Overview

Known for its splendid natural beauty but that is only part of Costa Rica. This jewel of Central America has a thriving culture that you won’t find in guidebooks or maps; it can only be found through experience. Learn first hand how Costa Ricans live and how they are working to preserve their environment. Meet community associations…visit ecological reserves and areas of cultural interest. Experience environmental adventures. Discover the real Costa Rica, exploring away from the normal tourist trail while getting to know the people involved in conservation at the grass roots level.
“Visit rural communities which are proud of their commitment to conservation and willing to share their humble way of life with interested tourists. By visiting these communities, you will not only meet some lovely people but you will be inspired by their ability to put innovative principles into practice. You will also see the results of the intelligent, dedicated work of the United nations Development program, COOPRENSA and other NGO’s who in time of worldwide chaos, are faithfully sowing the seeds of peace.” You’ll receive a genuine warm welcome, experience authentic adventures, share cultural interchanges, and have a chance to explore with local guides. You will have the opportunity to get involved with conservation efforts and the knowledge that your vacation provided benefits for the local people, helping sustain the traditional culture.
Day 1: Arrival in Costa Rica
Transfer in to Posada El Quijote, located in the mountainside town of Escazu, the minutes from San José. Posada El Quijote is a Spanish colonial country manor filled with an outstanding collection of art set against a backdrop of spectacular views; offering excellent service with quiet comfortable accommodations. Overnight El Posada El Quijote.
Day 2: INBioparque "The Gateway to Costa Rica’s National Parks"
INBioparque is an educational and recreational center where visitors will be exposed to samples of the vast world of biological diversity that can be found in Costa Rica and its National Parks, thus helping people understand the importance of preserving our biodiversity.
The INBioparque experience consists in a tour through its various areas:
Projection room: A 15 minute audio-visual is presented wherein our goal is to inform the public at a general level what INBioparque and biodiversity are about. Here we introduce some of the main topics that later will be presented in more detail.
Biodiversity interpretative center: Here we explain biodiversity and its value to humans. We compare some species diversity in Costa Rica with that of the world. We demonstrate some of the efforts of INBio and other institutions towards research in biodiversity. Duration: 30-45 minutes.
Costa Rica--SINAC interpretative center: Here, the geologic history of the earth and formation of Central America landmass. The evolution of life on earth, with a focus on the tropics, threats and solutions by way of sustainable development are briefly explained. Brief introduction to Costa Rica’s protected areas through a sound and light system. Duration: 30-45 minutes.
Trails: INBioparque offers, interpreted trails through areas where we have grouped vegetation, found in three major habitats of the country: the native forest of the Central Valley, tropical wet and tropical dry forest. Along the trails are several stations with permanent live exhibits, including frogs, tarantulas, bees, ants, orchids and butterflies that complement the visit to the exhibit halls.
Wetland: Bringing together a select group of native wetland plants. Cultivated plants and butterfly garden: Plantings of fruit trees, vegetables, ornamental & medicinal plants, as well as a small butterfly farm where we demonstrate the rearing of butterflies as a potentially sustainable export product of the forest.
Lunch at Heliconias Restaurant: Demonstrating a healthy (and necessary!) use of biodiversity, our restaurant serves typical Costa Rican Cuisine.
Visit "El Ojoche" Shop: Store with biodiversity-allusive products of INBio and showroom of crafts from different organized groups.
Dinner this evening at a local restaurant in Escazu . Overnight Posada El Quijote. (BLD)
Day 3: City of San José
Today we’ll explore the modern city of San José , visiting the National Theater, Gold and Jade Museum and the National Museum. There will be time to stop and take a look at the busy market place and a stop for lunch before visiting some of the residential areas surrounding the city. Dinner this evening at a local restaurant in Escazu . Overnight Posada El Quijote. (BLD)
Day 4: Joy and Local Culture
Experience the cultural richness of the rural life in San Antonio de Escazu. Visit the traditional sugarcane mill of Don Torino. Here we have the opportunity to learn about the process of making sweets out of sugarcane.
Next stop The masquerade’s house where we meet Don Gerardo Montoya, the grandson of the legendary Pedro Arias, one of the first Costa Ricans to introduce the masquerades in the Central Valley. We’ll learn the process of making masquerades by doing it ourselves.
The tour will end at La Cuevita de Zarate, where we’ll enjoy a delicious typical meal. Here we will also learn about the local grassroots organization’s efforts to conserve the mountains of Escazu.
