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Day 1 - San Jose, Costa Rica - Welcome to the "rich coast," friendly land of democracy and rare natural beauty. See exotic birds and wildlife, hike in jungle rainforests, view volcanoes, soak in hot springs and cruise through biological reserves. Relax on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Go to San Jose to your hotel for a two night stay.

Day 2 - Poas Volcano, Cloud Forest - This morning, enjoy a drive through Costa Rica's famous coffee growing region. Next, visit Poas Volcano. Weather permitting, you can see inside the active crater from an overlook. Next, hike the Escalonia Cloud Forest Trail, home to epiphytes, orchids, ferns and tropical hummingbirds. Cloud forests are like rainforests, but with less rain and more humidity. Lunch. Then, a short walking tour through a small family coffee farm. Enjoy fresh Costa Rican coffee. Then, see San Jose's Plaza de la Cultura, Central Park and the National Theatre. Visit the Gold Museum and see pre-Columbian artifacts.

Day 3 - Butterfly Garden, Tortuguero Park - Scenic morning drive through Braulio Carrillo Park. Look for cascading waterfalls. Visit a butterfly garden. Enjoy lunch. See a banana plantation. Then, cruise through rivers and canals to the 47,000 acre Tortuguero National Park. Tortuguero is home to more than 300 species of birds. Look for toucans, parrots, kingfishers and the rare green macaw. Free time to enjoy the swimming pool and tropical flower gardens at your lodge. Listen to joyful jungle sounds. Enjoy a two night stay at your lodge.

Day 4 - Tortuguero Park, Canal Cruise - Cruise this morning with naturalist guides along canals lined by raffia palm, the habitat of howler and white-faced monkeys, green iguanas and tropical birds. Look for white and snowy egrets and the amazing nests of the montezuma oropendola. Then, enter the mysterious reflecting waters of Cano Palma wildlife reserve. Next, visit the Green Turtle Research Station. Learn about efforts to protect the turtles. Walk along the Atlantic turtle nesting beaches with a naturalist guide. Next, to Tortuguero village. Meet Costa Rican school children on your visit to a local school (when in session). Enjoy an afternoon boat excursion into Tortuguero Park. Look for otters, turtles and manatees. Dinner.

Day 5 - Pineapple Tour, Fortuna - Morning cruise on Tortuguero River. Enjoy lunch. Visit a pineapple plantation. Sample Costa Rica's famous sweet organic pineapples. Next, through scenic countryside to the San Carlos Valley for a two night stay in Fortuna.

Day 6 - Cano Negro, Hot Springs, Arenal - Head north this morning, passing through sugar cane, teak and orange plantations. Then, cruise on the Rio Frio which runs through the world famous Cano Negro wildlife refuge, home to many migratory birds found nowhere else in Costa Rica. Look for whistling ducks, roseate spoonbills, cormorants, anhingas, blue heron, and northern jacanas. Watch for caimans, crocodiles, spider monkeys, and web-footed, water-walking lizards. Lunch. Return to Fortuna. Then, enjoy a relaxing soak in the volcanic hot springs. Weather permitting, see nearby Arenal Volcano's softly glowing lava flow.

Day 7 - Hanging Bridges, Guanacaste - This morning enjoy an unforgettable adventure in the heart of the rainforest at the Hanging Bridges, rated one of Costa Rica's top tourist attractions. Hike on six suspension bridges, through lush tropical rainforest canopy. Enjoy views of a waterfall and look for tropical birds. Later, a scenic drive around Lake Arenal. Enjoy lunch. Next, enter the Guanacaste province. Drive through the only tropical dry forest in Costa Rica. Stop in Liberia. Then, to Costa Rica's beautiful Pacific Coast for a two night stay.

Day 8 - Pacific Coast, Guanacaste - This morning drive to the nearby Natural Trail of Hacienda Pinilla. This tropical bird and wildlife sanctuary is home to the playful howler monkey. Lunch. Enjoy a carefree leisurely afternoon. Time to beachcomb or stroll the pristine beaches of your resort. Enjoy your hotel's infinity pool, the largest in Central America.

Day 9 - Tarcoles Cruise, San Jose - Morning drive through the cattle ranches of Guanacaste. Lunch. Next, enjoy a bird and crocodile spotting cruise on the Tarcoles River, adjacent to the Carara Biological Reserve. Cruise through a mangrove reserve. This tropical bird and wildlife sanctuary is a nesting site for the scarlet macaw. Return to San Jose. Farewell dinner.

Day 10 - San Jose - To San Jose airport & then Sansa Airlines to Quepos

Day 11 & 12 Hang out in Manuel Antonio.

Day 13 - Return flight to San Jose on Sansa & then on to the main terminal for the flight back to the states.