Costa Rica | Jungles and Peaks

Upon arrival at the Juan Santamaría International Airport, meet your driver and transfer to your hotel. This afternoon attend an orientation to get to know your guide and the amazing country that will be your home for the next week. In order to arrive in time for orientation and dinner, please book flights that arrive into San José no later than 4:30 pm.

This morning after breakfast, learn about Costa Rica's biodiversity during an informative presentation given at the hotel by a local expert. Check-out and take an adventurous drive to the cloud forests of the Monteverde region. This consistently cool and wet environment receives over three meters of rain annually and is home to an astounding variety of flora and fauna. Over 2,500 plant species have been identified here, including 300 individual orchid species and over 200 species of ferns. The beginnings of the preserve can be traced back to a group of Alabama Quakers that emigrated from the U.S. to Monteverde in the early 1950s. Visiting biologists discovered that the cloud forest located above the Quaker community was rich in plant and animal life. Due to the incredible foresight of the Quakers and the Tropical Science Center, Monteverde and Santa Elena reserves were born. Have lunch en route. Check in at the hotel and then visit The Bat Jungle, where you will learn about nearly every facet of a bat's existence, including diversity, abundance, diet, roosting habits, and much more. Other exhibits discuss the importance of bat conservation for controlling the insect population, regenerating tropical forests, and pollinating flowers. Specific conservation issues, such as the construction of bat houses and transporting unwanted bat populations, are also explored. There are more than 95 bats representing eight different species living in a flight space that is designed to look like a nighttime cloud forest. Behind glass windows, visitors can watch the bats feed, fly, and hang. Return to the hotel for free time to rest and relax before dinner.

We will start the day with a bus ride to a nearby dairy farm to learn about its history, operation, and regenerative farming during an exploration of the facilities led by a farm employee. Fields of sugar cane slowly made way for grazing cows and milking facilities in the mid-1950s and beyond. In recent years, the farm began transitioning away from conventional agriculture and working towards a more sustainable and environmentally-responsible model. Although it remains primarily a dairy operation, the farm has set aside 20 hectares for forest conservation and added small-scale production of coffee, honey, vegetables, and animal husbandry to its business plan. During our field trip we will also delve into the impact of climate change to this region and learn about local efforts to reduce the community's carbon footprint. Have lunch at a local restaurant. This afternoon transfer to the Monteverde Sky Walk to learn about cloudforest ecology during a walk on reserve trails and suspended bridges. Explore the lower levels of the forest and onward to its upper story, for a comprehensive view of this unique environment and its life forms. Return to the hotel for dinner.

After breakfast head to the dock for a boat ride across Arenal Lake. From there, board your bus and continue to La Fortuna for lunch and walking in town. Continue to the hotel to settle in for the night and enjoy the thermo-mineral waters of the pools.

This morning explore the rainforest at Arenal Hanging Bridges. The site consists of 15 bridges ranging from 16 to 330 feet long, offering a unique view of the forest canopy from below and above. Six of the 15 bridges are suspended in the upper canopy of this mature forest trail system. The elevation is approximately 1,900 feet. The trail system straddles different types of ecosystems, forming a transitional vegetation strip with high biodiversity where both highland and lowland species occur. Next, visit Arenal Vida Campesina to learn about agricultural practices in the region, like growing vegetables and dairy farming. While there, visit a sugar cane mill for a lesson in traditional methods of sugar cane processing. Before lunch, wake up your inner chef (and your appetite) by joining in a tortilla-making activity, where you will learn how to make tortillas from scratch and cook them on a wood stove. After the farm tour, travel to Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve, located in the lush lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica. Founded in 1985, the lodge is designed to have a minimum impact on the environment and is a proud participant in the Certification for Sustainable Tourism program (CST). After settling in, enjoy an orientation to Selva Verde, followed by a walk in the botanical garden and forest.

Early this morning receive an introduction to the amazing tropical birds of Selva Verde during a short hike around the grounds of the lodge. The avifauna of Selva Verde is abundant, and feeding stations have been set up around the lodge to facilitate observation and identification of the many species that frequent the area. Return to the lodge for breakfast, then set out on a second nature hike through the reserve in search of new species. Your guide will discuss the complex details of the ecosystem and how life in the rainforest thrives. This afternoon enjoy a chocolate tour with a local expert at Costa Rica Best Chocolate. This evening a nocturnal hike provides a comparison between wildlife during the day and night.

After breakfast take an exhilarating whitewater rafting trip on the Río Sarapiquí. A professional river guide escorts all trips, and all necessary safety equipment (helmet, life jackets, etc.) will be provided. Following a thorough safety orientation and basic rafting lesson, enjoy both Class II and Class III rapids of the Río Sarapiquí. This afternoon participate in a community interaction activity with the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC). The SCLC is a not-for-profit organization founded to preserve the cultural integrity of the rural community of Chilamate and aid in sustainable community development projects. Have some lessons with local people to learn three styles of Latin dance: merengue, salsa, and cumbia. The local dancers will demonstrate the styles of dancing and then lead you through the dances step by step. Finally, you'll have a chance to practice with a partner. End the day with a farewell dinner at the lodge.

Transfer back to the airport in San José for your flight home.