travelling by road through the coffee & banana plantations and then transferring to river boat to arrive in Tortuguero to stay at the Mawamba Lodge for 2 nights. You are escorted by a guide and a driver, stopping en route at some amazing viewpoints and places of interest. This is a great introduction to Costa Rica and you will learn a lot from your guide.

• Mawamba Lodge is a great lodge with a lovely swimming pool and bar. Full board and regular tours are included. Tours include is an early morning bird watching tour, trek to the Butterfly farm and Tortuguero Hill, the night‐time nesting turtle tour along the beach (extra approx $30 charge). Entrance to the National park is payable locally.
Note: As the return flight has a 30Lb luggage limit you will leave the majority of your luggage @ your hotel in San Jose. Our ground agents will then collect your luggage and have it with them when they meet you off your flight from Tortuguero.

Day 5

After breakfast you will be transferred by riverboat to the local airfield to take a short domestic flight back to San Jose. On arrival you will be met by our ground agents (they will have the luggage you previously left in San Jose). You will then have private transfers via ferry to Paquera to stay in the Tambor area for 3 nights @ the Tango Mar Resort

• The Tango Mar Resort is situated in Tambor along the Nicoya Peninsula 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. The Mono Congo Villa is a spacious two bedroom, two bathroom villa & named after the many Mono Congo monkeys that inhabit the area surrounding this beach front villa. The airconditioned villa comes with a fully equipped kitchen and a huge porch that doubles as living and dining room. There is absolutely nothing that obstructs the view between you and the ocean except for a pair of hammocks where you will find the ultimate in relaxation and the only disturbance comes from the sound of waves and jungle animals. Daily maid service provided

Day 8

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.

• The Arenal Springs & Resort Hotel has a fantastic view of the Arenal Volcano, natural hot and cold springs, four unique dining experiences, and an impressive full service Spa. The resort perches one thousand feet above the Arenal Valley on a mountain ridge just six kilometers north of the active volcano but safely outside the government declared danger zone. It is a large property & also offers a casino for guests.

Day 11

Private transfer down the Pacific Coast & the Manuel Antonio area for 4 nights at the Tulemar Bungalows BB.

• Tulemar Bungalows is one of the most comfortable, fashionable places near Manuel Antonio National Park. The individual bungalows are scattered on a 33 acre private reserve that ends in an idyllic private beach. This beach, within a secluded cove has been awarded the blue flag and snorkelling equipment and kayaks are available to guests free of charge. There is a bar, snack bar, changing facilities and toilets at the beach along with a main restaurant and swimming pool on the property. The bungalows have a separate bedroom containing 2 double beds along with 2 sofa beds in the lounge. There is a fully equipped kitchen and TV & video. Videos can be rented from reception for a nominal charge. The hotel will also collect whatever grocery shopping you may require. Each bungalow has a panoramic view of the forest canopy and coast. Breakfast is served in the bar area, where monkeys, sloths, toucans, scarlet tanagers and green parakeets are normally seen.

Day 15

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