Costa Rica Spring Break 2007

We listened to our students and we offered our first annual Travel Language Immersion Journey in March 2007! It was incredible!

What did these students have to say about this trip?

"Nuestro vieje en grupo es una experiencia de recordar siempre. Muchas
gracias a Trudy y Scot para organizarlo y guiarlo." Roberto y Jyl

"¡Gracias, gracias por un viaje y una experiencia maravillosos!...It was a peak experience and we look forward to sharing pictures and post-viaje reflections. " Jose y Carita

One couple said that while the people, the landscapes, the food, and everything was terrific, doing the whole experience in the Spanish language was the best part for them.

Below is the itinerary we followed and a few photos that came from our trip.

10 days tour: Poás Volcano, San José, Monteverde, Arenal Volcano and Lake, Channels of Tortuguero, South Caribbean: Puerto Viejo and KEKÖLDI Reserve. $850

• 9 overnight stays in double rooms and all breakfasts.
• 3 lunches, 1 dinner
• All transportation within Costa Rica to and from primary destinations including:
  o Transportation in a comfortable 25-seat-bus with air conditioning
  o Jeep-Boat-transfer from Monteverde to Arenal
  o Boat ride to and from Tortuguero
• Bilingual guides (Trudy & Scot McGavin) throughout trip.


• Approximately 20 hours of instruction time through mini-classes throughout our stay and 1 preparatory class prior to trip

Activities:
o Cultural class with Costa Rican Teacher – San José
o Poás Volcano and National Park
o Guided tour through Santa Elena Reserve - Monteverde
o Hanging bridges hike through Cloud Forest - Monteverde
o Hike to La Fortuna waterfall
o Bus tour to Arenal Volcano
o Entrance to Hot Springs - Arenal
o Guided tour through Medical Plants Garden in Arenal
o Guided tour through Kéköldi Reserve
o Boat ride through the channels of Tortuguero
o Guided tour through KEKÖLDI Reserve – Puerto Viejo

Not Included:

• Meals not mentioned above
• Air transportation to and from San José Costa Rica
• Personal items, souvenirs, etc.
• Any additional activities not mentioned above or described as optional activities during free time.
• Travel insurance if you choose to purchase it

Itinerary:
Sunday, March 25th – Arrive in San José. Transfer to hotel (included).
Monday, March 26th – Poás Volcano and National Park. Afternoon is free time to go on walking tour of San José or go to a museum. In the evening, there will be a class presented by a Costa Rican teacher about the life and culture of Costa Rica.
Tuesday, March 27th – Travel to Monteverde (about 5 hour drive). Hanging bridges hike in Monteverde Cloud Forest. Free time in the evening.
Wednesday, March 28th – Tour of Santa Elena Reserve. Afternoon free to do canopy tours (zip lines cable ride in cloud forest) or visit the Butterfly Garden, Frog Garden, or the Coffee Cooperative.
Thursday, March 29th – Jeep-Boat-Jeep ride to Arenal through virgin forest and rivers and across Arenal Lake. Afternoon hike to waterfall. Evening trip to hot springs.
Friday, March 30th – Guided tour through medicinal plants garden. Bus and then guided boat tour through Tortuguero channels. Visit Tortuguero villiage. Possibly see sea turtles on the beach (nesting time is February – April)
Saturday, March 31st – Boat ride to Puerto Limón. Explore the town, then bus ride to Puerto Viejo. Relax on the beach. There’s great snorkelling in this area.
Sunday, April 1st – Guided tour through KEKÖLDI Reserve. Afternoon is free for beach activities or visit of one of the National Parks.
Monday, April 2nd – return to San José, leaving at noon (6 hour drive). Free time in the evening to relax or see more of the downtown area.
Tuesday, April 3rd – transfer to airport.

Descriptions:
Poás Volcano - This national park is very popular among Costa Ricans and tourists for its amazing views of, and from, the volcano. Volcán Poás is active, and it releases sulphuric gases from its crater. Visitors to the park enjoy hiking along the trails to the mountain and lake. There is also a Visitor's Center with educational displays and a coffee shop.

San José - San José is the capital of Costa Rica. It is located in Costa Rica's Central valley and very much the center of things - politically, economically and physically speaking. The capital is a busy place, but still quite laid back. It is a fine city for walking tours. Among the most important San José sights to visit are the National Theater, the giant cathedral, the Gold Museum, the Jade Museum, the Children's Museum and National Museum.

Monteverde - famous for it’s two not for profit Cloud Forest Reserves offering more than 24 km of well maintained trails: the Monteverde Preserve and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve but the growing numbers of visitors stimulated the imagination of local eco-entrepreneurs and there is now several interesting secondary activities like various Canopy Tours, Butterfly Garden, Frog Pond, etc. to choose from.

Arenal - Great place to visit volcanoes. The Arenal Volcano is the only volcano in Costa Rica constantly active since it woke up after 400 years with the big 1968 eruption producing huge ash columns, explosions & glowing red lava almost every day. Beside the volcano, this town has other great tourist attractions like the La Catarata de la Fortuna, a breathtakingly beautiful waterfall that falls from a dizzying height of 70 meters. A stunning sight to see and a lovely short trek away, this beautiful waterfall makes for a picture perfect moment.

Tortuguero - One of Costa Rica's most popular ecotourism destinations, the canals, rivers, beaches and lagoons of Tortuguero National Park are a study of Rainforest, freshwater and marine biology. The park and small town of Tortuguero are accessible by boat or small aircraft. When people think of Rainforest, the first thing that automatically comes to their minds is Tortuguero.

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca - simply known as Puerto Viejo, is a dusty little village lying between the forested mountains of Talamanca and the sea and features excellent surfing, an interesting mix of Afro-Caribbean and Bribri indigenous cultures, and delicious local food. The seven miles (12km) of coastline between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo further east is one of the most stunning stretches in Costa Rica. There are many other activities in the area including fishing and horse riding, cultural tours, as well as excursions to the nearby Parque Nacional Cahuita.