Day 1 --- Arrive & Travel to La Cusinga (La Cusinga Ecolodge)
If you can arrive on an early afternoon flight we will make the three hour drive from the Airport to the La Cusinga Ecolodge. This will have you situated for dinner with the most spectacular views of the Pacific while watching the sunset into the deep blue sea. Not a bad way to start the trip. The La Cusinga Ecolodge is a pioneer in sustainable ecotourism. It is a large reserve with a small ecolodge surrounded by protected rainforest that meets the sea. The views are breath-taking.
Day 2 --- Zipline & Nature Hike (La Cusinga Ecolodge)
Today we will start the trip off with a little adventure. One of the interesting parts of the topography of the Central and Southern Pacific of Costa Rica is that the mountains right off the coast are very steep allowing for great views and even better ziplines! We will make our way into the first ridge off the coast where one of the more scenic ziplines in all of Costa Rica is set up.
After a morning of zipping we are back to La Cusinga to take a nature hike through the reserve. This hike will take us down to the beach where you can get your feet wet and enjoy some waves. There will be an evening lecture at the lodge on sustainability & the idea of conservation in a country like Costa Rica. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 3 --- Enter Cave & Rappel (Sleep Behind Waterfall)
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| Sleeping Behind a Waterfall |
Today we'll make the short drive to one of the ridges behind the coastal mountain range. We will get our hiking gear on and do a 1 1/2 hour hike though the primary rainforest to one of the most pristine and scenic spots in all of Costa Rica. Our destination will be a natural rock formation that forms caverns behind a land full of waterfalls. Half way through the hike we'll visit a permaculture garden where you will see a flourishing array of natural and organic herbs. We tend to spend quite a bit of time here as the students pick, eat, and try countless amounts of new fruits and herbs which are used in preparing the meals in the Cave.
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| Sunset Diamante Falls |
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| The Orrrganic Kitchen |
When we get to the Cave behind the waterfall, lunch will be waiting for us and we will have a very fresh, nutritious, and delicious meal. After lunch we'll get ready for the next adventure, rappelling a 120ft waterfall. This is a neat experience and a chance to get the adrenaline going. After we have all rappelled we will drop the heart beat down by making the short hike to the top of Costa Rica's tallest waterfalls, Diamante Falls. Here we will sit and relax as we watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean with long reaching views of the Pacific coastline of Costa Rica to the north and south. In the evening it is back to the cavern for a campfire and some evening activities to get us ready for sleeping behind the waterfall! (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 4 --- Leave Cave & Travel to Sitio de Mata Village (Homestay)
Today we will make the hike from the Cave back down to the bus. We will then travel to the Turrialba area. This is a beautiful drive that will take the better half of the morning. At one high point we'll be able to see both the Caribbean and Pacific from the same spot. The area where we will be traveling through is called the Paramo which is a very unique ecosystem in this tropical high mountain region.
Sitio de Mata is a small village in the Turrialba area. It is a picturesque place with astonishing views of the smoking Turrialba volcano from across the valley. The real beauty of Sitio de Mata is not in its volcanos or beautiful mountain views but in the people that will be welcoming you into their homes. Here you will have a chance to see the simple living vibe meets happy smiling faces, coincidence? (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 5 --- Homestay activities (Homestay)
Today is a full day of culture and fun. We will have a number of different activities planned starting with learning a bit about adaptive techniques--what the locals do in the village to make life a little easier and practical for living. We will learn how they use organic fertilizer, compost their food, recycle, and work as a community to get things done. Along with day to day life skills we will also learn how to cook and dance!
In the afternoon we will have the chance to organize a soccer game with the local kids which is often a highlight of the trip. This is a great day of fun and excitement for kids on both ends. We'll also visit the village school so your kids can get a feel for what it is like for the rural kids of Costa Rica and their learning conditions.
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| Welcome to our Home! |
In the evening it is time for the local fiesta! The homestay families will be putting on some exciting performances where they display the style of traditional song and dance. After the performances it is time for everyone to practice their salsa skills! (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 6 --- Enter Pacuare (Tent Camp Lodge)
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| Rafting Pacuare |
After saying our good-byes to our homestay families we will make our way to the Pacuare River. National Geographic has it listed as one of the top five most scenic rivers on the planet and it lives up to it. We will make the 20 minute drive from the village and put our rafts in giving us four hours of rafting on this first day. This four hours will involve hiking to see some 150ft waterfalls, having a river lunch, and stopping for some swims.
We will then arrive to where we will be camping. Yes, you will be in tents but it is not roughing it by any means. These are above ground tents and there are private bathrooms and showers. There is a beautiful common area (with hammocks) where you will have phenomenal views of the river and canyons downstream.
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| Pacuare Tent Lodge |
Before we sit down and rest we will be getting everyone out for a night hike. This one of the most educational experiences for anybody, seeing the rainforest at night. We have a great little trail we take kids on during this trip and it gives them a chance to see an entirely new world filled with frogs, insects, sleeping birds, and so much more.
We will then have a chance to meet as a group and do one of the many briefings of the trip that we will be doing every night along with journaling. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
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| Visitor at the River! |
Day 7 --- Raft Pacuare & Drive back to San Jose (La Condesa)
Today is three hours of rafting that you will never forget. This is the section of the Pacuare River that is the most scenic. While we are on the river, we will be in waterfall land, passing through virgin rainforest, and floating through canyons as we make our way through some adventurous rafting.
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| Pura Vida! |
Once we take out of the river, we will stop for lunch. Then it's back to the Central Valley through the National Park of Braulio Carrillo which will make for the most scenic viewing from the bus yet. We'll get to the La Condesa Hotel which is another beautiful mountain just 20 minutes from SJO. Here we'll have a farewell dinner and a good night's rest. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 8 --- Fly Home!
Today we will transfer you to the airport to catch you flight home and start planning your next Costa Rica Adventure! (Meals: Breakfast)
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