Manuel Antonio is a national park, located on the mid-Pacific coast, close to the town of Quepos. The park is open daily, except on Mondays, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is one of the most popular national parks in Costa Rica. It’s advisable to plan your visit early in the day. Entrance to the park costs US$10 and you can hire a guide to show you around.

Before reading about what you can do in Manuel Antonio, make sure to also read about the Things to do in Quepos , as this is where you’ll most likely be looking for accommodation.

Here is a list of some of the things to do while visiting Manuel Antonio

Spend some time at the beach

There are quite a lot of beaches within the national park where you can spend your time but Playa Manuel Antonio is ,by far, the best within the park The waves are gentle and the current is not strong. You can spend some time soaking up the sun or enjoying a picnic after you’ve hiked in the jungle. Just make sure that someone is guarding the backpack all the time as the coatimundi really like to try to get to any food you might carry.

Hike in the jungle

There are four short trails (1-3 km) which can be tackled easily by anyone. Just make sure you wear comfortable and appropriate shoes.

Take a wildlife watching tour

Such tours cost from US$20 per person and the guide will tell you more about the animals you spot.

However, it is possible to see the animals on your own. The Capuchine Monkeys are known to move fast from one place to another , while the arboreal porcupines are high in the palm trees (use the zoom option for best photos). You may even spot some iguanas in some logs near the beaches.

Try some water sports

You can book an adventure trip and enjoy whitewater rafting on Rio Savegre or Rio Naranjo. Or if you’d rather stay away from the extreme sports, try snorkeling or sea kayaking.

Take a horse ride on the beach…or mountain

Horse riding on the beach can be a lovely, romantic way to explore the nature. While riding a horse on a mountain gives the opportunity to see views you might have not experienced otherwise.
There is a ranch located about 40 km from the park where you can book such tours. You don’t even need to have riding experience to try this.

A day at the spa

There are quite a lot of spas to choose from , all located close to the National Park. After a day exploring the park, you can invest some money for you own pleasure and relaxation.

Learn to surf

Kids and adults alike will have a lot of fun learning to surf. There are several companies which offer surf lessons.

Sport fishing

If you like to spend your time waiting for a fish to bite, then the park is a perfect place to nail a marlin or a sailfish. There are tour companies which offer sport fishing options.

Sunset Sail

There are companies which offer the possibility of sailing at sunset. The boat makes a stop along the way and you can swim or snorkel in the calm waters. The sunset sail also includes dinner. So you can easily turn this activity into a romantic escape with your loved one. Such a sunset cruise costs US$75 for an adult.

Ziplining in the rainforest

There are four companies which offer such activities. For example, Canopy Safari’s adventure includes 17 platforms, 19 zip lines and 3 rappels. The 5 hour safari costs US$75 for both adults and children. A meal is included in the price. Along the safari you’ll be able to spot different tropical birds, plants and flowers. A visit to the butterfly farm and serpentarium are also included in the price.

Photo credits:Playa Manuel Antonio , Wildlife , Horse ride on the beach , Surf lesson , Zip line

Original article can be found here: Things to Do in Manuel Antonio

Want to really get to see Costa Rica? If you go to Jaco and spend a bunch of time with a lot of other tourists who spend their time enjoying the city’s club scene, you may leave and realize that you never truly caught a glimpse of the untamed wilderness of Costa Rica’s “pura vida.” There are many ways that you can really get to see the unspoilt beauty of Costa Rica, but one of the best is to take a Marlin Del Rey Sailing Sunset Tour in Tamarindo.

What to Expect

Marlin Del Rey Sailing Tours have an impeccable reputation for excellence. You have been on those cheap dolphin tours where the boat is old and you never see anything too exciting. Marlin Del Rey Tours blow these chintzy tours out of the water. On the five hour long tour, you will pass miles and miles of beach with literally no signs of civilization! Talk about really getting away from it all!

Marlin Del Rey Sailing Sunset Tours leave every day at 1:30PM from Playa Tamarindo Costa Rica. The boat that you go in is incredible! It is 66 feet long, and can travel farther and faster than any other boat in all of Central America. This sailing catamaran can reaching speeds of up to 25 knots, and is so large that even with 25 other passengers, you still feel like you have the place to yourself.

