Guanacaste

Bus & minivan tours

Escape into the nature of the La Fortuna on a guided hike. Walk by the river and follow a trail to a panoramic viewpoint. Have a delicious lunch at a Maluku Indian village and trek through forests, lava fields, and farmlands before relaxing at a natural hot spring resort with a drink. Be collected at your accommodation and be driven to the beginning of the forest walk. Trek on the easy track along the crystal clear La Fortuna river. En route, hop on a tractor cart uphill to a panoramic viewpoint. Spot the next location from a distance then begin the return walk down a jungle staircase. Halfway down is a high suspension bridge to cross. The trail leads further down the huge canyon, which was shaped by a volcanic mega-eruption. Encounter the spectacular La Fortuna waterfall. Be amazed by the lush vegetation on its 70-meter-high walls, the huge volcanic rocks at its foot, and the water splashing down in its massive pool. Bask in its beauty or even take a refreshing dip. Return to the viewpoint then walk down to the little village of the Maluku Indians. Seated in their Palenke (main house), enjoy a rest while listening to an interesting story about their culture, art, and history.  After being active for a few hours, the time has come to relax and enjoy a typical hot lunch. Next to the restaurant is a butterfly garden and frog pond that you can explore until your food is served.  Reenergized, take a 15-minute ride to the park at the foot of the Arenal volcano. Being the trek through the primary forest where you can see huge trees with giant roots. Besides a variety of birds, the forest is host to monkeys, sloths, and coati. Leave the forest and reach the highest viewpoint that exists around the volcano and absorb the most spectacular panoramic views of Lake Arenal, the jungle, the valley, the lava fields, and most of all the Arenal that towers over you.  Conclude your tour at the natural hot spring resort. Relax in its soothing warm water for about an hour and enjoy a complimentary cocktail. Afterward, you will be taken back to your accommodation.

Add a little adventure to your transportation needs between Monteverde and La Fortuna and avail of a transfer that includes an informative boat tour across Lake Arenal. Get spectacular views of Arenal Volcano and the cloud forests of Monteverde as you travel by van and boat. Choose from a morning or afternoon departure in either direction to suit your schedule, and relax in the knowledge that your luggage will be taken care of on every step of the journey. Depart La Fortuna and travel to Lake Arenal by van. Then, take a 30-minute boat ride to the town of Río Chiquito before continuing to Monteverde by van. For departures from Monteverde, travel to Lake Arenal by van. Cross Lake Arenal on an enlightening 30-minute boat ride to the earthen dam, and then continue to La Fortuna by van for drop off at your hotel.

Relax all afternoon on board a catamaran moored in the bay of Playa Tamarindo in Guanacaste. Enjoy an open bar and lunch onboard, sunning trampolines, and equipment to snorkel, kayak, or paddle board.Begin your trip with pickup from the beach. Relax as the skiff delivers you to the decks of the catamaran. Gently travel over the crystal blue waters of the Bay of Playa Tamarindo in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, where the engine will be used sparingly for a peaceful afternoon on the water.Lay back at the sunning and lounging trampolines of the boat, or take advantage of the equipment on board, including snorkeling gear, kayaks, and paddle boards. Hop into the ocean for a swim, or duck underwater to take in the wildlife below.Next, enjoy a typical local lunch, prepared by a French chef de cuisine, and served on board the catamaran. Rinse off in the freshwater showers on board, then sip on drinks from the open bar. Lay back and take in the warm sun on the sunning trampolines, suspended over the water.Finally, begin the slow journey back to port while you take in the sunset over the waters.

Meet your guide at the activity provider's office, near the villages of Colorado, and Curubande. Then, get into a 4WD and head to the entrance of the trail. Get out of the vehicle, and start your hike to the waterfall on this scenic trail. Follow your guide for 1.3 miles (2 km) to the waterfall. Then, keep going uphill on a steep climb, and cross some caves along the way. Afterward, swim for 82 ft (25 meters) through a beautiful river canyon. Next, arrive at the waterfall, which is near the Rincon de la Vieja volcano. Admire the cascading blue waters which rush down between 2 canyons. Appreciate the uniquely colored water, which is blue and turquoise due to the sulfur. Splash around in the water for a while. Finally, head back to the starting point along the trail to finish up your activity. Make your own way back to your accommodation at the end of the tour.

Sail along Costa Rica’s Gold Coast on a sunset cruise, passing Guanacaste’s exotic bays, white sand beaches, and tropical jungles. Gaze off the bow with a cold tropical drink in your hand as you scan the seas for dolphins, sea turtles, flying fish, or even a breaching whale. Stop in a tranquil bay, drop anchor, and enjoy a swim. Snorkel, or take a walk down a deserted white sand beach. While you’re enjoying the sun, sand, and sea, the crew will prepare a lunch of chicken or pasta salad, fruit, chips, pico de gallo, guacamole, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. As the sun sets, you’ll see the ever-changing colors of the sky, while enjoying your favorite drink from the boat’s open bar. Capture the moment to show your family and friends the wonders of a Costa Rican sunset.

