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Other Sections
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AMERIKA VENTURE
inbound travel agency
& tour operator
across the Americas
since 1996
Member of
BBB, TIES & STI
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| Scuba diving and Volcanoes of Costa Rica - 08 days #CRD ...for divers! |
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From the fires of Arenal, glowing red at night, to the clear waters of the Papagayo Gulf, witness and discover the geological and natural beauties of Costa Rica...
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The Gulf of Papagayo is widely recognized as the première diving destination in Costa Rica. With its sun swept beaches, rocky offshore islands and over 40 dive sites to choose from, his area offers a variety of diving adventures for all levels of scuba divers. Diving on volcanic pinnacles offers white-tipped reef sharks, bull sharks, giant Manta Rays, eagle rays, diamond stingrays, octopus, and huge schools of tropical fish.
This 8 days tour will also bring you to the most active volcanoes in the country for superb hikes - on and around them - to observe an abundant and often typical flora and fauna accompanied by one of the top naturalist tour guides in Costa Rica.
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Detailed Itinerary
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Day 1. Liberia > Playa Del Coco > Night dive
After breakfast we will pick you up at your hotel in Liberia (or at the airport if you land today before noon) and transfer you to Playa Del Coco. Installation in your hotel, beach, pool and relaxation. Night dive (one tank) in one of the 9 local sites listed below.
Day 2. Morning dive and night dive
After an early breakfast we will pick you up at the hotel around 7h45 for a morning dive (two tanks) in one of the 9 local sites listed below. Return to the hotel around 13h00, lunch and relaxation. Night dive (one tank) in one of the 9 local sites listed below.
Day 3. Catalina Islands dive
Dive sites: Northwest Drift (40 - 70ft) (12 - 21m)
and /or The Point (40 - 110ft) (12 - 33m)
Early breakfast, hotel pickup around 7h45, boat transfer (45min.) to Isla Catalina for a long and comprehensive three tank dive off the beautiful islands. Scuba diving off Catalina Islands can include Morays, Garibaldis and diverse cold water reefs. Most of the marine life are comfortable with divers due to years of hand feeding but beware, fingers can be mistaken for food! An exhilarating shark channel will provide you with a glimpse of the white-tipped reef sharks that call this area home. Once through the channel, we drift northwesterly past octocoralled pinnacles to fly with the giant mantas, eagle rays, and schools of cow-nosed rays.
The expected return time from this dive is 15h30.
Day 4. Murcielago (Bat) Islands dive*
Dive site: Bajo Negro (0 - 110ft) (0 - 33m)
Early breakfast, hotel pickup around 7h00, boat transfer (1.5hr) to the bat islands for a long three tank dive. Located in the Santa Elena Peninsula, this point offers the largest variety of species and a major attraction are the Bull Sharks. We will explore a beautifully landscaped pinnacle covered with corals and sponges. As we encircle the pinnacle from bottom to top, we encounter sharks in the depths while swimming with the large schools of tropical fish and rays as we wind our way towards the surface. The expected return time from this dive is 17h00.
* If the conditions are not adequate, we may change today's dive plan and go for a second long dive to Catalina Islands (to different sites than the ones previously visited).
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Scuba diving sites
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Local sites:
1. Virador
2. Monkey's Head
3. Meros
4. Narizones
5. Sopresa
6. Punta Argentina
7. Tortuga
8. Punta Gorda
9. Tiburones
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Isla Catalina:
10. The Point
11. Northwest Drift
Mucialagos (Bat) Island:
12. Bajo Negro
13. Big Scare
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Day 5. Rincon de la Vieja Volcano
Early morning filling breakfast, transfer to the Rincon de la Vieja National Park, a magnificent natural environment; one of the best birding spots in Costa Rica. Guided exploration of the national park. Transfer to our charming and very comfortable ranch-inn around 13h00. Buffet lunch and relaxation. Optional trips are offered in the afternoon, among which horseback rides to the region's waterfalls and wildlife watching walks with your guide.
Among the many birds that can be observed here we find the Gray Hawk and the Broad-winged Hawk, the White-throated Magpie Jay, the Squirrel Cuckoo, the Blue-Crowned Motmot, the Emerald Toucanet and the Blue Crowned Euphonia.
Day 6. Rincon de la Vieja > Arenal Volcano
Early departure towards the active Arenal Volcano driving around the scenic Arenal Lake and making some stops on the way in the small typical villages. Lunch in a charming Italian run restaurant yielding beautiful views of the lake. Overnight in a charming and very comfortable inn located at the foot of the volcano at safe distance. Relax by the inn's pool or at the bar and witness the smoking giant standing tall in front of you and glowing at night. Evening meal is served at the inn but an optional visit to the Tabaccon hotspings can be arranged in the evening
Day 7. Arenal Volcano > Poas Volcano > San Jose
Early morning wildlife observation walk on the volcano slopes. After breakfast we will be heading off towards the Poas Volcano National Park. Exploration of the volcano's area covered with a cloud forest, habitat of an important passerine avifauna. Lunch on the way to San Jose in an excellent family run restaurant on the volcano slopes . Brief stop in a coffee plantation to learn more on the process of coffee farming and, maybe purchase some Costa Rican coffee before our return home. Transfer to San Jose and Installation in a charming inn well located near La Sabana Park. Our last dinner together will be served in one of the best restaurants in the country.
Day 8. San Jose exploration... Transfers...
Guided exploration of San Jose for those who have some time available today. Those flying early will not have time to explore the city. Any traveler flying today will be transferred to the airport 3hrs before his departure time. If you are staying in San Jose, we will transfer you to any location within the capital area. If you decide to continue to Tortuguero, you will be met very early at the hotel reception to be transferred to Matina from where you will embark on a river cruise towards the Tortuguero National Park. End of the CRD adventure.
