 | Green Planet Expedition's
Costa Rican Adventure
Sample Itinerary |
Day 1 Arrive San José
Upon arrival at the airort in San José you will be met and transferred to our hotel. This evening, we gather for dinner with our Expedition Leader and an orientation about this exciting adventure. Days 2 & 3 Tortuguero Nat’l Park
Travel through some of the richest rainforest on earth at Braulio Carillo National Park this morning on our way to Limón, where we board our boat for Tortuguero, considered by many to be the best place to view wildlife in Costa Rica. A boat cruise along canals that wind through the dense jungle may reveal spider, howler and white-faced capuchin monkeys, tree sloths, caimans, and a spectrum of colorful birds. Here in the tropics, steady sunlight, constant rain and warm temperatures create an intense incubator for a profusion of species. After lunch, we may have time to visit the Caribbean Conservation Center before heading to our jungle lodge accommodations adjacent to the park. Days 4 & 5 Monteverde Cloud Forest
We fly back to San José and drive to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve in the cool high country. Monteverde means “green mountain,” though moisture comes not so much in the form of rain but in the constant mists that swath the mountaintops. More than 400 species of birds flourish here, including the rare resplendent quetzal. A hundred mammal species live in the cloud forest as well as an estimated 2,500 species of plants, including 300 different orchids. We spot wild relatives of many familiar houseplants, such as philodendrons, bromeliads, ficus trees and ferns. This afternoon, we enjoy a walk into the shrouded cloud forest reserve with our Expedition Leader. On Day 5, a walk over a network of suspension bridges and platforms takes us up into the lacy forest canopy. Later we visit a small sugar mill, where a local family demonstrates the traditional way of extracting cane juice. We also take an oxcart ride around the surrounding sugar and coffee plantations. We return this evening to the Hotel Fonda Vela, where the picture windows in our rooms look out onto elegant gardens and wild forest. Days 6 & 7 Arenal Volcano
We rise early to tour Sanctuario Ecologico, an organic banana plantation that offers excellent wildlife viewing. Journeying by road and boat, we reach Costa Rica’s most dramatic landmark: Arenal Volcano, among the most active volcanoes in the world. Costa Rica lies on the edge of two tectonic plates, one of the most dynamic such junctures on earth. Molten rock, created by the friction of the plates, is forced up through fissures and emerges as fiery magma. Arenal regularly puts on a spectacular performance, hissing and rumbling and spewing ash and lava into the sky. We have a riveting view from Arenal Observatory Lodge, where seismologists from the Smithsonian and the National University of Costa Rica monitor Arenal’s activity. On a clear night we may see a flamboyant display of natural fireworks, as red-hot lava pours down the volcano’s side. On Day 7 our Expedition Leader takes us bird-watching on a rainforest hike. Where there is volcanic activity, there is usually geothermal activity, too, and we enjoy a soak in Ecotermales Hot Springs after our short hike. Day 8 Arenal / San José
After an optional early-morning birdwalk and a last breakfast in the shadow of the volcano, we return to San José to relax this afternoon at Xandari Plantation Hotel. Situated on a coffee plantation overlooking Costa Rica’s broad Central Valley, Xandari offers two swimming pools, tropical fruit orchards, and trails leading to a series of waterfalls. Day 9 San José / Home
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home. |
