Larissa Banting's Guidebook
(Co-Owner of Latitudes)
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Most visitors begin and end their journey
here, at the San Jose airport. Nestled in a valley between
beautiful mountains, the San Jose and Central Valley
region have a number of interesting places to explore.
A day tour of the capital city offers up museums, a
grand theatre and the lively Central Market. Other possibilities
include waterfalls, coffee plantations, the artisan
village of Sarchi, Poas Volcano and white water rafting.
San Jose boasts some incredible restaurants and outstanding
boutique hotels.
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Where To Stay :
All of the hotels, lodges and villas we work with have
met our exacting standards, thus ensuring our clients
receive the ultimate in service, comfort and cleanliness
while enjoying unique surroundings. |
Location |
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Hotel San Gildar – Small luxury hotel located near downtown San Jose, offering a charming and relaxing atmosphere and its own version of Costa Rican hospitality. |
San José |
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Hotel Grano de Oro – A 19th Century plantation house turned intimate hotel. In the heart of downtown San Jose though far from the maddening crowds and noise. A hidden gem with some of the best cuisine in the country. |
San José |
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Melia Cariari – Large, five-star hotel and golf resort, will all the amenities, minutes from the airport. |
San José |
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Hotel Santo Tomas - A French Victorian mansion located in
San José’s Historical District, Barrio
Amon. Easy walk to all shopping, museums, nightlife
and cultural events. |
San José |
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Hotel
Alta – A luxurious boutique hotel with
only 23 deluxe rooms and suites overlooking the stunning
“Sun Valley” yet minutes from the international
airport. La Luz restaurant features exceptional Costa
Rican/Californian fusion. |
Santana |
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Hotel La Condesa – A deluxe resort nestled in the mountains of Heredia, just 25 minutes from downtown San Jose and the international airport. |
Heredia |
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Peace
Lodge – A luxurious and intimate lodge
located on the grounds of La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature
Park. |
Heredia |
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Hotel Marriott Costa Rica - Costa Rica Marriott features a colonial hacienda set on a 30-acre coffee plantation, decorated with antiques for an elegant and relaxed atmosphere. The architecture, grounds and exceptional service are captivating. |
Heredia |
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Villa
Blanca – Charming luxury “Casitas"
located in an authentic Costa Rican Farm Village overlooking
3,000 acres of dairy pastures and pristine cloud forests. |
San
Ramón |
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What To Do:
Note: 2007 Rate |
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Cafe
Britt Tours
The largest coffee producer in the country, Cafe Britt
has put together a very professional tour that walks you
through the various stages of coffee production on their
working plantation. In addition to seeing the milling
and roasting processes, visitors try tasting and watch
skits performed by professional actors on the history
of coffee.
Classic Coffee Tour (9am and 3pm, 2 hours) - $27 adults/$23 children (6-11). Includes transportation, bilingual guide, and coffee field
visit and samplings.
Cappuccino Coffee Tour (11am, 2 hours) - $37 adults/$33 children (6-11). Includes transportation, bilingual guide,
Costa Rican wedding party feast (skit), live multimedia
barista show, and a buffet-style lunch at the on-site
Don Prospero Restaurant.
The Perfect Combination Tour (6 hours) - $70 adults/$55 children (6-11). Includes round-trip transportation, entrance to The Butterfly
Farm, and 2-hour guided tour (bilingual guide), entrance
to Café Britt, visit to coffee plantation and samplings,
and buffet lunch... Minimum 2 adults. |
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La
Paz Waterfall Garden Tour
This is an excellent tour to a park in a cloud forest.
The 3.5km trails lead you to five waterfalls - including
one you can stand underneath (a truly incredible experience).
There is also the largest butterfly garden in the world,
an orchid garden and a hummingbird garden, where hundreds
of tiny birds zip mere centimeters from you! The restaurant
offers up excellent traditional foods and the surrounding
gardens are full of native species.
Waterfall Gardens Tour (6 hours) - $60 per person. Includes round-trip transportation, entrance to La Paz
Waterfall Gardens, bilingual guide, and buffet lunch.
