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central america: costa rica

Tropical Volcano & Cloud Forest

The Tropical Volcano & Cloud Forest cruise extension is designed to complement our Costa Rica small ship cruises or appeal to travelers with a limited amount of time in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is one of the world's most adventurous and friendly places, widely known for its dedication to peace, cultural exchange and environmental education. Our Costa Rica Tropical Volcano & Cloud Forest tour visits areas that exemplify these qualities creating wonderful shared memories for years to come.

Your journey begins at the Arenal Volcano, with its picture-perfect cone. Explore this geologic wonder and the rich surrounding rainforests filled with waterfalls, wildlife and opportunities for exploration. In Monteverde, hike through the lush Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, walk the nearby platform bridges for an aerial view of these incredible forests and visit the shining example of sustainable tourism in the town of Santa Elena. The Tropical Volcano & Cloud Forest Extension includes a private guide and private transfers throughout, ensuring you make the most of your time in Arenal and Monteverde. Accommodations for this active adventure include wilderness lodges and boutique hotels.

This Costa Rica cruise extension can be arranged before or after your small ship cruise. Transfers are included for small ship cruise passengers arriving at the Herradura dock or in San Jose. Our Costa Rica experts will arrange your trip extension to flow seamlessly with your small ship cruise.

Day 1 - Arrive Costa Rica

Upon arrival in Costa Rica at San Jose's Juan Santamaria International Airport you are met by a local representative and transferred to your hotel in San Jose.

Accommodations: Hotel Bougainvillea
Included Meals: n/a

Day 2 - Arenal National Park

Start your tour with a scenic drive, in a private air-conditioned vehicle, to Arenal Volcano arriving at the Arenal Observatory Lodge. From the lodge, which is situated safely on a high ridge only 1.6 miles south of the volcano, take in an impressive view of this "giant which rumbles" with spectacular displays. The lodge is the only property located within the Arenal Volcano National Park, which encompasses thousands of acres of pristine rainforest and teems with tropical birds and wildlife.

Later explore the highlands of Costa Rica in the shadow of Arenal Volcano. Walk through Arenal Volcano National Park with the company of your professional naturalist guide. This area is home to some of the most unique birds and mammals in the world. Your guide provides insight and interpretation of this geologically special area and offers expertise in spotting the often elusive wildlife and birdlife that inhabit this region.

Accommodations: Hotel Bougainvillea
Included Meals: breakfast

Day 3 - Arenal Volcano & Hanging Bridges

This morning visit the Arenal Hanging Bridges, a complex of 6 suspension bridges rising above the jungle canopy, and almost 2 miles of brick and concrete trails through the lush rainforest. The bridges provide an excellent vantage point to observe the flora and fauna from the ground level to the top of the trees. The chainlink fence on either side of each bridge is about 50 inches high, so there is little chance of anyone slipping through. Walk the trails where you will see many varieties of heliconias, flowering ginger and varieties of butterflies, as you learn about the complexity and beauty of the rainforest and hear howler monkeys' distinct howls.

This evening visit Ecotermales Fortuna for a relaxing hot springs soak and dinner. Located in what used to be a cattle farm, Ecotermales is a small oasis of natural forest with hot springs in a private environment away from tourist crowds. The spa has 4 different pools with different temperatures; the coolest one is 91 degrees Fahrenheit and the hottest one is 105 Fahrenheit. One of the pools has a cascading waterfall for a natural soothing back massage. Enjoy an authentic Tico family-style Costa Rican dinner.

Accommodations: Arenal Observatory Lodge
Included Meals: breakfast and dinner

Day 4 - Arenal Volcano to Monteverde Cloud Forest

Enjoy a morning hike to a nearby waterfall and an up-close exploration of a lava flow prior to the drive to Monteverde. Driving around Arenal Lake, make your way to Monteverde, one of the most diverse and richest tropical cloud forests in the New World. This area is best known as home to the Resplendent Quetzal but includes hundreds of other birds, mammals and plant species. Arrive in time to explore the nearby town of Santa Elena.

Accommodations: Hotel Fonda Vela
Included Meals: breakfast

Day 5 - Monteverde Cloud Forest & Zipline Canopy Tour

Morning guided hike through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve viewing the wet forest with its dense vegetation and majestic trees. The perpetually misty forests of the Reserve encompass 8 distinct ecological zones and protect more than 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds and 1,500 species of plants. In the afternoon enjoy an exhilarating flight through the rainforest on an included Canopy Zipline tour, a system of sturdy steel cables that provides a thrilling experience within the cloud forest while offering the adventurous traveler a unique vantage point high in the forest canopy.

Accommodations: Hotel Fonda Vela
Included Meals: breakfast

Day 6 - Monteverde to Herradura

Spend the morning in Monteverde before a scenic drive through rainforest and coffee plantations down to the Central Pacific Coast. Arrive in Playa Herradura to board your cruise; non-cruise passengers will transfer back to San Jose or begin a custom trip to another region of Costa Rica.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast

Alternative Itinerary: This reverse itinerary is designed for travelers who will be disembarking their cruise in Costa Rica. Please refer to this schedule below.

Reverse Itinerary:
Day 1 Arrive in Playa Herradura and go to Monteverde
Day 2 Monteverde Cloud Forest and Ziplines
Day 3 Monteverde to Arenal
Day 4 Arenal Exploration
Day 5 Arenal to San Jose

Itinerary Notes: This itinerary is designed to be a trip extension for our Costa Rica small ship cruises, but can stand alone as a custom Costa Rica trip. A private driver and guide ensure maximum flexibility and efficiency. There are many ways to customize this trip with additional activities or overnights, please call our Costa Rica experts to discuss your trip in detail.

Included: 5 nights lodging, all land, air and water transportation within Costa Rica, all airport/hotel transfers when arriving and departing on the stated arrival and departure dates of the group, meals as specified in the itinerary, hotel taxes, entrance fees to National Parks, museums and places of interest in effect at the time of booking are included unless otherwise specified, guide services as specified in the itinerary, guides' expenses.

Exclusions: Airfare to Costa Rica, airport departure tax, excess baggage charges, taxes and port fees, gratuities to transfer and naturalist guides, items of a personal nature such as alcoholic beverages, and insurance of any kind. Small ship cruises mentioned in the itinerary.

Room Configurations: Single supplement added if single accommodations are requested.

Arrival & Departure: The Tropical Volcano & Cloud Forest extension begins in San Jose, Costa Rica and ends in Monteverde for embarkation of an adventure cruise, or reverse. Please plan flights to arrive in San Jose anytime on day 1 of the outlined itinerary.

Payment & Cancellation: In order to confirm this trip, a deposit of $500 is required at the time of booking. A Reservation Form, which includes a release of liability, must be completed and signed by all travelers. The balance of the trip price is due 90 days before the departure date. Guests who must cancel their trip for any reason must do so in writing. Cancellations are subject to the following fees, based on number of days prior to departure:
Up to 91 days - 50% of deposit
90 to 31 days - 50% of total trip cost
30 to 0 days - 100% of total trip cost

Terms & Conditions: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list and extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation.

Travel Insurance: We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with travel insurance. Please note that you must purchase your travel insurance policy within 14 days of booking your trip for it to cover pre-existing medical conditions. Click the link below for a selection of policies from our partners at Travelex.



Qualifications: The Tropical Volcano & Cloud Forest trip is available to any individuals or families with a love of nature and sense of adventure.

For additional information and reservations, please contact us:

800-728-2875 | 530-583-1775 | fax 530-583-1711 | travel@AdventureSmithExplorations.com