Teachers' Travel        HF Holidays
Guided Walking and Sightseeing
Worldwide Holidays

Costa Rica Nature's Showcase 

A holiday for the discerning lover of nature and good walks. Its geography ensures that Costa Rica hosts an amazing array of eco-systems and micro-climates with a wealth of captivating flora and fauna and brimful of natural beauty.               

Dates:  Feb 10 - 11 nights     Nov 17 - 11 nights                                                                                                           

2009 Prices:  1,835.00 GBP  ( High season ) See brochure for all prices.                        Prices are per person for 11 nights based on double occupancy without airfare.                Supplement for a single room  350.00 GBP     

Guided Walks:  A mixture of sightseeing , a lazy boat ride and a choice of walks. Easier walks range from 3-6 miles with up to 600 ft of ascent; harder walks are from 6-12 miles with up to 2,000 ft of ascent.  Some paths are narrow and muddy. Options are offered each day.

  
Hotels:  Three of the four hotels are four-star quality, have air-conditioning and swimming pools.  One is beachfront.  The fourth accommodation is a rustic lodge in the mountains.  This accommodation is very comfortable, has heated room, hot running water and en-suite facilities as do all the hotels.  Included: 11 nights' accommodation in double/ twin-bedded, en-suite rooms.  All meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on  the day of departure.  Services of an experienced tour conductor and a local guide.   Walks, sightseeing, entrance fees and travel by air conditioned coach.
Itinerary:
 
Days 1-2: arrival in San Jose (2 nights)  

Our hotel offers panoramic views of the city, central valley and nearby volcanoes. Our walks take in the Poas National Park with steaming craters, emerald green pools and a hummingbird observation area.

Days 3-5: transfer to the lush San Carlos Valley & Arenal (3 nights) . From our lovely riverside resort we can take trails on the flanks of the picturesque  volcano, walking on bridges through the canopy and to invigorating waterfalls, and a slow river-boat ride through the Cano Negro Wildlife Reserve, packed with exotic wildlife including howler monkeys, caiman, sloth, toucan and other colourful birds.

Days 6-8: travelling south we head for San Gerardo de Dota (3 nights), a small community in the Talamanca mountains, where our comfortable, rustic lodge, at 7,200ft, is one of the finest spots in the country to see the resplendent quetzal, dusky nightjar, scintillant hummingbird (Costa Rica’s smallest species), streaked-breasted treehunter and a host of other striking birds. Miles of trails offer options for all grades of walking from short rambles near the lodge to a challenging full day hike to the top of Cerro de la Muerte at over 11,000ft.

Days 9-10: we move on to sample the sun and sand of one of Costa Rica’s finest beaches at Manuel Antonio (2 nights). With the beach on the doorstep and the National Park only ten minutes away, we have the opportunity to explore, sunbathe, swim and walk in this delightful corner of Costa Rica.

Day 11: a leisurely return to San José (1 night) and time to visit the Gold Museum, with its display of pre-Columbian pottery, jade and gold. There will be time for some last minute sightseeing with a visit to the Plaza de la Democracia or the Teatro Nacional, a fine example of Spanish new world architecture.

Day 12: tour ends after breakfast.
Contact us Back to Teachers Travel Home Page