Hike, ride horses and fly over the top on a canopy tour while discovering beautiful Costa Rica.

Volcanoes, rainforests and Costa Rica's best!

December 27-January 4, 2008  OR  December 28-January 5, 2009

This trip is an in-depth exploration of the rainforests and volcanoes of Costa Rica. Unlike our other Costa Rica trip which has only a couple of days in the rainforests (and others at the beach), this trip will focus on the mountains, rivers and natural beauty of the Costa Rican countryside. This will allow us more time for wildlife viewing, hiking, and other eco-activities..

Highlights:

• See the beautiful waterfalls at La Paz.
  
• Spend the night in the shadow of Arenal, an active volcano.
  
• Explore the Sarapiqui region and take a thrilling white water rafting ride.
  
• Enjoy an over-the-top canopy ride above the cloud forest of the Continental Divide.
  
• Hike through the Monteverde Cloudforest and see amazing wildlife.
  
• Explore the active gay life of San Jose, Costa Rica's bustling capital.
  
• See our Colors of Costa Rica tour for our February trip to Costa Rica featuring Monteverde and Manuel Antonio National Park, on the pristine Pacific coast!
  

Dates and Price:

• Dec. 27, 2007 to Jan. 4, 2008: $2,295: A trip for gay men and lesbians.
• Dec. 28, 2008 to Jan. 5, 2009: $2,395: A trip for gay men and lesbians.
  
  Prices are per-person, based on double occupancy. Tours often fill up months before departure. We regularly update our travel schedule to show the status of this and other trips.

E-mail: Travlgrrl@aol.com for more info.

Travelling Alone?
So are most of the people who travel with us. You do not need to pay extra to travel by yourself. Prices are per-person, and the single supplement applies only if you'd like a room by yourself.

Location: starts and ends in San Jose, Costa Rica,

Price includes: Accommodations every night; All breakfasts, four lunches, four dinners (for vegetarians, please note that we will request vegetarian meals, but there is not a widespread understanding of vegetarian eating in Costa Rica); House wine, beer, soft drinks or blended fruit drinks for most included meals; Transportation between destinations shown in the trip itinerary (airport transfers not included); Forest canopy tour; Optional post-trip extension to Manuel Antonio National Park beaches (subject to availability).

Not included: Airfare to San Jose; Airport transfers; Three lunches, four dinners and beverages not listed as being included; Other optional activities; Gratuities for guides.

1: Welcome to Costa Rica!

Fly into San Jose's Juan Santamaria International Airport, and then transfer on your own to our Costa Rica hotel. (Hotel details will be sent closer to departure.) Our tour officially begins in the early evening when you'll meet your Alyson Adventures tour director, your local Costa Rican tour guide, and other group members at a special welcome dinner. After dinner there'll be a Night Out city tour to explore San Jose's nightlife, visiting the most popular gay spots of the San Jose area.

2: Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall

After breakfast we will depart for the Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Poas is a beautiful park area with a luxuriant forest surrounding two craters. The volcano stands at an altitude of 2708 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level. One of the craters measures 1.5 kilometers in diameter (0.9 miles) and is 300 meters deep (900 feet). At the bottom of this prehistoric-looking hole, there is a lagoon that spews boiling sulphurous gases. The other crater, called Botos Lagoon, contains cold water that connects to the Rio Angel, and consequently resembles a small lake with clear blue water.

We will also visit the La Paz ("Peace") Waterfall Gardens. This large private reserve features a butterfly observatory, hummingbird and orchid gardens, and trails along the La Paz River with five impressive waterfalls. We will enjoy lunch at La Paz Waterfall Gardens Lodge. Later in the afternoon we return to San Jose, where you can explore the city and enjoy dinner on your own.

3-4: Sarapiqui

Today we head to the lush Sarapiqui River valley where we will spend the next two nights at the Sueno Azul Resort. On the way we will stop at Braulio Carrillo National Park, one of the largest and most beautiful rainforests in all of Costa Rica. Our hotel is an elegant rustic retreat; a sanctuary for nature and peaceful relaxation. The region is one of the most diverse in Costa Rica, offering a mosaic of mountains, plains, volcanoes, lakes, rivers, forests, fruit farms and cattle ranches. During our two-day stay here we will enjoy hiking, a horseback ride through the rain forest, a whitewater rafting trip, and a private hike to the lagoon and waterfalls for swimming.

5: Arenal Volcano

Arenal Volcano is the youngest volcano in Costa Rica and the most active. Asleep for hundreds of years, with a single crater at its summit, in 1968 Arenal had an eruption and destroyed the small town of Tabacón. The activity nowadays is less damaging but you can still see daily ash columns, underground rumbling, glowing orange lava flows and sudden explosions. With its perfect conical shape it allows breathtaking views of volcanic action at the summit. Almost every night the crater offers a spectacle of lights with its explosive eruptions. The red lava flow is visible from our hotel when the mountain is not shrouded by clouds. We will also visit a hot springs park, consisting of a series of pools and springs heated by the warm underflow of Arenal. Dinner will be at the hot springs resort. Our hotel is the Arenal Volcano Hotel in the shadow of the great volcano.

6-7: Monteverde Cloud Forest

The next morning we follow a winding mountain road around Arenal Lake up to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve at the top of the Continental Divide, where we spend the next two days. The world famous Reserve is one of the most outstanding wildlife sanctuaries in the Americas and includes eight distinct ecological zones. It protects more than 400 species of birds and over 100 species of mammals. We will enjoy a guided nature hike into the cloud forest along the well maintained trails. We will also visit the village of Santa Elena, with its art galleries and shops, and stop at a butterfly conservatory.

On our second day, we will literally be swinging above the trees. Sky Trek is a system of several platforms suspended above the ground in the midst of tree boughs. Zip line cables securely anchored to each platform allow us to slide from one platform to the next a total of nine times. The trained guides start us out with a short ride; then we experience longer and longer slides as we gradually ascend the mountainside on a series of paths connecting the platforms.

The peak experience starts from the observation platform at the top of the Continental Divide. On one side, you can see a panoramic view towards Arenal Volcano and the Atlantic lowlands, and on the other, you can see the many bays of the Pacific coast. If you have made it this far, you probably don't want to walk all the way back down, so the only remaining way off the platform is to hang onto your pulley, and soar out above the trees. This may be as close as you ever get to experiencing what a bird feels while flying! And if you would rather not fly alone, you may be able to share the experience in tandem with a friend or one of the strong, young Sky Trek guides. For those who would rather not fly through the air, a series of suspended bridges through the canopy also gives a great view of the inner forest.

8: Return to San Jose

Today we descend along a winding mountain road, almost to the Pacific Ocean. Then we head back east to return to San Jose for our farewell dinner and an evening on the town.

9: Departure Day

Our trips ends today. (There are no scheduled activities). You are free to schedule your flights home at anytime. If you would like to extend your vacation with a trip to the beach, please contact us to check on availability.