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| Costa Rica |
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South America: Costa Rica. Nicoya Riding Tour |
| What: |
Nicoya Peninsula is a paradise within a country that is a paradise. Five day riding tours, are wrapped around relaxing 10 days holidays on famous Nicoya Peninsula. The first few days of holiday and last few are spent at Campo Alegre, a modern, comfortable lodge/home offering up a lap pool, lighted tennis courts, the friendly town of Nosara in easy walking distance. One of the Ridley Turtles breeding grounds is nearby, as is good surfing, superior deep water fishing, kayaking, canoeing the Pacific Ocean, -life in paradise. The ride itself takes you through undeveloped natural lands of Nicoya Peninsula, even accommodating you in hammocks on two nights. Walk the quiet beaches at night/gallop some of the Pacific’s beaches bareback if you dare. |
| Dates and Rates: |
Rates: $2500 US/1200 GBP/1715 E
Dates : 2007: December 7-16.
2008: March 7-16, and April 04. to 13, Dec 5-14. |
| Horsesense: |
We offer trips for all levels of comfort and experience. Beate and HaWe offer the best guided tours in Nosara. The horses are well groomed and well cared for. Riders need to be fit and able to ride for 5 to 6 hours a day. The terrain is not difficult – not really steep. The rider should be able to trot and canter. The local horses here are a mix; they are called “Criollo”. They are very sure footed and reliable. Ours are a mix of the criollo with either Andalusia, Pasofino, or Quarter horse. They are generally about 15 hands. We would limit the weight of the rider to 90kg or 200 pounds. The saddles are locally made leather saddles. The style is like an Australian saddle, no horn, but built more like a western saddle than an English saddle. Riding style is western, but the horses are trained to respond to either English or Western reining |
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| WHAT TO EXPECT: |
| Getting There : |
By car: All the top car rental agencies are represented in San Jose and Liberia, both sites of international airports. To travel to Nosara, four-wheel-drive-cars are handy, but in dry season not really necessary.
From San Jose the journey is 5 hours along the scenic Pan American Highway.
From Liberia the journey is 3 hours. There are plenty of restaurants and shops on both routes for your enjoyment. A taxi or van can pick you up and bring you directly to Camp Alegre.
By airplane : If driving is not what you had in mind, fly into San Jose, then fly on Sansa Airlines or Nature Air directly into Nosara. It is just a 45 minute flight.
- Sansa: daily between San José Intl. Airport and Nosara.
Telephone: (506) 221 94 14 / www.flysansa.com
- Nature Air: daily between San José / Pavas Airport and Nosara
Telephone: (506) 220 30 54 / www.natureair.com
- Charter flights to Nosara can be arranged at any time. |
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| Room and Board : |
Campo Alegre Nosara will be your home base while you are in Nosara. Your vacation includes three nights before the horseback riding trip and two nights after the trip. Campo Alegre Nosara is located 5 minutes walk to the beaches of Guiones, Pelada and Nosara and to the much respected Nosara Yoga Institute. You and the other guests will be served a typical breakfast each morning, giving you a chance to get to know each other before your trek. You will have time to take advantage of the many activities Nosara has to offer or just hang out by our beautiful lap pool or play some tennis on our lighted court. On the five day horseback riding tour accommodations include 4 overnights (2 nights in hammocks and 2 nights in cabins). Breakfast is included throughout journey, all meals during five day ride and the occasional evening meal is planned for purposes of bringing the group together.
Costa Rican food uses a variety of locally grown healthy products. It is to our standards quite tasty, mild tasting, and a breakfast meal can make you think that this is the breakfast they might have chosen in Wales if only they had the produce. Welsh breakfasts are as the say big enough to drop an elephant and so are Costa Rican breakfasts. |
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| Alternate Activities: |
Canopy tours, kayaking, renting an ATV, silent boat trip, surf lessons, bodywork, physical therapy and fitness classes, Yoga classes, hiking tails, off shore deep sea fishing or Spanish classes, lap pool, lighted tennis court and within a thirty minute car drive:
Ridley Turtles: A 25-minute drive to the north of Nosara is the town of Ostional. The beach at Ostional is the second largest nesting place in the world for olive ridley turtles. About 12 times a year you may see a "flotilla" of turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. The arribada or synchronized turtles mass nesting is an amazing thing to experience. There can be as many as 150,000 turtles who lay over 15 million eggs. |
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| Weather: |
| During the riding seasons the weather will be perfect, meaning warm sunny days, cooler evenings. |
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| ITINERARY |
| Option 1: |
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| Friday : |
You will arrive at Liberia International Airport and HaWe, one of your guides, will pick you up with our local driver and bring you to Campo Alegre Nosara - where you will have the remainder of the day free to do as you please. |
| Saturday: |