The tour takes you past mile after mile of gorgeous beaches and tropical rain forests. It is common for passengers see troops of monkeys from the boat. Then, at one point, the catamaran stops at a serene bay, in which you can get out and swim around. The black sand beach you stop at is incredible, and there is a palatial private house just up the beach which is the only house you will see the whole trip. At this bay, you can decide to kayak through sea caves, snorkel in the bay, or play on the beach. This beach also features a reef, so the snorkeling is actually really good.

While you play, the Marlin Del Rey staff gets a feast of feast of fresh fruit, chips, dip, ceviche and salads ready. The thing that you should know about the Marlin Del Rey Sailing Tours is that they have an unmatched reputation for incredible customer service. If you search through reviews, you find nothing but accounts of people who rave about how far the Marlin Del Rey staff will go out of their way to make your trip great. In addition to lunch, you can also get as many homemade smoothies and drinks as you want at any point in the trip for no additional charge. The kayaks and snorkel equipment also does not cost extra.

While you sail, it is common to be able to see dolphin, flying fish, rays, and sea turtles. If you come in the fall, there is also a good chance that you will get to see whales. Finally, at the end of the trip, you get to watch the sun go down over the Pacific. The tours are all around a wonderful experience!

Tips for Visiting

If you are planning on booking a sunse tour with Marlin Del Rey Sailing, you should know in advance that the trip costs $75.00 each person. This price is probably considerably higher than you would think it would be, and may even put you off from going. But you have to consider what you are getting. Endless drinks, delicious food, free equipment, a trip to a deserted beach and reef, over five hours of sailing, and the most helpful staff that you could imagine.

Marlin Del Rey Sailing Sunset Tours are a great way to really relax, soak up the sun, and really experience the untouched beauty of Costa Rica!

Original article can be found here: Marlin Del Rey Sailing Tours

Arenas del Mar is one of Costa Rica’s premiere nature resorts. This resort was designed with sustainability in mind; solar hot water, energy-efficient lighting, and use of nontoxic, biodegradeable cleaning products are just a few of the eco-friendly practices used throughout the premises. But you’ll hardly notice these and other low impact features during your stay at this luxurious, high-end resort.

Getting to Manuel Antonio from San Jose

What to Expect

Arenas del Mar occupies 11 acres between the beautiful white sand beaches of the Pacific Ocean and the spectacular rainforest of Manuel Antonio National Park. Breathtaking views of the rainforest or beaches can be enjoyed from its 38 well-appointed rooms, apartments and suites. Accommodations feature such 5-star amenities as king size beds, flat-screen cable televisions, wired internet access and fully equipped mini-bars.

>>Make a Reservation Now

Specific lodge offerings are as follows:

Ocean Breeze Superior Rooms host 2 guests and feature one king bed, deck space overlooking the ocean or rainforest, and a spacious bathroom.

Ocean Breeze Suites have a king bed; some have an additional pull-out sofa. They include a spacious deck and large living area with ceiling fans, mini-bar and full bathroom. A private hot tub on the deck allows guests to soak and relax while watching a sunset. Suites with a pull-out sofa will accommodate up to 3 guests; those without can host 2 guests.

Rainforest View Suites will host up to 3 guests. They are spacious one-bedroom suites with one king bed and a large living area. A large Jacuzzi beckons from an outside terrace.

Ocean Breeze Apartments are one of the most luxurious lodgings on Costa Rica’s central Pacific Coast. It features more than 1650 square feet of living space with spectacular views of the beach, ocean and rainforest. All these apartments feature two air-conditioned bedrooms each with a king bed, a large living area with ceiling fans, a full size pull-out sofa, a mini-bar and three full bathrooms. A private hot tub adorns the very spacious deck. These beautifully-appointed apartments will comfortably host up to 5 guests.

Arenas del Mar also features two gourmet restaurants bursting with both local and international flavor. Enjoy a gorgeous sunset while dining on delicious and innovative dishes at El Mirador, overhanging Espedilla Beach and overlooking the rainforest. El Mirado serves from 7 AM – 10 PM, including bar snacks and room service. Lighter, elegant fare is offered (from 10 AM – 6 PM) at Playitas Restaurant and Bar next to Playitas Beach. Sip your favorite drink while listening to the melodies of the rainforest.

After a scrumptious meal, choose from Arenas del Mar’s menu of fun and adventurous activities. The resort offers bird tours, night walks, morning or sunset sailing, surfing and surf lessons, white-water rafting, horse-back riding, hiking, mangrove kayaking….and much more! The hotel’s staff includes a resident naturalist guide who will be happy to assist you.

