AN ECOLOGICIAL ADVENTURE IN COSTA RICAJ U N E 30, 2019 -J U LY 5, 2019

ARENAL VOLCANOOur hotel overlooks the majestic Arenal Volcano, so you have an amazing view over breakfast, and you won’t have trouble imagining what it must be like to watch red-hot lava flow down toward the lake.

As big as the volcano looks from your breakfast table, it doesn’t begin to prepare you for how awesome it is to actually walk on its lower slopes. That’s where we’re headed—for a close-up look at how those rivers of lava finally cooled off and froze into solid rock. Notice the difference between the untouched forest and the area wiped out by the volcano that is now being recolonized by nature.

You’ve probably read that most life in an old-growth tropical forest happens in the canopy far above the ground. So you know where we’re headed this afternoon: up the trunks into the leafy, lively environment at the top! You get to decide how you want to experience it. Your first option is to strap on a helmet and zing through the treetops on a zipline. This experience is different from your amusement park ziplines; here, you are able to see much of the forest canopy because you’re close to the trees as you glide from platform to platform. The other option is to join a naturalist guide for a walk on the hanging bridges that stretch between the giant trees. With 2,500 plant species, 300 types of orchids, 200 kinds of ferns, monkeys, and more, there’s plenty to see. Your family can split up or stick together; our guides supervise both groups, and there is no extra cost for either option. Either way, you get an unforgettable look at the forest. This is why you came to Costa Rica!

OVERNIGHT: Arenal

MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

SAN JOSE/ARENALWe start our adventure in San Jose. Just a short drive out of the city, we dive right into the forest at La Paz, where five waterfalls leapfrog down a scenic canyon, and our guide leads us up the path with viewing platforms so close to the action that you can reach out and touch the cascading water.

Then we visit an amazing butterfly observatory where up to 4,000 butterflies in 25 colorful species flit all around us, and might even land on your hand or your nose—so get your camera ready. We also tour a hummingbird garden where 26 species hover, bob and weave from blossom to blossom. Wear red or one of the other colors of their favorite flowers and they’ll possibly check you out, too.

Then we’re off to our hotel, out in the country right at the bottom of Arenal Volcano. Don’t worry: it’s been dormant for almost 50 years, but you better believe there’s still some action underground. The proof? Just soak in one of the hot springs and remember that the water is heated by molten rock deep in the earth. Or if you prefer, go for more temperate water in the hotel pool. Whichever activity you choose, you will get a feel for the climate and countryside before our welcome dinner.

OVERNIGHT: Arenal

MEALS: Lunch, dinner

DAY 1 DAY 2

SCHOOL VISIT/RIVER SAFARITicos, the native Costa Ricans, are great people, and throughout the trip, we never miss an opportunity to meet them. But this morning, we do something really interesting: stop at a local village school. Because our groups are small, the school welcomes our visit, and you can talk with the local students, share your mutual interests, and understand how different it is to attend school in rural Costa Rica.

After that cool cultural experience, we shift gears and go searching for crocodiles! We board a boat on the Tárcoles River and snake through its estuary in search of the crocodile species that have endured since the age of the dinosaurs. They hold those huge jaws open to cool themselves off, and when you take a look at those teeth, you understand how they’ve lasted so long. This area is also one of the best places on earth to spot birds, and our guides point out scarlet macaws, kingfishers, hawks and more.

Next, we arrive at Manuel Antonio Park, our home for the next three nights. Overlooking the Pacific, this park is amazing, from its cloud forests to its coral reefs. Our hotel sits on a promontory a few hundred feet above a crescent beach. It’s incredible to see the ocean, the forest, and the beach all at the same time, right from your private balcony. Even more spectacular is the view of the sunset.

OVERNIGHT: Manuel Antonio Park

MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

MANUEL ANTONIO PARKToday is the first of two days of terrific wildlife walks in Manuel Antonio Park, and you begin before breakfast without even leaving your room! The hotels sits on the slope of a mountain so you feel like you’re in a tree fort. At home right outside our window, the capuchin and howler monkeys are effective alarm clocks. From the open-air dining room, we observe iguanas, monkeys, and squirrels while eating breakfast.

