Costa Rica Tours

Adventure Life
800-344-6118 (Toll-free)
406-541-2677 (International)
406-541-2676 (Fax)
E-mail us
1655 S 3rd St. W, Ste 1
Missoula MT, 59801 USA

Extensions

Extend your Costa Rica travel a few more days with a Costa Rica extension. Costa Rica Tour Extensions » San Jose Hospitality
Packages »

Icon Legend

Please click to see a detailed explanation of these icons used throughout the site.

Escort

Escorted Unescorted

Difficulty

Easy Moderate Challenging

When to Travel

Excellent Very Good Unpredictable Unavailable

Optional Excursions at La Cusinga

---

La Cusinga offers enough excursions at their lodge to fill every hour of your stay at additional charge. These excursions include hikes through the rainforest, birding, local food gathering and preparation, tours of a reforestation project, body boarding and surfing, and just relaxing to the sound of crashing waves. Below are various options of excursions, age restrictions may apply to some tours.

Exploring the coast

Exploring the coast of Ballena Marine National Park is an adventure in and of itself with one of our guides. To the south of the lodge you can walk through the Raices trail that will take you down to Arco beach, which is one of the most secluded beaches of the park. There you can find a small waterfall, a tunnel, and warm, calm ocean water to swim in. But the best part of the beach is that the rainforest comes down all the way to the beach, Arco is one of the few beaches that still enjoys such wonder. By taking a small path at the end of the beach you will end up at Ballena Beach, with miles of beach to explore. Go swimming at one of the creeks, body surf, bird watch, etc.

Hiking in the Rainforest

You will find easy to walk trails full of flora & fauna that could last around 45 minutes and can be as long as 2 hours. The trails will take you through secondary and primary Rainforest, reforestations, and secluded beaches. Enjoy your walk, take your time to spot the monkeys, the 270 plus species of birds, see the leave-cutter ants, enjoy the flowers, the vines, sit on the bridge to relax and spot a Jesus-Christ lizard walk across the water, continue your walk and enjoy our reforestations, enter the Primary Forest... open your ears to the wonderful sounds of nature, a Great Tinamu call, the monkeys in the canopy, a monarch crossing your path, a manikin dancing away, look up to see how small you are compared to our 1,000 years old AJO trees...and you are only 20 minutes into your walk.

Birdwatching Tour

Birding has become a very popular activity in Costa Rica, for the great diversity of species in such small area. La Cusinga is no exception! We are getting to be one of the most popular places, visited by the best. Carrol Henderson is one of the best birders in the World. Along with Charlie Gomez Nieto, they take people to select places. La Cusinga is the latest addition to their tour. We have people such as Carrol Henderson, Sophie Webb, Beatrice Blake, Marco Tulio Saborio, Doug Cheeseman, Carlos "Charlie" Gómez, among many, who visit La Cusinga because of the great diversity in flora and fauna.

Long Hikes

You will find easy to walk trails full of flora & fauna, that start at around 45 minutes and can be as long as 2 hours. The trails will take you through secondary and primary Rainforest, reforestations, and secluded beaches. Enjoy your walk, take your time to spot the monkeys, the 270 plus species of birds, see the leave-cutter ants, enjoy the flowers, the vines, sit on the bridge to relax and spot a Jesus-Christ lizard walk across the water, continue your walk and enjoy our reforestations, enter the Primary Forest... open your ears to the wonderful sounds of nature, a Great Tinamu call, the monkeys in the canopy, a monarch crossing your path, a manikin dancing away..and you are only 20 minutes into your walk.

Extreme hikes will challenge you to the max, taking you up the trails that will lead you to the top of the mountains from where we bring our own water supplies, and where nature is full of kind surprises. Keep your eyes open for the diverse fauna and flora that will be around you.

Flight of the Toucan

Our Rainforest Zipline Tour imitates the flight of the chestnut-mandibled toucan as it leaps off a branch, swoops down through the forest and then up in to another tree. On this tour, 8 separate cable rides take you from one ridge top to another, across valleys and streams. There are 14 land based platforms and 1 tree platform with a view of the coast. You will have 2 guides on this tour, one of whom speaks fluent English. This is a great way to see and learn about the forest and have lots of fun at the same time.

Tree Climbing

In the Tree Climb you will scale up a rope that is fixed in the largest upper branches of a rainforest tree. This is done with specialized equipment; harnesses and ascenders. You will climb to a height of 35 meters (113 feet) where you can sit out on the branches of this beautiful rainforest tree and experience the facinating world of the canopy. One fully-trained, English speaking naturalist guide will instruct and be with you at all times, while another guide waits on the ground. To do this tour you do need a certain level of fitness but you do not need to be strong. This is truly the best way to explore the rainforest canopy.

Canopy Observation Platform

The Canopy Observation Platform is located within the top branches of an enormous rainforest tree 34 meters (109 feet) above the ground. You don't have to do any work on this tour as we will hoist you up to the platform with an electric winch, using a special harness and ropes. A fully trained English speaking guide will be with you on the platform. Most guests stay in the canopy for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This tour is about experiencing the tranquil world of the tree tops, enjoying the canopy flora and, with a little luck, observing whatever fauna might happen by.

