From Cloud Forests to Volcanoes: Costa Rica With Your Family

Orientation: 6:00 p.m. at the hotel. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This is a Road Scholar Family program. Adults are responsible for their minor children. If/when separate age group activities are conducted concurrently, program staff will supervise. Minors are never to be left unsupervised. Meals on our program feature local cuisine. In many cases, they will be plated and served set meals; in others, we will have buffets with multiple options. Beverages include coffee, tea, water; other beverages are usually available for purchase. This program includes a number of bus transfers. The air conditioned Road Scholar bus does not have a bathroom on board. However, the program includes stops for program activities, meals, and/or basic pit stops that help to break up longer travel times. Stops are built into the schedule for every 1.5 - 2 hours of bus travel. Evenings at leisure offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable through personal independent exploration, attending performances or other events, or simply relaxing and making new friends among fellow participants. The Group Leader will always be happy to offer suggestions. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Please note that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars. Prepare for hotel check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

We will learn about Costa Rica's biodiversity during an informative presentation given at the hotel by a local expert. After checking out of the hotel, we'll board a bus and begin the transfer to Monteverde. Monteverde was founded by a group of American Quakers in the 1950's. Fearful of what they saw as growing militarism in the U.S., the group chose to make their home in a country they felt better matched their pacifist beliefs. When they began settling Monteverde, they planned to transform the area into profitable farmland. The Quakers developed a fairly successful cheese industry, but they also recognized the delicate nature of the land and helped establish the area’s first wildlife sanctuary—the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

At a restaurant en route.

We expect to arrive in Monteverde early in the afternoon. After checking in and settling into our rooms, we'll ride to Bat Jungle where we'll observe various bat species up close and learn about their biology and function in nature. Bat Jungle is an educational space designed and managed by respected U.S. bat biologist Dr. Richard LaVal. Informative displays help to explain about bat biology, bat diversity, and their crucial role in nature as pollinators. Bat Jungle has more than 90 bats, representing 8 different species, housed in a recreated nighttime cloud forest environment. Glass windows give visitors the rare opportunity to look inside the forest enclosure and observe bats feeding, flying, and socializing. Special microphones capture the high pitched bat vocalizations and broadcast them through loudspeakers in the bat viewing area. We will ride back to the hotel and have a bit of down time to relax before dinner.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will start the day with a bus ride to a nearby dairy farm to learn about its history, day-to-day operation, and transition to regenerative farming during a walking exploration of the facilities led by a farm employee. Fields of sugar cane slowly made way for grazing cows and milking facilities in the mid-1950s and beyond. In recent years, the farm began transitioning away from conventional agriculture and working towards a more sustainable and environmentally-responsible model. Although it remains primarily a dairy operation, the farm has set aside 20 hectares for forest conservation and added small-scale production of coffee, honey, vegetables, and animal husbandry to its business plan. During our field trip we will also delve into the impact of climate change to this region and learn about local efforts to reduce the community's carbon footprint.

At a local restaurant.

We will ride to the Monteverde Sky Walk, part of the Sky Adventures Park, to learn about cloudforest ecology during a walk on reserve trails and suspended bridges with a local expert. Our explorations will lead us through the lower levels of the forest and onward to its upper story, giving us a comprehensive view of this unique environment and its life forms. Concluding our day's activities we will ride to our hotel and have some time to rest and freshen up before dinner.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

The Group Leader will lead us on an early morning birding walk on lodge grounds. We'll return in time for breakfast, then check out and prepare luggage for loading onto the bus. We'll ride to the Corobici River dock in preparation for a leisurely boat ride in search of local wildlife. After receiving our instructions and equipment, we will board rubber rafts and begin our float on the Rio Corobicí. This gentle river has a Class I and II rating and few waves. Tropical dry forests line the edges of the river, revealing a variety of wildlife including howler and white-faced monkeys, iguanas, kingfishers, ospreys, trogons, herons and more. As we continue our river exploration we will also search for signs of crocodiles, river otters and turtles that commonly frequent these waters.

At a local restaurant.

