ARENAL / LA FORTUNA:

• 4 days or more
• Restaurants: hunters gatherers, organico la fortuna
• Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rescue Center (42 mins drive from La Fortuna: VOLUNTEER)
• Mystic Hanging Bridges of Arenal (excellent - do with guide)
• Rio Celeste Waterfall hike
• Arenal Oasis Wildlife Refuge (night time tour!)
• Dog Rescue Volunteer
• River safari float from La Fortuna, Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge (1.5 hrs drive)
• Butterfly & Fauna Garden at Danaus Eco-Center (20 min drive)
• Bogarin Wildlife Trail w. guide
• Ecotermales Fortuna Hot Springs OR Tabacon (23-minute walk)
• La Fortuna Waterfall (4.4 mi)
• Arenal Volcano National Park (5.8 mi)
• Coladas trail: viewpoint to see Lake Arenal and the volcano
• Adventure Parks
  • Club Rio Adventure - discount - do hot springs, kayak, includes lunch, horse ride
  • Go Adventure Park (ziplines, rafting)
  • Sky Adventures (ziplines, rafting) (6.4 mi)
  • Sky Tram / Sky Trek at Arenal and Monteverde
  • Athica, Arenal Canopy Tours and Ecoglide that aren’t as high or fast
  • Horseback Riding

TORTUGUERO:

• 2 to 3 days good
• Boat Expedition to Tortuguero National Park and Canals (3 hours)
• Tortuguero Village Walking Tour and Casa Cecropia (Chocolate tour) (2 hours)
• Complementary Word Adventure Program at the San Francisco School
• Turtles Nesting(July to Oct)

MONTEVERDE:

• 3 days good
• Check out Downtown area
• Monteverde NP Cloud Forest Reserved Hiking tour (3 hours)
• Twilight Tour at El Refugio Private Reserve (2 Hours)
• Curi-Cancha Reserve
• Santa Elena NP - should be done with a guide, Encantado Trail
• Children's Eternal Forest - night hikes
• El Rodeo stable is among the best stables for horseback riding in Costa Rica
• Adventure Parks:
  • Selvatura Adventure Park (Hummingbird Garden, Hanging Bridges, Canopy Walk, Butterfly, etc, first choice)
  • Sky Adventures Monteverde Park (would just do hanging bridges hike which is lovely)
  • 100% Aventura (longest zips)

ON WAY TO TAMARINDO: Centro de Rescate Las Pumas (animal Rescue)

TAMARINDO:

• Playa Conchal - 45 mins north (only resort there - no shade but beautiful - small town nearby: Brasalito with 5 min walk to Conchal)
• Ostional Wildlife Refuge (turtles - check the season) - 2 hrs south
• Black Stallion: ziplining, horsebackriding
• Luxury Spa retreat - 15 minutes outside of Tamarindo, the Spa is set on a mountain-top overlooking the jungle and ocean (LADE - de eros)
• Waterfall LLanos del Cortes (2 hrs drive)
• Rio Celeste, turquoise waterfall
• Wave runners
• Boogie Boarding & Surf Lessons, Tamarindo Beach
• Mountain Biking
• Diamanté Eco Park (animal sanctuary)
• ATV jungle ride
• Jungle safari boat ride
• Restaurants: falafel bar, green papaya taco, tico cafe, pura vegan, breaking bread, nordico cafe

OTHER GOOD STUFF:

• Rincon De La Vieja National Park (Sensoria Land of Senses, Guachipelin Adventure Park, 7 hiking trails in the park, Easy 1.86 miles loop around the boiling mud pots or 2.67 miles to Catarata Escondida, Eco Termales Hot Springs)
• ON WAY TO ARENAL: Centro de Rescate Las Pumas (animal Rescue)
• NEAR ARENAL OR day trip from Tamarindo: Rio Celeste, Tenorio Volcano National Park
• Corcovado National Park and Drake Bay in the OSA Peninsula
• Playa Santa Teresa & Montezuma (beautiful beaches area on Nicoya Peninsula - Yoga life)
• Punta Uva & Manzanillo (Beautiful Caribbean side beaches) - Jaguar Rescue Center
• Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio + Manuel Antonio Beach (very touristy/crowded though) - Sloth Institute
• Palo Verde Wetlands (can stay on research base - boat tour is amazing)
• Sloth Sanctuary - south east side

NOTES:

• 40lb and 10lb carry-on weight restriction for all inner country planes
• tortugalodge.com (great - no a/c)
• monteverdelodge.com (wonderful!)
• nayarasprings.com (amazing)
• Tamarindo: ochoartisansbungalows.com, Cala Luna, Capitan Suizo
• travelers d, toki, 6.3 earthquake in CR, tenants moving, thunder lightening, earthquakes in LA