Costa Rica | Teen Adventure with National Aquarium

Upon arrival in San José, after clearing immigration and customs, you will be met and transferred to your local hotel. The bustling capital city of San José is located in Costa Rica's Central Valley with daily temperatures that rarely dip below 68°F or rise above 78°F. Meet your guide at 6 pm in the hotel conference room for a orientation to get to know your guide and the amazing country that will be your home for the next week. Enjoy dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the Arenal area. Visit the town of La Fortuna and have lunch at a local restaurant. Next, stop near the base of Arenal Volcano within the national park for an explorative hike. Learn about the geology of the volcano as well as local flora and fauna. Continue to the hotel for check-in. This evening, enjoy dinner at the hotel and soak in the hotel's thermo-mineral water pools.

This morning, hike along a suspended bridge system situated in the rainforest canopy. Continue the day with a visit to a local farm for lunch and exploration of rural life in the Arenal region. Later, return to the hotel and have time at leisure to enjoy the onsite thermo-mineral water pools.

This morning, depart from Arenal toward the Organization for Tropical Studies - La Selva Research Station for a morning hike on the trails. Learn about ongoing reaseach and conservation projects done by OTS. Arrive at Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve for lunch. Founded in 1985, Selva Verde is designed to have a minimum impact on the environment. Selva Verde is proud to participate in the Certification for Sustainable Tourism program (CST), which sets a standard for lodges in key aspects of sustainability including environmental impact, community impact, and environmental awareness. Once at Selva Verde, receive an orientation to the lodge and its 500-acre private rainforest reserve, plus an introduction to the important work of the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC). The SCLC's mission is to support conservation through educational programming and community development. The English as a Second Language (ESL) program, the after-school program, and the scholarship program have wide participation locally and are mostly funded by international guests. Next, gather around for a "charla," a presentation on local culture given by a community member. After dinner, enjoy a guided walk around the lodge in search of nocturnal creatures.

Early this morning, join your guide for an exciting birding hike to view some of the 300-plus species found here! Some popular species you may see include the Great Tinamou, Gartered Trogon, Keel-billed Toucan, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, and Red-lored Parrot, so be sure to bring binoculars! Following breakfast, set out on a hike through the reserve to discover the rich and diverse examples of flora and fauna. As you study the forest your guide will discuss the complex details of the ecosystem and how life in the rainforest thrives. Selva Verde Lodge's reserve is located on a large private tract of primary and secondary premontane wet forest in the lush lowlands. Life in a rainforest is stratified in three distinct horizontal layers. The upper canopy is a little-known world of beauty and biological diversity. The middle tier is filled with small trees, lianas, and epiphytes. The ground surface layer is littered with branches, twigs, and undergrowth. Contrary to popular thought, ground cover is thick only where sunlight penetrates sufficiently. After lunch, enjoy an exciting boat trip down the Río Sarapiquí. While winding down the river bordered with forests and cultivated fields, observe the abundant presence of aquatic animals, birds, and reptiles in their natural habitat. You can also view native residents going about their daily lives and witness the impact of local banana plantations on this watershed.

After breakfast, partake in a chocolate tour. During the day, contribute to a reforestation service project. Attend a final briefing followed by dinner at Selva Verde Lodge, and then, at around 7:30pm, visit Tirimbina Reserve to learn about the biology of bats, which represent almost 50 percent of the mammals in Costa Rica with 113 species. During the workshop, attend a multimedia presentation about the natural history of bats, their classification, diversity, adaptations, reproduction, threats, and more. A trained guide will provide you a safe opportunity for up-close observation of bats that were safely captured for research projects. Finally, visit a demonstration snare net, like the kind that is used in bat research, and learn more about the method of capturing bats for research. The bats are captured and held for less than two hours to ensure the wellbeing of the animals.

Depart for the airport for your flight home.