Western Institute for Lifelong Learning | Costa Rica: Savegre, Sarapiquí, Arenal, and Carara

Arrive in San José and take the hotel shuttle to your hotel. Check-in starts at 3 pm.

Costa Rica has a long history of environmental conservation and ecotourism, so today's activities can help you gain a deeper understanding about the importance of incorporating humankind into the conservation landscape and the aim of creating sustainable livelihoods as a part of environmental initiatives. After having breakfast and attending an orientation, check out and travel to La Paz Waterfall Gardens to get an up-close look at rainforest flora and fauna before continuing the journey toward the Pacific Coast. Explore La Paz's many trails, beautiful waterfalls, lush botanicals, and an animal sanctuary that features rescued jungle cats, tropical butterflies, frogs, monkeys, and birds. After lunch at La Paz, continue to La Quinta de Sarapiquí Lodge in the Sarapiquí area. Upon arrival, receive an orientation to the lodge's facilities. La Quinta's 20-acre property is composed of reforested areas with native trees, regenerative agriculture, old-growth forest and tropical gardens, including a butterfly and frog garden. After checking in, visit Best Chocolate to learn about the natural and cultural history of chocolate. Experience the story of pre- and post-colonial chocolate in Costa Rica while sampling chocolate prepared on the spot in the traditional way. Then, return to the lodge for dinner.

After breakfast, visit Selva Verde Lodge and Reserve to explore the biodiversity of the lowland tropical rainforest. A variety of wildlife can be seen along the reserve's forest trails, including sloths, monkeys, iguanas, parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, and other tropical fauna. 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.

Begin the day with birding on the lodge grounds and trails. This afternoon, visit the nearby Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC). The SCLC is a not-for-profit organization founded to preserve the cultural integrity of the rural community of Chilamate and aid in sustainable community development projects and initiatives to connect local communities and visiting guests with educational resources and conservation projects. Some of the Center's programs include environmental education, rural tourism activities, English classes, community outreach, women's groups, and scholarship funds for high school students. During the visit, join a local community member for a traditional Costa Rican cooking class and lunch. In the evening, go on a nocturnal walk on the lodge grounds.

Depart for Arenal Observatory Lodge this morning, with a stop in the town of La Fortuna for lunch. After some free time to explore the town, 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. Later in the afternoon check in at Arenal Observatory Lodge. This is the only lodge situated between Lake Arenal and the massive Arenal stratovolcano. Elevations range from 1,650 to 2,950 feet.

Spend the morning exploring the private trails at Arenal Observatory. Set on a ridge amid towering pine trees on the south side of the volcano, the lodge offers seven miles of well-maintained trails on more than 800 acres. It is a birder's paradise, where more than 400 species have been recorded along with plenty of other wildlife, including three species of monkeys. Later this afternoon, visit Eco Termales to enjoy its four thermo-mineral water pools provided by Arenal Volcano's geothermal waters, with temperatures ranging from 91 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, and then a traditional Costa Rican dinner set in a beautiful tropical setting.

Set out for early morning birding with your guide. After breakfast, depart for Macaw Lodge with lunch en route. Nestled among the hills and lush forests of the Cerros de Turrubares in the North Central Pacific region of Costa Rica, Macaw Lodge is a paradise where visitors can enjoy the genuine natural wonders of Costa Rica. The lodge is completely off the grid with solar energy used to generate electricity and hot water. The 264-acre property offers eight acres of cultivated trails where it is possible to walk through giant black bamboo forest and hike to a waterfall. There is also an 18-acre tropical botanical garden with more than 500 species of heliconias and bromeliads from all over the world, including ornamental, medicinal, and agricultural plants. Upon arrival, receive an orientation to the lodge's facilities and history. Before dinner, your guide will provide an introduction to the nearby Carara National Park, its unique eco-system, importance, successes, and challenges.

Today, experience two more types of tropical rainforest and get a unique glimpse into the rainforest canopy, where a majority of the area's biodiversity resides. First, rise early for birding at the lodge before breakfast, and then explore the biodiversity of the transitional forests of Carara National Park. The park is located in the Central Pacific region, one of the most ecologically diverse areas of the country. The intersection of northwestern tropical dry forest with the humid rainforest of the South Pacific region, concentrated in a relatively small area, produces an interesting combination of species from both ecosystems. Next, have lunch at a local restaurant before embarking on an exploration of the famed Tárcoles River for an up-close experience with the massive American crocodiles that inhabit its waters. In the evening, attend a lecture about macaws, followed by a night walk to look for kinkajous and other nocturnal animals.

After breakfast, begin your journey to the tropical cloud forest realm of San Gerardo de Dota's Savegre Hotel Natural Reserve & Spa, where the elevation is around 7,300 feet, and enjoy lunch en route. Encompassing nearly 1,000 acres, Savegre's reserve is just five miles from Los Quetzales National Park, which is located at the head of the Savegre River Basin and is home to one of Costa Rica's avian treasures, the beautiful Resplendent Quetzal. This evening, settle in and have dinner at the hotel.

Begin the day with an early morning hike in search of the Resplendent Quetzal; its iridescent green, gold, and blue-violet feathers and long, streaming tail are thought to have been the inspiration for the feathered snake god of the Aztec and Maya cultures. Later, ride in 4x4 vehicles to reach upper trails, and then hike in the lodge's reserve adjacent to the Los Quetzales National Park. Return to the lodge late this afternoon and spend time at leisure to relax, or perhaps enjoy the spa.

Depart early in the morning for the group transfer to San José and the airport. Flights should be scheduled to depart after 1 pm.