The Family Jungle Odyssey Tour

The Family Jungle Odyssey Tour is perfect for families with children above the age of 10.  Activities are suitable for all skill levels and with rafting, rainforest hikes, and beach activities, everyone in the crowd will be satisfied.

   Day 1
After flying into the San Jose airport, we will be heading to the hills to a small town called Turrialba. On the way we will stop in the city of Cartago to see the beautiful Church of La Virgen de Los Angeles. Then we’ll settle into an charming hotel in Turrialba.
 Day 2
After a typical Costa Rican breakfast of gallo pinto (literally translates as painted rooster, but it’s really great tico rice and beans), eggs, fresh tortillas, cheese and coffee, we will be on our way to either the Pejibaye or Pacuare River, depending on the age and experience of our younger adventurers. With strangler figs, kapok and poro trees lining the riverbank, there will be lots of sights to see. We will have plenty of time to swim and ride inner tubes along the way and enjoy a picnic lunch on the riverbank. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the Farmers’ Market where farmers from all over the region sell their goods. Goods range from papayas, mangos, passion fruit, to tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, and lettuce. A wide variety of herbs and medicinal plants are available as well as honey, cheese, fresh flowers, and potted plants. Be sure to bring your camera, the colors and the faces of the farmers market will be worth capturing on film.
 Day 3
This morning we will visit the “serpentario” to learn about the rare snakes, frogs and spiders of the area. We will have a typical Caribbean lunch which includes rice and beans with coconut milk, blackened chicken, sweet plantains, fried bread fruit and "fresco" to drink (Caribbean lemonade), which has a secret family recipe.  (Just in case we’ll have peanut butter and jelly for any non-adventurous palates.) For the afternoon we have an educational hike in the butterfly and frog gardens. 
 Day 4
After a quick 20 minute drive we will arrive at Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui where we will board a motor boat for an exciting two hour float down the river. The river is surrounded by a gallery rainforest, and we’ll be on the lookout for sloth, monkeys, iguanas, caimans, crocodiles and numerous beautiful wetland birds.  In the afternoon we will take a tour of a local organic dairy ranch. The tour includes information about the barns, silos, control rooms, and milking parlors and how they differ from a traditional dairy farm. You’ll get a chance to milk and play with the cows and do a little horseback riding.
 Day 5
We will continue our journey to the famous La Paz Waterfalls where you will see more than imaginable…a variety of climates, including both cloud and rain forests, five magnificent waterfalls with nine viewing platforms, the largest Butterfly Observatory in the world, and a Hummingbird Garden where our feathered friends will delight and fascinate as they play with each other at amazing speeds. Our next stop is the city of La Fortuna where we will have the afternoon off to relax in the resort hot tub and pool, overlooking the Arenal Volcano.
 Day 6
We will be viewing the layers of the rainforest with a 40-minute horseback ride, which brings us to the first platform of the “sky walk”. The beauty will overwhelm you as you glide through the forest on a seven-cable zip line! Sometimes it is possible to see several species of animals, such as white faced and howler monkeys, a great diversity of birds, as well as an enormous variety of orchids, and canopy plant life. The trees in this canopy system are adults that tower over 150 feet high. After our fun filled morning we will be heading to relaxing hot springs. There are a variety of ways to experience the springs: you can sit beneath one of the many waterfalls for a natural massage, or find a remote, quiet pool, or better yet take off on the water slide!
 Day 7
In the morning we will head toward the Pacific Coast to a small town called Tamarindo, passing by the Arenal Volcano. Along the way we will have the opportunity to see how the forest changes from rainforest to dry-forest. The trees in the dry-forest are much smaller and the birds are very different. We will stop in many small towns to enjoy the culture of Guanacaste residents. The people from this side of Costa Rica are equivalent to American Cowboys! They work herding and working agriculturally, and spend much of their free time working toward rodeo competitions! We will have a fun afternoon on the beach, soaking up the sun on the Pacific Coast, enjoying the clear blue sea, and white sand.
 Day 8-9
We have a few days to explore or relax on the beach. For additional costs we can get you set up with snorkeling tours, sea kayaking trips, horse back riding and even a night turtle nesting tour - mid November to mid March only. There is also plenty of shopping opportunities in the area. 
 Day  10
If departure times allow, we will visit some of the museums and market high lights in San Jose before arriving at the airport.