Costa Rica Culture Tour

Introduction

Most people go to Costa Rica for the pristine beaches, exotic jungles, ecological preserves and adventure activities available everywhere. But Costa Rica is rich in history and culture as well, a paradise filled with warm and very happy people.

Discovered by Christopher Columbus 1502, Costa Rica literally means "Rich Coast" in Spanish. Archaeologists know that civilization existed for thousands of years in Costa Rica before the arrival of Columbus.

This tour is a sample of cultural highlights found in Costa Rica, including both modern achievements as well as tours of indigenous tribes and culture.

Travel Package Details

Highlights - 8 days, 7 nights - all transportation included Itinerary: - 2 nights in San José @ Grano de Oro (includes standard room and taxes) - San Jose City Tour (includes transport and entrance fees) - 1 night in Guayabo Lodge (standard room, taxes and breakfast included) - Guayabo National Monument tour - 2 nights in Azania Bungalows (taxes and breakfast included) - Bri-Bri Indigenous Reserve tour (includes round trip transportation from hotel, bilingual naturalist guide and Bri-Bri guide) - 2 nights in Arenal Observatory Lodge (Smithsonian room, taxes and breakfast included) - Maleku Indigenous Reserve Tour (includes round trip transportation from hotel, bilingual naturalist guide and Maleku guide) Customize: change hotels in Arenal | San José change adventures in Arenal | San José Available Dates: This vacation package runs all year. Call for more details.

*prices include all sales and tourism taxes

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1-4

Your first day in Costa Rica is in San José at the Grano de Oro, a 40 room hotel, a true oasis in the heart of the capital city, San José. The hotel exudes the charm and character of a stately mansion with the comforts and amenities of a fine hotel. It has a secluded terrace garden with large jacuzzis and courtyards filled with fountains and tropical flowers. Delicious meals and desserts are served in the dining room, adjacent sunroom and tropical patio.

This hotel is a great location for exploring the cultural diversity of Costa Rica! Located close to shops, museums, and restaurants, you'll have time to explore the friendly environment of Costa Rica's capital city.

Day 2 - San José City Tour

This tour immerses you in the rich Costa Rican culture and history by experiencing the beautiful museums and historical sites of San José. It begins with an orientation and drive through the beautiful Sabana Park. Next, we will take a walking tour through the historic National Theater.

Completed in 1897, the theater is a masterpiece in art and architecture. Afterwards we will visit one of the many unique museums of Costa Rica.
We will continue heading to the University of Costa Rica, the Supreme Court and various sites of interest. A brief stop will be made in a beautiful art craft shopping store allowing you to browse through it before returning to your hotel.

Day 3

Today you'll travel to the evergreen Turrialba valley, an enchanting town surrounded by vast sugar and coffee plantations. Visit in Turrialba the Guayabo National Monument, Costa Rica’s most prominent archaeological site, recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers as a World Heritage Site for its advanced system of aqueducts and cobblestone roads.

Located on the slopes of the Turrialba Volcano, 19 km north of Turrialba town, the Guayabo National Monument is the most extensively excavated archaeological site in the country. It covers a 218 ha area, which is mainly secondary tropical wet forest on valley slopes surrounding the visible site.

It is strategically positioned between 2 canyons with the Turrialba Volcano to its rear. The stone and soil constructions of the Guayabo site are remains of a settlement, which was a political and religious center before the arrival of the Spaniards to Costa Rica. A small society lived here between 1000 B.C. and 1400 A.D, when the town was mysteriously abandoned. The ruins to be explored include large circular rocks; an aqueduct, still working 2,000 years later; a complex water containment system and an amazing cobbled stone road. Overnight in Turrialba.

Day 4-5

Then journey to the Caribbean to Azania Bungalows, located in Cocles beach, on the Southern Caribbean Coast, (awarded with the Costa Rican Government Blue Flag for clean beaches). The bungalows are private and set apart amidst lush gardens. They have been built with traditional materials, exotic woods and thatched-palm roofs with a modern concept of construction. All are decorated with bamboo lamps and furniture, ceiling fans, large windows with mosquito nets and high peaked roofs, allowing the refreshing natural air to circulate. Each bungalow comes equipped with a refrigerator, security box, a softly-lit original sauna-style bathroom with hot water and hair dryer, plus a private deck and hammock out front.

During your stay at Azania Bungalows you'll take a fantastic tour to the Bri-Bri Indigenous reserve, to the community of Suretka, located on the margins of the Telire River, place where the product market of the reserve takes place. Then you will be able to refresh yourself in the clean waters of a waterfall and finally you will visit the ACOMUITA women group, where you will learn about the Chocolate manufacturing process.

Day 6

On day 6 you'll do a little traveling to Arenal, one of Costa Rica's most unique destinations. You'll be staying at Arenal Observatory Lodge, a wonderful hotel in the mountains near the Arenal Volcano.

The hotel offers 42 comfortable rooms, 270 acres of primary rainforest with well-marked trails, 400 acres of reforestation projects, and 200 acres of working farmlands, one bar and one restaurant, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, safety box, laundry service, give shop, parking, and transportation if required.

Day 7 - Maleku Indigenous Reserve Tour

Centuries ago, The Maleku Tribe – a branch of the Chibchas - where divided in 23 different groups, however in the last hundred years, their population has decreased substantially; today we can find only three at Palenque El Sol, Margarita and the bigger one: Tonjibe, all this reserves are located in Los Guatuzos lowlands.

The Malekus at Palenque Tonjibe have opened their hearts and their community to all visitors, this way, sharing with us a little of their culture, language and traditions, they are giving us the chance to know the roots of our Costa Rican heritage.

By taking a hike with a Maleku guide through enchanting rainforest and pre-Columbian burial grounds of their native lands, we'll get to learn about medicinal plants, nature from the Maleku's point of view and also visit one of their cemeteries.

This hike is narrated in the Maleku language (Maleku jaica), and translated into English. Actually most Malekus speak Spanish, but they also learn about their culture and take classes in Maleku jaica since primary school.

Note: Consider extending your stay in Arenal with another fantastic Arenal adventure like fishing, horseback riding, or mountain biking!

Day 8 - Departure

Alas! you must return to the modern world, with an early pickup from the hotel, and ground transport back to the international airport. We hope you have absorbed some of Costa Rica's marvelous culture and made some new friends!

Note: If you haven't had enough of modern Costa Rica culture, consider extending your stay and taking even more San José adventures!

Remember: we can customize any of our standard Costa Rica Vacation Packages!

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