At day’s end, immerse your body and soul at La Brisas Spa. Professional masseuses are on duty from 10 AM – 6 PM to pamper you in every way. Get a massage, facial, wrap or scrub. Refresh and renew yourself with their manicure, pedicure and depilation services. Since spa services are extremely popular at Arenas del Mar, guests are encouraged to reserve their massage or treatment early.

>>Make a Reservation Now

Special Packages

Arenas del Mar offers two special packages beyond its regular rates.

The Beach and Nature Romantic Package is for couples looking for adventure and pampering. It includes a scenic horseback ride through the rainforest and a relaxing couples massage.

The Healing Package caters to those guests needing to revitalize, rejuvenate, unwind and relax. It includes a wrap or scrub of choice, a massage and special healing menu.

With all this and more, Arenas del Mar offers something for everyone!

Original article can be found here: Arenas del Mar Beach and Nature Resort

You can have it all! There are so many incredible animals and plants in Costa Rica’s gorgeous jungles, and thousands more that have not been discovered. If you love learning about and experiencing wildlife, it can be hard to figure out which activities in Costa Rica will provide you with the best glimpses of rare animals. If you want it all, then consider Selvatura Park! It is one of the most fantastic destinations for any animal lover!

What to Expect

Selvatura Park is a cloud forest conservation project located in the famous area of Monteverde. They have pretty much every activity you can think of wanting to do in the jungles from zip lines to guided tours. At the park they have a butterfly garden, canopy tours, zip lines, a hummingbird garden, a huge rainforest insect display, and a reptile and amphibian center. You can also learn more about cloud forests. There are restaurants, private guides available, and free transportation to and from the park. So get a hotel in Monteverde and you could practically have your whole vacation in the park!

The Monteverde zip line is super exciting and really popular. There are fifteen different cables to and from eighteen platforms. There is a great variety of views from each zip line. Some of them are really long and a lot of them were really high. You actually go through the trees and the clouds on the zip lines, and the experience can often be as exhilarating as a rollercoaster!
The canopy tour, by contrast, is much more relaxed. There are huge bridges that are built into the cloud forest instead of above it. The bridges were actually built in San Jose and then transported to Monteverde. Workers had to carry the pieces of the bridges on their shoulders and assemble them inside of the cloud forest so that the forest could stay as pristine and undamaged as possible. The park boasts both the longest, safest, and strongest bridge system in all of Costa Rica. The tour is very peaceful and takes between an hour and a half and two hours.

The butterfly garden at Selvatura Park is one of the world’s largest butterfly exhibits. After a forty-five minute long guided tour, you are allowed to stay in the butterfly garden for as long as you wish. There is also a “Jewels of the Rain Forest” exhibit of insects. It is one of the largest private insect exhibitions in the world, and there are over a million bugs on display.

Also, you will probably want to see Selvatura Park’s hummingbird garden. There are over fourteen rare species of hummingbirds native to the Monteverde region on display in the garden. The birds actually get so close to you that they will accidentally fly into you once in awhile!

Tips for Visiting

If you are planning to visit Selvatura Park in Monteverde, it is good to know in advance that if you decide to do multiple activities, you will get a discount. Also, there are discounts available for students.

If you are planning on doing the zip line, do not wear flip flops, because they will fall off into the forest. Also, if is a good idea to wear longer pants because the harness will make shorts ride up.

Don’t sign up for the zip line tour hoping that you will get to see a bunch of animals. The zip lines are really just for the high-speed fun they provide; you won’t cruise right past a quetzal or a pack of monkeys on a zip line. If you are more interested in the nature aspect, then you should go on the canopy tour. If you go on the tour group and get a guide, they know everything about the animals of Monteverde. They are especially adept at spotting wildlife hiding in the forest canopy, so make sure and bring your own binoculars, if you own a pair!

Original article can be found here: Selvatura Park

Costa Rica is truly a vacationer’s paradise. But with so much to see and do there, if you only have a week or so, then you will really have your work cut out for you! What you will want to do will depend a lot on the atheistic prowess of you and those you are traveling with. Tons of fantastic outdoor activities abound in Costa Rica, whether it be surfing, hiking through tropical rainforests, or renting a canoe. But if you want a slower paced view of the jungle, then the perfect activity for you would be a Rain Forest Aerial Tram Tour.

