ACTIVE VOLCANOES brings you in close contact with the primordial geological creation power of the most spectacular active volcanoes in Costa Rica. Look into one of the world's most active geyser craters with over ½ a mile in diameter, come face to face with lava eruptions, take a dip in natural thermal waters of volcanic origin and cool off in a turquoise jungle waterfall pool!

After spending your first night at a charming B & B in San José, Costa Rica, early start to visit Poas Volcano National Park. Enjoy the magnificent sight of one of the largest geyser craters in the world and hike through the fascinating miniature cloud forest to an extinct crater lagoon at over 8000 feet above sea level. Before lunch you will continue with your own driver and guide to the Arenal Volcano area, in the northern region of Costa Rica. Base for our 2 day volcanic exploration and adventure will be 'Montanas de Fuego Inn', facing the northern slope of Arenal Volcano.

From the comfort of your veranda at 'Montana de Fuego Inn' and maybe enjoying a good wine, you will be witness to the most impressive incandescent lava eruptions in form of the most primordial creation power: eruptive volcanic activity! The younger mountain ranges of Costa Rica, with an estimated 3 ½ -- 4 million years of age have been to great extend shaped by tectonic eruptive activity which is magnificently exemplified by the youngest and most active Arenal Volcano!

Another highlight awaits the next day for you to be discovered hidden in the eastern slope of the Tenorio Volcano. Named after a fierce Indian chief which ruled this isolated, yet extraordinarily beautiful part of Costa Rica, the Tenorio Volcano National Park hides and protects a very unknown
and well kept secret natural treasure! 'Malecu' Indian tradition, the Indian tribe living today in this
region, and which can be traced back to the great Indian Cacique, Tenorio, tells of religious ceremonies that took place Rio Celeste Waterfall area.

GUIDED ACTIVE VOLCANOES brings you exclusively to this very special and unique area of Costa Rica. Observe the turquoise tainting and coloring of the Celeste River. Dip into an absolutely natural thermal water, apply a 'rejuvenating' skin cleansing volcanic mud mask that you will than rinse off in the fresh and turquoise colored waters of one the most beautiful waterfalls in Costa Rica! We can guarantee, that you will share the thermal water pool with nobody else but yourself.

ACTIVE VOLCANO differs from the above program in that it will include scheduled transfers from one point to the other, thus not allowing the visit to Poas and Tenorio Volcanoes. The only volcanic area visited during the ACTIVE VOLCANO program will be the Arenal Volcano. However, and instead of the Rio Celeste tour, it includes a very interesting and rewarding boat tour to the 'Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge' a wet - and flood- land river basin which is of world importance for many species of migratory birds, and is home to many reptiles, mammal and fish species! The 'Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge' tour is a highlight for every nature lover that is interested in seeing a high concentration of wildlife in an unforgettable setting !

After your two night stay at 'Montana de Fuego Inn' you will start the more active segment of either of both ACTIVE VOLCANOES programs. On the way to 'La Amistad' Biosphere Preserve you will experience a thrilling white water tour rafting the Sarapiqui River, class 3. After this 'wet' challenge you will head south, towards the Caribbean ocean, passing through the Caribbean lowlands and finally heading to the foot hills of the great Talamanca Mountain Range and enjoying a wonderful dinner at Selva Bananito Lodge & Preserve.

Your next days at Selva Bananito will be filled with daily activities and physical challenges. Or,
if you prefer, you can 'kick back' and forget about daily city life stress and observe the harmonious surroundings. Fill your ears with many different bird songs and even sleep a well deserved 'siesta' in your hammock on your ample veranda overseeing the beauty of Reserva Selva Bananito and "La Amistad" International Park.

Now you will understand why Christopher Columbus, on his fourth and last voyage to the Americas, named our country Costa Rica, which means rich coast. When he discovered our rich coast, he did not find material treasures, but countless natural treasures hidden in what today is "La Amistad" Biosphere Preserve.

At Selva Bananito you can choose from a number of exciting adventure activities such as hiking through the exuberant tropical rain forest of our preserve. At Selva Bananito Preserve you will find trees, over 200 feet tall, that you can climb using our special tree climbing gear and canopy exploration technique. From our canopy platform you will be overwhelmed by the wild and rich diversity in-, and absolute serene beauty of- our primary rain forest.


Selva Bananito Preserve invites you to explore waterfalls and to rappel down one or several of them. How would you feel about a free descend, rappelling down a 130 feet high vertical drop on a wall created by tectonic activity during the last great earthquake of 1991? Learn about the history and the importance of the Bananito River watershed and our watershed conservation, a task taken up by- and channeled through "Lim?n Watershed Foundation", which we actively support through our services and activities at Selva Bananito Lodge & Preserve.

