Day 1: Arrival
After arrival at the International Airport Juan Santamaría in San José you will be transferred to hotel El Marañon in La Trinidad de Ciudad Colón, situated in a wonderful tropical garden at about 1000 m height with a view on the Poas volcano.
Day 2: University for peace – Cloud Forest Reserve El Rodeo
After a tropical breakfast you will receive the program description and general information.
After this it is time for a ride through coffee plantations to the peace monument of the Universidad para la Paz. Here you will have a first glimpse into the history and politics of the country. A guided tour through the Cloud Forest Reserve El Rodeo follows: An amazing first view in the country’s variety of species.
You will have the afternoon at leisure to acclimatize and relax in the beautiful hotel garden.
Day 3: Cerro de la Muerte – San Gerardo de Dota
14 km, 5 hours, without luggage
Early in the morning you will be transferred up to the mountains south of San Jose to the Cerro de la Muerte at 3400m.
Here starts the first challenge: your hiking tour! 
We will start in Páramo and partly it is going steeply downhill to a height of 2300 m, through Cloud Forests full of bromelia. We are heading towards San Gerardo, known for the mythical Quetzal and for its apple production – unique in Costa Rica!
Accomodation in the Suria-Lodge.
Day 4: Quetzal -Providencia de Dota
12 km, 4-5 hours, without luggage (optional)
Before breakfast you will be taken on an early-bird walk to find the quetzal.
After that we will go on a smooth hiking tour towards Providencia, where we come through one of the best coffee growing areas. After tasting some coffee and getting settled in our new accommodation we have the opportunity to visit an ecological coffee production unit of a local cooperative that takes part in Transfair Trade (Beneficio).
Day 5: Organic Finca – La Chaqueta
25 km, 8 hours, with luggage
Today we’ll enjoy breakfast at Finca Mora, an ecological ranch. The Finca is producing 110 kinds of vegetables and fruits in an organic way and is recycling the village’s garbage.
After a hearty breakfast we start the toughest hiking tour to La Chaqueta with 1500m height difference and immense changes in the vegetation.
We spend the night in rustic cottages made of wood in a warm climate in about 700m height, far away from any “civilisation”: this place is a former settling of Brunca-Indians.
Day 6: Piedras Blancas – El Brujo
25 km, 8 hours, with luggageAfter a refreshing swim in the river we’ll drive towards El Brujo with a stop in Piedras Blancas (425m), where we will have a typical lunch at the home of the Granados family.
In the afternoon we’ll hike through teak plantations and reach the village El Brujo (‘The Magician’) at 250m, where we spend the night in a comfortable tent camp. After dinner we’ll have the chance to enjoy a cultural performance of students of the local school.
Day 7: San Cristobal – El Silencio
15 km, 5 hours, with luggage
In the morning we will cover the last difficult part of our hiking tour, the crossing of the mountain range of San Cristobal (569m).
In the village of San Cristobal we can cool down under the waterfall of El Chorro, take a typical lunch and relax.
From here it is just 45 more minutes towards our accommodation, the Albergue El Silencio, which is also an agricultural cooperative.
After getting settled in our bamboo cottages we can visit the wildlife-rescue-centre, before having dinner in the restaurant.
Day 8: Silencio – Playa El Rey – San José
8 km, 2,5 hours, without luggage
Being lucky we can observe, while having breakfast, the Scarlet Macaw.
Then we will start our last hiking kilometres on an 8 km long trail through oil palm plantation. We will again cross the Río Savegre and reach Playa El Rey in the National Park Manuel Antonio, to rush into the Pacific Ocean.
After enjoying an extensive swim we will have a farewell-picnic to celebrate our first victory.
With that we end the hiking tour and drive back to our hotel El Marañón close to San José to start the biking tour..jpg)
Day 9: Poás Volcano – La Paz - Thermalsprings
30 km, 2,5-3 hours, easy
After breakfast we will be driven in a microbus, past the traditional town of Alajuela, towards the centre of coffee cultivation on the fertile slopes of the Poás Volcano. We will explore by foot the national park which shows us the crater and lagoon of this magnificent volcano. On our way back we will pass through dense cloud forest.
We will cross the Central Cordillera and reach the impressive waterfall La Paz. Briefly after that we will commence our biking tour.
Starting downhill, we reach the Caribbean Lowland over San Miguel to Aguas Zarcas and our Lodge. Our accommodation is located close to the thermal springs in the rainforest - ideal to relax after our first active day.
We will ride with an accompanying vehicle, so that you can switch, when necessary, from bike to ‘taxi’.
Day 10: Coconut plantation – Lava fields
50 km, 4 hours, easy
Today we will ride through coconut-, papaya- and manioc plantations, as well as through extended cattle pastures in the northern lowland, to finally reach the active Arenal Volcano. Our eco-lodge is located right next to the volcano.
The afternoon is at leisure and offers the opportunity to visit the well-known Fortuna waterfall, the lava fields of the volcano, the canopy-tour or hanging bridges.
Day 11: Arenal lake
46 km, 6 hours, easy – mediumWe are in one of the most beautiful biking- areas: having the majestic volcano cone right next to us we will ride around the biggest lake of the country.
On our first stage (37 km/4 hours – medium difficult) we will circle around Lake Arenal, which is surrounded by rich tropical vegetation, until briefly before Nuevo Arenal, where we can enjoy a refreshing swim in the lake or a take a canopy-tour.
In the afternoon we will ride into the village (9 km/2 x 1 hours - easy) or relax on the terrace or meadow of the directly next to the lake located lodge.
Day 12: Lake Arenal – Peninsula Nicoya – Monte Alto Forest Reserve
58 km, 6,5 hours, medium
In the morning we will drive by microbus until we almost reach Tilarán.
From there we will go by bike, while having a fantastic view at the surrounding volcanoes and the Pacific Lowland, downhill until Cañas (28 km/2,5 hours, downhill with a few hills). Here we have a fruit-picnic at the city park.
We will continue the tour via Panamericana towards the new bridge over Río Tempisque by boat. From there we will ride to the Peninsula Nicoya until Hojancha into the Forest Reserve Monte Alto. (30 km/4 hours, at the end uphill with a few hills) In this Reserve a citizen initiative protects the existing forest and tries to grow new trees on the surrounding hills, to make sure that the water supply of the village and the diversity of the Rio Nosara is maintained.
Overnight in a simple lodge, but lovely located right in between the forest.
Here you will have the opportunity to sleep in the half-open first floor under mosquito-nets – a really special nature experience! 
Day 13: Vamos a la playa!
50 km, 4-5 hours, medium (hills)
In the morning you will have an introduction to the tropical rainforest on the forest teaching-trails of the reserve.
We continue our bike tour through woods and palm-covered hilly landscapes towards the pacific to Samara with its wonderful palm bay. Relax with a swim in the ocean.
Overnight stay 3 minutes away from the beach.
Day 14: Return to San José
In the morning you can take a swim, snorkel, scuba dive, surf, paraglide, go horseback riding, hiking or go canoeing in the river or ocean (turtle observation).
In the afternoon we will return towards San Jose to hotel El Marañón.
Guests who want to stay at the pacific travel back later and can then stay another night (breakfast included) at hotel Marañón.
15th day
Breakfast and departure or extension
What to bring:
Hiking boots, mosquito repellent, sun screen, rain coat or poncho, camera, long and short pants, if you are allergic bring your medicines, bring at least one sweater, hat or cap, flashlight, total weight 30 to 35 pounds back-pack.
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This tour may be extended with a stay at the beach!
Contact us now for more information!
Contact us now for more information or a quotation on this tour