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Costa Rica Rivers & Rain Forests This nine day trip is one of the most rugged and most rewarding of our trips in Costa Rica. Much of it takes place in the largest and most pristine park in Costa Rica, Corcovado National Park but we also spend two days white water rafting and camping on a splendid wilderness river, the Pacuare River. We will spend some days in a comfortable platform camp, we will camp alongside a rushing rainforest river, and spend lots of time hiking in the forest. It is an affordable trip into the true wilderness splendor of Costa Rica.

Letter Codes:B = Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner, LG=Local Guide PG=Platform Guide CG=Corcovado Guide, RG=River Guide

Day 1: Arrive San José
Arrive at San José's Juan Santamaría International Airport, where you will be met by our representative at the ramp, helped through immigration and customs, and transferred to your hotel in San José. Overnight at Hotel La Condesa or similar. (no meals)

Day 2: San José / Corcovado
After a welcome orientation breakfast with your guide, you will depart for the 30 minute to 1 hour transfer to the Pavas Airport for a 1 hour light charter flight (single engine Cessna 206) to Carate (1 mile southeast of Corcovado Lodge). Upon arrival at Carate, walk 30-45 minutes with a Corcovado guide to the Lodge(luggage will be transported by horse cart). Today, in groups of up to 6 participants at a time you will visit the Tree Canopy Platform. The adventure begins with a one-hour guided hike through the Corcovado Lodge Private Nature Reserve to the Canopy Platform. The Platform is located in an emergent tree 115 feet above the forest floor. From the Platform, you have the opportunity to view the rain forest from a seldom-seen perspective. White hawks, Howler monkeys, Anole lizards and Pygmy squirrels maybe sighted. Meals and overnight at Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp.
(B,L,D) (PG)

Day 3: Corcovado
After breakfast start off on the 6 hour round trip hike through the park to Salsipuedes Bay. Corcovado National Park covers 136,347 acres and is considered to be the most biologically diverse rain forests in Central America. Walking northwest you pass through forests, a small stretch of mangrove and stretches of beach. This walk is renown for siting large flocks of Scarlet macaws of 20 or more individuals feeding in almond trees. While by no means probable, it is possible to see tapir at Salsipuedes. Many of our guests have had this thrilling reward for this strenuous hike. Overnight at Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp. (B,L,D)(CG).

Day 4: Corcovado
Today you are free to hike on your own, enjoy the beach or just relax in a hammock tied to a palm tree a few feet from the Pacific Ocean. Meals and overnight at Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp.(B,L,D)

Day 5: Corcovado / San José / Savegre
Walk 30-45 minutes to the Carate airstrip with a Corcovado Guide. for the 1-hour flight to San José. Upon arrival in San José, we will stop for lunch and then depart for the 3 hour drive to Savegre Mountain Lodge. Upon arrival at the lodge you will have the rest of the afternoon free to take a horseback riding trip, go trout fishing, or relax. (Afternoon tours are an additional cost.)Overnight Savegre Mountain Lodge. (B,L,D) (LG)

Day 6: Cerro de la Muerte
After an early breakfast, Depart by bus for the Cerro de la Muerte Hike. With a local guide, you will walk down the mountain, first through sub-alpine paramo, then through the famous oak forests of the Savegre Valley. This is 5-6 hour hike which ends up at Cabinas Chacón. Picnic lunch on route. Overnight Savegre Mountain Lodge. (B,L,D) (LG)

Day 7: Savegre / Pacuare
Early morning depart Savegre Mountain Lodge to Las Orquídeas Restaurant, located in the town of Paraíso in the Cartago Province. Here your White Water Rafting Guides will be waiting to take you on the next leg of your adventure. After a quick change of luggage and breakfast, you will depart heading east to Tres Equis where you will switch to a 4x4 shuttle which will take you to the put in on the Pacuare River. (Depending on road conditions you may need to walk for less than 1 mile.)
After an orientation and safety talk, proceed down river. River time: approximately 1-1/2 hours. Dinner and overnight camping on the river bank. (B,L,D)(RG)

Days 8: Pacuare
The most beautiful river canyon in the tropics, the Pacuare River cuts through one of the rare pockets of wilderness left on the planet. Today you will wake to the sounds of the Pacuare river canyon, and the smells of your river guides cooking. After an early breakfast you will go on a 2-hour guided hike . Upon your return to camp the rafts will be rigged and ready to continue your adventure down the Pacuare River to take out. River time: approximately 4 hours. Mid-afternoon take out. Return to San José for the Farewell Dinner (two hours driving time).
Overnight at San José hotel. (B,L,D)(RG)

Day 9: depart San José
Transfer to the international airport approximately two hours before your flight's scheduled departure time. (No meals.)

AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND ALTITUDES
San José: 69°F; 3,500 ft. Cerro de la Muerte: 50°F; 11,000 ft. Savegre Mountain Lodge: 70°F; 7,200 ft. Corcovado Lodge: 81°F; 10 ft. Pacuare River: 74°F; 950-1,900 ft.

Degree of Difficulty
Please note that this trip includes a great deal of hiking, some of it difficult. Participants should be physically fit and accustomed to long hikes. You don't need to be able to climb Everest, but you should be prepared to pound the earth with your feet for many hours at a time without complaint.

Includes: 8 nights lodging, all land, air and water transportation within Costa Rica, all airport/hotel transfers, meals as specified in the itinerary, entrances to national parks and other parks as specified, all white water rafting equipment, guides' services as specified in the itinerary, guides' expenses.

Does Not Include: International airfare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities.

Note regarding arrival and departure transfers: Transfers are available by previous arrangement for participants not arriving or departing on the stated arrival and departure dates of the tour. The cost, per person, per transfer is: 1 person= $44, 2people = $22, 3 people = $14, 4 people = $11 and 5 or more = $9.

Prices for Single Travelers
If you are traveling alone, at your request we may be able to find you a roommate for the hotel nights during the trip. In this case the applicable price will be double occupancy. We are often able to find a roommate to those passengers who request one, but a single supplement will be added if single accommodations are forced by the unavailability of a roommate. For those passengers who would prefer single accommodations, the amount of $342 must be added to the above prices.

Baggage Weight Limitations
On the light charter flights to Corcovado there is a 25 pound per person baggage limit that includes all carry-on and stow able luggage. If there is any extra baggage it can be sent back to San José where it will be stored until your return. Collapsible carry-on bags are recommended to allow for separating luggage if needed during the trip.
The most frequent problem in achieving outstanding levels of satisfaction for participants has to do with the 25 pound baggage weight limit for light charter aircraft and boats. It is important to understand that, for reasons of safety and cost, the baggage limit must be enforced on all light charter flights-regardless of whether or not the plane has a full complement of passengers.

Service Guides and Group Sizes
Service Guides are bilingual guides who escort our guests on itineraries that do not include naturalist accompaniment. At times these are naturalists-in-training and have considerable knowledge of plants and animals, but their real task is to assist the passengers with logistics. All of them have training in guiding techniques, a general knowledge about Costa Rica, and a sincere desire to share this knowledge. They normally accompany the group for a portion of the itinerary. When there are eight participants or more on a trip, the same guide will accompany the group during the entire trip. If there are less than eight participants, the group will be on its own part of the time and may have different guides at the different sites.

Driving Conditions
Although Costa Rica is a small country and the distances between sites are relatively short, due to the conditions of winding, bumpy roads clients should expect long travel times from one point to another.

Packing your Bags
For the two day Pacuare River trip participants need to pack their baggage into three different collections. The first set will be river gear which will be worn in the raft and will be wet the whole time on the river. The second set should be of dry clothes to wear the night we camp beside the river and should include toiletries needed for the night. The third set will be left on the bus so that participants will have clean dry (warm) clothes at “take-out”. Please bring with you on the river only those things that you truly need. We provide one modest size “dry bag” to each participant for the river trip.

Hiking shoes are necessary. Some participants prefer tennis shoes. However, if you choose not to bring hiking shoes, bring two pair of tennis shoes so one can be drying when they get wet and you will still have a dry pair. Please bring binoculars. They add a whole new dimension to an adventure and are not available for rent in Costa Rica. Please also remember that it may be difficult or impossible to get items such as batteries or bulbs for flashlights and/or cameras--bring extras of these! Bring more film than you think you'll need! You should not be concerned about over-shooting. Spillable liquids should be packed inside reclosable plastic bags as light charter planes are not pressurized.

For Reservations or additional information call us toll free: 800-688-1822
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