This combination excursion gives you the opportunity to ride a historical train that has been in service for more than 50 years and participate on a scenic ride through rural countryside and tropical fields. Afterwards, board your motorcoach en route to the Tarcoles River where you’ll go on a boat and explore the spectacular natural scenery this river has to offer.

The river and mangroves attract many types of bird wildlife such as toucans, spoonbills, herons, egrets, jacanas, pelicans, scarlet macaws, iguanas and crocodiles. Upon your return enjoy some live marimba melodies and enjoy a delicious buffet of seasonal fruits and tropical refreshments. Enough time will be provided to select crafts made by local artisans before returning to your ship.

Your sightseeing drive through rolling hills, high mountains, plains, valleys, and riverbeds is just part of the gorgeous landscape that will make you think of paradise. Costa Rica’s topography is one of the world’s most diverse. You’ll start by heading east to Esparza, a town that has become one of the most picturesque in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific region. The central park and its church are emblematic of Costa Rica’s hardworking rural towns.

Local dancers in colorful dresses will greet you at the park and you’ll enjoy masquerades and handmade souvenir exhibitions while you learn about their traditions. Your scenic drive includes some stretches along the Pacific Ocean passing by mango and cashew plantations, farming areas and most certainly seeing some birds along the way, all examples of sustainable living. Take the opportunity to capture unique pictures, while traveling down to sea level, admiring the most breathtaking views.

Enjoy the most exciting adventure in the natural wonderland of Costa Rica. Board the Pacific Tropical Forest Aerial Tram and literally fly through the forest canopy and take an exhilarating jungle cruise on the Tarcoles River.

The Pacific Tropical Forest Aerial Tram is the only tour that provides a unique exploration of the canopy in the Transitional Tropical dry Forest on Costa Rica’s mid-Pacific coastline. Dry upland forest meets humid coastal dry forest with unique species colonizing the treetops and the canopy in this 222-acre eco-tourism park, dedicated to conservation.

Embark on a gondola designed for 8 passengers and a bilingual naturalist guide to safely glide through a living backdrop of giant trees, hanging gardens and lush green landscapes. Panoramic ocean views and sightings of exotic flora and fauna will introduce you to this unique transitional dry forest.

Your experience includes a guided walk through trails deep into the forest. A visit to the medicinal plant and Butterfly Garden will complement a fascinating winding tour past a snake, frogs and turtle’s exhibit.

After your tram ride, enjoy a Costa Rican lunch at the park in a lush natural setting. You can also shop at the Congo shop where you can find a variety of local and handmade arts, crafts and designs as well as Costa Rican souvenirs before transferring to Tarcoles for a jungle river journey.

Upon arrival at the Visitor Center you will board comfortable roof covered open boats to explore the world famous Tarcoles River. This river tour usually takes 2 hours. It will provide a great understanding of the life and death of the mangroves and swamps that constitute one of the most important ecosystems in Costa Rica. Noted for its mangrove forests the Tarcoles River is a wonderful and crucial habitat for hundreds of species and a wide variety of sea and shore birds as well as colonies of the largest crocodiles in Central America.

During the tour, our naturalist guide will help you identify a great variety of birds and wildlife. This habitat is also vital for the preservation of the endangered Scarlet Macaw.

Tour sequence may vary.

Visit the world’s only animal sanctuary devoted solely to sloths and explore another wildlife center with a huge variety of indigenous Costa Rican animals. As you will discover, sloths are slow-moving, long-clawed animals that spend almost their entire lives in trees. When seriously injured or orphaned, their chances of survival are slim. However, the animals taken to the Sloth Sanctuary for rehabilitation are often able to be released back into the wild. The sanctuary’s success is inspirational, as are the similar efforts of the Costa Rica Animal Rescue Center. There, you will observe injured animals recovering from physical and psychological wounds with the goal of re-introducing them into their natural habitats. If that isn’t possible, the animals become permanent residents of the rescue center. As you walk through the facility, you will see all sorts of animals, including monkeys, coatis and kinkajous, which are also known as honey bears. Parrots such as yellow-naped Amazons also reside there.

