Costa Rica Adventure with Ottawa Hills High School

Upon arrival in San José meet your guide and transfer to the Central Pacific. Punta Leona Hotel is a private reserve that is considered to be one of the most important in Costa Rica's Pacific Zone due to its geographic location and conservation plan. Founded in the late 1970s, the reserve now consists of 300 hectares (750 acres) of primary and secondary forest. The reserve is of great biological interest because it is one of the few remaining forests in the transitional life zone between the dry forest of the northwest and the rainforest of the southwest. Check-in and freshen up before meeting your guide and the rest of the group for a welcome dinner at the hotel.

This morning after breakfast and program orientation, experience the Crocodile River safari and then return to the lodge for optional surf lessons (additional cost). Have lunch back at the hotel. Enjoy the afternoon at the beach.

Before departing for the tropical lowlands of Sarapiqui, transfer to Agujas Beach and embark on a sea outrigger canoe excursion. Paddle along the Pacific coast. Enjoy paddling, tropical fruits and fun in the ocean. Transfer to Monteverde with lunch at a local restaurant en route. Upon arrival in Monteverde, check in at Hotel Montana Monteverde. If time allows, take a guide hike on the trails adjacent to the hotel and experience the cloud forest ecosystem. Cloud forests occur near mountain peaks where rain turns into a life sustaining mist, hydrating and nourishing epiphytic plants, providing a consistent cool and wet environment; this one in particular receives over three meters of rain annually and is home to an astounding variety of flora and fauna.

Breakfast and program orientation before departing for a guided hike in the cloud forests of Curi Cancha Reserve. Cloud forests occur near mountain peaks, where rain turns into a life sustaining mist that hydrates and nourishes epiphytic plants. After lunch enjoy an adventure filled afternoon in forest canopies negotiating the many suspension bridges and zip lines of the Monteverde Treetopia Park. The hanging bridges offer a spectacular chance to view flora and fauna from an "up in the branches" perspective. Complete your cloud forest exploration with an exhilarating zip line adventure. Following the hanging bridges, the zip line consists of a system of platforms suspended above the ground in the midst of tree boughs. Zip lines attached from one platform to the other allow you to slide through the canopy utilizing specialized gear. Each platform commands exceptional 360 degree views of Guanacaste, San Carlos, and Puntarenas. Have pizza for dinner at Tramonti Restaurant.

Start your journey to Sarapiqui with a drive to the boat dock in Tilaran where you will board a boat and travel across Lake Arenal. Disembark in Arenal and continue to Sarapiqui. Upon arrival in Sarapiqui, visit Best Chocolate for an interactive and informative tour on chocolate. During your visit you will learn how chocolate is transformed from fruit to final product plus try freshly made chocolate! Next, check in at Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest Reserve situation on 500 acres of tropical forest along the Sarapiqui River. After dinner, take a night hike in search of nocturnal creatures.

Early this morning you will take a hike introducing you to the amazing tropical birds of Selva Verde. The avifauna of Selva Verde is abundant, and feeding stations have been set up around the lodge to facilitate observation and identification of the many species that frequent the area. After breakfast, set out on an exciting whitewater rafting trip on the Río Sarapiquí. A professional river guide escorts all trips and you will be provided all of the necessary safety equipment (helmet, life jackets, etc.). Following a thorough safety orientation and basic rafting lesson, experience the Class II and III rapids of the Río Sarapiquí. This afternoon set out on a second nature hike through secondary and primary forest of the reserve in search of new species. As you study the forest your guide will discuss the complex details of the ecosystem and how life in the rainforest thrives. This evening take a nocturnal hike around the grounds of the lodge.

Following breakfast, depart for Arenal. Stop in La Fortuna to walk around and take in the local culture. After lunch in La Fortuna, take a guided hike Arenal National Park. The hike will take you around the base of Arenal Volcano, through forest, over lava flows, and finally to the destroyed areas now in the process of regeneration. After your hike, enjoy the pools at the hotel.

Depart Arenal and transfer to the San José for your departure flight home.