Located in the small city of Jaco on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, the tram tour was made with the primary goal of raising the world’s consciousness as to the importance of tropical rainforests. Just a few decades ago, the rainforest was an exceptionally difficult place to study. One of the main reasons it was so difficult to study was that so much of it is so high up! A diverse group of plants and animals inhabits the canopies of the rainforests, which grow as high as two hundred feet above the ground. Jaco’s Rain Forest Aerial Tram Tour actually goes through the air just above the rainforest, providing a totally unique view of the jungles below!

Check out these day trips from Jaco.

What to Expect

The entire tram tour also includes a walking tour to a garden of medicinal plants that are found in the jungle was well as a snake exhibit. You will watch a short video about the tram, and take a forty five minute long guided nature walk with a bilingual naturalist. And of course, you get to ride on the aerial tram! The aerial tram is really just a modified ski lift. It moves very slow, and is very relaxing. I highly recommend it for those who are looking for a wonderful view and less adventuresome and physically demanding activities. For these same reasons, I would not recommend the tour for children, because they would probably find the tram ride boring.

The aerial tram ride is about an hour long, and you travel about a half of a mile. The trip takes you from the drier climate up to the rainforest canopy. The tram passes by some really lovely views of waterfalls and of the Costa Rican coastline. The trees are just below you, and your guide will work to help you find monkeys and birds in the trees. It is very interesting, because you can see plants and animals that are usually hidden by the foliage if you are just hiking through. The tram itself is very quiet, which is neat because it makes it so that you can still hear all the sounds of the jungle along the way.

Finally, there are also really well maintained nature trails at the park that vary in difficulty. There are lots of blooming flowers and pretty plants along the the trails. And if you are interested in snakes, you will find the serpentarium to be really interesting. They have all of the different types of snakes native to Costa Rica on exhibit, from aggressive pit vipers and huge boa constrictors to incredibly poisonous snakes.

Tips for Visiting

The Rain Forest Aerial Tram Tour in Jaco is definitely not as high adrenaline as other activities available in Costa Rica such as zip line tours or hiking tours. It is a slow, comfortable ride, and it is an incredibly relaxing experience. Do not bring anyone who is really impatient along. I will emphasize this point by mentioning that they charge $27.50 for each child, even if they are only two years old. So it is not the best activity for little kids. Also, make sure not to have huge expectations about how many animals you will see. It is the wild, not a zoo. Luck and timing will decide how many interesting critters you see! And finally, be sure and bring sunscreen and comfortable shoes.

Original article can be found here: Rain Forest Aerial Tram in Jaco

Rainforests have an incredible, magical draw to them. So for someone who especially loves animals, they are truly a nature lover’s paradise! If you always been fascinated by the jungle and yet have never gotten to actually go, then you have got to go on your next vacation to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve in Costa Rica! The park is known as one of the most stunning nature reserves in the entire world, and is home to home to over 2,000 species of plants and trees, a hundred species of mammals, 490 species of butterflies, over 400 species of birds, and about 1,200 species of amphibians and reptiles.

Check out some other things to do in Monteverde.

What to Expect

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is on the west side of Costa Rica and is in the Puntarenas province. It is about a four hour drive from the capital city of San Jose. The reserve was actually initially created by a group of Quakers in the sixties. Luckily for the rest of the world, they were determined to preserve this watershed area.

The park has a totally unique cloud canopy system. While other rainforests are usually really rainy (hence the name rainforests), cloud forests are comparatively dry. Cloud forests are located at a higher altitudes, making them cloudier than a rainforest. So the plants in a cloud forest actually receive moisture from all the water that is in the air. This makes the park really surreal.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve has a ton of great trails for hiking, however most of them are not meant for beginning hikers. At some points, the trails are muddy and slippery. And additionally, the cloudy conditions can make it hard to spot animals and birds. But if you don’t want to hike, you don’t have to. You can also take a skywalk or rappelling tour of the forest. In these tours, you go on a series of bridges and cables that offer higher views of the reserve below.

