Rim to Shore: Costa Rica Multi-Sport Adventure

Orientation: 6:00 p.m. at the hotel. The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. Meals on our program feature local cuisine. Unless otherwise specified, transportation during your program will be provided by air-conditioned bus. Our buses do not include onboard toilets, so we have scheduled stops during drives for bathroom breaks. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Please note that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At the hotel, we'll have a Welcome Dinner.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead. Prepare for check out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

After checking out of the hotel, we will board the bus and transfer to the Turrialba area via Cachi and Tucurrique. On the way, we will stop for a field trip at La Marta Wildlife Refuge. We’ll accompany our Group Leader on an exploratory walk along forest trails, passing by rivers and the ruins of an old settlement containing an old carbide mine, coffee and sugar cane operations. In addition to being part of La Amistad Biosphere Reserve and International Park—a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site— La Marta Wildlife Refuge is also the nation’s first private wildlife refuge. From the UNESCO inscription: “The location of this unique site in Central America, where Quaternary glaciers have left their mark, has allowed the fauna and flora of North and South America to interbreed. Tropical rainforests cover most of the area. Four different Indian tribes inhabit this property, which benefits from close co-operation between Costa Rica and Panama.”

At La Marta Wildlife Refuge

Back aboard the bus, we will continue our ride to the lodge and check in with some time to freshen up and relax. We’ll gather before dinner for a presentation by a local expert on the natural history of Costa Rica.

At the lodge

At leisure.

At the lodge, after our early birding walk.

We’ll board our bus and ride to the Tropical Agronomic Research and Educational Center (CATIE) for an expert-led botanical garden exploration with commentary. CATIE is a regional center dedicated to research and graduate education in agriculture, management, conservation, and sustainable use of natural resources.

At the CATIE cafeteria.

Next, we’ll ride to Hacienda Sitio de Mata for demonstrations focusing on sugar cane and macadamia. We’ll have an opportunity not only to learn, but relax, have some coffee and pastries, and take photos. On our ride back to the lodge we will make a stop at the town of Turrialba. There we'll learn about the community's historical development as we accompany our Group Leader on an exploratory walk along its streets. We’ll return to the lodge with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

At the lodge.

At leisure.

At the lodge.

We’ll board the bus and ride to Guayabo National Monument, the site of an ancient ruin that sits on the southern slope of the Turrialba Volcano. The settlement was built in 1000 BCE and continuously occupied until 1400 CE when it was mysteriously abandoned. The Guayabo Monument is believed to have been an important political, cultural, and ceremonial center during the pre-Columbian era in Costa Rica. With our Group Leader, we will walk through the Monument. In addition to learning more about this special place, we’ll have good outdoor exercise.

At a local restaurant.

Returning to the lodge, we’ll head out with our Group Leader for a nature walk on the lodge grounds. We’ll return to the lodge with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

At the lodge.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the lodge.

Checking out of the hotel, we’ll board the bus and ride from Turrialba to Sarapiquí in the Chilamate Valley, an area with one of the highest degrees of biodiversity in Costa Rica. A number of forests serve as migratory corridors for the more than 400 different species of birds that have been recorded in the area. Sarapiquí’s economy is based on eco-tourism, scientific research, small-scale ranching, and large pineapple and banana plantations. En route, we’ll stop for a whitewater rafting field trip at the Pacuare River. Everyone will be fitted with life jackets, helmets, and paddles. Before the activity can take place, the rafting guides will review safety procedures, what to expect during the field trip, and answers any questions. The Pacuare is one of the world’s top whitewater river rafting adventures. It flows down a long gorge and canyon through primary and secondary rainforest of the Talamanca Mountains. When rafting down the river, we will have the feeling of being isolated in a lost world. Waterfalls pour in from high rock walls, brightly colored toucans and electric Blue Morpho butterflies fly by, and sometimes the chirping cicadas are so loud we can’t hear anything else.

At a restaurant en route.

We’ll continue on our way to Sarapiqui. Upon arrival, we’ll check in to the lodge with some time to freshen up and relax.

At the lodge.

At leisure.

At the lodge.

