Costa Rica | Public and Private Gardens, Reserves, and Rivers with Pacific Horticulture

Upon arrival at the San José International Airport, after clearing customs and collecting your luggage, you will be met and transported to Hotel Bougainvillea, located in a suburb of the capital. After settling into your room, enjoy the beautiful gardens. The hotel's owner, an advocate for the flora of Costa Rica, designed the garden's 10 acres of tropical plants, crops, frog ponds, and walkways. This evening, gather with your guide for a program orientation followed by a welcome dinner. Check-in starts at 3 pm. For those who are arriving early and need early check-in, this cost is included in your program.

This morning will be spent at The Green Ark Botanical Garden. The Green Ark Foundation's mission statement is the following: "Our mission is to educate and share knowledge about the use of plants for a better personal life and for the well-being of the planet." Upon arrival, participate in a guided tour by one of the specialists at the Ark and enjoy opportunities to see thematic ethno-botanical garden terraces, which include a medicinal garden, a culinary garden, a tropical food garden or milpa, an essential oils garden, and a natural colorants garden. Throughout the garden, visitors are surrounded by more than 1,600 species of ornamental tropical species as well as fruit trees, which are claimed to be one of the most extensive collections of flora species in Central America. Have lunch at the Ark restaurant and experience their farm-to-table five-course tasting menu featuring ingredients that were harvested the morning of your visit. This afternoon you will visit La Catalina Jardin Botanico. Meet with Randall Obsney, grower and expert of indigenous orchids of Costa Rica. He will introduce you to his vast collection and answer any questions you might have. Time permitting, you'll have the opportunity to stroll along the garden trails before returning to Hotel Bougainvillea. Enjoy dinner on your own this evening.

Following breakfast and check-out, begin the journey to Sarapiquí Valley. En route, visit the beautiful Nectandra Cloud Forest Garden. Enjoy a walk on their network of trails with your guide, followed by a light lunch at one of their two cafés. After spending time in the gardens and forests, continue on to Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve. The property protects more than 500 acres of primary and secondary tropical rainforest. The Valley is also home to the Organization for Tropical Studies La Selva Research Station, which will be visited during your program. After check-in at the lodge, meet together for an orientation to the property and meet the director of the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC), a non-profit organization that provides services for nearby communities. Learn about their current projects and how they assist local residents, and then visit the on-site botanical garden. Have some time to freshen up before dinner, which can be taken at your leisure between 6 and 8 pm. After dinner, join your guide for an optional walk through the property to look for nocturnal wildlife.

Start the day early with an optional guided bird walk. After breakfast, cross the suspension bridge above Río Sarapiquí and enter Selva Verde's private reserve for a guided hike through the virgin rainforest. This afternoon, visit a nearby farm for a chocolate tour. Learn about the cacao plant and its historical importance, and see firsthand the step-by-step process of transforming cacao beans into their delicious finished product. After spending time at the cacao farm, enjoy a river safari on Río Sarapiquí. Return to the lodge for some free time before dinner to explore the self-guided trails on the property.

Today will be spent at the aforementioned La Selva Research Station. Start with breakfast served buffet style, followed by an orientation to the property and the Organization for Tropical Studies. Enjoy the opportunity to join a guided hike through their extensive trail system. Have lunch at the station, and then go on a boat ride that traverses through their property. Return to Selva Verde for a bit of free time before dinner, which will be al fresco at La Terrazza, Selva Verde's Italian restaurant overlooking Río Sarapiquí.

This morning, travel to the cloud forests of San Gerardo de Dota. En route, stop for a visit at Mi Refugio. This family-owned private property in the hillsides of the forest features hortensias and succulents, with landscaped gardens that are unique, clever, and authentic. Meet the family and enjoy a tour through their eden. If desired, enjoy a snack in their café before continuing on to Savegre Lodge, which offers nearly 1,000 acres of trails, both in virgin and secondary forests. After arrival and check-in, have some time to explore on your own later in the afternoon and evening. Your guide will be available for those who wish to take an afternoon walk on the grounds. Discover the stream the travels through the property - the beginnings of Río Savegre, which flows all the way to the Pacific Coast and grows in strength and breadth as it travels down the mountain to the shore.

Should you wish, start your day with an early morning guided bird walk in search of the resident Resplendent Quetzal. After breakfast, take a guided hike on the Los Robles Trail to see trees that are over 700 years old and stand over 200 feet. The varying degrees of incline on the trails are not particularly strenuous, apart from the effort needed for the mountainous 2.8-mile stretch. Stop for a photo opportunity next to the magnificent Centenary Oak, which in 2010 received the Exceptional Tree Award from the Costa Rican National Biodiversity Institute (INBio). Later today, have lunch at Miriam's, a local favorite. After lunch, have time to spend at leisure to explore on your own. If you prefer, take advantage of the wonderful spa at the hotel at an additional cost.

This morning will be spent on the trails in and around the lodge. This afternoon, visit Batsú Gardens, a wonderful location for excellent birding and photography, with magnificent views of the surrounding mountains.

After a leisurely breakfast and check out, travel back to Santo Domingo and Hotel Bougainvillea. En route, enjoy a visit to the private home known as Casa Tangara Dowii. Serge Arias welcomes visitors for light meals, coffee, and excellent birding opportunities. Afterward, continue on to the hotel. You may have time for a stroll in the tropical gardens before this evening's special farewell dinner at the hotel with your naturalist guide.

This morning, travel to the airport in San José for your flight(s) home. Check-out at the hotel is at 12 pm. (Please note check-in time at the San José International Airport is 3 hours prior to departure).