InformationTours & Extensions
La Quinta Country Inn location, in the vicinity of the Sarapiquí River, the Braulio Carrillo National Park and the world wide known La Selva Biological Station, is favored with unique flora and fauna viewing experience.
At La Quinta we offer our guests with prime spots for fresh water rafting on rapids, ranging from Class I to Class IV, as well as more relaxing experiences through scenic cruises in powerboats, horseback rides, canopy, night tours in the forest, volcanoes, waterfalls and more! Did you know why is the Pineapple called the fruit of hospitality? Learn about it in our Original Pineaple Tour!
We will be pleased to help you at the front desk with information and planning for your tours and activities.
Half Day:
Walking Guided Tour at La Selva
Biological Station
Daily morning and afternoon guided walks in the rain forest led by excellent naturalist guides. Peccaries, agouties, sloth, howler and spider monkeys are seen frequently, as well as varied habitats. Nearly half of the 850 species of birds in Costa Rica inhabit these lowlands, more than 70 species of bats and five of the six species of cats in the country. Advanced reservations are necessary.
Rafting on the Sarapiquí River
River Class I-II Section for beginners. This 7-mile trip is especially attractive for bird watchers and tropical forest lovers of all ages, including small children. Not previous experience required.
River Class
• Includes transportation, equipment, guide and fruits.
• (3 hours).
Section II-III
Enjoy four Class III rapids and about 20 Class II rapids, all of which have a good technical level in this 7.5-mile trip. Half way of the journey on a peaceful pond, passengers can swim and eat the tasty tropical fruits of the season. Not previous experience required.
River Class III
• Includes transportation, equipment, guide and fruits.
• (3 hours).
Horseback Rides
Explore the Sarapiquí Jungle with well-trained and healthy horses, through pristine forest, pastures and rivers.
Pozo Azul
• Combination of a horseback ride (2 hours).
• Includes: equipment, guide, and fruits.
Wilson's Horseback riding tour
This is a very interesting experience with a cultural exchange as a plus. The two hours horseback riding tour takes place at a local farm with great views and a large forest. The cultural exchange is born out of the possibility of sharing with the tour operators, a peasant Costa Rican family with two children, who at the end of the journey offer visitors their hospitality with home made tortillas and natural juices.
We have very good comments on this tour. It takes place 7 kilometers away from La Quinta. This option is reserved for Spanish speakers or for those traveling with a guide as a translator.
• Minimum of 2 passengers is required.
• Transfer rate is not included.
• We have a flexible schedule.
Tours initiate from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tirimbina Rainforest Center
Walking Guided Tours and Self-guided Walks at Tirimbina Rainforest Center The Tirimbina Biological Reserve is a National Wildlife Refuge protecting a large variety of flora and fauna. Among the species that can be observed are: howler monkeys, white-faced and spider monkeys, two and three-toed sloth, white tent bats, manakins, toucans and poison dart frogs.
• Guided walk (2 hours).
• Includes guide and entrance fee.
• Self guided walk.
• Includes entrance fee.
• Night Walk.
• Bat Tour.
Boat Ride on the Sarapiquí River
Enjoy more than 200 species of beautiful birds, howler monkeys, sloth, crocodiles and river turtles down the Sarapiquí River in an unforgettable two hours ride in a comfortable and safe powerboat.
• Two hours ride US.
• Includes boat ride, equipment.
Canopy
• Two hours ride.
• Includes guide and equipment .
Mountain Bike
• Two hours.
• Includes equipment, fruits and guides.
• All prices are per person.
A minimum of two persons is required.
The Original Pineapple Tour
Our informed guide will take you through the active operating Corsicana pineapple farm to give you an interesting talk about the history, cultivation and all the phases of pineapple growth, from sowing and harvest to the packing plant, ornamental pineapple project and organic pineapple review. You are invited to enjoy a snack of piñacolada in fresh fruit, fresh pineapple and freshly made pineapple juice!
Services
La Quinta’s professional staff will make every effort to make your stay with us as relaxing and comfortable as possible. Personal, friendly service is job number one for every member of La Quinta's professional staff.
Services available include:
• Laundry.
• Mail.
• International Phone.
• Guided Tours.
• Transfer.
• Special Menus.
Atractions and activities
Local Attractions
The Sarapiqui River
This scenic tropical river has its origins high on the northern slopes of Barva and Poás Volcanoes, but by the time it reaches the San Juan River on the border with Nicaragua, it has received water from as far away as Irazú Volcano via the Sucio River. The Sarapiquí River, which is navigable upstream from the San Juan River (which flows into the Caribbean) as far inland as Puerto Viejo (Old Port) de Sarapiquí at the volcano's base on the northern side, was an important transportation route for those few hardy settlers who first moved into this region. Continuing upstream from Puerto Viejo, the river picks up gradient and becomes one of the country's finest rivers for kayaking and whitewater rafting. The further upstream you go, the more challenging the rapids become.
