Escorted Tours 2020 & 2021 - 2nd Edition - Mercury Holidays

LATIN AMERICA 83 For full tour itineraries, please visit us online at www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/tours 1 Number of nights Coach 1  < 2 2 2  < • • Arenal Volcano ▲ San José Alajuela Province Caribbean Sea   Guápiles Tortuguero La Fortuna Monteverde Manuel Antonio Costa Rica MEAL PLAN: 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches & 4 dinners ACCOMMODATION Alajuela Province 1 night 3 ★ Buena Vista Hotel Tortuguero 2 nights 3 ★ Evergreen Lodge La Fortuna 2 nights 4 ★ Arenal Springs Monteverde 2 nights 4 ★ El Establo MANUEL ANTONIO BEACH STAY 4 nights 4 ★ B&B from £489 , 4 nights 4 ★ B&B from £569 or 4 nights 5 ★ B&B from £589 PUNTA LEONA BEACH STAY 4 nights 3 ★ B&B from £349 VOLCANO MINI TOUR 4 nights 3 ★ B&B from £419 Visit our website to learn more about our extensions. EXTEND YOUR TOUR DEPARTURES & FROM PRICES 2022 DEPARTURES AT 2021 PRICES CONTACT US FOR DATES • Prices based on flights from London Gatwick to San Jose with British Airways • Regional departures available • A single supplement starts from just £439 DAY 1: UK TO ALAJUELA PROVINCE D Depart London on your scheduled flight to San Jose and meet your tour guides upon arrival. Transfer to tonight’s hotel and become acquainted with your fellow travellers during a welcome dinner this evening. DAY 2: ALAJUELA PROVINCE TO TORTUGUERO B/L/D Savour your first taste of traditional gallo pinto (black beans and rice) during breakfast at the hotel before travelling to the enchanting town of Tortuguero on Costa Rica’s biodiverse Caribbean Coast, stopping en route in Guapiles. Arrive at your lodge for a lunch before departing on your first excursion visiting Tortuguero, the ‘home of the turtles’. With the rest of your afternoon at leisure, explore Tortuguero’s exotic beaches and be sure to look out for endearing turtles who are renowned for nesting upon the sandy shores (from July through mid October). DAY 3: TORTUGUERO B/L/D Embark on a captivating nature hike through well-established rainforest trails, nestled within Tortuguero National Park; watch as mantled howler monkeys swing through the treetops, and listen to the tuneful changing of green macaws during this truly unforgettable experience. This afternoon, cruise Tortuguero’s intricate rivers for the best glimpse of the park’s most famous residents. DAY 4: TORTUGUERO TO LA FORTUNA B/L Return through a system of snaking canals before continuing to Arenal, whose dramatic landscape is spectacularly dominated by the mighty Arenal Volcano. Pause en route to enjoy a traditional Costa Rican lunch. DAY 5: LA FORTUNA B A verdant haven framed by the grandiose Arenal Volcano, enjoy a scenic morning tour of the town of La Fortuna before tracing old lava flows around a private 4.5km hiking trail at its base. Along the way, discover wild sloths, monkeys and toucans inquisitively peer out of their fertile habitats, and relish in vistas overlooking the imposing Volcano. Return to your hotel for some time at leisure, or alternatively, relax in a serene web of natural thermal springs at Tabacon Hot Springs (at a fee). DAY 6: LA FORTUNA TO MONTEVERDE B/L A picturesque journey from Arenal zigzags through a landscape of surpassing beauty; from rustic villages, rolling hills and the panoramas of stunning Lake Arenal, arrive in time for lunch at a hospitable ranch in the small community of Monteverde Cloud Forest. Dine on a flavourful traditional meal whilst enjoying a folklore dance presentation, before visiting a prospering coffee plantation which harvests one of Costa Rica’s greatest agricultural produces. Prior to arriving at tonight’s hotel, stop off in the town of Santa Elena, known as the home to one of South America’s most mesmerising birds, the Quetzal. DAY 7: MONTEVERDE B/L/D Soaring high above the clouds, bask in a vision of tranquillity in Monteverde Cloud Forest this morning, observing a hazy mist which drifts under the cloudforest; teeming with an astonishing 3000 species, witness some of nature’s most stunning creatures, ranging from vibrant butterflies to prowling primates who reside in this biodiverse oasis. Delight in awe-inspiring jungle views from the dizzying heights of Selvatura Park’s Treetop walkways before indulging in a delicious lunch, freshly prepared in front of your eyes. Laden with an enormous selection of colourful orchids, conclude today with a gentle hike in the tropical lowlands of the Ecological Sanctuary, a small patch of rainforest with an incredible variety of birds, mammals, plants and insects. DAY 8/9: MONTEVERDE TO THE UK B Transfer to San Jose airport for your overnight flight back to the UK, or continue on to your chosen extension. B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner FOR YOU TO KNOW: No visa is required when travelling to Costa Rica, however travel insurance must be obtained before travel. Tips: We recommend you allow approximately 64 USD per person for the duration of your tour. Optional excursions are at an additional cost. 9 days from £1,599pp Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve BEST OF COSTA RICA TOUR HIGHLIGHTS ✔ Explore Tortuguero National Park ✔ Witness flora and fauna in Tortuguero National Park, including Turtles nesting upon the beaches. ✔ Sample traditional Costa Rican Cuisine ✔ Spectacular views of Arenal Volcano ✔ Nature trail along a private path at the base of Arenal Volcano ✔ Visit a coffee plantation in Monteverde ✔ Treetop walkways and wildlife spotting in Selvatura Park Explore mystical waterways and wildlife rich National Parks emerging from this biodiverse wonderland. Trace along old lava flows at the foothill of Arenal Volcano and walk above rainforest canopies in Selvatura Park. PACE: 19 Jan 21 £2,099 16 Feb 21 £2,099 20 Mar 21 £1,899 17 Apr 21 £1,699 15 May 21 £1,599 12 Jun 21 £1,749 24 Jul 21 £2,449 21 Aug 21 £2,329 25 Sep 21 £1,799 13 Oct 21 £1,799 16 Nov 21 £1,849 INCLUDES DIRECT FLIGHTS TO SAN JOSE