Costa Rica | Field Studies with William Peace University

Upon arrival in San José meet your guide and transfer to your hotel. Depending on time of arrival you will have an orientation to Costa Rica. Check in begins at 3:00 pm.

Depart San José and head 5,000 feet up to Monteverde, arriving in time for lunch at Hotel Montaña Monteverde. The hotel has a private 37-acre reserve and offers amazing views; on a clear day, you can enjoy beautiful views of the Nicoya Peninsula. After lunch, visit the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve for a guided hike. The reserve is managed by the local public high school's Board of Directors. The 765-acre reserve, founded in 1992, is located along the Caribbean slope, which offers a large variety of flora and fauna.

After breakfast, visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Established in 1972 by the Tropical Science Center and Quakers from the local community, the reserve protects 10,193 acres of cloud forest and encompasses eight life zones. It is estimated that about 50 percent of Costa Rica's biodiversity can be found within the reserve. In the afternoon, visit the Bat Jungle. The site features more than 90 bats, representing 8 different species, housed in a recreated nighttime cloud forest environment. Glass windows give visitors the rare opportunity to look inside the forest enclosure and observe bats feeding, flying, and socializing. Special microphones capture the high pitched bat vocalizations and broadcast them through speakers in the bat viewing area. Designed by a bat biologist, there are many exhibits teaching the importance of bat conservation.

This morning, depart for Tilarán to board a boat and travel across Lake Arenal. The trip will be done in a covered boat, and during the 45-minute journey, you will enjoy beautiful views of the lake, Arenal Volcano, and the Monteverde mountain range. On the other side of the lake, you will board a bus and head to Selva Verde Lodge, stopping along the way for lunch in La Fortuna. Once at Selva Verde, you will have an orientation for the lodge and surrounding area and then have time to relax before dinner. 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). This evening, take a guided night hike around the grounds of the lodge to observe nocturnal wildlife.

Early this morning, join your guide for an optional bird walk and introduction to the amazing tropical birds of Selva Verde, which include over 300 species like the Great Tinamou, Violaceous Trogon, Keel-billed Toucan, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Red-lored Parrot, and Great Green Macaw. After breakfast, take a guided hike in Selva Verde's private reserve. The 500-acre reserve provides a habitat for 398 bird species, 69 species of mammals, 49 amphibian species, 77 reptile species, more than 10,000 species of insects, approximately 1,500 species of orchids, 350 species of trees and countless plant species. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat ride on the Sarapiquí River, observing life in and along the banks of the river. You’ll pass both forested and agricultural lands to observe the activities of the local people and animals whose lives are influenced by the flow of the waters. This evening, take another night walk around the lodge.

Another optional early morning bird walk will be available. After breakfast participate in a reforestation project at a nearby farm with the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center. Reforestation of native tree species by small farmers helps cement biological corridors and allows local people to benefit from rainforest conservation through sustainable wood production and habitat protection for wildlife of interest to eco-tourists, such as the endangered Great Green Macaw. These trees also play an important role in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. This afternoon 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.

Today you will depart Selva Verde and return to San Jose. Along way, stop at Best Chocolate and the Reserva Curare to learn about the origins of chocolate. The visit starts in the 2-acre cacao plantation where you will learn all about the cacao plant, its flowers, and pollination. Next you will meet at the Cacao Rancho in the middle of the reserve to learn where chocolate comes from, starting with the fruit to the final product. After watching the processes from seed to cocoa powder you will get to sample fresh made chocolate. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.