Tag Archives: Costa Rica

Adventure Travel, ecotourism, hiking, Nature Travel, walking vacations

Walking the World Offers 11-day Guided Walking Tour of Costa Rica

Walking The World offers an 11-day Costa Rican guided walking tour offering natural beauty, wildlife, friendly people, political stability, erupting volcanoes, beautiful beaches, and mysterious rainforests. Tour dates are February 5-15 and March 5-15, 2019.

It’s hard to imagine that there can be such diversity in landforms and wildlife in such a small country. Proportionately, Costa Rica protects more of its land in parks and reserves than any other country in the world. Costa Rica’s parks shelter some of the planet’s most important examples of biological diversity, including 5 percent of all plant and animal species on Earth.

In addition to the amazing hikes on the walking tour adventure, guests will enjoy white water rafting with experienced local guides on the Rio La Balsa, an amazing unexplored world of tropical wilderness in a deep canyon with waterfalls, exotic animals, and tropical birds. Experience the cloud forests from the unique perspective of a series of zip lines in the forest canopy, including a super fun Tarzan Swing and a Superman zip line high above a hidden valley. Cruise the waterways in Cano Negro National Wildlife Refuge, considered one of the world’s richest sites for bird watching.  Guests will also see monkeys, sloths, caimans, lizards, and bats.  And afterwards, a local guide will introduce you to a world of mystic tradition and living nature, demonstrated through dance by members of the indigenous people known as Malekus.

Outside the small town of Fortuna, enjoy a walk through one of the latest lava flows from Volcan Arenal.  Also included on the Costa Rica adventure are visits to the Bat Jungle, a frog exhibition, a tour of a coffee farm where you can help pick coffee beans and learn about the process of making brown sugar from sugar cane.

On a visit to the world famous Monteverde Cloud Forest, a lush green garden of mosses, ferns, flowers and epiphytes, you’ll learn about the rainforest ecosystem.  The air here is rich with the sounds of birds and the occasional scurrying of small mammals, all punctuated occasionally by the roar of a howler monkey.  Walk the sky trams, high above the forest floor, where more than 80% of all rainforest species are found.

Spend your last several days at the lodge on the Nicoya Peninsula, relaxing on the beach, river kayaking, and visiting the beautiful waterfall Tobacco. And there is always the awe inspiring experience of  watching sea turtles laying their eggs on the beach.
Space is limited to 14 people.

Since 1987, Walking The World has been designing and leading small group walking tours to more than 30 destinations worldwide.

Tour Dates: February 5-15 and March 5-15, 2019
Price: Rates include a $400/person discount: $2895 USD, Double Occupancy; $3495 USD Single Occupancy
Trip Includes: 11 days/10 nights, ground transportation, most meals, all entrance fees & tours, full-time naturalist guide & escort.

Tour Details: https://www.walkingtheworld.com/destinations/costa-rica

Walking The World: www.walkingtheworld.com
Phone: 970-498-0500
Email: [email protected]

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ecotourism, Hotels & Resorts, Latin America

Nayara Hotels to Open Luxury Tented Resort in Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano National Park

Nayara Hotels has two properties set in Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano National Park and is opening a third, exclusive accommodation, Nayara Tented Resort.
Nayara Hotels has two properties set in Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano National Park and is opening a third, exclusive accommodation, Nayara Tented Resort.

The award-winning Nayara Hotels, with two existing properties set in Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano National Park, is growing its collection with the announcement of a third, exclusive accommodation, Nayara Tented Resort. The resort will be the first of its kind in the Americas to offer year-round accommodations.

A sister property to Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens and Nayara Springs, this new resort will consist of 24, 945-sq.-ft. tents, each made up of a master suite and en-suite bathroom as well as an adjoining tent that can be arranged as a lounge or a second bedroom, perfect for families. Each tent will sit on its own platform furnished with an outdoor living area and a plunge pool filled from nearby hot springs.  The three resorts are located 2-3 hours by car from the capital, San Jose and once there, guests will have easy access between the properties via golf cart.

