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Day 6 – Friday - - - Drive back to San José, the Capital City to another hotel and Half Day of City Tour Activities. On this tour day, you check out of your Central Pacific hotel and head back to San José, the capital city where you can choose from a variety of excellent boutique hotels or choose a larger chain hotel like the Barcelo. It will take you about 2 hours or less to reach your destination. Depending on how late you left your hotel, you will have a half day or more to explore downtown San José which contrary to popular belief offers a myriad of fun things to do, some free and some for a low cost. There are paid parking lots throughout downtown and these are your best bet. You can then walk to all the various attractions which are basically located off of Avenida Central, a mostly pedestrian only street filled with shops and places to eat. You can tour the square block under roof Mercado Central founded in the 19th century and be amazed by all the variety of stalls selling anything and everything ( check out our San José section in this magazine and our video links for walking tours of San José ) including coffee and souvenirs of all kinds. You can also grab a quick and inexpensive but tasty meal here. Then you can go explore the various museums such as the Gold & Numismatic museum, The Jade & Pre-Columbian museum and the National museum. And of course the National Theater is also a must see, so as you can see your day is pretty full or you can find a small café or restaurant and just relax and people watch. So a fun day of exploration awaits you!

Day 7 – Saturday - - - Explore the La Fortuna Hot Springs and Arenal Volcano area - Full Day Activities. Lunch and Dinner included. La Fortuna de San Carlos, Alajuela Province. Costa Rica. Did we save the best for last? Quite possibly, as this is one of the most popular tours offered. This tour shows the beauty of Arenal Volcano, and the soothing thermal waters of natural Hot Springs. Set against a backdrop of lush vegetation and breathtaking views of the nearly perfect conical shaped lines of the volcano. Enroute to the Arenal Volcano, a stop at the famous town of Sarchí, known as the birthplace of Costa Rica’s Artisans showing the many art crafts and souvenirs that Costa Rica has to offer. Also you will see the world’s largest ox cart according to the Guinness Book. The cart is 2 stories high, nearly 45 feet long (14 meters) and weighs 4400 lbs. (2 tons), and took 70 days to complete and is designed based on our typical and traditional oxcarts. The journey continues, traversing diverse plantations, including pineapple and plantain farms, and even cattle ranches until arriving at the small town of La Fortuna, to enjoy lunch at a cozy restaurant with a magnificent view of the volcano. An essential part of exploring the wondrous world of the Natural Hot Springs is soaking in the cascading thermal waterfalls. This natural hydrotherapy is the way to achieve proper relaxation. The river-pool temperatures range from 72 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. And for a perfect ending, before going back to San José, a wonderful dinner will be served with a great view of the volcano.

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