The Gauntlet

Areas:

Tamarindo – Monteverde – Arenal – Puerto Viejo - All trips can be arranged to visit a variety of places

Duration:

14 Days / 13 Nights - All trips can be modified for any length of time

Travel Type:

Adventure, Photography, Nature

Route Highlights:

Mountains, Volcanoes, Rain Forest, Beaches, Wetlands, 2 oceans!!!

Tour Highlights:

In this sample package we have Catamaran Boat Tour, Palo Verde Safari Float, Canopy Tour Zipline, Butterfly Gardens, Hummingbird Gardens, Canyoneering, Waterfall Jumping, White Water Rafting, Snorkeling & Hiking combo. Note: All of our trips will be customized to your travel style and budget, this is just an example package. 

The Gauntlet can take many forms. These trips are for those looking to test themselves, those who have the time and fortitude to cross the country from one coast to another, challenging yourself along the way with more and more intense adventures. They can be for any length of time but as the name suggests these trips tend to be longer, usually 14 days or more. Depending on your comfort level, the tour intensity will increase as you make your way through the Gauntlet!

In this sample Gauntlet package we use Liberia (LIR) for arrival and San Jose (SJO) for departure. You start on one coastline and you make your way to the other rappelling and jumping off waterfalls, rafting down rivers, zipping through treelines, the adventure builds as you go and then tapers off for some relaxation at the end. Contact us to customize your own Gauntlet Package. – Start with our Costa Rica Vacation Builder and your dedicated travel planner will be in touch with you within 24 hours. Note: These are SAMPLE packages, we will customize your package to suit your interests, travel style, and budget.

Day 1 – Arrival – Airport

• Transfer to Tamarindo - You have the option of shared or private transfer on arrival. Private transfers offer more freedom and are more informative using our bilingual drivers/guides. Private Transfers are equipped with WiFi and we make stops on the way to your destination. Shared shuttles are best when trying to keep the budget as low as possible, they do not make stops and the trip may take a little longer due to pick up and drop off of other travelers on the transfer. Travel Tip: If there are 4 or more in your group, private transfers start to be less expensive per person than many shared shuttle options.
• Check in Hotel – We will choose the right hotel based on your travel style and budget. There are several beach options and hotel options at every price level.

Day 2 – Tamarindo – (B,L)

• Catamaran Boat Tour - Enjoy breathtaking coastlines! On this ocean adventure you will see various sea life including dolphins, sea turtles, and if you are lucky, whales! On this tour we do a little snorkeling, the guides have backgrounds in marine biology to help you see more both above and below the water. View beautiful tropical beaches & romantic spectacular sunsets, or beach comb on a secluded sandy beach.  Sunbathe on one of our large "bow trampolines" while watching dolphins play in the bow's wake. Swim and go sea kayaking. Swim or snorkel from one of 3 easy access "snorkel staircases."
  

Day 3 – Tamarindo – (B,L)

• Palo Verde Boat Tour - The natural wetlands in the region of the Palo Verde National Park is home to one of the most important concentrations of birds in the country and in Central America. Birdwatchers will be in paradise and nature lovers of any age will revel in the abundant wildlife. Regular visitors along the river are the Anhinga (Snake Bird), Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Storks, the endangered and rare Jabiru (largest bird in Central America), Blue Herons, White Ibis, and more!

Day 4 – Tamarindo – Monteverde – (B)

• Private or Shared Shuttle Transfer to Monteverde - You have options for shared or private transfers. Private transfers offer more freedom and make stops at points of interest.
  
• Check in Lodge – We will choose the right hotel or lodge based on your travel style and budget. With many options in this area we will find the perfect hotel for you.

Day 5 – Monteverde– (B,L)

• Day at Selvatura Park – Zipline Canopy Tour, Hanging Bridges, Hummingbird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens - Selvatura Adventure Park's Canopy Tour is one of the safest extreme adventures in Costa Rica! Our Canopy Tour guides start by harnessing you with all the appropriate equipment after which they will lecture you on all the safety procedures to enjoy this amazing adventure with our "Safety First" motto. You will then be flying through 15 cables and 18 platforms with an optional Tarzan Swing at the end of the adventure. Selvatura Park is one of the longest Canopy Tours in Costa Rica. Also it is the only canopy tour located inside the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Selvatura's Tree Top Walkways consist of a 1.9 mile (approximately 3 kilometer) trail that crosses through the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Here visitors will walk on eight different bridges with various lengths ranging between 150 feet ( 50 meters ) up to 510 feet (170 meters) and altitudes ranging between 36 feet ( 12 meters ) up to 180 feet ( 60 meters ). Each bridge has a width of five feet, the widest bridges in Costa Rica, and also a capacity of up to 80 people per bridge making them both the longest and strongest bridge systems in the Monteverde Cloud Forest.Hummingbird Garden - Imagine yourself in a beautiful garden. Now imagine over 100 beautiful hummingbirds flying cheerfully around you! More than 14 species of hummingbirds will amaze you with their incredible aerial maneuvers and bright lively colors.

  Butterfly Gardens – Venture into exploring a different world. A world in which a controlled climate provides the best temperature (82.4º F or 28º C) for its inhabitants to feel in paradise. Explore a community that gathers more than 20 species of butterflies. Learn about their life cycle, their special abilities and behaviors that have helped them evolve throughout thousands of years. Enjoy a guided walk inside one of the world's largest live butterfly exhibitions with an area of over 29,000 square feet (2,700 square meters). Come and enjoy all the wonders that you may discover in this marvelous World of Butterflies.

Day 6 – Monteverde– Arenal – (B)

• Boat Transfer to Arenal - The quickest way to get from Monteverde to Arenal is by boat across Lake Arenal!
  