Following lunch, we will transfer to the Rincon de la Vieja area. Once at the hotel, we will check-in and settle into our rooms followed by free time. This might be a good opportunity to enjoy spa treatments at the hotel, relax by the pool or hang out with new friends. Anyone wishing to get spa treatments during scheduled free time should consider making advance appointments at the hotel reception or spa desk. Spa services are at an additional cost. Before dinner, we'll learn about the geothermal forces that have shaped this region during a presentation by our group leader.

At the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

The Group Leader will take us on an early morning birding walk on lodge grounds. We'll return to the hotel in time for breakfast. We'll ride to Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park to learn about the geological forces at work and observe local wildlife during a hike led by our Group Leader. We will follow Las Pailas Trail--a looping path that covers a variety of landscapes including a sloping forest, open field, and volcanic formations. The national park is part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area—a UNESCO World Heritage site. A well-marked system of trails allows visitors to experience the forests and volcanic features of the park including fumaroles, hot springs and thermal mud pools. Elevations range from under 2,000 feet to upwards of 6,300 feet at the peak of Santa Maria Volcano—Rincón de la Vieja Volcano’s dormant sibling. At the end of our hike we'll stop by the park restrooms then walk to a local waterfall to cool off with a relaxing swim in its plunge pool. When done, we'll backtrack to our bus and ride back to the hotel.

At the hotel.

After lunch, we'll enjoy a bit of down time at the hotel. Later, we'll change into bathing suits and ride to the Rio Negro hot springs to treat our sore muscles to a relaxing soak in the thermal pools and/or take a volcanic mud bath. Mud baths have been used for centuries as a way to alleviate body aches and muscle pains. Spas offer mud treatments and baths for their relaxing effects as well as skin cleansing and healing properties. In addition to helping draw away skin impurities, the mud also has minerals such as sodium, potassium and magnesium that are believed to contribute to healthy skin. We'll have a chance to rinse off and change at the facility's bathrooms and dressing rooms before riding back to the hotel.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Prepare luggage for check out.

At the hotel.

We'll accompany our Group Leader on a nature hike to Poza Roja (Red Pond). At various points on the trail our Group Leader will stop to highlight plants and wildlife we encounter along the way in the tropical dry forest. We'll have the opportunity to swim at Poza Roja before we backtrack and return to the hotel to change and check out. After loading our gear on the bus we will begin our transfer to the Pacific Coast.

At a restaurant en route.

After a mid-afternoon arrival at the hotel, we will check in and settle into our rooms. The rest of the afternoon is free of activities. This might be a good time to explore the beach or hotel pool.

At the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We'll start the day's activities with a scenic ride through the plains of Guanacaste as we make our way to Cipanci Wildlife Refuge in preparation for a nature boat ride in the refuge's wetlands. The expert-led field trip will take us past mangrove forests where we'll be introduced to the unique coastal ecosystem and its resident wildlife. The refuge supports a wide variety of fauna including one of the largest and tallest flying birds in the world, the Jabiru Stork. As part of the Tempisque-Arenal Conservation Area, the refuge helps protect the region's tropical dry forests and estuarine ecosystems that are home to more than 700 species of plants. Next, we will ride to Santa Barbara for a field trip to La Casona museum, housed in a historic hacienda house. Here we will learn about the culture, traditions and way of life of people in Guanacaste through presentations by museum staff and staged exhibits. Highlights include a folkloric dance performance and a demonstration by a local craftsman showing how to make traditional Guatil pottery.

At La Casona.

We'll ride back to the hotel then have the rest of the afternoon free to relax at the hotel and enjoy the beach and pool.

At the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

After breakfast, we will ride to Diamante Eco Adventure Park. We'll get our ziplining gear, attend a safety briefing by park staff, and then ready ourselves for a thrilling zipline adventure with views of the Pacific Ocean. We will follow this with a visit to the park's animal sanctuary.

At the adventure park.

We'll ride back to the hotel then have the rest of the afternoon free to relax at the hotel and enjoy the beach and pool.

At the hotel, we'll have a Farewell Dinner.

At leisure. Enjoy our last evening together as a group in Costa Rica. Finish your packing and get a good night’s sleep in preparation for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel (dependent on flight times). This concludes our program.

After checking out of our rooms and loading luggage on the bus, we'll initiate our final transfer to the international airport in Liberia. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!