Combo Tour - Poas Volcano, Doka Estate Coffee Plantation and Waterfall Gardens Tour (10 hours) - $75 per person. Includes round-trip transportation, breakfast, entrance
to Poas Volcano National Park, Doka Estate Coffee Plantation
Tour, entrance to La Paz Waterfall Gardens, bilingual
guide, and buffet lunch. |
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The
Butterfly Farm
Opened in 1983 as the first commercial butterfly farm
in Latin America, this operation is now the second-largest
exporter of pupae in the world. The two-hour tour walks
visitors through the short but fascinating lives of butterflies.
Best time to visit is early in the morning on a sunny
day as this is when the mini art-canvases on wings are
most active.
The Butterfly Farm Tour
(4 hours) - $25 adults/$12.50 children (4-12). Includes round-trip transportation, entrance to The Butterfly
Farm, and 2-hour guided tour (bilingual guide).
The Perfect Combination Tour – Butterfly
Farm/Café Britt (6 hours) - $63 adults/$48
children (4-12). Includes round-trip transportation, entrance to The Butterfly
Farm, and 2-hour guided tour (bilingual guide), entrance
to Café Britt, visit to coffee plantation and samplings,
and buffet lunch. Minimum 2 pax. |
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Calypso Catamaran Tour (12 hours) - $99 per person
The world famous "Calypso Catamaran Cruise"
to Tortuga Island was created by Calypso Tours in 1975
and has been polished into one of Costa Rica's great experiences,
combining blue water, white sand, green mountains, superb
cuisine and personal service. Only Calypso's super yacht,
the Manta Ray, built with pride in Costa Rica, has the
speed to provide an extended island cruise. Glide past
more than seven islands in the Gulf of Nicoya, spend more
time on the beach and enjoy our snorkeling excursion. Includes round-trip air-conditioned bus transportation,
continental breakfast, BBQ lunch served with chilled white
wine, soft drinks and fresh fruits, live music, bilingual
guide. |
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The Best of Costa Rica - 4 in one (12 hours) - $82 per person
The highlights tour takes travelers to volcanoes, coffee
plantations, steamy rainforests and breathtaking waterfalls. Includes round-trip transportation, breakfast at the Siempre
Verde coffee plantation, coffee tour and samples, entrance
to Poas Volcano National Park, stop at La Paz Waterfall
for photos, coffee break at the Hummingbird Gallery overlooking
the impressive 250ft high San Fernando Waterfall, buffet
lunch at the Selva Verde Rainforest Lodge on the banks
of the Sarapiqui river, naturalist guided tour along rainforest
trails, jungle cruise along on the Sarapiqui river, returning
to San Jose through the Braulio Carillo National Park. |
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1-day
Pacuare River Whitewater Rafting Tour -
$95 per person.
The day begins with a scenic drive along the foothills
of the Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes to the ‘put-in’
on the Pacuare River for our whitewater adventure. You
will run a total of 27 kilometers of Class III–IV
rapids exploring this magnificent river valley. The Pacuare
leads you through virgin rainforest, cascading waterfalls
and river carved canyons. You maneuver through exhilarating
rapids and observe the intricacies of the rainforest at
the river’s edge. Along the way you take time-out
to have lunch on the shores of the river. "Taking
out” near the town of Siquirres, you return to San
Jose appreciating the breathtaking views as you pass through
Braulio Carrillo National Park. Includes round-trip transportation, typical Costa Rican
breakfast, equipment, bilingual guide/instructor, lunch,
and a return drive with remarkable views of Braulio Carillo
National Park and Irazu Volcano. |
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2-day
Pacuare River Whitewater Rafting Tour -
$259 per person (min 2 pax).
Day 1 -The day begins
with a scenic drive along the foothills of the Irazú
and Turrialba volcanoes to the ‘put-in’ on
the Pacuare River for your two day whitewater adventure.
