Day 1 -------- Arrive & Drive to La Cusinga (La Cusinga)
Today we will meet you outside of the SJO Airport. A midday arrival would work best for this itinerary. Both Spirit and JetBlue have flights from Orlando that arrive around noon. Their prices can be pretty good too, if reservations are made far enough in advance.
Upon arrival you will be introduced to your driver and guide. We like to operate our tours with two buses if the group is larger than 20. We do have the option of using a bus that fits the entire group but we have noticed with student groups it is more personalized with two different guides and buses. The entire tour goes at the same pace and we stay as a group in all excursions, hotels, and stops along the way but we have a guide for each bus which allows for a better CRR personnel/client ratio. We can give more personalized attention this way to both the students and teachers and no one gets left out.
Kitchen is ready for DHS
The drive from the airport will be to the famous La Cusinga Lodge. This lodge is one of the pioneers of eco-lodges in Costa Rica. It sits on cliffs of the Pacific with breath-taking views and is a perfect blend of where comfort meets sustainability and the natural wonders of Costa Rica. This will be a full travel day and we will have dinner waiting for you at the hotel when you arrive. Your guides will give you an intro to Costa Rica during the three hour scenic drive. We'll have a short orientation this first night along with a breifing every night to get some feedback from the kids. We also encourage journaling which we provide and try and get kids to write about their reactions of being abroad and the amazing scenery they will be experiencing. (Meals: Dinner)
Day 2 -------- Intro to the Rainforest, Visit Banana Plantation, Sunset on Beach (La Cusinga)
Intro to Rainforest
Today is an intro day and we will start by walking around the grounds of the lodge. Everyone will have the chance to sleep-in this morning. After breakfast we'll then take a short hike with your naturalist guide who will give you an introduction to the lowland tropical rainforest. We will also observe some of the sustainable practices used in the hotel. After the morning hike we will drive to a nearby banana plantation where the kids will get to see just how much work goes into getting the simple banana to your grocery store. We will look at the history of the United Fruit Company and also some of the results of large mono-culture farming in the tropics and some ideas that are being done to help with deforestation and the use of large amounts of pesticides.
Sleep like a Rock...
After the banana plantation and we get a feel for the work that is involved, we will take everyone to relax in the Pacific Ocean. Here the kids will have time to get their feet wet and swim. (Note: We are highly cautious with student groups in the ocean. We only use a small beach where there are no rip currents and we reschedule all swimming activities if the seas are rough.) This is a beautiful afternoon on the beach and a chance to watch the sunset on the Pacific which is something you are not doing in Daytona. After the sunset, it is back to the hotel for some dinner and a bonfire as we do our briefing and journaling. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 3 -------- Enter Cavern (Sleep Behind Waterfall)
Let the adventure begin! After breakfast we'll drive to where we'll start the hike.. The hike is not a long distance but is made up of high steps. Everyone can make as we take our time and stick together as a group. Here we will be seeing some of the most beautiful parts of Costa Rica as we make our way to where we will be staying for the night. We will arrive in the afternoon and dinner will be waiting for us. This is truly a place like non other on Earth. It is a tough hike but worth every second of the trek. In the evening we'll be getting to know the area which has bathrooms, showers, dining area, and sleeping area for everyone. You will be sleeping in the jungle but believe me, it is not roughing it. The night will be spent listening to some guitar music and eating some healthy camp food. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 4 -------- Rappel Waterfall, Hike to Pools, & Sunset at Diamante (Sleep Behind Waterfall)
Today we will be up with the sun as you open your eyes and see the three beautiful waterfalls you slept behind. We will have breakfast waiting for you and then start getting geared up for the waterfall rappel adventure. The very same waterfall you slept behind that measures 120ft, you will be rappeling. This is a simple rappel but definitely some adrenaline involved as you descend from 120ft high. After the rappel we will hike to some more waterfalls. This is a chance for you to swim in the pools at the bottom and just enjoy the area. We will have lunch prepared for you here. Then we'll head back to the cavern and get ready for the evening activities. The evening will start as we make the short trek to the Diamante waterfall which is a 600ft waterfall. We will arrive at the top of the falls where we will watch the sun drop down on the Pacific, which seems close but is actually miles away. Costa Rica is just 50 miles wide at some parts and we can often see the Pacific and the Caribbean at the same time.
