ARENAL VOLCANO

Reached by way of 5 Optional Routes TO ARENAL:
- Scenic Direct Route; 10.00 am – 10:30 pm  From $65*/person
- Scenic Sightseeing Route;  9:00 am - 10:30 pm From $70*/person
- Toro Waterfall Route via Grecia & Sarchi. From $85*/p Subject to road conditions
- Sarapiquí River Route; 7:30 a.m. - 10:30 pm.  From $90*/person.
- Aerial Tram then Arenal; 7:30 am - 10:30 pm From $115*/person

All include lunch and refreshments.

  
· RED HOT LAVA at night and Arenal Lake & Volcano views by day.
· TABACON HOTSPRINGS RESORT (optional) at the base of Arenal Volcano.
· TROPICAL RAINFOREST at  Arenal  & CLOUDFOREST on direct route.
· SCENIC DRIVES though quaint colorful towns on either the Sightseeing Route
   through the oxcart factory and souvenir shopping town of Sarchi or on the Direct
   Route.
· WILDLIFE; MONKEY, TOUCAN and COATI sightings are possible around Arenal.
· LUNCH. REFRESHMENTS ALL DAY; from BEER to bottled water, sodas and fruit.

Visit Arenal Volcano to see RED HOT LAVA in one spectacular day tour from your San José area hotel. From San José we’ll turn off the Pan-American Highway on to either of the 5 routes to Arenal. (Sarpaiqui River and Aerial Tram Routes share the same route.)
 
The “Direct Scenic Route”, $65*, gets you to Arenal Volcano sooner and takes you through a more rural scenic non-stop route climbing up through beautiful rolling landscape of dairy and fern farms, cloud forests, in addition to typical small towns with well kept homes. We’ll stop in the town of La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano for a delicious typical lunch before continuing on to Arenal Volcano, Arenal Lake and then the optional Tabacón Hot Springs Resort, EcoTermales or Baldi Resort or other hotsprings.  Continue reading the “Common description of Arenal for all routes” below.
 
The optional “Scenic Sightseeing Route”, $70*, to Arenal turns off the Pan-American Highway for a brief stop in the town of Grecia (Greece) to visit its unique double steeple metal church imported from Belgium in 1894 that your knowledgeable guide will tell more about. You’ll then travel another 20 minutes to the town of Sarchi to visit its 1903 oxcart factory and many souvenir shops.  After lunch we’ll continue another ½ hour through dairy and vegetable farms to the lovely town of Zarcero, with its cool mountain air, & unusual topiary gardens of juniper shrubs sculptured into wonderful enchanting figures, all in the beautiful Central Park in front of the town’s church. We'll then continue on a scenic drive for about 1.5 hrs, at first through more highland dairy and vegetable farms, then as we descend into the Northern Plains we’ll see more diverse agricultural land for beef cattle, sugar cane and other crops. By 4:00 p.m., as we get closer to the small tourism boom town of La Fortuna the imposing view of Arenal Volcano begins to dominate the landscape. Continue reading further below "Common description of Arenal for all routes".

 

The Toro Waterfall Route to Arenal. $85* Begins with same route as the ‘Sightseeing Route’ described above, except after Sarchí we omit Zarcero and turn off the beaten path up onto a little known scenic mountain road to a hidden valley called "Bajo de Toro" where after lunch we'll visit the spectacular Toro (Bull) Waterfall. This impressive waterfall surrounded in rainforest cascades some 500 ft down an extinct volcanic crater to continue as a pristine river towards the northern plains. As we continue for about 1½ hours on a scenic drive through typical towns and farm land towards the small tourism boom town of La Fortuna, the imposing view of Arenal Volcano begins to dominate the landscape. Continue reading further below "Common description of Arenal for all routes".

Our Sarapiquí River Route $90 to Arenal Volcano option is an aggressive combination tour that no else offers offers.  Only a ½ hour after leaving San José we'll begin a 30 minute drive through the impressive and scenic Braulio Carrillo Rainforest National Park on a good paved highway en route to the Sarapiquí River for a total of 1.5 hour drive from San José. Once there you'll enjoy a pleasant relaxing covered motorboat cruise for about 1.5 hours down the calm flowing waters of the shaded jungle lined banks of the Sarapiquí River to see a wide variety of wildlife from Monkeys, Iguanas and tropical birds to possibly sloths, crocodiles and toucans amongst other wildlife that your knowledgeable guide will help find and point out to you in addition to interesting facts about these animals. You’ll also see what life on a tropical jungle river is like, with children swimming, people fishing in the river, farmland, banana plantations and the occasional home on the banks. We carry a full compliment of refreshments, from cold beer to sodas & bottled water on our boat trip, as we do in our vehicle, available all day long at no extra cost. Immediately after the boat trip we’ll drive a couple of short blocks to a souvenir shop to make use of their restrooms where you’ll also have the opportunity to purchase beautiful art, woodcrafts and souvenirs at economical prices before continuing on to lunch and Arenal Volcano on scenic 1½ hour drive on excellent highways through several small towns.  Lunch may be taken en route to Arenal or once we get to the town of La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano around 1:30 pm.

Arenal after The Rainforest Aerial Tram Canopy tour ; 7:30 am - 10:30 pm.
From $120*/person. Includes $50 entrance. Only we offer this combination tour and is possible only with morning entrance into the Aerial Tram . As in the beginning of the Sarapiquí Route above, a ½ hour from San José you'll begin a mountainous drive 20 miles through the scenic Rainforest of Braulio Carrillio National Park where the world famous and first Rainforest Aerial Tram is located deep in the jungle. After arriving at the Tram entrance around 9 am a shuttle will take you into the property where you'll first watch a video about the tram before taking a 1.5 hour ride in a 6 man gondola for 3/4 of a mile (or 1.2 km) in through the tree tops of the forest and another 3/4 mile back. This gives you a unique view of the forest canopy that few ever get to see and where 60% of the life in the forest is. After the tram will stop for lunch before continuing for 2 hours through farmland and small towns to Arenal for a aprox. 3 pm arrival. See the Common description of Arenal below. Though occasionally wildlife is seen here, this is not a wildlife tour but rather a chance to learn about the rainforest canopy which few ever get to see. Later down the road we will stop for nice lunch, beofre continuing on to the town of La Fortuna near Arena.l

ARENAL One Day Tour Prices: (Includes lunch and refreshments all day.)
- Direct Scenic Route (both ways): From $65*/person.
- Sightseeing Scenic Route: From $70*/person. With 3 stops.
- The Toro Waterfall Route to Arenal: From $85*/person.
- Sarapiquí River Route, (returning on Direct Route) From $90*/person.
- Arenal after the Rainforest Aerial Tram.  From $115/person.
All route options include lunch. Add $35-$60/person for optional hot springs at Arenal. And add $5 to $15 for ptional dinner.

2 Day Tour Prices:   Do not include Hotel.  And return Direct Route on 2nd day.
- Direct Scenic Route (both ways): From $110*/person.
- Sightseeing Route on 1st day ; From $115*/person.
- Sarapiquí River Route 1st day ; From $1405*/person.
As in the 1 day tour, lunch is included on first day only. Add for hotels. Most hotels with views of the lava of Arenal volcano ranging from $75 to $130 for double room.  Rooms in the town of La Fortuna, all without views of the lava, from $35 -$50 or less! Tabacon Lodge at hot springs $250 + includes springs entrance for 2 persons for the 2 days.  Hotel and other meals are not included in our tour prices.

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