You will run a total of 27 kilometers of Class III–IV
rapids exploring this magnificent river valley. This afternoon
we arrive at our comfortable riverside camp, “El
Nido del Tigre”. Nestled between the sounds of the
rainforest and the hum of the river, take time to explore
this lush environment first hand by taking trails through
the forest to spectacular waterfalls. You have the rare
opportunity to visit the home of a wide variety of animals
and birds but if the rigors of the day have been enough
then relax in a hammock to the sounds of the river, watching
for toucans and other bird-life as they fly over the rainforest
canopy.
Day 2 - Today the Pacuare
leads you through virgin rainforest, cascading waterfalls
and river carved canyons. You maneuver through exhilarating
rapids and observe the intricacies of the rainforest at
the river’s edge. Along the way you can take time-out
to do a side hike to some natural water slides and have
lunch on the shore. “Taking out” near the
town of Siquirres, you return to San Jose appreciating
the breathtaking views as you pass through Braulio Carrillo
National Park. Includes round-trip transportation, all meals except dinner
on 2nd day, overnight at El Nido del Tigre, all necessary
equipment, and professional, bilingual and friendly guides. |
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1-Day
Mountain-biking Tour (Irazu Volcano/Orosi
Valley) - $85 per person.
Begin with a scenic drive up to the Irazú volcano.
After a hike around the lunar like crater you begin the
mountain bike descent down the agriculturally rich slopes
of the Volcano. The route goes through several communities
and has a nice mixture of paved and dirt roads. There
is plenty of time for stops along the way to enjoy the
vistas of the Orosi Valley below. Lunch is along the way
and you continue through coffee plantations alongside
Lake Cachí. The ride ends in the village of Orosi
where you load up and return to San Jose. Includes round-trip transportation, lunch, all necessary
equipment, and professional, bilingual and friendly guides,
entrance to Irazu National Park. |
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2-Day
Mountain-biking Tour (San Jose-Manuel Antonio,
Quepos) - $250 per person (min 2 pax).
Day 1 -
You drive out of San Jose up to Cerro de la Muerte at
an altitude of 2,330 meters, high on the Continental Divide.
You start our day with a 14km descent on a rarely traveled
gravel road (there is a paved alternative route for those
who prefer it). After a hilly section passing through
the rich farming and coffee communities of Santa Maria
and San Marcos, you leave the pavement and continue your
trek on dirt roads towards the Pacific Coast. You have
two routes to choose from depending on the weather, one
involves an overnight in a local hotel, while the other
is a camping night. The campsite sits high on a mountain
with a panoramic view of the valley.
Day
2 - Your second day of biking takes you through
the sparsely populated and incredibly scenic Pacific slopes,
a raucous and exhilarating downhill ride to the coastal
plain, through a remote area of thick forest and isolated
farms. Out of the hills, you cross the river at Paso Real
and push on to the white sand beaches of Manuel Antonio.
You arrive in time for a well deserved dunking in the
hotel pool or plunge in the surf at the beach. Includes transportation from hotel, all meals except dinner
on last day, accommodation, all necessary equipment, and
professional, bilingual and friendly guides. Note: Trips
leaves every Wednesday, and return transportation from
Manuel Antonio is not included. |
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1
Day Hiking/Rock-climbing/Rappelling Tour
(Pico Blanco) - $75 per person (min. 4 pax).
Pico Blanco, a 2,200-meter mountain peak above the city
of San José is your destination. The adventure
begins with an early morning departure from the city as
you head up into the Central Valley Mountain range. After
a short drive from San Jose, you trade motor power for
hiking boots, and continue your trek to the summit. The
journey to the top entails hiking through mist-covered
cloud forest, scrambling over rocks and underbrush and
technical climbing up rock faces. The reward at the top
is an awesome view and a well-deserved picnic lunch. After
lunch, you begin the equally exciting descent, the highlight
of which is rappelling a 50-foot stone cliff. The day
ends with a late afternoon return to San José. Includes transportation from hotel, lunch, all necessary
equipment, and professional, bilingual and friendly guides. |
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Custom
Tours
Interested in other options? Want to visit places
on your own schedule? Let us know and we create a custom
tour for you with your own bilingual guide/driver for
as many hours as you need! |
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