Holbrook Travel's very own Bernadette Bernard traveled to beautiful Costa Rica with Road Scholar in 2012.  Here is a day by day account of her journey:

After breakfast we departed around 8:00 a.m. for Arenal National Park, about a 35-minute drive.  On the way there is a superb lookout point, where the group leader gave an overview about the volcanoes, the walks along the trails and the Arenal Lake itself, which produces at least 40% of the energy for Costa Rica.  This was followed by a 10-minute drive to the Arenal Hanging Bridges.  We walked along three bridges while the group leader talked about the stratification of the rainforest, how the rainforest canopy is the most diverse layer inside the forest, and its importance as the water-collector.  The walk on the hanging bridges was about three miles long, and if participants did not want to undertake the full walk they could do it partially or even opt out of it.  The bus was always available with the driver to wait until the rest of the group was done.

[caption id="attachment_5237" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Photo by: Bernadette Bernard[/caption]

After lunch all those who were interested in doing zip lining (not part of the program but upon participants' request it could be prearranged by the group leader) enjoyed their adventurous afternoon, while others took some free time to enjoy the hot springs at the hotel and other spa features.

[caption id="attachment_5238" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Photo by: Bernadette Bernard[/caption]

The visit to the small town of La Fortuna in the late afternoon was quite interesting, including the group leader's talk about the town itself from what it was before and after the Arenal Volcano first erupted.  This small town has lots of different shops with much to offer such as clothing, souvenirs, arts & crafts, wine, beer, etc.  We ended the day with dinner at one of the local restaurants and enjoyed sampling some of the local cuisines they offer.

Road Scholar Program #8577 

Part 6 & 7

Part 4

Part 3

Part 2

Part 1