Pura Vida in Costa Rica

9 days
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4.8/5 Excellent
64 reviews  
97%
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Small Group Tour
Looking for a larger-than-life multisport adventure in the jewel of Central America? Come to Costa Rica with MTS, the forerunners of adventure travel in the region! We’ll take in the energy and beauty of Arenal Volcano and enjoy an invigorating soak at mountain hot springs. Silently, we'll sneak up close to wildlife as we paddle the jungle waterways of Tortug...
From$3,395
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Raft the Río Pacuare, considered by many to be one of the top 10 most beautiful whitewater rivers in the world
    • Zip-line your way through a private rainforest reserve and explore secluded channels by kayak in Tortuguero National Park
    • Take a forest hike near stunning Arenal Volcano and paddle the mystical waters of Lake Arenal
    • Spot a variety of wildlife, including monkeys, iguanas, sloths, toucans, and caimans
    • Enjoy a seamless, flexible, non-stop water park adventure—it's great value and perfect for families!

What's this trip about?

    Looking for a larger-than-life multisport adventure in the jewel of Central America? Come to Costa Rica with MTS, the forerunners of adventure travel in the region! We’ll take in the energy and beauty of Arenal Volcano and enjoy an invigorating soak at mountain hot springs. Silently, we'll sneak up close to wildlife as we paddle the jungle waterways of Tortuguero National Park, home to howler monkeys, basilisk lizards, sea turtles, and tropical birds, and take a rollicking, fun-filled ride down the Río Pacuare—ranked among the world’s top ten rivers for rafting! With two magical nights deep in the rainforest at the Rios Tropicales eco-lodge, you'll soon understand the essence of pura vida, "the pure life"—or in the local vernacular "what could be better than this?" Indeed, this non-stop water park adventure is great value, ideal for families, and the perfect ticket for the kid in all of us!

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 14 people
Age range11 years and up
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CitySan José
End CitySan José

Travel Themes

  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Family Friendly
  • National Parks

Destinations

Activities

  • Bird Watching
  • Culture
  • Hiking
  • Hot Springs
  • Kayaking
  • Nature
  • Rafting
  • Short Cruise
  • Wildlife Viewing

Min Group Size

  • Min Group Size: 4

Max Group Size

  • Max Group Size: 14

Trip includes

    • Expert leadership
    • Accommodations as noted in itinerary (or similar)
    • If applicable, tent or safari accommodations and all arrangements in the field, including camp and cook staffs, comfortable and roomy two-person tents, kitchen and dining tents, and other community equipment
    • Meals as noted in the itinerary
    • Airport transfers
    • Sightseeing as noted in the itinerary
    • Ground transportation
    • Additional guides and porters where necessary
    • Tips for lodge, hotel, or camp staff
    • Entrance fees and permits, unless noted separately in costs
    • Basic medical and evacuation insurance

View Similar Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1: Arrive in San José, Costa Rica

Accommodation: Hotel Bougainvillea

Arrive in San José, Costa Rica's capital city and cultural hub. Your trip leader (or a Mountain Travel Sobek representative) will meet you outside the customs and immigration area at the airport, brief you on the immediate arrangements, and escort you to your hotel.

Day 2: Explore Arenal Lake and Eco Termales

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Mountain Paradise Lodge

After breakfast we'll drive north towards the town of Fortuna and home of the Arenal Volcano. Here we'll spend time paddling the calm waters of Arenal Lake, Costa Ricas’s largest a...

Day 3: Hike Arenal Volcano

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Mountain Paradise Lodge

After breakfast, we’ll take a moderate 3-hour hike in the area surrounding Arenal Volcano, enjoying the stunning primary and secondary forests. Keep a look out for a wide variety o...

Day 4: Tortuguero National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Mawamba Lodge

Today we'll say "hasta luego” to the volcano and take a scenic drive through the Caribbean Lowlands to our put-in on the Río Suerte for a unique kayaking trip into Tortuguero National Park, ...

Day 5: Paddle Tortuguero National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Mawamba Lodge

Early this morning we’ll go for an optional birding boat tour with our guide. After breakfast, we’ll take a motorboat loaded with our kayaks and head to a secondary channel in the national p...

Day 6: Discover the Rio Pacuare

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Rios Tropicales Lodge

After breakfast we’ll take a 90-minute boat ride to Matina, then drive for about two hours to our put-in on the beautiful but endangered Rio Pacuare, Costa Rica's most remarkable riv...

Day 7: Day in Rios Tropicales Paradise

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Rios Tropicales Lodge

Enjoy a full day at Ríos Tropicales Lodge! Take an optional early morning guided bird-watching hike to see toucans and many other species, before returning for breakfast and gearing ...

Day 8: More Pacuare River

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Bougainvillea

Today we’ll continue our whitewater rafting adventure, entering the lush, magical gorge of the Río Pacuare. The rapids become more powerful and technical in nature here, and we’ll powe...

