Costa Rican Adventure

Journey to Sarchí, the hub of Costa Rica’s arts and crafts trade, known for its ox-carts and leather rocking chairs. You’ll participate in a craft workshop, learning about the history and the methods of creating this brightly colored furniture before painting your own small souvenir to take home. Then continue to the San Carlos region in the shadow of the Arenal Volcano. In the afternoon, visit a local school where you will have your debut performance, as part of an exchange with a local ensemble! This evening view the Arenal Volcano, a perfect cone more than 5,000 feet high.

Today travel north to the Río Frío. Enjoy a boat trip on the calm river while you share company with exotic creatures such as osprey, storks, caimans, monkeys and freshwater sharks. Lunch will be included today on the excursion instead of dinner.

This morning is something truly special: riding horseback from the Arenal area along the shores of Lake Arenal toward the lush cloud forest of Monteverde. Your bags will travel by bus and will meet you in Monteverde. If you choose not to ride, you may travel on the touring bus. Arrive at your destination with a new understanding of how the local native populations traveled and a deep appreciation of just how spectacularly beautiful Costa Rica can be.

Today explore this important and fascinating cloud forest. Originally settled in the 1950s by a group of Quakers from Alabama, Monteverde Cloud Forest is home to more than 400 species of birds, 100 species of mammals and 2,500 species of plants including the jaguar, ocelot, Baird’s tapir, three-wattled bellbird, bare-necked umbrellabird, and the famously elusive resplendent quetzal. Get ready for a different perspective on the forest, as this afternoon you will swing far above the forest floor on the world famous Monteverde Canopy Tour and Hanging Bridges. You will have views from a series of platforms, suspension bridges and thrilling zip-lines. In the afternoon, you’re back on solid ground with more earthly delights: a Costa Rican cooking lesson. Learn about the ingredients and techniques used in traditional meals before joining together to prepare a sample dish.

Observe the shift in landscape as you travel from the mountainous inland cloud forest to the beaches and Pacific breezes of the Puntarenas region on the Golfo de Nicoya. This area draws visitors from around the world, and, once you see the curving coastline dotted with bays and islands, you will understand why. Enjoy time to relax on the beach and settle into your new neighborhood.

Although you may not want to leave, this morning’s excursion to Manuel Antonio National Park brings you to one of the most stunning parks in Costa Rica. A series of small beaches with lush forests and well-maintained trails are yours to discover for the day. Explore the park and its wildlife (Capuchin monkeys play in trees just behind the beach) before returning to Puntarenas for the evening.

Say adiós to the coast and drive through lush vegetation back to San José. This afternoon, enjoy a guided tour which includes entrance to the Gold Museum and the famous Opera House, modeled after the Opera Garnier in Paris and built with the help of coffee taxes! This evening, perform your final concert with a local ensemble from the Institute of Music!

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the United States.