With its cascading waterfalls, river rapids, active volcanoes, whitesand beaches, and lush rainforests, Costa Rica was seemingly crafted to be one big playground for a myriad of activities. Witness the visual, auditory, and olfactory splendor of this Caribbean country in the most exciting ways by going on an 8-day multisport adventure—flying from tree to tree on a zipline, horseback riding to the towering La Fortuna waterfall, or rafting on the wild Pacuare River. Although relatively small—it’s the size of West Virginia—Costa Rica is home to over half a million species of wildlife, meaning that toucans, monkeys, and sloths aren’t a rare sight. This Caribbean country has a lot more to offer than its pristine wilderness, as we haven’t even mentioned its mouth-drooling cuisine, its pura vida motto, or rich musical scene. So if you’ve been meaning to gather your whole family for an active vacation, consider this your sign!
Go on an unforgettable family adventure and see the highlights of Costa Rica on this 8-day tour. You will get to hike around the glorious Arenal Volcano, zipline through the rainforest, take a whitewater rafting trip on the Pacuare River, soak in the hot springs, and relax on the white sand beaches of the Caribbean. Children, parents, and grandparents are welcome!
Once you land in San Jose, your guide will meet you at the airport and drive you to your overnight accommodation in San José. Relax and prepare for the next week of adventure!
Accommodation: Hotel in San Jose
After breakfast, go to La Fortuna, the closest town to the Arenal volcano. Spend the afternoon hiking around the Arenal Volcano with a naturalist guide and admiring the area’s diverse flora and fauna.: monkeys, toucans, wild turkeys, slots, birds, lizards, iguanas, snakes, and insects. Due to the vicinity to the volcano, vegetation and soil here are significantly different. At the observation deck, you’ll get a wonderful view of Arenal dyed orange and red by the setting sun. Finally, enjoy a relaxing bath at a hot spring and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Hotel
Today you get to choose your itinerary! Either go horseback riding through gorgeous pastures, forests and hills to reach a 65-meter (200ft) waterfall, where you can go for a swim, or drive to the waterfall entrance to go on a scenic hike and jump into the refreshing natural pools before ziplining through the forest canopy in the the Arenal River Canyon. Talk to your guide about your skill levels and preferred options.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel
Leave Fortuna and head for the Pacuare River, where 2 days of thrilling whitewater rafting adventure await. You’ll run a total of 22 miles (35 km) of class III-IV rapids in a nearly untouched jungle valley. Overnight is in El Nido del Tigre, your guides’ private and comfortable camp, nestled between the rainforest and the river. From camp, take a slow hike to a secluded rainforest, waterfalls, and swimming holes. Explore the lush environment, possibly seeing toucans and oropendolas, sloths, rainforest turtles, or relax in a hammock to the sounds of the river.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Rafting: 6 miles / 10 km
Rafting class: II-III
Accommodation: El Nido del Tigre
The Pacuare River will carry you through river-carved canyons and cascading waterfalls. Maneuver through the rapids and in gentler sections, enjoy the rainforest at the river’s edge. Along the way, hike to the waterfalls, jump in to swim in the calmer parts of the river and have lunch on the shore. From the take-out at Finca Pacuarito, drive to one of the small beach towns on the Caribbean coast.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Rafting: 16 miles / 25 km
Rafting class: III-IV
Accommodation: Hotel
Today is your free day to enjoy the crystalline waters of the Caribbean coast. You can head to Cahuita, a national park featuring Costa Rica’s monkey species, the country’s best coral reef, and other beauties like toucans or macaws. You can also go snorkeling or kayaking uninhabited estuaries. Another option is Puerto Viejo, a Reggae capital with cuisines from all over the world. Other optional activities include scuba diving, chocolate tours, jaguar rescue center and other animal preserves, or the Kekoldi Indian Reserve & Waterfalls.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel
Enjoy your final morning on the beach. After lunch, head back to San José, passing through Braulio Carrillo National Park, offering spectacular views of the mountains and rainforests.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel
After your final breakfast in Costa Rica, your guide will come pick you up at your hotel for your homebound flight. If you’d like to stay longer and explore the wonders of Costa Rica, just ask your guides for some recommendations!
Meals: Breakfast
I hadn’t been abroad in decades and had so many questions and really no idea how to plan a trip. Randall at Coast to Coast was phenomenal! He set up a wonderful trip for us that was a perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. He responded to my millions of questions quickly, reminded us of things we had to do before travel, and helped us every step of the way. Definitely will be using Coast to Coast again!!
What you get on this adventure:
Meals: Eating is one of the wonderful experiences when traveling in Costa Rica. Included meals are a combination of restaurants, local food and delicious meals prepared by the tour guides. Rough costs for meals not included in the adventure are $10 to $12 for lunch and $12 to $20 for dinner.
All Coast to Coast Adventures’ guides have First AID, CPR and Swiftwater Rescue and Head Guides have Wilderness First Responder.
What’s not included:
This family multisport trip in Costa Rica is designed with children, parents, and grandparents in mind. You don’t need any special skills or training to participate in this tour. Anyone can try hiking, ziplining, horseback riding, snorkeling, or rafting. Just note that you need to be over the age of 14 for rafting on the Pacuare River.
If you’re looking for a daily adventure, check out this guided tour in Costa Rica’s Corcovado National Park—or maybe you’ll like the three-day hiking tour in Corcovado NP a bit more!
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Here’s a list of clothing we suggest you bring:
Due to the terrain, it’s recommended to bring good quality mountain gear. Your guides will contact you about any additional equipment at the time of contracting the trip.
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Group sizes and prices:
Multisport tours in Costa Rica can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has travelers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Costa Rica, most people fly into Juan Santamaria International Airport in San José. Your guide will then pick you up at the airport at a prearranged time and take you on your tour. On the final day of your adventure, your guide will also transport you back to the airport.
To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
Deposits
You can secure one of the set dates with a 30% deposit upon booking. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.
Secure your early bird spot with a 10% deposit! This tour gets sold out very quickly, but with early-bird booking, you will be the first one to know about any new upcoming dates. Pick your preferred dates without the risk of your bucket list adventure selling out!
Cancellations
Booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:
Basic
Flexible
Super Flexible
Randall helped us plan an amazing trip with a ton of fun, engaging activities. Carlos made sure we made it from one destination to the next, always sharing great insights and helping us to learn more about his country. We can’t say enough about how great Coast to Coast was, I’d recommend them to anyone looking for a fun, active trip to CR!