There is an amazing array of wildlife and plants that make the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve their home. Tapirs, ocelots, jaguars, pumas, and tons of variety of monkeys. The park is home to Costa Rica’s most famous bird, the rare and beautiful quetzal. The park is also home to a the golden toad. This toad lives nowhere else in the world except for the Monteverde Reserve. It lives on the continental divide and is actually both deaf and dumb. The males of the species are a pretty bright orange color, and at certain times of the year, they are easy to find. The park is also home to more than 300 species of orchids and 200 species of ferns.

Tips fro Visiting

If you are planning on going to the park, and you are really serious about seeing the animals, there are several things that you should know before you go. First, because the plants and animals in the reserve are so fragile, only 120 people are allowed on a single trail at a time. Access to the trails are given on a first come, first served basis unless you booked a guided tour beforehand.

If you are an experienced hikers and you want to stay in the park overnight, you can. There are three backpacking shelters within the park, all equipped with bunks, showers, hydroelectricity, propane stoves, and even pots and pans. You will have to bring your own food and sleeping bag, and you will have to make reservations to camp in the park in advance. The huts are locked so that only those with reservations can get in. It costs anywhere from $3.50–5.00 if you decide to stay the night.
Make sure that you bring warm clothing and raingear. The visitors center sells trail maps and wildlife guides, so if you would rather go without a guide, you can. However, since they know the park so well, going with a guide can increase your chances of seeing wildlife.

Original article can be found here: Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve

You may not already know it, but Costa Rica is a fantastic vacation destination. Costa Rica is the most politically stable country in all of Latin American and is very Americanized. Many Costa Ricans are bilingual, making travel much easier. And, of course, the country boasts some of the most gorgeous attractions you could ever imagine! Volcanoes, acres and acres of lush rainforest, fantastic waves for surfing and gorgeous white and black sand beaches. Its pretty much paradise!

There is a ton to do in Costa Rica, so it helps to know where to go! One of my favorite cities in Costa Rica is Quepos. It is just a tiny little town, but there are a ton of great restaurants, places to stay, and things to do. And the city is right next to one of the most gorgeous national parks in all of Central America; the Manuel Antonio National Park.

<what to Expect
In the Manuel Antonio National Park, there are tons of trails through the rainforests and gorgeous beaches. In a single day I saw an incredible variety of wildlife. If you stay in the park long enough and keep your eyes open, you will be amazed at what you can see! There are incredible giant shiny blue butterflies, and there are disgustingly cool giant spiders with equally large webs who feast on bugs such as the butterflies. There are tiny crabs with giant red claws and huge iguanas that live in trees right on the beach. The iguanas don’t seem to care about the dozens of beach-going tourists. I also saw some monkeys, a coati (it is a little bit like a raccoon), and a three toed sloth!

I fell in love with the park, so much so that I just had to see more! The next day, we signed up for a Safari Mangrove Tour of the park. How it works is you get on a small boat that holds about fifteen people. There are bilingual guides who take you deep into parts of the park that you can’t really get into if you are just walking through the trails. Because of this, you get to see a ton of animals! I think a lot of them hide back there to stay farther from the tourists (although in general none of the animals we saw even seemed to care that we were there). It is so fun because you can kind of sneak up on the animals and get really close! We saw crocodiles, (yikes!) the back end of an anteater, and a ton of monkeys! There were loud, scary howler monkeys as well as smaller squirrel monkeys. The squirrel monkeys actually even came right down onto boat! It was such a great tour and an amazing experience!

Tips for Visiting

I absolutely recommend going to the Manuel Antonio National Park and going on the Safari Mangrove Tour! It was one of the coolest things I have ever gotten to do! But here is a little bit of advice if you plan on going. First of all, bring your camcorder! I didn’t because I was worried it would get wet, but my camera was fine, and I wished I would have brought my camcorder, too. It is quite wet on the boats though, although they do keep them really clean. Costa Rica is just a wet place. So you might want to wear a swimsuit or bring a poncho.

Water inevitably gets in the bottom of the boat, so I would recommend flip flops. Also, they don’t have anywhere to lock away your stuff, so don’t bring a ton with you. You never have to leave your things, though, so you do not have to worry about them being stolen. Those are some things I wish I would have known about before I went on the Safari Mangrove Tour, so I just wanted to pass them along. There are a ton of amazing things to do in Costa Rica, but this was one of my personal favorites!

