Costa Rica Tours & Travel

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Pacuare Lodge Day Excursions

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Not sure what to do on your free day at the Pacuare Lodge? Choose from a variety of Costa Rica daily adventures.

Pacuare Canopy Adventure Tour

A unique tour along a series of transverse cables. Includes the highest rappel in Costa Rica!

A canopy experience like no other! Begin your tour with a safety orientation and donning of specialized equipment, before hiking into the Pacuare Lodge's private reserve. Spectacular landscape welcomes you into a new world. Upon arrival at the first platform, the lead guide reviews the safety guidelines. A quick demonstration and the adventure begins. Surrounded by the rainforest's brilliant greens, you'll soar through the treetops. Little compares with the views of the Costa Rican canopy. Your final rappel takes you right to the lodge, just a few meters from your bungalow! Two hours of unforgettable adventure in the treetops.

US$40 per traveler.

Cabecar Indians Tour

Hike the same trails the Cabecar Indians have for centuries, and visit with a Zutkia, the Cabecar medicine man. Cabecar has an extraordinary connection with nature. Learn about the traditions and customs that are at the foundation this relationship.

The Cabecar Indians call the Talamanca Mountains home. The largest indigenous group in Costa Rica, the Cabecar retain many of their traditional customs and beliefs, live in small family units scattered throughout this isolated region that includes the Pacuare zone.

The Zutkia, or shaman, plays a multifaceted role in Cabecar culture as priest, magician, metaphysician or healer. A cultural exchange with a shaman is the perfect way to experience the culture and mysticism of the Cabecar tradition. From the Pacuare Lodge it is possible to visit a shaman and isolated family groups to learn something of their folklore and way of life, as well as enjoying the alluring tropical rainforest. The tour lasts the whole day and is quite physically demanding.

After breakfast we set out for an uphill climb through lush rainforest, crystal clear streams and stunning wildlife. The hike takes approximately one and a half hours and is accompanied by a naturalist guide. Once at the Shaman's hut, listen as he shares with you his intimate knowledge of the jungle's plant medicines, and the traditions and customs that have survived within the Cabecar people for centuries. This is an opportunity of personal enlightenment, as well as a chance to marvel at the ways in which the secrets of plants, trees, insects, and animals can be captured to heal illnesses and transcend our universe. The Zutkia speak Spanish and Cabecar, his native tongue; therefore, the guide will assist through, so that you can fully join in this cultural and educational exchange. After toasting to "your good health and mine," we visit briefly with a nearby Cabecar family before returning to the lodge.

Please note:
We urge our guests to request permission from the guide before taking photographs of any Cabecar people. The Cabecar are very zealous of their customs and way of life and do not like to be photographed. We avidly respect this wish.

US$30 per traveler.

The "El Bajo del Tigre" Experience

Guided by a local horseman, explore the river region and rainforest. Visit the community of Bajo del Tigre, and meet the dedicated people who make this jungle habitat their home.

El Bajo del Tigre, the closest hamlet to the Pacuare Lodge, is located several kilometers away on the opposite bank of the Pacuare River.

This tour begins with a short hike the Pacuare River, where we cross safely on a gondola. On the other side of the river horses will be waiting, along with a local horseman. Accompanied by a guide, the we travel along a dirt path, which offers breathtaking views of the Pacuare River and the protected rain forest. The horses take us to a crossing overlooking the tiny community of Bajo del Tigre. The community's peculiar name comes from the first settlers who, years before, endured hardship and suffering to make this jungle habitat their home. Today the community consists of farmers and their families. Here you will have a chance to visit the community school, a prized orchid garden, and simply get to know more about villages interests, triumphs and struggles. This cultural exchange is a unique opportunity for personal growth, mutual respect, and cross-cultural understanding.

In the afternoon we will return to the lodge by a different rout, stopping along the way at waterfall where you can take a swim or a photograph. We are welcomed back at the lodge by a delicious hot meal.

A four-wheel drive tour is also available for those who prefer not to ride horseback.

US$40 per traveler.

Day Break Activity Tour

Enjoy the brilliant colors throughout the Costa Rican rainforest, and explore the native plant and animal life that call the canopy home - this is the wild Costa Rica we've read about!

6:00am
At the first glow of daylight - and after a welcoming cup of coffee - we are begin a short session of stretching and relaxation exercises designed to aid us in our exploration of the grounds surrounding the lodge. Enjoy the rich green canopy of branches and leaves, casting their shadow over verdant foliage. Watch as a brilliant Blue Morpho Butterfly flutters over its favorite flower, or listen to the sounds of the trees as the morning breeze weaves through its branches. Our guide will lead you from the Pacuare Lodge along a series of sites, where we observe buzzing hummingbirds, dancing butterflies and exquisite tropical flowers. The guide will point out delicate bromeliads, like the lovely "sexy lady," and answer questions about the wide variety of native ferns, lichens and orchids. See Mother Nature at her best as you spot the many birds and other wildlife that are indigenous to the area. Look and listen carefully for the Montezuma Oropendula, which nests far above in the towering trees. The area around the lodge is home to an extraordinary number of other exotic bird species that include the Sun Bittern, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Black-cheeked Woodpecker and a variety of colorful toucans. Our guide carries a telescope and will gladly identify the different species that come our way. Binoculars are also available. The tour lasts about an hour and a half, after which we return to the lodge for a hot delicious breakfast.

US$15 per traveler.

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