After lunch we drive to Nacientes Palmichal, nestled between the protected mountains of Escazu and Negro and Tabarcia rivers. Palmichal de Acosta is a friendly rural town where Nacientes Palmichal Lodge and Environmental School is located. Upon arrival, we’ll visit the local school and meet with the children who will proudly show us their tiny school and try their best to converse with us with the English they have been learning. The children will also do a presentation for the group including some folkloric dances. If you would like to bring along school supplies or small toys for the children, this would be a nice gesture.
Back to the lodge for a welcome dinner and presentation on Nacientes Palmichal and the association’s conservation efforts. Overnight Nacientes Palmichal. (BLD)
Day 5: The Organic Way & Huetar Indigenous Reserve
This morning we’ll visit an organic cattle farm horticulture garden. Meet the local people who have learned new methods of farming without the use of dangerous pesticides. Lunch today will be at our “campesino” farmers home. After lunch we visit the Huetar Indigenous Reserve and handcraft center. Learn and participate in making a straw hat. Dinner and overnight at Nacientes Palmichal (BLD)
Day 6: The Golden Bean of Costa Rica
After breakfast at the lodge we’ll depart , stopping on the way out to visit the coffee processing plant, where you’ll learn all about the golden bean of Costa Rica. If it is harvest time, we will participate in the coffee harvesting. From the coffee processing plant we head out for the warmer climate of Savagre de Quepos area and the El Silencio Lodge.
Coopesilencio R.L. is a self-management agricultural cooperative dedicated to the production of oil palm, grains, reforestation, cattle rising and ecological surrounding protection. Here you will witness first hand, the development of environmental education and ecological tourism projects, as means of guarantee the protection and rational use of the resources. El Silencio offers the fully equipped services of the Centro de Educación Ambiental (Environmental education Center.) The Lodge has 10 rooms with private bathroom, hot water. Full capacity: 45 people. Single, double and punk beds. The restaurant serves Typical food, choice of menu and Panoramic view. On site is the Biological reserve with Trails, waterfalls, flora and fauna watching and the Wild life rescue center for Red Macaws, Deer, Paca, Parrots and Monkeys who need care and freeing
Overnight El Silencio…(BLD)
Day 7 : African Palm Oil Plantation
This morning we’ll tour the African Palm Oil Plantations and learn from our local guides, the importance of oil industry for the community. In the afternoon we’ll do a walking tour of the community and meet with some of the local families. Overnight El Silencio (BLD)
Day 8: Manuel Antonio National Park
Although Manuel Antonio is the smallest of the National Parks, it is considered to be the jewel of the national park system. The Park's two white sandy beaches, Espadilla Sur and Manuel Antonio, stand out as its main attractions. Just off shore are twelve islands, most of them without vegetation, but excellent seabird sanctuaries nonetheless. Punta Catedral was an island at one time, an accumulation of the sediments joined to the land with a sandy belt named Tombolo, a prized nesting site for the brown booby. You'll see dolphins here, and once in a while a pod of migratory whales. Manuel Antonio is the most visited National Park in Costa Rica.
Trees such as black locust (an endangered timber-yielding tree), balsa, monkey comb, bastard cedar, wild plantain, Manzanillo (a tree that oozes a milky substance and bears poison fruit) and Mayflower, are common.
There are more than one hundred mammal species and one hundred and eighty species of birds here, including the rare white ibis. Squirrel monkeys (another endangered species) play in the trees above the trails in the Park. Here, too, are two-toed sloths, raccoons, white-nosed coatis, howler and white faced monkeys, and squirrels.
There will a nature walk with our naturalist guide and then plenty of time to relax and enjoy the white sand beach. Lunch will be in town and then there will be time to explore the shops of Quepos before transferring to Villa Lapas where we will spend the night. Dinner and overnight Villa Lapas.
