Costa Rica and Panamá

Visit to Poás Volcano, which is an active volcano with some of the most beautiful sceneries in Costa Rica. On the road towards the National Park we pass along many coffee plantations until reaching the cloud forest. We arrive to the immense active crater that measures 1.5 km in diameter. Enjoy also the Botos Lagoon with its trails and diversity of sceneries. Following the descent, visit to an orchid farm. Continue to Manuel Antonio with its beautiful beaches, located between Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park. (x 2 nights)

Visit to Manuel Antonio National Park. This park gives the possibility of covering beautiful trails full of life, where you will be able to find and observe monkeys, birds, reptiles and others. You will also enjoy some of the most beautiful beaches of the country. PM at leisure.

Departure to the small town of Tarcoles, near the river with the same name, and onto the Carara Biological Reserve. Boat excursion. The reserve is a habitat for American Crocodiles, and the marshes located at the river’s mouth are home to waterfowls and wading birds. Among the many herons and egrets, are the boatbill and bare-throated tiger Heron, and others. Reptiles, such as the American Crocodiles, common Basilisk and large iguanas are easily seen. Continue the route north towards Arenal. With an altitude of 1,633 meters, its regular eruptions offer one of the most extraordinary and impressing natural panoramas of Costa Rica. (x 2 nights)

Arenal Volcano. Its conical form evokes the traditional image of the active volcano. When the sight at the top is clear of clouds it is impressive: fumaroles during the day, falling lava at night.  Hanging Bridges adventure. Walk through these bridges at more than 50mts from the ground; enjoy the view from a different angle. Seek for birds, monkeys and sloths. Visit of the village La Fortuna. In the afternoon visit Ecotermales La Fortuna where you will enjoy the hot springs.

We travel towards the Caribbean coast. The road traverses severals types of scenery. While passing through Sarapiqui you will see a region with pineapple, palmito, sugar cane plantations, among other types of fruits. The province of Limón and its banana plantations. In Limon you will find a thriving Afro-Caribbean community. Part of the community traces its roots to Jamaican laborers who worked on a late nineteenth-century railroad project that connected San José to Puerto Limón. Other parts of the population trace their roots to the Nicaraguan, Panamanian, and Colombian turtle-hunters who eventually settled along the Province of Limón’s coast.  Visit to a banana plantation and packing plant according to the harvest season.

AM free to enjoy the beach at Punta Uva. Departure by road to the border with Panamá, and continue to the Port of Almirante. Here you will hop on a boat that will take you to Isla Colon which is the main island in the archipelago of Bocas del Toro. PM free. (x 2 nights)

Boat trip through the zone of Boca Torito on which you will have the opportunity to see dolphins. Visit to Dolphin Bay, a beautiful bay with calm waters, surrounded by mangrove forests. Visit to Cayo Coral and Playa Rana Roja.

Morning transfer to the airport in Bocas del Toro to board the flight to the capital. City tour. Panama City is without a doubt one of the most cosmopolitan citiies in the Americas. Panamá City was founded in 1519 by the Spanish conqerer Pedro Arias de Ávila. The city was a stopover point of one of the most important trade routes in the history of the American continent. The city was destroyed by a devastating fire, when the pirate Henry Morgan looted it on January 1671. It was rebuilt and formally established on January 21, 1673 in a peninsula located 8 km from the original settlement. The place where the previously devastated city was located is still in ruins, and is known as Panamá La Vieja. We will visit the ruins, followed by Panamá colonial: the Historical District, a World Heritage Site. We will also visit the Miraflores Locks at the Panamá Canal. (x 2 nights)

Today we head to the jungles of Chagres, where we will encounter the Emberá Indians. Boat ride on Chagres River discovering the jungle’s splendors. We will arrive to the village of Embera Drua. Enjoy the day having the opportunity to directly interact with this community, learn about their culture, beliefs, dances, music, medicinal plants, handicafts, etc. PM return to the capital.

At the time specified, transfer to the international airport.