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The day preceding this tour's departure...
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1. If you arrive on Intl air in San Jose (or if you are already in San Jose), we can pick you up at your hotel or at any convenient location (for you) in the capital area (such as the international airport) and transfer you to the domestic airport from where you will take a national flight towards Liberia where you will stay overnight.
This package includes: (a) land transfer to the domestic airport, (b) local flight from San Jose to Liberia, (c) land transfer from Liberia airport to hotel, (d) overnight in a charming 3* hotel in Liberia.
USD Prices: in double room: 165$ / pers. in single: 190$ / pers.
2. If you arrive on Intl air in Liberia, please arrive at least on the day preceding day #1. We can offer you a transfer from the airport and the overnight stay in a good hotel at a discounted price. Contact us to learn more... |
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NOTE: The description of this program is provided as a general indication of the tour's itinerary. Your program could be slightly different according to weather conditions, availabilities or changes in the accessibility of a site and/or service.
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 LODGING provided during this tour is in charming meticulously selected 3* inns, eco-lodges and hotels. We mainly use, throughout our tours, exactly & carefully selected small or medium sized genuine hotels and Inns offering friendliness and a homey touch along with the comfort and services provided in larger hotels. Inns are locally owned and managed - often family run - and provide a warm and friendly atmosphere to the visitors. The large charming rooms always count a private bathroom, a ceiling fan and/or air conditioning. * Unless otherwise indicated in the tour's day by day description.
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Facts for the diver in the Papagayo Gulf:
Water Temperature: Generally a comfortable 78º - 84ºF (26º- 29ºC). During the winter months of Dec-Mar, we do get some cooler currents that flow through (as cool as 61ºF, 16ºC) bringing the large pelagics such as humpback whales, pilot whales, giant manta rays, whale sharks, and more.
Visibility: It changes daily but a good average is about 35 ft (11 m). No matter what the visibility, the dive sites are packed with marine life. The best months for great visibility are June through September.
Bottom Composition: Nearly all the diving done in this area is on volcanic rock formations and pinnacles where you will find a wide variety of marine life.
Marine Life: Every dive here is an amazing diving adventure. The rich waters of Costa Rica are teeming with eagle rays, manta rays, turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, bull sharks, enormous schools of grunts and jacks, and a wide variety of tropical fish, moray eels, and invertebrates. With all of the big stuff there is also a myriad of little stuff to see - Christmas tree worms, fan worms, nudibranchs, tunicates...
Coral Life: The volcanic rock formations are host to a handsome assortment of small hard corals, sponges and gorgonians. White soft corals and yellow cupcake coral carpet many of the pinnacles. Black corals still thrive at several of the dive sites.
Dive Site Depths: We have more than 25 local dive sites from which to choose as well as 9 sites at the Catalina Islands and 9 at the Murcielagos (Bat) Islands. Maximum depths vary from site to site ranging from 40ft (12m) to 110 ft (34m). We use computers to maximize your bottom time.
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Options
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In addition to this tour, we offer you 2 to 7 days
Seaside resort stays and Scuba diving tours
including transports and lodging. Contact us to learn more.
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Tortuguero tour*
You can add to this adventure a 3 day Tortuguero Tour
For an 11 day total tour.
*The cost of this addition is 360 $US/ pers. in double occ.
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For all our tours in Costa Rica, please click here.
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 Highlights:
- World class diving, abundant wildlife;
- Three star level accommodations in small charming Inns & eco-lodges;
- Airport to airport service;
- Excellent guides, great food;
- All inclusive from Liberia to San José
(San José to San José is 80$US extra);
- Comprehensive and up to date pre-departure information;
- Guaranteed departures throughout the year;
- Optional diving extensions BEFORE the regular tour.
- Charming and comfortable lodging, very clean and welcoming places, private bathrooms;
- Comprehensive and up to date pre-departure documentation.
- Toll free top quality clientele service.
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Exclusions
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- One dive master for 4 divers on every dive.
- All the dives including: transports by boat, captain, air tanks, equipment and weights, snacks and beverages.
- A naturalist tour guide throughout the land portion of the journey (days #5 to #8);
- Lodgings in charming and very comfortable hotels, eco-lodges and inns;
- All the transports and transfers in a modern and private minibus;
- All the breakfasts + one complete meal per day served in hotels, inns & restaurants;
- A detailed and very complete Traveler's File;
- Toll free & responsive clientele service.
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- International flights; get a quote
- Personal insurance; get a quote
- One meal per day.
- Tips, drinks and personal expenses.
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For additional practical travel information on this tour CRD - click here !
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| Rates $US 2008 starting from: |
Coming departures: |
1695 / pers. in double occ.
+ 195 / pers. in single occ. |
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Change currency: $US | $CAN | €EURO
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Click on a date to book or propose a new departure |
| For all our tours' DATES & PRICES please Click here |
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Prices DO NOT include international flights, please CONTACT US for an estimate.
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Comparing our tours and prices with others, consider...
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- The number of participants in the tour. The GROUP SIZE has a major incidence on the quality of the services provided by the tour leader and the driver. Small groups remain personal unlike large groups.
- What IS and what is NOT respectively included in the tours you compare.
- Our tours respect the principals of ecotourism. Our guides, staff members and providers are meticulously selected to meet our exacting requirements and standards and they are remunerated equitably and considered with great esteem as we much value their participation to our mission.
- The quality standard of the services and accommodations we provide in our tours is high and our customer service is exceptional. We are committed to offering the very best to our travellers before, during and after their tour.
- We provide our travellers with the contact information of their tour manager who is available 7 days a week, reachable at all time before and during the tour to promptly assist them with any situation or simply answer questions or doubts before the tour starts.
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Tours & Destinations