“We loved the beautiful tented camps in Africa and Asia, and recognized that there was nothing in Costa Rica, or even Central America, as spectacular, especially nothing that was open year-round. We have access to the highest mountain in the area with 360-degree views.  It is a magical setting for an ultra-luxury tented camp,” said Leo Ghitis, of Nayara Hotels.

In developing the accommodations, Nayara has partnered with Luxury Frontiers, known for its roster of top-ranked tented camps in Africa, among them Chief’s Camp in Botswana, Swala Camp in Tanzania, and Olonana Camp in Kenya as well as others in the works around the world. The partnership reflects Nayara’s intent to make the experience of the Costa Rican rainforest at Nayara Tented Resort akin to that of an African safari camp.   With wildlife surrounding the resort including 400 species of birds in the Arenal Rainforest, this tented experience promises to be extra immersive.

“It is exciting to work with a company that shares similar goals and values to create an outstanding, immersive experience for guests,” said Luca Franco, Managing Partner and Founder, Luxury Frontiers.  “We are thrilled to partner with Nayara on their newest luxury hotel, one in which the new lodging becomes an unforgettable experiential journey.”

In addition to the accommodations, Nayara Tented Resort will offer a 16-table restaurant and two additional private dining pavilions, a pool with a swim-up bar, cabanas, a fire pit, and a Wellness Oasis with three spa treatment rooms and a relaxation room. Spa treatments will incorporate local elements such as volcanic mud. The kids’ club will be an interactive learning center focused on rainforest ecology. 

Nayara Hotels is a collection of two properties set in Arenal Volcano National Park, Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens and Nayara Springs. Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens is a tranquil, five-star oasis set amongst 15 acres of lush gardens and Costa Rican rainforest overlooking the Arenal Volcano, the world’s third most active volcano. An exclusive and luxurious retreat, Nayara features just 50 spacious and private casitas (bungalows), all with private terraces with outdoor showers and Jacuzzi tubs for two. Nayara Springs offers 16 luxury villas with views of the Arenal Volcano. Each villa is equipped with a private pool fed by mineral hot springs and an expansive private garden with exterior shower, sleek four-poster bed wrapped in soft cottons, and indoor and outdoor sitting areas. Nayara Springs is connected to its sister hotel Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens by footbridge. In January 2016, Nayara Springs will be adding 19 additional villas.

Luxury Frontiers is a market leader in conceiving, designing and developing luxury tented suites and creative tree-top experiences for the global traveler. The accommodations are created to the highest standards and are designed and operated to provide exciting, authentic and memorable experiences without compromising guest expectations for luxury comfort and quality. Its skilled leadership team has deep experience in the African safari camp business and has worked with leading luxury hospitality brands such as Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Abercrombie & Kent, Six Senses, Belmond, Wilderness Safaris, Explora and Aman. For more information, visit www.luxury-frontiers.com.

 

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ecotourism, experiential travel, family-friendly adventures, Latin America

Wildland Adventures Designs ‘ Far-Flung Regions of Costa Rica’ For Families with Teens

Wildland Adventures’ nine-day Costa Rica Far-Flung Family Adventure targets families with adventurous teens with an itinerary that takes travelers on river rafts, surf boards, zip lines and small aircraft, en route viewing exotic wildlife, helping local youngsters brush up on English, dining well and overnighting in some of Costa Rica’s foremost ecolodges.
Wildland Adventures’ nine-day Costa Rica Far-Flung Family Adventure targets families with adventurous teens with an itinerary that takes travelers on river rafts, surf boards, zip lines and small aircraft, en route viewing exotic wildlife, helping local youngsters brush up on English, dining well and overnighting in some of Costa Rica’s foremost ecolodges.

