Costa Rica's Picturesque Pacific & Cloud Forest

This sample itinerary is meant to serve as a sales tool which you can either share with your clients, or send to your preferred DMC as an example of what you would like to book for your clients. There are a few things to take into consideration with this itinerary. All of the hotels featured are family-friendly, with the exception of a minimum age restriction of 6 years old at Lapa Rios. If your clients are older couples, perhaps on a honeymoon, we recommend replacing Arenas del Mar with Kurá, which is an adults-only hotel with 8 individual suites located in Uvita one hour south of Arenas del Mar.

Quick note that Lapa Rios is full-board meals, meanwhile Senda Monteverde and Arenas del Mar are B&B only. However, there is an option to have full-board meals at both Senda and ADM for an extra cost. The restaurants at each hotel are phenomenal.

Quick Summary

Day	Description	Accommodation
Day 1	Arrival at SJO / Flight to Puerto Jimenez	Lapa Rios Lodge
Day 2	Adventures at Lapa Rios & the Osa Peninsula	Lapa Rios Lodge
Day 3	Adventures at Lapa Rios & the Osa Peninsula	Lapa Rios Lodge
Day 4	Flight from Puerto Jimenez to Quepos	Arenas del Mar
Day 5	Adventures from Arenas del Mar / Explore Manuel Antonio	Arenas del Mar
Day 6	Adventures from Arenas del Mar / Explore Manuel Antonio	Arenas del Mar
Day 7	Private Transfer From Manuel Antonio to Monteverde	Senda Monteverde
Day 8	Excursion of Choice from Senda Monteverde	Senda Monteverde
Day 9	Monteverde to SJO or LIR / End of Trip

Itinerary Detail

Day 1: Arrival at SJO / Flight to Puerto Jimenez

Daily Summary

Transfer: Flight San Jose to Puerto Jimenez
Accommodation: Lapa Rios Lodge
Meals: D

Depending on the time of international arrival, either exit SJO and continue across the street by foot to the domestic airport for your flight to Puerto Jimenez. However, if the international arrival flight arrives late at night, its best to stay in San Jose for the evening, then return to San Jose domestic airport the following day. There are daily flights to book from SANSA Airlines, sometimes up to 10 per day— San Jose to Puerto Jimenez. The flight is about 45-minutes long.

Upon arrival at Puerto Jimenez, you will see a Lapa Rios representative who will help lead you to the local office next to the airstrip for a cold coconut water and snacks. From there, continue with a driver to Lapa Rios (45-minute car ride) and meet the local guides to plan adventures for the following days to come.

Day 2: Adventures at Lapa Rios & the Osa Peninsula

Daily Summary

Tour: Excursion of Your Choice at Lapa Rios
Accommodation: Lapa Rios Lodge
Meals: B, L, D

Excursion of Your Choice at Lapa Rios

Lapa Rios is located in the Osa Peninsula which holds 3% of our world's biodiversity and is located along Golfo Dulce which is one of the few Tropical Tjords int he world. One of the most unique aspects of Lapa Rios is that its located in primary forest, so you will see trees that are over 500 years old on the Rainforest Ridge hike. Next to it, is secondary forest still recovering from being slashed in the 1960's for farming and hunting. Thanks to Lapa Rios, a massive section of the rainforest has been protected due to ecotourism.

Combine all of these factors and you get a magical wonderland of nature viewing, its like throwing yourself into a real life National Geographic Zoo Book! Here is a list of all tours offered through Lapa Rios:
https://www.boena.com/media/LapaRiosLodge-TourBook.pdf

Some of the included activities at Lapa Rios led by our expert guides which we recommend are:

- Early Birds Tour
- Wild Waterfalls
- Rainforest Ridge Hike
- Local Medicine Tour
- Osa Trail
- Matapalo Tour
- Night Walk
- Plant a Tree

External Tours (offered outside of Lapa Rios with contracted guides)

- Waterfall Rappelling
- Kayaking
- Dolphin & Whale Watching
- Turtle Tour
- Yoga Class
- Bioluminescence Tour
- Corcovado National Park Tour by Land or Boat
- Visit a Local Ngöbe Indigenous Family at Aguas Ricas
- Surfing or SUP Boarding

Day 3: Adventures at Lapa Rios & the Osa Peninsula

Daily Summary

Tour: Excursion of Your Choice at Lapa Rios
Accommodation: Lapa Rios Lodge
Meals: B, L, D

Excursion of Your Choice at Lapa Rios

Day 4: Flight from Puerto Jimenez to Quepos

Xplore Air - Flight from Puerto Jimenez to Quepos

Daily Summary

Transfer: Xplore Air - Flight from Puerto Jimenez to Quepos
Accommodation: Arenas del Mar
Meals: B

Experience a domestic flight in ultra luxury in comfort in Costa Rica, similar to as you would during a safari in Africa. Böëna Wilderness Lodges, who owns and operates Lapa Rios (as well as 4 other wonderful eco-luxury lodges in CR), recently acquired a 6-passenger brand new Cessna Caravan available for private charters. In order to get from Lapa Rios to Arenas del Mar via vehicle, it would take 4 to 5 hours of driving.

Instead, with XPlore Air, you can go from Puerto Jimenez to Quepos on a 25-minute flight with amazing overviews of the Pacific coast and Marino Ballena National Park. Upon arrival in Quepos, Arenas del Mar offers a complimentary ride (15-minutes) to the hotel. For those with groups more than 6 travelers, Lapa Rios can offer rates for other private chartered flight options from Puerto Jimenez to Quepos. (This service is on a private basis.)