• Check in Hotel – We will choose the right hotel based on your travel style and budget. Arenal has any hotels with thermal hot springs, some with great volcano views, there is a hotel for all styles of travel.

Day 7 – Arenal – (B)

• Waterfall Canyoneering -  Are you ready to go BIG!?! – Canyoning or Canyoneering is a brand new sport that’s becoming very popular the world over! Near the Arenal Volcano, our rugged, mountainous terrain is ideal for incredible canyoneering options & huge, breathtaking waterfalls!  This unique, multi-sport adventure combines rappelling, down-climbing and river tracing in a deep, tropical canyon. Our Lost Canyon Adventure is an experience of a lifetime – go where very few have had the privilege to roam! Imagine yourself in the midst of thick rainforest at the top of a magical canyon full of tropical waterfalls with surprises each step of the way. Your guides will give you a thorough safety talk to explain important rappelling and down-climbing techniques. You will be provided high-quality technical climbing gear such as a harness, helmet, gloves and you will get to practice your 1st descent on a mini, 15-ft waterfall, to get the hang of things. Take a deep breath! And there you are, on a sturdy, government-approved platform looking down into the depths of a 150-ft massive waterfall. You’ll rappel down for the thrill of a lifetime! Make your way along the river bed by down-climbing and rappelling a series of six waterfalls that get gradually bigger and… BIGGER! Save the best for last! The biggest and most-exciting waterfall is your last descent, you’ll finish with a 200ft-guided-rappel at the end!

Day 8 – Arenal – (B)

• Horseback to La Fortuna Waterfall - Horseback riding in Costa Rica is a favorite activity among travelers. On this horseback ride to the La Fortuna Waterfall and Replica Indigenous Village, you will see the spectacular Arenal Volcano and dormant Cerro Chato Volcano off in the distance with gorgeous green countryside all around. The horses are sturdy and friendly bred for tourism and are well adapted to the wet, jungle environment of Costa Rica.

Day 9 – Arenal –Puerto Viejo – (B)

• White Water Rafting Transfer to Puerto Viejo on the Pacuare River – The Pacuare River is rated one of the top rivers in the world. You’ll experience the intimate nature of the rain forest via the river. The warm water, cascading waterfalls, and opulently lush rainforest with its brilliantly colored plants, animals, and birds make this trip exquisite for your senses. Located on Costa Rica's Atlantic slope, the Pacuare River borders the Talamanca mountain range, home to native Cabecar Indians and an incredible variety of wildlife, including parrots, toucans, deer, jaguars, ocelots, monkeys, butterflies, and more. Add in the exciting Class III -IV whitewater rapids and you have a tropical adventure packed with rich experiences that last long after you’ve returned home. This is the best way to get from one destination to your next! - Class III-IV whitewater.
• Check in Hotel – We will choose the right hotel based on your travel style and budget. The Caribbean coast has an island vibe, wonderful cuisine and a more laid back atmosphere. Some of our most beautiful beaches can be found here.

Day 10 – Puerto Viejo – (B)

• Free Day / Optional Tour Day - Travel Tip: We feel it is important to keep at least one free day in every trip we plan. We can of course fill each day with fun but the free day serves 2 purposes. The first, is to keep a day to just relax, maybe hit the beach, do some last minute shopping, it is nice to have a full day all to yourself. The second reason is that many times you might see a tour while you are here that we did not go over. Maybe a spur of the moment tour that you decide at the last minute. The free day allows you to fit in one of these spur of the moment tours.

Day 11 – Puerto Viejo – (B)

• Cahuita Boat, Snorkel and Hiking Trip Combo - Parque Nacional Cahuita has the largest system of Coral Reefs in Costa Rica, including 6 species of coral, a wide range of colorful tropical fish and the occasional encounter of a harmless reef shark or sting ray. This beach has a horse shoe shape, with the entrance of the park at one end and beautiful Punta Cahuita at the other end. You will be picked up at your hotel and be taken to the village of Cahuita. There the captain and the guide are waiting for you to take you by boat to the coral reef where you are going to snorkeling for two hours in two different points of the National Park. After that we will go back to the beach for a rest and to have a snack with tropical fruits. The little break at the beach is followed by a 1 hour guided hike in this wonderful coastal forest: monkeys, sloths, birds, poison dart frogs, iguanas and other interesting encounters are common. During the hike you will also learn about the history of Cahuita. At the end of the walk, the van will take you back to your Hotel.

Day 12 – Puerto Viejo – (B)

• Free Day / Optional Tour Day

Day 13 – Puerto Viejo – Heredia – (B)

• Private or shared shuttle transfer to San Jose - Shared or private transfers are available.
  
• Check in Hotel – We will choose the right hotel based on your travel style and budget.

Day 14 – Departure – Airport

• Transfer to Airport – Shared or private transfer to Airport. As your adventure ends, you will already be planning your next trip. Many of our clients come from referrals or are repeat travelers looking to get the most out of their travel time and money. Contact us today and start planning your adventure!

Note: Cost of any of our customized Costa Rica travel packages or experiences depends on the hotels, tours, and transfers chosen during the planning process. Depending on your budget, we will fine-tune the trip so you can afford the travel experience you are looking for at the price you want. Contact us today and your dedicated travel planner will be in touch within 24 hours.

Covid-19 Travel Update - For those wanting to travel but stay away from crowds as much as possible we can make the entire trip private. Private transfers, private tours and guides, this limits exposure to other travelers while you are here. Let your travel planner know if you are interested in this extra level of safety. Private itineraries also give a more in depth experience, having the guides all to yourself gives you more time to learn about our amazing country.