Original article can be found here: Safari Mangrove Tours in Quepos

When you are a tourist visiting another country, you can sometimes feel like you are missing something. You have heard so many great things about a particular place, but when you go there yourself, it just is not what you expected. Maybe you simply aren’t eating at the right places or seeing the right things? It can be very frustrating, because you are usually on a time crunch and you want everything you do on your vacation to be magical!

Well, I have always been wary of hiring an sort of tour guide on my vacations. Usually just because I am cheap. It just makes me feel like I have a huge sticker on my chest that says ‘tourist.’ But when you go somewhere foreign to you, especially when you don’t speak the language, getting a tour guide can actually be one of the smartest things you can do. I recently took a trip to Costa Rica and while I really don’t think I could have gone wrong with any activity I chose to do in Costa Rica, we used a tour guide a couple of different times, and they helped to make our trip that much more magical!

What to Expect

It is just a little company called El Aguila Mayor Nature Tours. They do not even have a fully functioning website yet. (Don’t worry; they have fully functioning email and are easy to get a hold of, they just aren’t wasting their time and money creating a web page but instead rely more on word of mouth). The owner, Juan, gives many of the tours, and it is amazing how much he knows about local wildlife, plants, activities and restaurants, and even government.

El Aguila Mayor Nature Tours’s goal is to show you the local’s view of the Costa Rica. These guys know Costa Rica inside and out, and will pretty much take you wherever you want to go! If you don’t know where you want to go, they have plenty of suggestions. They are located in Quepos, which is one of the best tourist cities in Costa Rica.

Before we went on our tour, Juan had taken a different group on a kayak ride and then to one of his favorite local restaurants. We went on a tour of the Manuel Antonio National Park with Juan. His English is really easy to understand, and it was a good thing we were with him! Some of the animals were so well camouflaged that we would have never even noticed them he hadn’t pointed them out to us! He brought a pair of binoculars so that we could see tropical birds and monkeys high up in the trees easier.

Final Thoughts

At the end of our tour, he also gave us suggestions of places we should eat at and how to get to the best beaches in the city (most of the beaches are rather hidden, so you have to know where you are going). I had been skeptical, but getting a tour with El Aguila Mayor Nature Tours helped us see and experience way more on our vacation than we would have on our own!
Next time I visit Costa Rica, I will definitely use El Aguila Mayor Nature Tours again. Instead of eating food that wasn’t that great and only seeing a few animals in the national park, we felt like we really enjoyed everything we did, thanks to the great insider suggestions Juan had. If you are going to take a El Aguila Mayor nature tour, there are a couple of things I would recommend. First, if you have some at home, bring your own set binoculars. Also, tell your guide if there is a particular animal you would want to see most, because whatever it is, they will probably know where that animal hangs out.

Original article can be found here: El Aguila Mayor Nature Tours

Exploring the jungles and waterways of Costa Rica is something every visitor to Costa Rica wants to do. Unfortunately, this isn’t something that should be done on your own. It is way to easy to get lost and there are way to many dangers out there. It is for these reasons it is in your best interest to see these marvels of Costa Rica with a guide or tour company. The Canoa Aventura tour operator is a great one to go exploring with; be it by canoe or hike. They offer several exciting tours that last the better part of the day.

What to Expect

The Canoa Aventura tour operator offers a variety of tours, but the most popular are either the hiking tour or the canoe tour. Both are equally as cool, but you will have to decide for yourself which one is up your alley.

Canoe is the Mode of Travel – Safari Float

Stay alert because you will not want to miss a thing on this tour. The gentle lapping of the water as the canoe makes it way down the Rio Peñas Blancas (River of White Rocks) is about as peaceful as it gets. The cost of this tour will certainly be worth every penny spent. The topical birds and other wildlife are quite abundant. There is also a good chance you may catch a glimpse of the morpho butterfly. This American butterfly which is also a tropical has lustrous blue wings. The guides on these tours are extremely knowledgeable. You will probably end up learning more about the animal life in this area than you ever thought possible.

If Walking is more Your Style – Arenal Volcano Tour

If you want to explore the lush rain forest on the Arenal volcano, this is the perfect tour. Only a few minutes into the hike you will immersed in the lush rain forest. Depending on what time of the day you go, you are likely to see all kinds of wildlife. You can pretty much bet on seeing, or at least hearing, monkeys, toucans, and plenty of other jungle animals. Don’t expect to feed any of these animals, but be ready to snap some pictures for sure.