On this nature adventure, you will see all the stunning beauty of the Arenal area. Right at the foot of the Arenal volcano, make your way into a beautiful park. Enjoy the most impressive primary rainforest where you can admire the huge trees and complex ecosystem that surrounds them. Leaving the forest, get to the lava fields. Here, follow a trail through the enormous black lava rocks that were deposited there by the massive 1968 eruption. The reward is definitely worth the effort. With the impressive Arenal looming over you, you really get an idea of the immensity of this now silent giant and the violent force with which it erupted. All along the way, your bilingual guide will tell you about the history, the ecosystem, and the wildlife you may encounter. After a coffee break, go on the way to get some well-deserved relaxation. End the tour at a small hot spring resort, here you can soak in the soothing hot water while enjoying a complimentary cocktail.

Admire the beauty of nature on a guided adventure hike to La Leona Waterfall. Enjoy your guide to yourself on this private tour. Put your hiking skills to the test as you cross rivers, rock formations, and paths. Swim through the canyon to the waterfall. After meeting your guide, be driven to the hike starting point. Walk walk in the forest next to the Blanco River that comes from the volcano. Go around incredible rock formations, cross streams of water, and go up small ladders as you make your way toward the waterfall. At the very end, pull yourself with a rope inside the water to get into a big cave to see La Leona Waterfall. Finally, return to the meeting point with your guide.

Explore the rich biodiversity of the mangrove forests located near Tamarindo on a guided kayaking tour. Discover local wildlife including howler monkeys on an adventurous outdoor activity. Start the tour at the Tamarindo Estuary with a short training session to get comfortable in the kayak. Paddle your way into the mangrove forest where you will be able to see local fauna in their natural habitat. Arrive at a part of the mangrove forest where a troop of howler monkeys can be found. Listen to their distinctive calls in a serene atmosphere. Encounter a variety of other local wildlife including birdlife and fish species. Afterward, head back to the starting point on the shoes of Tamarindo.

A trip to Tamarindo is not complete without a day spent on the ocean, and there is no better way to enjoy the beauty and wonder of the Costa Rica sea than with Blue Dolphin Sailing. Blue Dolphin is the original and longest operating sailing tour company in Costa Rica, operating since 2004. Blue Dolphin 1 is a 40’ open layout catamaran and Blue Dolphin 2 is a large, 50’ cruising style catamaran. Whether you’re traveling solo, as a couple, a family and friends or a business group, the Blue Dolphin’s professional, licensed crew will make you feel welcome and part of our family. So come aboard, relax and enjoy the ride with us! Our tour departs from Playa Tamarindo and heads north for about 1 hour while we enjoy delightful drinks from our custom cocktail menu, spectacular scenery and we will be on the lockout for sea life such as whales, dolphins, turtles and rays. Then we will moor in a cove for water activities including: * Swimming * Snorkeling * Kayaks * Stand-up paddle board * Pool noodles After the water activities we will enjoy a freshly prepared meal aboard the boat and then we weigh anchor and head back to Tamarindo. All the while you will enjoy our tropical music, a cocktail and an amazing sunset. * Booking cutoff time is 11:30 AM day of tour.

Our vans will be collecting all the travelers in front the hotel at the main road in Santa Teresa, after 45 minutes drive you will be arring to Motezuma beach, once here our capitan will explain you all the details about this experience. Our 45-minutes boat journey along the coastline, offering stunning vistas of the Pacific Ocean to the right and the scenic Nicoya Peninsula to the left. Throughout the boat ride from July to Novemeber, you will likely spot playful dolphins, leaping manta rays, ancient turtles, or, if fortune smiles upon you, you might even catch a glimpse of humpback. Upon arriving at the amazing Tortuga Island, we will moor our boat near the prime snorkeling spots. The volcanic rock reef, encircled by clear waters, is inhabited by Angelfish, Porcupinefish, Morays, Needlefish, Spotted Eagle Rays, and numerous other tropical wonders that will provide you with an exceptional snorkeling adventure. Following the incredible snorkeling adventure, our captain will guide you to the beautiful white sandy shores of Tortuga Island, where refreshments and fruit will be available while lunch is being prepared. For the meal, our chef offers freshly grilled fish (tuna fillet at the moment) or chicken, along with sautéed vegetables and tasty grilled potatoes. Once lunch is finished, you will have the rest of the afternoon to relax and have fun. You might choose to hike, swim, rent a kayak, try a banana boat ride, take a short nap, or simply unwind on the beach. As the day winds down, we’ll board the boat again for a scenic trip back to Montezuma town. Scuba Diving: As soon as we arrive at the island, the diving club boat will arrive to pick you up and due to the limited travel time, we recommend doing a scuba dive. Average visibility is between 2 and 7 meters. These waters have beautiful volcanic rock formations and a large school of fish, rays, moray eels and great white sharks. We provide all diving equipment and of course a dive master or instructor as a guide, we just need to know your wetsuit size. If you are not certified, you can join our diving trip for discovery, this is the beginning of diving and you can go on another boat as soon as we arrive at the island. Start practicing in the calm waters of the beach at a depth of no more than 2 meters to get acquainted with the equipment, then dive professionally at a depth of no more than 7 meters, always accompanied by a dive master or instructor.