Costa Rica | Colorado College Tiger Travel

Upon arrival, after clearing customs and immigrations at the airport, meet your driver and transfer to the hotel. Check in available at 2:00 pm. This evening, join your guide in the hotel conference room for a Welcome Orientation at 6:00 pm followed by dinner at the hotel restaurant. In order to arrive in time for orientation, you must book flights that arrive in San José no later than 4:30 p.m.

This morning, gather for breakfast then depart San José, heading north to Sarapiqui. En route stop at La Paz Waterfall Gardens to explore the many trails and picturesque waterfalls, as well as the hummingbird garden and lush botanicals. Enjoy lunch at La Paz, and continue to Selva Verde Lodge. Selva Verde is located along the Sarapiquí River and consists of 500 acres of secondary and primary forest. The lodge is designed to have a minimum impact on the environment and is a proud participant in the Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program (CST). After settling in, receive an orientation on the lodge's facilities, then attend a lecture by a local naturalist on the biodiversity of the region and rainforest structure. Enjoy time to relax in your room, or stroll about the property before dinner in the dining area. After dinner, explore the world of the rainforest after sundown during a short night hike in search of nocturnal amphibians, mammals, owls, and insects.

Early morning optional bird walk followed by breakfast. Next, depart for the Organization for Tropical Studies La Selva Biological Station, one of the world's leading institutions in tropical education and research. La Selva was originally established in 1954 by Dr. Leslie Holdridge as a farm dedicated to experimentation on mixed plantations for the improvement of natural resources management. It was purchased in 1968 by the Organization for Tropical Studies and declared a private biological reserve and station. Since then, it has become one of the most important sites in the world for research on tropical rainforest. Over 240 scientific papers are published yearly from research conducted at the site. Be on the lookout for the Coati, Collared peccary, Mantled howler monkey, agouti, three-toed sloth, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Crested Guan, Great Tinamou, Pied Puffbird and Spectacled Owl. Return to Selva Verde Lodge for lunch. After lunch, take a nature boat ride on the Sarapiquí River. The journey will introduce birds and animals that frequent the riverine vegetation, including caimans and a variety of water birds. A site lecture during the boat ride will draw attention to land use on the river banks and human impact on the ecology of the river system. Return to the lodge for time to relax and enjoy its amenities.

After breakfast, depart for Arenal, stopping at La Fortuna on the way. This picturesque town is a great place to take photos and shop for souvenirs. This afternoon, visit Arenal Vida Campesina, an organic farm and education center dedicated to advancing environmentally friendly agriculture. Enjoy a traditional lunch prepared with fresh produce from the farm, then get hands on as you learn how to make tortillas. The hospitality is as heartwarming as the shot of their farm fermented liquor a traditional farewell gesture, and fitting end. Check in at have some time to enjoy the hotel amenities. Dinner at the lodge this evening.

After breakfast, visit Arenal Volcano National Park to learn about geological activity in Costa Rica. Hike along the base of the active but currently resting Arenal Volcano, through the forest, over lava flows, and to the damaged areas now in the process of regeneration. Have lunch at a local restaurant in La Fortuna, and then head to Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, a reserve that abounds with wonderful trails, suspension bridges, and outstanding natural areas. Its trail system straddles different types of ecosystems, forming a transitional vegetation strip of high biodiversity where both highland and lowland species reside. Observe the rainforest canopy from up amid the treetops to spot epiphytic plants, butterflies, birds, arboreal mammals, and more. Return to lodge. This evening talk by Volcanologist who will join us for dinner at the lodge.

Spend the morning at the lodge and have time at leisure to enjoy the amenities and hiking trails of your lodge. After lunch, enjoy a short nature walk on the Bogarin Trail to observe a variety of birds and mammal species. Next, visit Ecotermales Hot Springs in La Fortuna. Have a soak in the thermally heated hot springs warmed by Arenal Volcano and have dinner on site.

After breakfast, depart to Monteverde via crossing Lake Arenal. En route visit a local school to provide donations. 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. Over 2,500 plant species have been identified here including 300 individual orchid species and over 200 species of ferns. The beginnings of the preserve can be traced back to a group of Alabama Quakers that emigrated to Monteverde in the early 1950s. Visiting biologists discovered that the cloud forest, located above the Quaker community, was rich in plant and animal life. Due to the incredible foresight of the Quakers and the Tropical Science Center, Monteverde and Santa Elena reserves were born. After check-in, enjoy a guided hike in the cloud forests of the Curi-Cancha Reserve. Located in the Arenal Tempisque Conservation Area at the center of Monteverde, Curi-Cancha comprises 205 acres of forest, secondary growth, and open pasture. This evening, enjoy a talk by a local Quaker family and have dinner at their home.

After breakfast take a guided hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Cloud forests occur near mountain peaks where rain turns into a life-sustaining mist, hydrating and nourishing epiphytic plants. At the Hummingbird Gallery, birds hover then zip by, attracted to the many feeders specifically placed to entice them there. This afternoon, visit a school for a charming dance presentation performed by local children. Later return to the hotel for dinner and time to relax.

Today, enjoy an unscheduled day in Monteverde to participate in optional activities (at additional expense) offered by the hotel. Options include ziplining, aerial tram, horseback riding, and coffee tour. This evening, we will gather for a farewell briefing at 7 pm before our final dinner together.

Breakfast then visit the Monteverde Butterfly Gardens. Return to the lodge for lunch then part ways. Those who are attending the extension, depart for the Pacific Coast. For those who will be returning home, transferred back to San Jose. Dinner will be on your own tonight.

Transfer from hotel to airport in San Jose. Check out is at 12:00 pm.