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Costa Rica

From Monkeys to Macaws: Colorful Costa Rica With Your Family

Program No. 20797RJ
Fly a little south of the U.S. to discover a world of chatty macaws, playful monkeys, industrious leaf cutter ants and butterflies as you explore Costa Rica with your family.

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Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

At a Glance

A scarlet macaw swooping overhead. A trek through the green rainforest. A large crocodile gliding unnoticed in the river. Postcards simply won’t do Costa Rica justice – you have to experience it for yourself! Alongside your family, search for awesome animals, like sloths and howler monkeys, as you march through the rainforest, sail along the rivers, kayak the warm waters and zipline over the jungle on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure together. On this week-long journey, you’ll learn about all the colorful landscapes on walks through nature and across hanging bridges as you all go wild in Costa Rica.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles daily over varied terrain. Swimming, zip lining and getting in/out of boats and buses. Elevations up to 6,000 feet.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

What You'll Learn

  • Keep your eyes peeled for sloths, iguanas, monkeys, crocs and more as you float along the Sarapiqui and Tarcoles Rivers.
  • Hold onto your helmets as you zipline over the jungle and walk over hanging bridges to view a large volcano.
  • Explore a local farm to observe silly macaws fly about and learn how the locals are trying to protect them.

General Notes

This is a Family program for participants, their adult children and grandchildren ages 8 and up. This program allows participants to explore a number of Costa Rica’s eco-systems in a relatively short amount of time. Bus travel is a necessity for an up-close experience, but program activities help to break up travel time. Local road conditions, weather, traffic and elevation are factors in determining time of travel. Because of the special nature of this program, we request that you call us to enroll. Please call toll free at (800) 454-5768, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. ET.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
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Roger Melendez
In the late 1980s, Costa Rican native Roger Melendez received both practical and theoretical training on the flora and fauna of his country at the La Selva field station of the Organization for Tropical Studies. He is a talented and experienced birder with an all-encompassing knowledge of tropical wildlife. Road Scholar participants have found Roger to be a charismatic leader who gives everyone personalized attention. He is a father of three and loves spending time outdoors with his family.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Roger Melendez
Roger Melendez View biography
In the late 1980s, Costa Rican native Roger Melendez received both practical and theoretical training on the flora and fauna of his country at the La Selva field station of the Organization for Tropical Studies. He is a talented and experienced birder with an all-encompassing knowledge of tropical wildlife. Road Scholar participants have found Roger to be a charismatic leader who gives everyone personalized attention. He is a father of three and loves spending time outdoors with his family.
Profile Image of Andres Zuñiga
Andres Zuñiga View biography
Andres Zuñiga is a certified Costa Rican naturalist and birding expedition leader. He holds a degree in ecotourism from the University of Costa Rica and is a member of the Unión de Ornitólogos de Costa Rica and Asociacion Preservacionista de Flora y Fauna Silvestre (APREFLOFAS). Since his certification in 2004, Andres has worked for a number of well-known international organizations focused on educational travel. In his words, "I love to share my knowledge, passion, and respect for nature and culture with Road Scholars."
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.





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