Day 9: Isla Chira
The Woman’s Association of Chira is a group of women that have come together to develop rural community tourism activities that all them to generate income, while protecting their natural resources. The women own a protected forest and a tiny lodge and offer tours around the island. The tours combine the richness of the biodiversity with the living culture of the FISHERWOMEN of Chira. The Women of Chira are proof that Chira is alive and that the island’s birds, its mangroves, colorful sunsets and the way of living of the fisherwomen and mollusk harvesters are a great value to share with national and international visitors.. On a barge along the Chira mangroves, marvel at the exuberant natural beauty of this eco-system. Twenty percent of the island is covered by mangrove forests. Surrounded by mangrove, observe the great diversity of birds, many of them migrant species and other native species, such as the Great Egret, the Roseate Spoonbill, The Mangrove Warbler and the Osprey. We’ll be taking the La Amistad Boat to Isla de Chira at Puerto Níspero (1 hour)
Visit the Paloma Island Bird's Sanctuary and learn about artisan fishing Arrive to Chira Island and tour along Chira Island and Palito Village. Learn about the history of the women of Chira and their way of life. Lunch will be served a the tiny La Amistad Lodge. Then take the boat back to Puerto San Pablo (40 minutes away from Tempisque Bridge) .Here we’ll be traveling through mangrove forest with a great variety of native and migratory bird-species and crocodiles.. Time to say good-bye to these incredible women of Chira and head to the Arenal Volcano area. The ride will take us up around Lake Arenal with its spectacular vistas. Arrive at the fabulous natural hot spring resort of Eco Thermales just as the sun goes down. There will be plenty of time to relax and enjoy the hot springs which are set in the forest and lit up for an evening of sure pleasure. Dinner at EcoThermales… Overnight at Volcano Lodge in rooms facing the volcano. (BLD)
Day 10: Maleku Indigenus Reserve
The Malekus is an Indian tribe living today in this region, and which can be traced back to the great Indian Cacique The Malekus have opened their harts and their community to visitors, sharing with us a little of their culture, language and traditions. Today we’ll be taking a walk with a Maleku guide through the rainforest and pre- Columbian burial grounds of their native lands. We’ll be learning about medicinal plants and the ways Malekus Indigenous people. Dinner in La Fortuna…Overnight Volcano Lodge. (BLD)
Day 11: Tenoria Volcano Area. Hanging Suspension Bridges
This morning we depart from the Arenal area to Heliconias Lodge – Bijagua de Upala. After lunch at the lodge we’ll have a guided tour over the trail of suspension bridges within the private reserve.. There will also be time to visit the Serpentarium. Overnight Heliconias Lodge.
Heliconias Lodge is another cooperative lodge which was formed to new alternatives and ensure sustainable utilization of natural resources. It offers a variety of attractions for nature lovers. The lodge has 6 rooms with private bathrooms with hot water. There is a charming restaurant with panoramic views. The reserve embraces primary and secondary forests right next to Volcán Tenorio National Park. There are trails and skywalk bridges of many different lengths, which are the perfect places for bird watching It location allows you to view the Miravalles Volcano, the Guatusos Valley and Lake Nicaragua.
Day 12 : Rio Celeste
Early this morning we drive to the incredible Rio Celeste (Blue River) which is the sight of an unusual natural phenomenon where the river suddenly turn light blue due to minerals washed off the ground into the river. These minerals are the result of the rivers location on the sides of the dormant Tenorio Volcano and the remaining vents from the depths of the volcano. In the river we will relax in natural hot springs while surrounded by the jungle wilderness. Truly one of the most relaxing natural pools in the country. We will then follow the river downstream for a refreshing encounter with an enormous waterfall that spills down the sides of the volcano. It is one of the most picturesque waterfalls in Costa Rica with the dense forest surrounding the cascading water. Late afternoon return to Heliconia Lodge for dinner and overnight.. (BLD)
Day 13: Corobici River Float Rafting
Early morning departure heading back to San Jose, stopping en route to do our last adventure in Costa Rica. Today we’ll be doing a float rafting trip on the Corobici River. This class I-II float trip is perfect for any outdoor enthusiast. The Corobicí is a tranquil river that flows through tropical dry forest. One of the highlights of this excursion is the range of biodiversity that can be easily be seen. This important river provides water for monkeys and birds of the dry forest area. Lunch at Rincon Corobici overlooking the river and then continue on to the San Jose area. This evening we’ll be spending the night at Hotel Magri which has been a tradition for hospitality since the XIX century.
Hotel de Magri is a small , charming inn located in the heart of Alajuela. It is located only 10 minutes away from the International airport . Filled with history, the Magri family originally opened its doors in the mid 19th century. Currently the founder’s descendants personally care for their guests in a modern hotel that offers all the amenities that a traveler requires.
Dinner and overnight Hotel de Magri (BLD)
Day 14: Sadly we say Good-bye to Costa Rica.
There has been so much of Costa Rica that we have seen and so many wonderful people we have met along the way, that is difficult to leave our charming host country. We know that this vacation experience can never be repeated but we are certain that a return visit to Costa Rica will be in our plans for the future.
Transfer to the International airport of San Jose… depart. (B)