SEATTLE – Following the path less-touristed, Wildland Adventures’ nine-day Costa Rica Far-Flung Family Adventure targets families with adventurous teens. This itinerary brings travelers from the Caribbean to the Pacific on river rafts, surf boards, zip lines and small aircraft, en route viewing exotic wildlife, helping local youngsters brush up on English, dining well and overnighting in some of Costa Rica’s foremost ecolodges.

Scheduled departures are Dec. 20-28, 2014; Dec. 26-Jan. 3, 2015; Jan. 10-18 and Feb. 14-22, 2015.  The group size is a maximum of 12. The per person double rate is from $3,995. Private departures may be arranged upon request and the program can be tweaked for families with young children or adults only.

This itinerary unique to Wildland Adventures was created by Grettel Calderon, the company’s Central America Program Director and a native “Tica” from Costa Rica, who for 20 years has been designing eco tours to Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Belize and Guatemala. The main ingredients of her expert mix of adventures include wildlife viewing in cloud forests and jungles, natural history, cultural exchange, active adventures and local cuisine.

This off-the-tourist-track adventure brings guests from San Jose to the Pacuare River for Class III-IV whitewater rafting before a two-hour boat trip to Tortuguero National Park, so remote it can be accessed only by jungle canals or small air strip. A short repositioning flight back to San Jose points guests in the direction of the Pacific and an ecolodge a short distance from the beach in the Dominical region that accesses Marino Ballena (Whales) National Park, Osa Animal Sanctuary, Corcovado National Park and Cano Island, one of the most prolific humpback whale migratory routes and dolphin habitats in Central America.

“Many areas of Costa Rica that aren’t promoted to visitors have a lot to offer and Dominical is one of them. We’ve located still-secluded beaches surrounded with lush tropical forests teeming with wildlife, and pristine tropical waters where marine life thrives,” Calderon underscored.

“We’ve discovered wonderful local restaurants that offer extraordinary culinary experiences. For example this little rural town of Ojocha is nothing but amazing restaurants where local ex-pat resident chefs who have moved there from France, Italy and Indonesia, have blended recipes from home with fresh tropical ingredients and Tico-style cooking to open restaurants in their homes and gardens offering creative cuisines in an ambiance you would never expect in the middle of nowhere,” she said.

In her years of scouting trips Calderon has recently uncovered new private reserves, small coves and barely known beaches, an animal rehab sanctuary, off-the-tourist-track villages to visit and some of the hemisphere’s best whale watching.

Kurt Kutay, who founded Wildland Adventures (www.wildland.com) in 1986 after having worked for the Costa Rican National Park Service, noted that “most outfitters run insensitive (and even illegal) whale viewing trips and Grettel found the right boat operator who provides education and great viewing in comfortable and safe boats.  Another far-flung aspect of this trip is that we return overland from the southern coast over the Cerro de la Muerte mountain pass, stopping for a hike in the new Los Quetzales National Park where there are good chances of seeing the Holy Grail of birdwatching – the Resplendent Quetzal.”

In Tortuguero, besides kayaking, boat and village tours, families may join locals in a fun and interactive word adventure game helping kids learn a bit of English (while guests practice their Spanish). On the Pacific participants can join in several water activities: outrigger kayaking (an ancient form of kayaking), regular kayaking or stand up paddle boarding.  En route to Caño Island looking for whales, a stop is made at Playa Violines, a secluded beach accessed through mangrove forest on the Sierpe River. Here are opportunities for sightings of monkeys, sloth, crocodile, boa constrictor, iguana and more before reaching the ocean.

Departures are guaranteed for two or more people. Group is limited to 12 people. The trip begins and ends with overnights in San Jose. See: http://www.wildland.com/trips/central-america/costa-rica/costa-rica-far-flung-family-adventure/overview.aspx#/overview

For more information and reservations contact Wildland Adventures at 1-800-345-4453 or by email at: [email protected].

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