Take an adventurous safari into the tropical savanna, where you will see a variety of indigenous and exotic animals before relaxing at two waterfalls in the surrounding jungle.

After departing from the pier, you will settle in for an immensely scenic drive into the lush Guanacaste Province. Near the regional capital of Liberia, known as the “White City” for its white-washed colonial architecture, you will enter Ponderosa Adventure Park.

The sprawling wildlife park is home to hundreds of animals, all protected and many of them indigenous to Africa. It’s the ideal setting for an adventurous safari into the surrounding grassy savanna. To maximize your experience, you will ride in a vehicle open on the sides for panoramic viewing and be given carrots to feed some of the animals.

You can expect to encounter giraffes, zebras, emus, ostriches and even camels. You can just imagine the thrill when a giraffe walks over, reaches down and gently plucks a carrot from your hand. You will see all sorts of other animals from a comfortable distance that allows you to view them completely undisturbed.

More adventures await you as you board a 4-wheel-drive, military-style vehicle and ride into the jungle-like countryside. Here, you will find two waterfalls—La Perla and La Vieja—where you can enjoy a refreshing swim and even walk along a bridge behind one of the cascades. Afterwards, you will enjoy a hearty, buffet-style lunch before returning to the pier.

A comfortable air conditioned bus ride passing a variety of landscapes including mango and watermelon farmlands, lush forests and mountain views will take you to the highlands of Alajuela Province where the hacienda is located.

Rancho San Miguel is a school of high equestrian arts as they have been exhibiting horse fiestas for over 30 years and is famous throughout the Americas for their pure breed of Andalusian horses. Upon arrival to the ranch you will be greeted by a local expert who will introduce you to the equine world of mares and stallions.

The show combines training of the magnificent Andalusian horses with the mastering ability of the riders, a group of talented young ladies in acts that require many months of hard team-work, training and discipline. You will see the mares and their offspring, the hacienda carriage, the stallion, the long pole and the “equestrian fantasy”, a synchronized choreography of the mares.

Every act will be presented and explained by the expert while you also enjoy the sounds of the Spanish flamenco music in a spectacular amphitheater.

Your last stop will be at El Jardin souvenir market in Orotina where you will have plenty opportunity to browse around the shop, sample their delicious fruits or taste a Costa Rican cup of coffee.

Walk through an expansive forested garden with several animal exhibits and a series of waterfalls that can be reached on a hike of about two miles. After departing from the pier, you will settle in for a leisurely and circuitous drive inland, passing through some of the most spectacularly scenic countryside in Costa Rica. In time, you will arrive at La Paz Waterfall Gardens, which lies between two national parks.

To reach the waterfall, you will hike about two miles along a nature trail that initially winds through an aviary, a serpentarium and exhibits devoted to indigenous animals such as jungle cats, hummingbirds and monkeys. The hike alone provides a fascinating introduction into the spectacular biodiversity within the surrounding rainforest and cloud forest.

You may encounter rainbow-billed toucans, capuchin monkeys, two-toed sloths and blue morpho butterflies. The animals within the exhibits have been rescued or rehabilitated but can’t be released back into the wild because of injury or not having the skills to survive on their own.

The trail continues along the river that is the source of the numerous cascades in the gardens, with La Paz being the last and highest waterfall. Follow boardwalks and pause at lookouts that offer the most panoramic views of the river and beyond. It will be well worth the effort, as La Paz couldn’t be more naturally beautiful.

A hearty lunch at a restaurant within the gardens follows.

Discover the wonders of San Jose on this full day adventure on this guided motorcoach tour in Costa Rica’s vibrant capital city, San Jose. Visit the famed National Theater which was constructed in the late 19th century. The front of the theatre features statues of Calderón de la Barca and Ludwig van Beethoven. There are several monuments by the entry walkway including Frédéric Chopin. The inside features the mural Allegory of Coffee and Bananas by Milanese artist Aleardo Villa, which is featured on the five colón bill.