We’ll hike into the heart of the rainforest and pay homage to El Ganador — Spanish for “winner” — a giant almond tree that towers above the canopy. When the Spanish arrived in the late 1440s, it was already mature. El Ganador is enormous, standing 117 feet (54 meters) high and 46 feet (14 meters) in circumference. A keystone species, the Almendro tree (Dipteryx panamensis) is a critical part of the endangered Great Green Macaw’s habitat. The life span for this award-winning tree is estimated to be another one or two centuries. What life secrets would you ask a 600-year-old tree that is still standing strong?

At the lodge.

We’ll meet by reception and board a bus that will take us to the Puerto Viejo River for our kayaking adventure. After a safety lesson by a local expert we’ll get into our kayaks. We’ll take a few minutes to familiarize ourselves with the kayaks, paddling around near shore, before setting out along the waterways of Sarapiqui River. This activity optimizes our opportunities to view wildlife in their natural habitat with minimum disturbance to the environment. Keep your eyes open for birds, monkeys, lizards, and more. At the conclusion of the activity, we’ll return to the starting point, disembark the kayaks and return to the lodge by bus. Upon arrival, we’ll take time to freshen up and relax. Before dinner we'll join a few members of the local community in some Latin dancing. We'll learn the basic steps and styles while getting some cardio exercise!

At the lodge.

At leisure. Prepare luggage for a morning check-out.

At the lodge.

We’ll wake up our muscles and delight our senses on a nature walk around the grounds at Selva Verde as our Group Leader points out exotic plants and wildlife. We’ll then check out and begin our transfer from the Caribbean lowlands to the Pacific Coast and our hotel. We’ll have a stop along the way to stretch our legs.

En route. During our meal we'll have a presentation on the history of Costa Rica.

We'll return to the bus and ride on to our hotel. After checking in and getting room assignments, we'll accompanying our Group Leader on an orientation to the property. Then we'll have the rest of the afternoon to kick back and relax until dinner.

At the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

For our next field trip, we’ll ride to the small coastal village of Agujas for an outrigger canoe paddling field trip. Canoes have been helping people of the world traverse waterways for centuries. They have been tools of transportation, recreation, and survival. Though canoes are now built of fiberglass instead of wood, the design has undergone few modifications through the years. As we dip our paddles into the water, we are creating a link from our modern world to the ancient one.

At the beach, picnic style.

Next, we’ll take a boating field trip on the Tárcoles River with our Group Leader assisted by the boat captain. The Tárcoles River basin empties the entire western side of the Central Valley in the Pacific coastal region. It includes an area of mangrove swamps and an estuary that create a rich habitat for wildlife. We’ll be on the lookout for residents including crocodiles (Crocodilus acutus), often seen sunning themselves on the muddy river banks. Returning to the hotel, we will have some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

At the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We’ll set out by bus on a field trip to the Vista Los Sueños Canopy amid 80 acres of lushly forested lands in Herradura, next to Jaco Beach on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Bilingual experts will explain safety procedures and instructions. We’ll then whiz along a zipline through the forest canopy with remarkable views of the surrounding area as well as birds and other wildlife that may be present. After concluding our activities we will ride back to the hotel.

At the hotel.

Free Time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. The resort’s 750 acres include a wildlife reserve hosting hundreds of indigenous flora and fauna species and two beaches, one white sand and the other gray. They are the only beaches in Costa Rica with 3 Blue Flags & Triple A Rating for their water quality, cleanliness, and level of safety for swimmers.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer after lunch tomorrow.

At the hotel.

We’ll take the bus to Carara National Park. The park protects primary and secondary transitional rainforest habitats as well as aquatic habitats. Carara is also the last natural nesting site for the endangered Scarlet Macaw. As it is connected with some of the forested mountains and hillsides on the Western Slope of Talamanca Range, this is an important biological corridor for many of the species that seasonally move from the lowlands to the highlands and vice-versa. We’ll learn about the transitional forest then begin our walking field trip with stops at key spots for natural history interpretation of the ecology and other forest dynamics. We’ll also stop if/when there are opportunities for wildlife sightings before returning to the hotel to freshen up and check out before lunch.

At the hotel.

We’ll hop aboard the bus and begin our transfer to San José. Upon arrival, we’ll check in to our hotel with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel; dependent on flight departure time. This concludes our program.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!