Hosts

Your tour is structured by Tony & Celeste Horpel of Pickleball Costa Rica.  Tony & Celeste are both World Ambassadors of the International Federation of Pickleball (IFPA) to Costa Rica, and Tony is an Ambassador of the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) to Costa Rica.

Tony & Celeste have traveled much throughout the country, finding fun, interesting places to take their pickleball guests.  The sport of pickleball is new here.  Tony & Celeste were the first to introduce Costa Rica to the sport in 2014.  Since there are only 5 areas in the country with pickleball or useable tennis courts, the sport is still growing, but it is catching on!  Their courts are located just outside of San Ramon in the province of Alajuela, nestled in the cool Central Valley Highlands of the rural coffee and agricultural region.  

This is a very fun, personalized pickleball trip which was created for those wanting a pickleball vacation that also enables them get a feel for the "real" Costa Rica in several areas, and meet the friendly, welcoming people. By taking you to some of the more out of the way places and some tourist spots, you'll see Costa Rica as few people do!

Please be sure to check out the testimonials & videos (found on top menu bar).

Tour Price

Price:

• Double Occupancy:   (based on a minimum of 16 or more participants).....to be announced.  Please contact us for information.
• (based on a minimum of 8 to 15 participants)..... to be announced. Again, please contact us.
• Single occupancy:.....Add  $___ to the above price.

What's Included?

INCLUDED / NOT INCLUDED

INCLUDED IN YOUR TOUR PRICE:

• Meals: All inclusive meals - Day 2 thru 9: 8 breakfasts, all-day snacks, 7 lunches, 7 dinners. See bold B, L, D under each day.
• 8 nights hotel
• Alcohol: All inclusive at 3 restaurants throughout the day during our last 4 days.
• Transportation throughout the country.
• Park entrance fees.
• Eight Costa Rican experiences that are mentioned as (included) on this itinerary. Those labeled (optional) are not included.
• Seven nights accommodations, includes tax.

TOURS AND / OR  EXPERIENCES INCLUDED Bring your camera!  Each day has many photo opportunities!

• Tours to visit 3 beautiful beaches, (one is secluded and one is a popular suft / tourist beach). One beach has white faced capuchin monkeys. You may see the beautiful scarlet macaws which frequent the shoreline's trees.
• Time to souvenir shop in a tourist town known for its surfing.
• Tour to see the absolute beauty of the waterfall gardens in the tropical rain forest. Costa Rica has many more species of almost every type of animal than any place in the world. Enjoy their birds, hummingbirds, cats, amphibians, reptiles, monkeys, sloths, insects display, butterflies, broiliad and orchid gardens. Delight in the primary forest's flora and fauna. Feel the mist of multiple waterfalls. See a display of Costa Rican history and culture that we see even today sometimes!
• Tour an organic eco-coffee farm. This excursion and lunch there at this organic farm is a definite favorite of all who have visited it.
• Tour a family owned and run butterfly business that raises and sells butterflies to all parts of the world!
• Monkey Beach
• Our favorite miles-long, palm-lined, unpopulated beach with gorgeous sunsets.
• Be amazed by the ingenuity of years past here in Costa Rica...and it's still being used today!!!
• Meet sweet, welcoming people.
• See a rural Costa Rican town.
• Travel through Rural Costa Rica.
• Experience the delicious Costa Rican fare.
• Unwind with beautiful Costa Rican sunsets.
• Pickleball play will be an outdoor lighted courts at the beach.
• Time to play pickleball or relax. Nothing mandatory
• When we stay at the beach, you will also have time to do (optional) tours of your choice instead of playing pickleball.

LEAVE ROOM IN YOUR BAGS FOR:

• A Pickleball Costa Rica coffee mug.
• A 1lb. bag of rich, shade-grown, gourmet coffee grown in our area of San Ramon and Palmares in the highlands.
• A Pickleball Costa Rica T-shirt.

NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR TOUR PRICE:

• Airfare to/from Costa Rica
• Your hotel cost for the NIGHT BEFORE YOUR TOUR STARTS. You must come in on DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED, the day before the tour starts. See the "MORE INFORMATION" tab, under "Booking Your Flight Into Costa Rica".
• Tours unless specified as (included) on this itinerary. You may choose "optional" tours on open days while at the beach.
• All hotel charges apart from what has been included in this itinerary is your responsibility. During registration, you will provide a credit card for miscellaneous charges.
• Tips to waiters/waitresses, room maids, drivers and your guides on the tours. For your information, waitresses, maids, etc., make about $3/hr. In your hotel room you will find an envelope for the maid's tips. It is customary to put about $2-$3/day in the envelope for the maids.
• Costa Rica's Airport Tax of $29. Almost all airlines include this tax in your ticket. Please verify your airline has taken care of this. If it is not part of your ticket price, you must pay it at the airport at the time of your departure. The agents at the baggage-check in counter will verify it for you.

IMPORTANT PASSPORT INFORMATION: Please read carefully. When planning a trip, most countries require a passport be valid for at least six months beyond the completion date of the trip.

BEFORE LEAVING FOR COSTA RICA, LET YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY KNOW THAT YOU ARE TRAVELING TO COSTA RICA AND PROVIDE DATES.

TRIP INSURANCE: Check with your insurance company to see if your coverage transfers to a foreign country. At least consider trip cancellation insurance.

Hotels

Optional Tours

ABOVE ARE PHOTOS OF A FEW OF THE POPULAR (OPTIONAL) TOURS AVAILABLE IN THE AREA DURING YOUR FREE TIME.

You have 7 adventures (includedd) in your tour package, but you may see something below that you'd really love to experience. 

• Days 5 and 7 you have free time to choose to do some tour listed below.  Remember there is pickleball in the evenings if you find others who want to play then.  
• Depending on what our group size ultimately is,  you may want to co-ordinate soon with fellow players to choose a date that each of you can take your own chosen tour.  That way you are assured of having enough players each day.
• Remember you have evening play available as well, after your tour.

IDEAS FOR (OPTIONAL) TOURS IN THE AREA - (choose and make reservations very soon, as January through April are the busiest months. Tours underlined should be early morning if you want to see animals and birds.  Always take notice of how many hours a tour is.  Consider that tours with 9 or more hrs. has a lot of driving.  

Zipline canopy tour, 18 hole golf course nearby, morning, afternoon, sunset catamaran cruises, SubWing, horseback riding on the beach or in the forest, sport fishing, Guided nature tours at Carara National Park, whale and dolphin watching, waterfall safari, Manuel Antonio National Park Tour, souvenir shop in a tourist town a short taxi or shuttle ride away, sea turtle nesting tour, cultural Tour: San Jose cultural dinner with live music, city lights with Costa Rican traditional danccers, coffee tour, chocolate tour, river rafting, hiking, hot springs, snorkeling, famous artisans tour, wildlife refuge tour, and much more.

SUGGESTED TOUR COMPANIES:  See below for some of the suggested tour companies you could use, or use your own).

• Gray Line 1 (800) 719-3905
  https://www.graylineostarica.com/costa-rica-one-day-tours
  
• Viator Tours 1 (702) 648-5873
  Book online: https://www.viator.com/Costa-Rica 
• King Tours 1 (800) 213-7091
  www.kingtours.com/Tours-Reservations-Costa-Rica.html
   

More Information