An hour and a half walk through the rainforest will allow many photos of the lush tropical beauty to be added to your vacation album. Relax at the end of the tour at the Tabacon Hot Springs. Like heaven on earth, surrounded by the lush jungle and waterfalls that will take your breathe away, the ultimate in rest and relaxation is possible here. And speaking of waterfalls, if you want to see the most overwhelming view of a waterfall, the La Catarata de la Fortuna is the one. With falling water from 70 meters, this is an exhilarating experience.

If you are really ready for some excitement, the Arenal Volcano which has been an active volcano since 1968 constantly erupts. This has been going on daily since that time and often you will hear thunder associated with the eruptions. After dark this is a spectacular show as the red rocks spewing from the volcano make their way down the side lighting the night.

Tips for Visiting

Arenal Volcano Tour lasts about 4 hours, so prepare yourself beforehand and wear comfortable shoes. This will be extraordinary sights that you will remember for the rest of your life. If you would like to stay closer to the volcano there is a new hotel which has been built, Hotel Arenal Kioro which is a great place to stay for a spectacular view of the volcano. The straight shot view of the active volcano will make for a wondrous show. If you are into nighttime photography you can get some spectacular shots of this volcano erupting and showing its own fireworks display.

When choosing Arenal La Fortuna, Costa Rica for your vacation, there are two seasons. The rainy season or green season and the high season make a difference in what prices are charged at many attractions and hotels. If you are on a budget but want to see the beautiful area, the green season is the time for budget minded people to take their vacation here.

Original article can be found here: Canoa Aventura in Arenal La Fortuna

One of the most breath taking and exciting things you can do in Costa Rica is an Arenal hanging bridge tour. These walking bridge tours allow you a chance to take your time and enjoy the natural surroundings at your own pace. There are many other different scenic tours you can take in Costa Rica, but very few offer the broad range of things that you can see on an Arenal hanging bridge tour. If you are looking for an outdoor adventure that takes you back in time and shows you a glimpse of what the world was like millions of years ago an Arenal hanging bridge tour is a perfect choice.

>>Tips for Visiting Arenal and La Fortuna

What to Expect

The Arenal bridge tour offers travellers a chance to really get out into the Costa Rican wild. There are several different options as far as tours go and each has their own unique sites to offer. You can take a guided daytime tour in which an expert will show you around the hanging bridges and point out and teach you on all the different things to see. This tour culminates in a trip to Arenal, one of the worlds ten most active volcanoes. As with any of the Arenal tours it will be the centerpiece but the guide can tell you about all the different flora and fauna you see along the way. There are many different plants and animals that are unique to the Costa Rican rainforest.

Take a tour with an expert guide and they can let you know all about what is there. If exotic birds are something that interests you, take an early bird watching tour. Over 50 different species of birds can be seen on these tours. The guides that take you on the bird watching tours are experts on all the different varieties you will see. Even if you are not a bird expert they will help you spot and identify all the different types. If you are looking for something a little bit more adventurous you may want to try a night walk tour. This tour offers a unique look at all the frogs and other animals that only come out at night. If you are lucky enough when you get to Arenal it may be erupting. The view at night is indescribable. Any of these three tours offers something different for each person. The one thing they all have in common is getting a close up look at Arenal.

Arenal is the most active volcano in Costa Rica. Learn more about Arenal National Park here. Similar to Mount Fuji in Japan the volcano towers a mile above Lake Arenal. It has been active for the last 7,000 years and looks to remain so for quite some time. It has daily eruptions that come with slow lava flow that can be easily observed on the evening and night tours. Every three to four years Arenal will have a significant eruption with lava shooting high from the top of the volcano. If you are patient enough though you should be able to see some kind of eruption.

Tips for Visiting

A trip to Arenal and one of the hanging bridge tours can be fun for anyone who wants to see nature at its most raw and primal. These tours offer a chance to see many different kinds of natural phenomenon that should keep even the most fickle travellers entertained. I recommend taking whichever of the tours seems most appropriate to your family. Pack a lunch and plan for at least a half day at the park. You can stay longer if you would like, but at minimum you will be there for this amount of time. Definitely bring a camera to get pictures of all the wonderful things you are sure to see. Do not forget to also be patient as some of the eruptions will take time to occur. Most importantly though have fun and enjoy the natural beauty of Costa Rica.

Original article can be found here: The Hanging Bridge Tours in Arenal