Costa Rica | Natural Wonders and Ecological Triumphs

Upon arrival at the airport in San José, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to the hotel.

Costa Rica has a long history of environmental conservation and ecotourism. Today you will gain a deeper understanding about the importance of incorporating humankind into the conservation landscape and the aim of creating sustainable livelihoods as a part of environmental initiatives. After breakfast and an orientation at the hotel restaurant, check out and travel about two hours to Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve. Upon arrival, receive an orientation to the lodge's facilities, its 500-acre private reserve, and the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC), an initiative to connect local communities and visiting guests with educational resources and conservation projects. SCLC programs include environmental education, rural tourism activities, English classes, community outreach, women's groups, and scholarship funds for high school students. Join a local community member at the SCLC to experience cooking a traditional Costa Rican dish for lunch. This afternoon, visit a working chocolate farm at Best Chocolate. During this hands-on experience, learn how ancestral indigenous traditions tie in with modern commercial needs and discuss the sustainability of commercial crops-particularly chocolate, which requires shade to grow. Return to the lodge for dinner. This evening, enjoy a lecture on Selva Verde's role in the creation of a biological corridor between Braulio Carrillo National Park and the Caribbean coast. This lecture will highlight the plants and animals found in and associated with the rainforest at Selva Verde.

After breakfast, take a nature boat ride on the Sarapiquí River. The journey will introduce birds and animals that frequent the riverine vegetation, including caimans and a variety of water birds. A site lecture during the boat ride will draw attention to land use on the river banks and human impact on the ecology of the river system. After lunch at the lodge, head to Finca Integral El Jícaro. In 2015, owner Don Pedro García Ruega started to develop a sustainable agriculture model, and the farm now operates under three main principles: forest conservation, chemical-free agriculture, and reforestation. The finca also produces its own organic compost to use on its crops, which include pineapple, papaya, pepper, and coconut palm. Later, return to the lodge for time to relax and enjoy the amenities. After dinner at the lodge, you may choose to continue your exploration during an evening walk with your guide.

After breakfast, set out on a hike at La Selva Biological Station to observe this unique ecosystem up-close. A variety of wildlife can be seen along the reserve's forest trails, including sloths, monkeys, iguanas, parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, and other tropical fauna. Afterwards depart for Arenal, stopping at La Fortuna on the way. This picturesque town is a great place to take photos and shop for souvenirs. Upon arrival at Arenal, check in and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure to relax in the pool.

This morning visit Rancho Margot to learn about the ecolodge’s sustainable and self-sufficient practices, from organic agriculture to energy production. After lunch at the ranch, head out to explore the forest canopies at Sky Walk, where a series of suspension bridges takes you up close with the flora and fauna. Hike deep into these magical tropical forests to admire nature from a distinct perspective. The trail system straddles different types of ecosystems, forming a transitional vegetation strip with high biodiversity where both highland and lowland species occur. This evening, enjoy a soak in the geothermal hot springs at Ecotermales in La Fortuna, with dinner on site.

Have breakfast and then transfer to Monteverde Biological Reserve by boat and bus. Monteverde's consistently cool and wet environment receives over three meters of rain annually and is home to an astounding variety of flora and fauna. More than 2,500 plant species have been identified here, including 300 individual orchid species and over 200 species of ferns. The beginnings of the reserve can be traced back to a group of Alabama Quakers that emigrated to Monteverde in the early 1950s. Visiting biologists discovered that the cloud forest located around the Quaker community was rich in plant and animal life. Due to the incredible foresight of the Quakers and the Tropical Science Center, the first non-governmental scientific and environmental organization in Costa Rica, Monteverde became the biological reserve it is today. After check-in, enjoy a guided hike in the cloud forests of the Curi-Cancha Reserve. Located in the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area at the center of Monteverde, Curi-Cancha comprises 205 acres of forest, secondary growth, and open pasture. This evening enjoy a presentation on climate change before dinner at the hotel.

This morning visit Finca Laguna Verde dairy farm. This farm has had agricultural production since the 1930s when the first settlers entered the area. It began as a sugar cane producing farm and then moved on to milk production in 1956. Since 1980 the farm has specialized as a dairy farm, producing milk with Jersey cattle. Currently it is a farm with milk production on an area of 20 hectares and forest conservation of about 60 hectares. This evening, enjoy a talk by a local Quaker family and have dinner at their home.

Check out after breakfast at the lodge, and begin the transfer to Guanacaste. En route, stop for a visit at Hacienda El Viejo Wetlands, a private wildlife refuge. Here, enjoy a typical Costa Rican buffet lunch at La Casona, a historical home dating back nearly 150 years that evokes the spirit of Costa Rica's colonial era. Then, set out onto the Tempisque River on a boat tour of the wetland refuge, where you'll see an incredible number of birds, monkeys, iguanas, and crocodiles. Return to La Casona to enjoy a cup of coffee and some fruit before departing the hacienda and continuing to Guanacaste. Check in upon arrival, and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure to explore the hotel facilities. Dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast, head to nearby Flamingo Beach for a scenic catamaran journey along the beautiful Pacific coast. From the dock, take a brief ride by motorized tender to arrive at the catamaran, and then board to set sail! Enjoy a picnic-style meal on board, then swim and snorkel from the catamaran in search of tropical fish, octopuses, starfish, and rays. At the end of the cruise, board the tender back to shore and return to the hotel. The afternoon is at leisure to explore the beach or relax. This evening, gather to share a farewell dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast, travel approximately 30 minutes to the international airport in Liberia for flights home. Flights should be scheduled to depart after 2 pm. Latest hotel check-out time is noon.