Venture to the artist colony of Sarchi. This town offers more than 200 stores and small family-operated woodworking factories producing wooden bowls and other tableware, and a wide variety of kitschy items. The most popular items on sale are "carretas", elaborately painted oxcarts that traditionally carried coffee from the highlands down to the port on the Pacific coast. Lunch at a local restaurant completes your exciting day.

Discover the complexities of growing, harvesting and roasting coffee at Café Britt, an esteemed plantation where you will sample coffees with different characteristics.

After departing from the pier, you will settle in for a meandering drive inland to Barva, a city established in the fertile land that lies in the shadow of Barva Volcano. Here, you will visit Café Britt, which became Costa Rica’s first gourmet coffee roaster when it opened in 1985.

As you will soon discover during a behind-the-scenes tour, the people at Café Britt are passionate about coffee. Their experts will explain how they select, collect, roast and package their beans for export. It is a fascinating process and thoroughly enjoyable when described in detail as the aroma of freshly roasted coffee wafts through the air.

Café Britt grows organic coffee using sustainable agricultural techniques that reduce the impact on the ecosystem. They also produce Fair Trade coffee that ensures that fair prices are paid to the local workers.

Costa Rica’s unique climate and diverse landscapes produce different coffee characteristics. Through “cupping,” the term for tasting coffee, you will learn to identify and grade the characteristics that qualify the coffees as gourmet. You will also discover firsthand how delicious Café Britt’s coffee are.

Following the tasting, you will enjoy lunch at a restaurant in the Central Valley and watch the local band Mascarades and Cimarrona perform traditional music.

After a short drive from the Puntarenas pier enjoy a 90 minute boat ride through the beautiful and small charming islands that adorn the Gulf of Nicoya. In the Gulf of Nicoya, there is a heavenly archipelago of several islands with lush natural beauty and a sanctuary that is home to seabirds, white sandy beaches and the flora and fauna of our Central Pacific region. Tortuga Island is located in this beautiful archipelago. Situated 12 nautical miles from Puntarenas, Tortuga Island (called by local indigenous people “Tolinga”) has an area of 120 hectares and is maintained as a protected forest which has been awarded the Ecological Blue Flag for more than five years. This distinction is awarded to beaches in our country that have pollution-free waters. Due to its geographical features, Tortuga Island’s waters are clear turquoise, which are optimal for swimming.

A delicious lunch will be waiting for you. Explore the island and enjoy the beach, relax or play beach volleyball. Optional activities such as snorkeling and banana boat rides are available at an extra cost.

Emerge yourself and see first-hand how Costa Ricans have integrated their “Pura Vida” lifestyle into what has been considered one of the 100 best breweries in the world. See the process and learn how quality beer is developed. Above all enjoy a beer tasting session with these fine brews and complete your tour with a hearty lunch with food cooked and stewed in the beer itself. There is a short stop for shopping before you are returned to the ship.

Visit the must-see attractions in the capital of San Jose, including the ornate National Theater and museums dedicated to Pre-Columbian gold and jade. After departing from the pier, you will settle in for an immensely scenic drive through lush inland valleys to the sprawling city of San Jose. Besides being Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose is the country’s cultural hub and the National Theater is among its most revered institutions.

Constructed in the late 19th century, the neo-Classical theater emulates the Paris Opera House. As you tour the interior, you can’t help but notice the lavish furnishings and beautiful murals. The massive mural on the main ceiling, entitled “Allegory of Coffee and Bananas,” is the most famous and was once depicted on Costa Rica’s five colón currency.

You will next visit the Gold Museum, which holds one of the most extensive collections of Pre-Columbian gold in the Americas with the earliest pieces dating to 500 BC. The treasures include a human-sized gold figure clad in gold ornaments, the first coin minted in Costa Rica and a variety of amulets and jewelry.

Similarly, pieces at the Jade Museum also date to 500 BC, when the jade trade was at its peak. Thousands of items are on display, including pieces with images of animals and others depicting religious rituals. While browsing the exhibits, you will also learn about the role jade played in war and burial rites.

Following this cultural immersion, you will enjoy a lunch of traditional Costa Rican cuisine.