Sunset Diamante
In the evening we will have another briefing and hopefully some journal time as everyone gets a chance to reflect on this amazing experience in one of the planet's most pristine settings. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 5 -------- Travel to Turrialba (Espino Blanco Lodge)
We will hike out of the cavern after breakfast and drive over Costa Rica's tallest mountain range. This range is home to the mountains that have caused much of the speciation you see in Costa Rica and also the bridge between the Americas. Here we will make a stop and show the kids the Paramo. We plan on making this a travel day but it also lends itself to some very educational stops. We pass through many different micro-climates and ecosystems. We won't just be talking about these things. The students will be able to get out of the bus and walk, see, and feel the different zones. We will also be stopping in Cartago, Costa Rica's first capital, which will give us a chance to talk about some of Costa Rica's more recent history. A full day of fun, hands-on learning will culminate at a nice little hotel in the small beautiful town of Turrialba, with views of the smoking Turrialba Volcano. This stay in town is a good break from the jungle and allows kids to really soak in what they saw and did. We will do our briefing in the hotel and maybe take an evening walk in the town of Turrialba for some ice-cream sandwiches. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 6 -------- Breakfast in Rural Village Enter Pacuare River (Camp Pacuare)
We're not in Deland anymore...
Today we will sleep in a bit and then pack our backpacks and head to what National Geographic has listed as one of the top five scenic rivers on the planet. Not a bad way to spend your day? We will first drive to a nearby village that is on the way to the Pacuare River. Here in Sitio de Mata, the local kids put on a traditional dance and local moms will teach the kids to make breakfast. The breakfast dish is called "Gallo Pinto y Tortillas". The kids will learn to make the Gallo Pinto and make their own tortillas. This is a great way to get a glimpse at the way the rural side of Costa Rica lives and also meet the most amazing species this country has to offer and that is the TICOS (Costa Rican's)! After we visit the village we will make our way to the river and get ready for some rafting. Your CRR guides will be ready. They are some of the top guides on the planet. We are proud to say three of our guides were on the Costa Rica National Rafting Team that competed in the world rafting championship just a month ago and placed 9th out of 50 teams (Not bad for a small country). We sponsored the team and take our rafting pretty serious here at Costa Rican Resource. We like to think if you are going on the river, you are in good hands with CRR. There are few companies that operate at the level of expertise and safety standards we require from our team.
Hey Deland! Ready for The Pacuare Rapids?!
We will begin rafting around 10am and stop for lunch along the way. Along with rafting our guides are not too bad in the kitchen either. Your lunch will be the river style lunch which just might be our best meal of the week. After the famous river lunch and relaxing on the banks of the river we will continue rafting until we get to the camp site. The camp site is a beautiful area surrounded by primary rainforest. We will be in tents but all is prepared and it is above ground tents. Everything is provided from pillows, sheets, and excellent meals. There are bathrooms for girls and boys, showers, and a social area for enjoying the view down river of the beautiful Pacuare Canyon. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 7 -------- Raft Pacuare & Travel to Arenal (Casa Luna Lodge)
Casa Luna Lodge
If I had to pick my favorite two hours of all our tours it would probably be the two hours that follow breakfast on day two of Pacuare River trip. Today you will wake up, have breakfast and get back in the rafts to continue the adventure down the famous Pacuare Canyon. Some of the most fun rapids in Costa Rica are found in this canyon and it is just fun and laughter the entire way down. Keep smiling because we have our photographer taking pictures of everyone on their way down.
After we get out of the river we will drive to La Fortuna, where the Arenal Volcano is standing watch. We will be staying at Casa Luna Lodge, a beautiful hotel with amazing views of the Volcano. Dinner will be waiting for us and after some serious adventure you will love the luxury of the Casa Luna Lodge and just relaxing on the balcony. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 8 -------- Zipline & National Park (Casa Luna Lodge)
With over 70 ziplines in Costa Rica we like to stick with the safest and not too mention best view and cables of over 700ft high above the rainforest canopy. This is a beautiful ride that also includes a gandola canopy ride with a guide that is very interesting. After the exhilarating zipline we will take a hike through the Arenal National Park climbing on some old lava flow and having breath-taking views of the Arenal Volcano. In the evening we will take the kids out on the town for dinner and a chance to see the small town of La Fortuna that has been built on tourism from the volcano.
Gandola Ride in the Canopy
We will be briefing in the hotel after dinner and doing journal writing. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 9 -------- Organic Farms & HotSprings (Casa Luna Lodge)
Sugar-Cane with Don Juan
Today is the final day and we plan to tone it down a little on the adventure side. We will enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then head to the farm of our good friend Don Juan who will walk the kids around his spotless masterpiece of organic farming. This is a very educational morning and a chance to eat a filling organic lunch, of food that was produced from Don Juan's farm. This will be the best meal of the week, even better than the river lunch. After lunch we can make a quick visit to town to get any last minute souvenirs and then it is on to the Hot Springs (The Springs). We will be having a farewell dinner here and a chance to recap on this amazing adventure. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 10 ------ Fly Home!
Back to Deland with lots of great memories. Pura Vida! (Meals: Breakfast)
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