Day 5: Adventures from Arenas del Mar / Explore Manuel Antonio

Excursion of Your Choice in from Arenas del Mar

Daily Summary

Tour: Excursion of Your Choice in from Arenas del Mar
Accommodation: Arenas del Mar
Meals: B

Excursion of Your Choice in from Arenas del Mar

There is a reason that we call Arenas del Mar "Costa Rica 101" because they provide a wide range of activities to choose from with the best local guides in Manuel Antonio. However, none of these tours besides the Sustainability Tour and surfing on your own are included at Arenas del Mar. The ones below (and more) can be booked during your clients stay.

Some of the tours & experiences to choose from at ADM:

- Manuel Antonio National Park
- Yoga
- Spa Day (full spa and wellness menu)
- Farmers Market Tour
- Los Campesinos Reserve
- Whale Watching Tour
- Hike to Nauyaca Waterfall
- Mountain Horseback Riding
- Tarzan Canopy (Zipline)
- Naranjo River Rafting
- Savegre White Water Rafting
- Waterfalls Trail
- Kayak Mangroves
- Snorkeling
- Sailing
- Paddle Boarding/Surfing
- Sustainability and Plant a Tree Tour

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uow1ngl6wetznnl/ADM%20-%20TOUR%20BOOK%202023.pdf?dl=0

Day 6: Adventures from Arenas del Mar / Explore Manuel Antonio

Daily Summary

Tour: Excursion of Your Choice in from Arenas del Mar
Accommodation: Arenas del Mar
Meals: B

Excursion of Your Choice in from Arenas del Mar

Day 7: Private Transfer From Manuel Antonio to Monteverde

Transfer from Arenas del Mar to Monteverde

Daily Summary

Transfer: Transfer from Arenas del Mar to Monteverde
Accommodation: Senda Monteverde
Meals: B

From Arenas del Mar it is about a 4-hour scenic drive out of Monteverde. You will cruise along the Pacific coast up to the cloud forest of Monteverde. A driver can be arranged with either Senda or ADM, otherwise a DMC can arrange a vehicle. Upon arrival at Senda Monteverde, you can either relax at your hotel room or choose from one of many excursions offered in their Activities & Excursions Booklet.

Day 8: Excursion of Choice from Senda Monteverde

Daily Summary

Tour: Excursion of Choice from Senda Monteverde
Accommodation: Senda Monteverde
Meals: B

Excursion of Choice from Senda Monteverde

Senda Monteverde is your gateway to the cloud forest, one of the most interesting places in all of Costa Rica. The cloud forest is located a higher altitude, so be prepared to take on rain any time of year and bring a rain jacket. Some of the best sunsets are from mountain-top peaks in Monteverde, looking over the Nicoya Peninsula. Combining high altitude, amazing trails, wildlife reserves, sky trams and canopy zip lines, there is no shortage of activities to choose from at Senda, part of the Cayuga Collection. To see all of the tours, copy and paste the link below into your URL.

Tours to Choose From:

- Tour of Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
- Sky Adventures (Zip Line)
- Selvatura Canopy
- The Original Canopy Tour
- Hanging Bridges & Tram
- Arboreal Tree Climbing
- E Biking or horseback riding with an Expert Guide to Cerro Pinoccho (Epic Sunset Tour)
- Monteverde Orchid Garden
- El Tigre Waterfall Experience

Day 9: Monteverde to SJO or LIR / End of Trip

Daily Summary

Transfer: Transfer from Senda Monteverde to SJO (or LIR)

Depending on the time of your departure flight, you will leave Senda Monteverde for a 3-hour drive from SJO. The driver can be arranged with Senda Monteverde or through a DMC. Some travelers prefer renting a vehicle to drive there and that can be arranged with a DMC as well.

Accommodation

Lapa Rios Lodge

Lapa Rios Lodge is perched on a ridge within a 1,000 acre private rainforest reserve on the wild Osa Peninsula, one of the areas least impacted by humans in Costa Rica.

Their spacious bungalows & Villas are positioned along the ridge and offer views of the shimmering blue gulf and rainforest canopy. Large open-air decks wrap around each bungalow and are an excellent spot for birdwatching, relaxing in the hammock or enjoying a refreshing outdoor shower. Lodge staff thoughtfully deliver coffee, hot chocolate or tea directly to the rooms in early morning so guests can relax and experience the morning sounds of birdcalls and howler monkeys.Accompanied by expert naturalist guides, guests discover the magic of the Pacific Coastal tropical rainforest and Golfo Dulce, one of just four tropical fjords in the world and a favorite habitat of sea turtles, dolphins and whales. Corcovado National Park is nearby, but wildlife viewing within the preserve, particularly for birds, is nearly as prolific.

Arenas del Mar

Set within an 11-acre private rainforest reserve located a few minutes from Costa Rica’s most popular national park, Arenas Del Mar Resort offers guests the very best location in all of Manuel Antonio, with direct access to two sandy beaches ideal for swimming and surfing. Resident naturalist guides help guests explore the abundant wildlife on the property; agoutis, sloths, coatis, howler monkeys and white-faced capuchin monkeys are frequently spotted. Each of the 37 rooms and suites feature a spacious balcony with ample room to relax and enjoy the spectacular sunsets and ocean vistas. Two restaurants offer elevated local fare including seasonal catches from the Dock-to-Dish program and staff throughout the resort embody the friendly Pura Vida vibe Costa Rica is known for.

Senda Monteverde

Senda Monteverde is a cozy mountain retreat located just a stone’s throw from the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve and adjacent to a smaller private reserve with miles of hiking trails accessible to guests. Reflecting the warmth & outdoor spirit of mountain living, Senda offers an upscale casual yet contemporary lodging experience in harmony with its lush surroundings. All 24 rooms and suites are situated within spacious stand-alone cabins and feature open-air porches overlooking either verdant gardens or the Gulf of Nicoya in the distance.

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