Horseback Riding Tours

Experienced and inexperienced riders will enjoy horseback riding in La Merced (near the lodge). Our horses are carefully trained for you to have a nice experience while you cross the Wildlife Refuge in the middle of nature in the forest, the beach or the river. You can visit Punta Uvita in the Ballena Marine National Park, ride in the forest, the beach and to a waterfall in the river to take a swim. Various interests can be found here such as the environmentally sustainable cattle operation, nature, or just the pleasure of riding a horse. Groups are kept individualized as they come. Estimated tour time: 3-4 hours.

Options:

• Tour to the beach and waterfall
• Tour to Punta Uvita

Surfing Costa Rica

As you may or may not know Costa Rica is famous for the waves, one can see all type of surfers at many of our beaches. Native surfers love to learn from the pros and take the time to teach those that want to learn what they love best...SURFING!

We can arrange with a local school for you to take lessons, or just take one of our soft-surfboard down to Arco Beach and try your luck.

Or if you are already a good surfer, take a morning to La Colonia (3 minutes) and rip some waves with the locals! You can also enjoy the world-class surfing at Dominical (15 minutes away), or take a trip south to Pavones (3 hours) to surf one of the longest left breaks in the world!

Snorkeling in Ballena Marine National Park

Enjoy the Pacific Ocean and its coral reefs in Ballena Marine National Park, where we will take you to Uvita Point and Ballena Rock so you can submerge yourself and explore the marine life where you will find schools of fish, turtles, mackerel and a ray of colorful creatures

Nauyaca Waterfalls

The tour in horseback riding is with one or more guides (depending on how large the group is), After forty and five minutes of trip the tourist will be able to taste a delicious breakfast in "Lulo's home", cooked "Tico" style as well as to observe some animals in the small zoology that the family has, then the trip continues during 20 minutes until arriving at the waterfalls, there you will stay during a while, practicing different activities in the river and enjoying his enchantments. Once the tourists have finished its activities we returned to house of Lulo to have lunch to the Costa Rican typical style. Finally we return to the starting point.

Mangrove swamps at night

We'll board the boat and ride through the mangroves swamps, which is part of the most important conservation area of it's type in Central America. The mangroves also border the Marino Ballena National Marine Park. We'll spend the next 2 hours in search of the wide variety of wildlife that there is to be seen in the area. Meanwhile, your tour guide will enhance this interesting expedition by teaching you all about the animals, birds, reptiles, plants and trees in this interesting environment. We'll even provide a tasty luch of sandwiches and drinks before we start to get back Home

Waves & Caves

Enjoy a day at Ballena Marine National Park and at the caves of Ventanas.

Dolphins & Whales

Join us as we go out in search of the residential dolphins and those that visit us annually, and if in season we can encounter the humpback whales and enjoy her majesty up close. The Whale seasons are January-March and July-September. We have also encounter Orcas, false Orcas, Pilot whales and lots of marine life.

Caño Island National Park

Caño Island Biological Reserve is located in the Pacific Ocean 15 km. off of the Osa Peninsula. The border of the island has white sandy beaches and a well protected in-shore reef makes this island the best spot in Costa Rica for scuba diving and snorkeling. Normally there is great visibility, about 20 meters (65 ft), providing for clear sightings of the many species living in the island's waters: fish, turtles, manta rays, dolphins and whales to name a few.

The island's main trail is well maintained, leading uphill into a pristine rainforest. 50 meter tall trees and Pre-Columbian tombs are scattered along the trail. The island's main points of interest are that it was used by ancient indigenous peoples inhabiting the southern coastal area as a burial site and many of Costa Rica's mysterious spherical stones of varying sizes have been found on the island.

Deepsea Fishing

Few miles out in the open waters of the Pacific, you can adventure in search of Mahi-Mahi, Yellow Fin Tuna, Sailfish, Wahoo and much much more. Take a tour in one of the local boat operators that have years of experience navigating the seas around our lodge. Enjoy a half a day or a full-day of fun under the sun. During your trip you might also run into dolphins, whales, large bait-balls, turtles, and many types of sea birds. Life at the sea is rich and full of wonders. Each day is a new adventure and an opportunity to bring home your fresh lunch or dinner.

Scuba Caño Island

Caño Island Biological Reserve is located 15 km. off the Osa Peninsula on the Southern Pacific coast of Coast Rica. The border of the island has white sandy beaches and a well protected inshore reef makes it the best scuba diving spot in Coast Rica.

Visibility of about 20 meters (65 ft.), assures clear sightings of the the fish, turtles, manta rays, dolphins and whales that call Caño Island. The great variety of marine life around the reef include: White Tipped Reef Shark, Mantas, Bluefin Trevally, Snappers, schools of Jacks, Rays, Eels and a lot more...

When we get to the diving spots our professional Dive Master will briefly go over with the first dive intinerary and some instructions to make your dive even more enjoyable. After the first dive is done, we'll be dropped off on the island for a delicious Picnic Lunch, than will take you out for the last dive always hoping that the second one will be better than the first one. After this second part of the tour, we'll head back Home

Costa Rica Articles & Information :
Aerial Tram | Selva Bananito | Selva Bananito! Trek on the Wild Side | Children at Selva Bananito | It's Got the Feeling! | Jungles of Costa Rica | Birding at Cariblue | Limon Watershed | Pacuare Nature Reserve | Whitewater Rafting | Costa Rica Success!! | Adventure Pacifica Conservation | Guayabo National Monument