While having and enjoying a fantastic time during our horseback tour through the farm you will learn about the regions history and low impact tropical agriculture. If you liked our farm tour on horseback, why don't you dare galloping along open areas of our farm and than venture off into the primary forest
in order to be swallowed up by its secrets and to blend into its magic!

After your stay at Selva Bananito Lodge & Preserve it is now time to either return to your B & B in
San José or continue an extension to the archipelago of Bocas del Toro, Panama for the
VOLCANOES and "LA AMISTAD".program.

ACTIVE VOLCANOES and "LA AMISTAD" 13 days / 12 nights: You can start out this package with any of the above itineraries and continue to Bocas del Toro, Panama.

A scenic charter flight will take you in 1/2 an hour to the most
beautiful Caribbean islands and coral keys imaginable.
After immigration procedures at Bocas del Toro airport, we will take a gorgeous boat transfer to 'Punta Vieja' on Bastimentos Island.

Your base for the exploration of "Bastimentos Marine National Park" and our beach activities will be 'Al Natural' Eco Resort. Here you will stay two nights in midst of the most important protected marine area of Bocas del Toro.

'Al Natural' is built in a very open and natural Caribbean style and offers a very personal atmosphere. 'Al Natural' blends in harmoniously with the tropical forest of its own private preserve, and offers kilometers of golden beaches to walk on.
'Al Natural' faces directly the two most beautiful Caribbean coral islands in the "Bastimentos Marine National Park", which we have included in our program. The ' Zapatillas Keys' are located just a short boat ride s away from "Al Natural". You can snorkel, kayak, windsurf, sunbathe, swim and relax
during your stay at 'Al Natural' and your excursion to 'Cayo Zapatillas' during our first day in this area.

The second day at 'Al Natural' you will hike through the jungle of 'Old Point'. The purpose of this tour is to visit 'Playa Larga', a well preserved golden beach facing the open Caribbean Sea. 'Playa Larga' is of great importance to the "Marine National Park of Bastimentos", as a very important nesting site for the Leather Back and Green Sea Turtles. Your presence on the beach of 'Playa Larga' has a rather benevolent task.
During your stay at this very special and 'sacred' beach, you will spend
part of our time picking up trash washed ashore by high tides and ocean
currents. 'Playa Larga' is, if not the most beautiful beach, assuredly one
of the scenically and naturally most beautiful sea turtle nesting beaches
in the world.

It has been an important nesting site for thousands of generations of these very endangered sea turtles. Sea turtle nesting has been going on for millions of years before humans started to destroy and to litter the surface of our planet. Sea turtle nesting, which we wish to help conserve, should not take place on a 'sacred' beach impacted by human trash.

With a little sacrifice on your behalf, and with special and exclusive agreement with ANAM, National Authority of the Environment, Panama, guests that come with our package "LA AMISTAD" Adventure, will have the privilege to experience this magical place in exchange for reducing, at least symbolically, the burden placed on this nesting site by human litter.

During the off - sea turtle - nesting season beach clean up is the 'noble' activity for the second day of stay at 'Al Natural'. If you prefer to stay in a hammock or relax on the beach you are welcome to do so as well.

During sea turtle nesting season, 'Playa Larga' will only be accessed by special agreement with ANAM, during our Turtles and "LA AMISTAD" conservation program and will not be included in ACTIVE VOLCANOES and "LA AMISTAD" Adventure. For more details click on Sea Turtles.

After lunch we depart for Hotel 'Punta Caracol', located on Colon Island. This is the largest and main island of the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Our last two nights we will enjoy 'Punta Caracol'. This very romantic and exclusive lodge, which has been built on top of reefs, with a minimum of impact on the habitat it sets out to protect, is the perfect romantic Caribbean hide out for your last days in "La Amistad" Biosphere Preseve. You will fall in love with this very unique hotel built on stilts above a tranquil ocean lagoon.

Enjoy romantic and delicious dinners in the light of candles, swim in the calm waters of the 'Almirante Bay', snorkel in crystal clear tides or try kayaking in a traditional dugout exploring the close by mangroves, a very diverse and important habitat to many marine, wildlife and bird species.

At last, after all the activity, all the adrenaline and all the magnificent experiences, you deserve to rest, relax, and to feel satisfied . However, should you feel the need for more activity, a tour of 'Bird Island' will take you by boat to this interesting rock-island, with many endemic sea bird species living, mating and nesting on it.

On your last day of ACTIVE VOLCANOES and "LA AMISTAD" adventure program you will return to Limon by plane and take a transfer back to your B & B in San José. You can book a ½ hour scenic flight around Bocas del Toro flying back to Limon, or should you prefer, you can optionally fly directly back to San José, or even start an extension into Panama.

For more detailed information, or customized travel itineraries of our packages, please contact CONSELVATUR.

For a detailed itinerary description, please click here.