We head out to explore the lush 1,685-acre park under the care of knowledgeable naturalist guides who know the stories behind the footpaths, animals, and plants. Thanks to them, we’re likely to come across shy squirrel monkeys, sloths, toucans, coatis and white-faced monkeys—things you might never see on your own. The amazing scenery on our walks includes Cathedral Point, where you can see out to Mogote Island, the site of pre-Columbian native burials. We even see the terrain change from lush forest to mangrove swamps, marshland, and lagoons at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

Manuel Antonio is famous for its three horseshoe-shaped beaches. The sand is a perfect base of operations for an afternoon of swimming, boogie boarding, or just relaxing on the beach. If you’re a pool person, you’re welcome to head back to the hotel pool, which is surrounded by forest, and you can hear the wild sounds all around you.

Tonight, we’ll take everyone into town for a dinner at a local restaurant.

OVERNIGHT: Manuel Antonio Park

MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

DAY 3 DAY 4

SAVEGRE RIVERThis is your day to experience Costa Rica from the water in your choice of two fun ways. There is no extra cost, whichever one you choose. For an adrenaline rush, join us for white water rafting on a river that snakes through the jungle. We provide expert guides, as well as all the rafting and safety equipment. The rapids range from Class II through IV. It’s a wild, wet ride with beautiful vistas and incredible wildlife viewing, and we pull into shore for a delicious snack along the way.

Prefer quieter water? Team up with our naturalist guide to paddle through the mangrove trees in a scenic tidal estuary. You can slip into a one- or two-person kayak or let us propel you aboard a flat-bottom fishing boat. Either way, the monkeys that live in the trees come up to your craft and there is a chance of spotting anteaters, egrets, and basiliscus lizards—the velociraptors of Jurassic Park. Later, you can visit the village of Quepos and do some shopping, or soak up more of the mild Costa Rica climate down on the beach or at the pool. It’s your choice.

This evening, the whole group is back together for our farewell dinner in a restaurant that is built into a converted C-130 transport plane in the hills above the park.

OVERNIGHT: Manuel Antonio Park

MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

SAN JOSE VALLEYThis morning, we get an up-close look at one of the most important traditions in Costa Rica, coffee growing. We’ve arranged with our friends to tour their organic coffee plantations where we see how they grow, harvest, and roast the beans. (Who knew that fresh-picked coffee beans are called “cherries”?) Afterward, the coffee drinkers are treated to a tasting of some of the world’s best coffee.

We return to San Jose in time for mid-afternoon flights back home. If you are continuing with us on the Tortuguero extension, you’ll spend the night in San Jose and head for the Caribbean side of Costa Rica in the morning.

MEALS: Breakfast

DAY 5 DAY 6

ONE-DAY EXTENSION: TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARKExtend your time in Costa Rica with a visit to Tortuguero National Park. The area, on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, was created to protect the endangered sea turtle ("tortuga" means "turtle" in Spanish). Thousands of the sea turtles lay their eggs and nest on its magnificent beach that seems to stretch as far as the eye can see. Tortuguero can be reached by a short air flight from San Jose or by boat on the beautiful and extensive canals and rivers that have been called the “Amazon of Costa Rica.” Spectacular wildlife is visible during the boat journey and includes sloths, monkeys, crocodiles, kingfishers, and herons. It’s an addition to your Costa Rica experience that you won’t soon forget!

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WHAT’S INCLUDED:D Memorable accommodations for five nights.

D All breakfasts, five lunches, and five dinners per person.

D Full-time experienced guide(s) who are on hand throughout the trip to handlebehind-the-scenes logistics and to help with anything from haggling for merchandise to buying a tube of toothpaste.

D Admissions to tastings, historic sites, and other scheduled events as noted inthe detailed daily itinerary.

D Gratuities for hotels, meals, and baggage.

D Trip literature.

D All land transportation during the trip.

** We handcraft surprises into every trip, but some things we just can’t anticipate. Unusual weather, a once-a-year festival, or an unscheduled site closing inspire us and your local guide to improvise and modify this itinerary. Likewise, the hotels we name here are used on the majority of our trips, but occasionally one can’t accommodate us. If that happens, we let you know before departure and make sure you’re in a hotel of equal or better quality. It’s our goal to make your trip exceptional.

TRIP ESSENTIALS: TOUR BEGINS: San Jose, 9 a.m. June 30

TOUR ENDS: San Jose, 1 p.m. July 5

TERRAIN: Easy to moderate forest, beach, and jungle trails. 2-3 hours of walking per day.

TRIP LENGTH: Six days and five nights.

TRIP LENGTH WITH EXTENSION: Seven days and six nights.

To register for this program, visit cty.jhu.edu/family/travel.

Questions? Call us at 410-735-6115 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Eastern time), or email ctyfam@jhu.edu.

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