Day 9: Depart from San José

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, transfer to the San José airport and depart on homeward-bound flights.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,395
Price per day$377
Single supplement (single occupancy)$750
Last Updated: 9/17/2018

Tier Pricing

Adventure travel works best with a small group of people. In order to operate these small groups, our trips are priced according to the number of full-price passengers on the trip. (Mountain Travel Sobek staff, trip doctors, and other discounted travelers are excluded from the count for this purpose.) We initially invoice you at the highest tier level price (the smallest group size we can operate). If the price drops due to an increase in group size, you will be refunded the difference.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek).

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek) Reviews & Ratings

4.8/5  Excellent
Excellent
61
Great
0
Average
0
Disappointing
0
Terrible
3
B

B. Epstein

Feb 2017

Written on

The Pura Vida trip was an outstanding family vacation

With teenage children, we wanted to do something that would satisfy all of us. There was enough fun activities to keep us active and enough down time for us to relax...

H

H. Hall

Feb 2017

Written on

Excellent adventure!

I have taken several trips with MTS and each has delivered and excellen...

D

D. Chu

Feb 2017

Written on

Costa Rica was a fantastic trip with multi-sport activities.

It surpassed my expectations. The trip leaders and assistant guides were excellent with great patience to make sure everyone is interested and comfortable in all act...

S

S. Dunn

Feb 2017

Written on

Variety of exciting activities.

Mountain Travel Sobek always delivers a wonderful traveling experience. This ...

G

G. Larsen

Feb 2017

Written on

Best adventure vacation.

Pura Vida in Costa Rica is a vacation is for those who like the water—we were white water rafting, kayaking, rappelling down a waterfall, and even soaking in hot spr...

Write a Review

Other MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek) Reviews

T

Tish

Aug 2023

Written on

Recommend Japan hikes but not with Mt Sobek

First, let me say our tour guide Tomomi S. is hands down THE best tour guide I’ve ever had - knowledgeable, fun and made great efforts to ensure that we were comfor...

A

Anne

Dec 2019

MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek) Company Reviewsby MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek)

Spectacular scenery

Spectacular scenery, great hiking, and fascinating conversations with...

A

Andrea

Dec 2019

MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek) Company Reviewsby MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek)

Truly enjoyable

Thanks to MT Sobek this trip was seamless and truly enjoyable. The accommodations, logistics, and guides were all excellent. I always felt safe, cared for, and well ...

Write a Review

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • International airfare
    • Meals not noted on itinerary
    • Insurance other than basic medical and evacuation insurance
    • Optional tipping to leader, guides and local staff
    • Excess baggage charges
    • Airport taxes (international—varies by location)
    • Cost of medical immunizations
    • Items of a personal nature (sodas, alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.)

Accommodation

Mawamba Lodge — Tortuguero

Nestled in the lush rainforest, this is the ideal hideaway for nature lovers and the perfect place to discover the wonders of the Tortuguero National Park. The lodge features lush gardens and rustic accommodations, along with regular visits from brightly colored exotic birds.

 

Mountain Paradise Lodge — La Fortuna de San Carlos, Arenal Volcano National Park

The Mountain Paradise Lodge sits at the base of Volcan Arenal, and features spectacular views. If you’re lucky, you may even get a glimpse of lava in the evening! This hotel’s lovely setting, pool, and jacuzzi allow guests to truly enjoy the relaxed pace of the Arenal region.

 

Rios Tropicales Lodge

Let the sound of the Pacuare River lull you to sleep at this sustainable eco-lodge. This evening’s lodge offers a haven for relaxation and immersion in tropical sights and sounds. The lodge features open air gathering pavilions with thatched roofs and comfortable hammocks swinging in a gentle breeze. Guests enjoy ample viewing decks for watching the toucans fly overhead and the roaring river below.

Transportation & flights

Air Travel Airfare is not included in the land cost of our trips. For air reservations, we recommend you contact the airlines directly, either by phone or the Internet. In addition, many travelers elect to use their “frequent flyer” miles when traveling with us. But please check with our staff before purchasing or obtaining your tickets. We need to verify your arrival and departure schedule and ensure we have enough participants to operate the trip.
Guides
Jorge Calderon Jorge “Loco” Calderón is a whitewater rafting guide in his thirties who has led trips in Costa Rica for over a decade. He was part of the Costa Rica whitewater rafting team that won the fourth place in the World Championships in Brazil in 1997, and this year he guide sea kayaking trips in Greenland. Jorge loves the outdoors and is eager to share with you the natural beauty of his country. The end of November through April is the “dry” season (usually less than two inches per month of rain), while May through October is wetter (about nine inches per month). June, July, and August are called “the second spring” as birds start courting, flowers bloom, sea turtles come ashore to breed, and showers refresh the day. Average daytime temperatures range in the 70s and 80s; nighttime temperatures can get down to the 60s.
Cancellation policy

If written cancellation is received and Cancellation fee will be:

  • 90 days prior to departure $150
  • 89 to 61 days prior to departure $400
  • 60 to 46 days prior to departure 50% of Land/Cruise Cost
  • 45 to 0 days prior to departure 100% of Land/Cruise Cost
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included

8 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches and 7 Dinners

Age Requirements
11 years and up
Additional Information
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Trip ID
mtsobe-PurVidMou

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