After a traditional Tico breakfast of eggs, gallo pinto, fruit, tortilla, and great Costa Rican coffee, you will have time to explore the beaches, relax by the pool, play some tennis or take in one of the many activities available here in Nosara (extra activities are not included in the tour package, but we will be very happy to help you make arrangements,). Lunch is on your own. In the afternoon at 4 p.m. you will be taken to Boca Nosara Tours to visit the stables located at the mouth of the beautiful Nosara River. There you will have the chance to meet your horse for the first time. From there you will be taken to the Largarta Lodge for sunset cocktails on the terrace with its breathtaking view. This will be followed by a welcome dinner at the Lagarta Lodge Restaurant. (Two drinks are included.) You will be joined by the staff of the Boca Nosara Tours, including the guides, drivers and wranglers as well as your host from Campo Alegre Nosara. |
| Sunday: |
After your breakfast your day is free. Go surfing, play tennis, swim, beach comb or take in an activity - whatever you like! Lunch and dinner are on your own. Take some time to organize your belongings and get packed for your big ride! |
| Monday: |
You will have an early breakfast at Campo Alegre Nosara. Then you will be taken to the stables at Boca Nosara Tours. We plan to leave the Boca de Nosara (River Mouth) by 7 a.m. and plan to arrive in Dulce Nombre (a 22 mile ride) at about 4:30 p.m. The ride follows along the Rio Nosara river bed, crossing the river a multitude of times. You will see many tropical bird and monkeys. We will stop for a picnic lunch at Pilas Blancas with a chance to swim in the waterfalls. From there we head uphill through Rain and Dry forests to the beautiful Fincas of Guanacaste. When we arrive in Dulce Nombre you will be welcomed by the true sabaneros, the ranchers of Costa Rica. Now after dinner and drinks, we will fall into our hammocks to listen to the sounds of the jungle and dream about tomorrow. |
| Tuesday: |
We begin our ride at about 7:30 after our breakfast. Today we will travel from Dulce Nombre to Trinidad de Hojancha (23 miles).
Today’s ride takes us through the mountains of Guanacaste with panoramic views over the plains and out to the sea. Around noon we will stop in the little village of Hojancha for lunch. Out of Hojancha we continue to climb up to the even smaller village of Trinidad de Hojancha, where we plan to arrive at about 4.30 p.m. Tonight we will sleep in cabins, after dinner and drinks. |
| Wednesday: |
Today we travel from Trinidad de Hojancha to Estrada (22 miles). Our ride takes us from the mountains down closer to the Pacific. We will pass beautiful fincas with grand views of the sea below, we will pass through dry forests and rivers. We will stop for a picnic lunch at the Rio Oro, where you will have a chance to swim. About 3 hours later we will arrive in the village of Estrada. Tonight we sleep in hammocks at a local finca, where will have a BBQ dinner and drinks with our host. |
| Thursday: |
Today our ride takes us from the farm at Estrada to Playa Buenavista (13 miles). After breakfast we head to the beaches where we will spend most of today’s ride. We pass through Playa Carillo, a gorgeous horse shoe cove lined with coconut palms. Along the way we will have a chance for a gallop on the beach. We continue to Playa Samara where we will stop for lunch at a local bar/restaurant.
After lunch we continue along the beach to Playa Buenavista until we reach our Hotel on Turtle-Beach, THE FLYING CROCODILE. Here we will meet our host Guido for a wonderful dinner.
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| Friday: |
Playa Buenavista to Nosara. Today after breakfast you can choose to take a ride on the beach, maybe practice your bareback skills or just hang around by the pool. Or we can arrange for Guido to take you on a 30 minute flight in an ultra light, above the beach and over the rivers with a chance to see crocodiles and turtles (Cost is not included).
At noon we have lunch in the restaurant of THE FLYING CROCODILE. Now, sadly, it’s time to say farewell to your horse. Our driver will bring you back to Campo Alegre Nosara where you will arrive at about 4 p.m.
That night at about 7 p.m. we will meet at “Giardino Tropicale” for a Farewell Dinner (two drinks included). |
| Saturday: |
Campo Alegre Nosara – Your last full day in Nosara. Do with it as you please. Take a much needed rest to reflect on your incredible ride or take in another activity, swim or play tennis. Lunch and dinner are on your own.
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| Sunday: |
Yyour final breakfast at Campo Alegre Nosara. It’s time to say farewell to your fellow caballistas and plan your next trip. HaWe and our driver will take you back to the airport in Liberia or Nosara |
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| III – SERVICES INCLUDED: |
- Transfer from Liberia International Airport to Campo Alegre Nosara or from Nosara Airport to Campo Alegre Nosara.
- 5 night’s at Campo Alegre Nosara including full use of the swimming pool, lighted tennis court and typical Costa Rican breakfast. Accommodation is shared
- A visit to the Boca Nosara Tours’ stable at the mouth of the beautiful Nosara River.
- Sunset cocktail with the best view in the area followed by a welcome dinner at the Restaurant in “Lagarta Lodge”.
- 5 day-ride on well trained Costa Rican horses with 4 overnights (2 nights in hammocks and 2 nights in cabins). The ride is a 80 mile round-trip, travelling through rivers, jungles, mountains and beaches. And a special chance to ride bareback on the last day on a deserted, untouched beach.
- n the horse back trip all of this is included: breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. We also provide hammocks, sleeping-bags, and flash-lights (to be carried in our service-car) and saddle-bags for your horse.
- Farewell dinner at the Restaurant “Giardino Tropicale”.
- Transfer from Campo Alegre Nosara to Liberia International Airport or to Nosara Airport.
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