La Selva Biological Station:
One of the premier neotropical sites for biological studies, La Selva is a Mecca not only for scientists, but also hard-core birders and serious naturalists. The state-of-the-art laboratory facilities on the edge of the rain forest have allowed researchers at La Selva the opportunity to make many exciting new discoveries about the workings of this most incredibly complex and biologically diverse of all the planet's ecosystems. La Selva Biological Station is favored with unique flora and fauna viewing experience. Agouties, sloth, howler and spider monkeys are seen frequently, as well as varied habitats. Nearly half of the 850 pecies of birds in Costa Rica inhabit these lowlands, more than 70 species of bats and five of the six species of cats in the country.
Tirimbina Rainforest Center
Where education, research and striking beauty combine for outstanding encounters with nature. TRC is an internationally recognized, non-profit organization created to conserve the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica; provide environmental education to the local community, students and ecotourists; and accommodate scientific research. Located within the rainforest and river environments of Sarapiquí County, TRC is a Private Wildlife Refuge which protects 345 hectares (852.5 acres) of mid-elevation (pre-montane) forest through which 9km (5½ mi.) of trails pass. One third of the forest is used for ecotourism and environmental education, keeping the majority of the Reserve naturally intact. TRC’s conservation education efforts and beautiful natural rainforest have made it a primary tropical science research center as well as a popular ecotourism travel destination.
Special Attractions
Visit to a local school
This is an activity within our program for social projection. The children of this school make a brief presentation for the group and then a quick interaction period to take pictures, to singing or playing.
We request a donation from the Agency or from the group. Usually we coordinate beforehand with the school on their necessities at the moment, and we let you know. For instance some of the things that have donated are: fans, kitchen utilities, pencils, pilots, paper, notebooks, paint, etc. We have made arrangement for cash donations, for which we give a bonus and improvements, have been made to the school building, such as the building of a new schoolroom, the restoration of a ceiling, the painting of a roof, etc.
Cooking workshop
This activity consists of a guided walk through the trail to end it up at the vegetable garden where people can harvest some of what we have and then we do a cooking workshop where we all learn about the properties of each one of the vegetables and we (staff and guests) all participate cutting, boiling, frying, or whatever is needed to prepare a dish for dinner. In the meantime, we try some other things that we cook while there.
The area for cooking is a beautiful big thatched roof building next to a pond in the trail.
The main dish we usually prepare is a heart of palm dice or a green papaya dice and the snacks we try while cooking are tortillas, fried yuca, fried bread fruit and pineapple.
Walking and planting of a native tree
We have assigned an area of La Quinta for reforestation. Since the begining we have been inviting our guests to plant a native tree in order to cooperate with the restoration process of the native flora. We specially plant Almendro de Montaña, to improve the habitat for the Green Macaw.This activity takes place within the property and is reserved only for guest with no cost at all.
The Original Pineapple Tour
The tour consists of a trip through an active operating pineapple farm. The informed guide gives an interesting talk about the history, cultivation of pineapple and shows all the phases of pineapple growth from sowing to harvest. There is a visit to a packing plant, an ornamental pineapple project and an organic pineapple review. All are invited to enjoy a generous snack of piña colada in fresh fruit, fresh pineapple and freshly made pineapple juice.
ChocolateTour
Tirimbina Rainforest center "An adventure and learning destination"
Discover the secrets and marvels of one of the favorite foods of human kind.
The Chocolate
Cacao: With its origins in Mesoamerica, with a rich and extraordinary history. The discovery of America took it to Europe, transforming into the product we know today.
The Tour, with duration of three hours includes:
• Guided walk through
Tirimbina suspension bridge.
• Cacao plantation.
• Forest and wild species of cacao.
• Natural and cultural history of the cacao.
• Process: From cacao to chocolate (Harvesting, fermentation and dying).
• Chocolate tasting, cacao and organic chocolate productions, produced by Asociación de Mujeres Amazilia del Caribe.
This tour rescues one of our native plants and one of the friendliest crops with the environment.
Wilson´s Horseback riding tour
This is a very interesting experience with a cultural exchange as a plus. The two hours horseback riding tour takes place at a local farm with great views and a large forest. The cultural exchange is born out of the possibility of sharing with the tour operators, a peasant Costa Rican family with two children, who at the end of the journey offer visitors their hospitality with home made tortillas and natural juices. We have very good comments on this tour. It takes place 7 kilometers away from La Quinta. This option is reserved for Spanish speakers or for those traveling with a guide as a translator.
How to get thereIt’s location is within two hours by car from San Jose.
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