After your first day of relaxing, you’ll jump right into the gorgeous natural world and thrilling adventures of Costa Rica! Start the week off with this exciting whitewater rafting trip filled with continuous rushing rapids near the Arenal Volcano. You will raft into over 45 continuous rapids along this 16 kilometer path of deep-canyon gorges and waterfalls. 

While rafting, you will be sure to spot plenty of wildlife, such as sloths, monkeys, and tropical birds, like toucans. Also, be sure to look forward to a nice, tropical fruit break at the Montezuma Oropendola Stop and a traditional Costa Rican “casado” lunch during the day! Afterwards, you will spend the night at the Mountain Paradise. 

During this day, you will be able to get some of the best and most interesting views of the Costa Rican rainforest ever! The first view you will get is within the forest, as you follow your local nature guide through jungle trails and over hanging bridges on an informative, interesting walk. Along the way, your local guide will point out and explain to you the surrounding exotic flora and fauna as well as provide you background information about the historic culture of the region. 

Afterwards, take a leisurely ride up the open gondolas to the volcano observation deck, where you will have an amazing view of the top of the rainforest. As you travel to the top of the dense rainforest, be sure to lookout for the changing wildlife! After snapping a few postcard-worthy photos, you will return to the ground below by ziplining across tree canopies and canyons along a series of cables. 

Finally, end your exhilarating day by unwinding in the therapeutic hot springs of the Tabacon Resort. These natural springs are part of the Fortuna River and are surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens. You will have dinner at the resort before spending another night at Mountain Paradise. 

Today, you will have the opportunity to explore one of Costa Rica’s most sensational attractions, the Arenal Volcano! This volcano is Costa Rica’s youngest and most popular volcano, attracting visitors from all over the world and even natives in the area. It has been active since 1968, and many adventurers often hope to be able to witness one of its eruptions in person. 

Throughout the day, the Arenal Volcano will eject gas, water, and pyroclastic material, which is a mixture of lava pieces and ash. This material will often fall close to the crater, but the wind will usually also carry ash over long distances, especially to the northwest area of the volcano. 

Experience all of this and the surrounding forest through a short hike on one of the trails close to the volcano. At night, you will still get your dose of Costa Rican wildlife with a night walk in Arenal Oasis, where you will get to see plenty of nocturnal creatures you wouldn’t typically spot during the day. 

Get ready for some sun, surf, and sea! You will start off the day with a scenic drive through the hills and to the coast, where you’ll arrive at one of Costa Rica’s best beach destinations. There, you will check into your hotel Costa Verde, which features 3 cliffside pools, sundecks, spacious rooms, studios, and bungalows. Not only is the hotel a 300 yard walk from a beach overlooking the world famous Manuel Antonio National Park, but also all the rooms offer balconies with a bird’s-eye view of the park’s majestic coastline or a view of the rainforest canopy spotted with toucans, sloths, coatis, and monkeys. After a catered breakfast, spend the day lounging by the beach or taking pictures of the splendid views. 

After breakfast at the Costa Verde hotel, your nature guide will pick you up from your hotel and bring you to the magnificent Manuel Antonio National Park. This park is one of the best places for wildlife viewing, and you are almost guaranteed to see a couple of sloths, iguanas, or different species of monkeys. You will follow your guide down the well-kept trails to the hidden beaches within. Enjoy a dip in the sea or sink your toes into the soft sand at these beautiful Pacific beaches. Afterwards, have time to relax by the pool and have a couple of cocktails while watching the sunset at the hotel. 

Costa Rica is known worldwide for its sparkling beaches, which is perfect for surfing, an exhilarating and fun sport. In the morning, after breakfast at the Costa Verde hotel, head out to the beach for a private surf lesson with an expert instructor at the surf school. Your lessons with the local surf school are sure to teach you all you need to know about the basics of surfing, such as how to stand, how to paddle, how to turn, ocean awareness, information about the tides, and surf ethics. 

With breakfast at the Costa Verde hotel, enjoy your last morning relaxing in the hot tropical sun. You will have a private ride to San José for your international flight home.