Costa Rica | Agroecology, Sustainable Farms, Gardens, Reserves, and the Pacific Ocean

Upon arrival, after clearing customs and collecting your luggage, you will be met by your naturalist guide and driver, and transferred to your hotel. This evening, gather together for an orientation and welcome dinner.

This morning, depart for The Green Ark Botanical Garden. The Green Ark Foundation's mission statement is the following: "Our mission is to educate and share knowledge about the use of plants for a better personal life and for the well-being of the planet". You will be given a guided tour by one of the specialist guides at the Ark, which will include thematic ethno-botanical garden terraces such as the Medicinal Garden, Culinary Garden, Tropical Food Garden, Essential Oils Garden, and Natural Colorants Garden. Throughout the garden, you'll be surrounded by over 1,600 species of ornamental tropical plants as well as fruit trees. This garden claims one of the most extensive collections of flora species in Central America. Have lunch at the Ark restaurant and experience their farm-to-table five-course "tasting menu" featuring ingredients harvested the morning of your visit. After lunch, feel free to have a bit of free time to explore on your own before returning to your hotel. Dinner will be at a special restaurant this evening.

After breakfast and check-out, you will travel east to visit EARTH University for key visits with professors and students, with special interest in environmental studies and sustainability. Lunch will be at the university before continuing on to Sarapiquí Valley and the OTS La Selva Biological Station. Upon arrival at La Selva, meet with a staff representative for an orientation of the facilities and the accommodations for your stay. This evening, should you wish, join your naturalist guide for a night hike on the grounds after dinner.

Spend the first part of your morning at the station with one of the key guides at La Selva, as well as your naturalist guide, with some short hikes and discussions. Mid-morning, travel west for lunch and a tour at Finca Ecoorganica Sarapiquí. Learn about the history of the traditional food products that make up the diet of the local community, including pineapple, papaya, bananas, and coffee. After your time at the finca, you will return to La Selva for free time before dinner.

After breakfast and check-out, travel a short distance to a local farm that offers a wonderful Chocolate Tour, where you'll learn about the production of chocolate from beginning to end. Have lunch at Selva Verde Lodge followed by a quick visit to the on-site non-profit organization Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center. A choice of activities is available for you this afternoon - a thrilling zip-line canopy tour, exciting white-water rafting, or a leisurely boat ride on the Río Sarapiquí. Return to La Selva for dinner and overnight.

This morning you will travel from lowland rainforest to some of the mountains of San Gerardo de Dota, arriving in time for lunch. In the afternoon, your guide will take you onto the trails in the beautiful highlands, where you may be able to spot the elusive resplendent quetzal.

Get an early start on your day with a morning walk followed by breakfast and check-out. Your journey today is to the OTS Las Cruces Biological Station near San Vito and the Panama border. En route, and approximately two hours' drive from the lodge, stop for a tour and quick lunch at La Gran Vista Agroecological Farm. Their vision is to achieve self-sufficiency, sustainability, and agroecological agricultural systems in Costa Rica and abroad. Following your time at the farm, continue on to Las Cruces. Upon arrival, after check-in and getting situated, meet with the station representative before dinner, which is served family style.

After an early breakfast, you'll have about an hour of free time to take a walk through the surrounding trails, learn about the species being grown in the greenhouses, and study the design and collections of the well-known Wilson Botanical Garden. You will then travel approximately 30 minutes to a local organic farm, Aviva Organic Farm. This family-owned sustainable farm is based on caring for the environment in all its natural surroundings: water, air, soil, flora, and fauna. After touring their property, enjoy lunch with the family and then return to the station with free time before dinner.

This morning, travel out of the mountains and down to the Pacific Coast to Villas Rio Mar in Dominical. Have lunch en route. After arrival and check-in, there will be time to explore your new surroundings. Dinner is at the hotel.

Today, explore Marino Ballena National Park. This national park, one of only two national marine parks in the country, is a whale breeding ground and consists of 270 protected acres on land and over 13,000 acres in the marine reserve. The delicate ecosystems that the park protects include mangroves, coral reefs, and beaches. Visit the famous "whale tail" beach if the tide is right: the beach forms what looks like a whale tail as a result of converging currents. Have lunch at a local restaurant.

After an early breakfast overlooking the Pacific Ocean, your route back to San José will be via a visit to Rainforest Spices. Take a stroll through their vibrant tropical rainforest, where the vanilla plantations are nestled in, and learn the fascinating process of growing, pollinating, and curing vanilla beans, one of nature's most labor-intensive crops. Explore the aromatic spice farm, where you will witness the growth of true cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, turmeric, and more, and uncover the rich history behind each spice's journey from farm to table. After your time at the farm, proceed to a local restaurant for lunch, and then continue your journey to Hotel Bougainvillea. This evening, enjoy a celebratory farewell dinner at your hotel.

At the appropriate time today, according to your flight schedule, you will be transferred to the San José International Airport for your flight(s) home.