River Rafting
Two of San José's most experienced
rafting operators run excellent day tours to some of the world's
most scenic and exciting rivers. Operators have daily runs
to the Sarapiquí (class II and III), the Pacuare (III, IV)
and the Reventazón (ranges from II to IV) rivers, which run
through some of the most beautiful, unspoiled countryside
in Central America. Contact:
Aventuras Naturales, 225-3939
Costa Sol Rafting, 293-2150
Real Town Tour
This unique tour takes visitors through
Barrio Luján, one of San José's most venerable neighborhoods.
Here, visitors will experience the essence of Costa Rican
life and the country's people with visits to local businesses
and eateries, a traditional bakery, colonial home, coffee
shop, vegetable stand, cantina, and much more. This is a great
low-cost tour for those interested in getting to know Costa
Rica and its people.
Super Combo Tour
This tour offers a nice
blend of three of the most popular activities in Costa Rica.
This tour combines horseback riding, a canopy tour and white-water
rafting. The horseback ride runs through a jungle train in
a private reserve, ending at the first platform of the canopy
tour. There you'll ride through nine zip lines through the
forest canopy. The last line shoots 900 feet, crossing the
Sarapiquí River and lands at the reception complex, where
you'll have lunch and visit dairy and butterfly gardens. Finally,
you'll ride through a class-II/III whitewater journey.
Private Van & Naturalist Guide
Discover Costa Rica at your own pace.
Rent a private van with a Costa Rican naturalist guide and,
together with the guide's recommendations, you will decide
where to go. This is a good way to avoid the crowds and gain
an insider's look into the country while doing exactly what
you want to do. Greenway Nature Tours guarantees 100% satisfaction,
and their deluxe 15-person vans come with A/C and a cooler
filled with soft drinks and local beers. Just bring your hiking
shoes, swimsuit, binoculars, suntan lotion, snorkeling gear,
fishing equipment, or what ever you want to bring and leave
the rest to them. Greenway also offers buses for 20, 34, 44
or 52 passengers.
|
Canopy
Tour
The Original Canopy
Tour takes you high up into the treetops to view the forest
from a unique perspective. Ten treetop platforms are connected
with zip-line cables, which whisk visitors through the forest
ceiling at high speeds. While on the platforms, expert guides
bring the forest to life.
Contact:
The Original Canopy Tour, 257-5149
Pacific Island Tour
Visitors can experience
blue water, white sand, green mountains, and excellent food.
Large comfortable ships glide past several islands in the
Gulf of Nicoya before landing at the palm-studded Tortuga
Island, where participants can walk the white-sand beach,
swim the turquoise waters and investigate marine life.
Contact:
Calypso, 256-2727
Breeze Cruises, 291-0191
(private charters only)
La Paz Waterfalls
Several spectacular
waterfalls tumble out of primary rainforest and lie along
excellent, easily accessible trails less than an hour from
San Jose. The beautiful grounds include a hummingbird garden
and a butterfly observatory.
The Treasures of Costa Rica
Spend the morning at
La Paz Waterfall Gardens, experience the powerful falls and
appreciating the butterfly garden. Guides will instruct participants
on the various stages of a butterfly's life and on the diversity
of the insect here in Costa Rica. The afternoon transforms
the morning's lesson with pure adrenaline, as participants
raft on the Sarapiquí's class II and III rapids. This trip
smartly combines education with adventure and adrenaline.
The trip takes around 11 hours.
Contact:
Aventuras Naturales, 225-3939
Rain Forest Aerial Tram
Glide slowly and silently
through the different layers of the rainforest. Located in
a private 400-hectare reserve (1000 acres) and adjacent to
massive Braulio Carrillo National Park, the Rainforest Aerial
Tram has a lot of vegetation - and a lot of animal life. Over
300 species of birds call the preserve home, in addition to
over a hundred kinds of reptiles and amphibians, and 85 types
of bats, among others. Although the dense vegetation makes
mammal observation difficult, this is a great chance to observe
rainforest birds at eye level (note that the best birding
is in the morning).
Two environmentally conscientious trams are available, one
on the Caribbean slope and the new Pacific Aerial Tram, just
outside of Jacó.
|
