Natural Highlights of Costa Rica

The Trip

The treasure-seeking conquistadors called it the "Rich Coast," but Costa Rica offers much more than gold, and the government has made conservation a national priority. We’ll visit four national parks and several private reserves, exploring diverse biological zones. The country's exotic plants and flowers, colorful bird life, and unusual wildlife will delight your senses. We'll get close to nature in a variety of ways, from rainforests and oak forests to mangrove swamps and seashores. Though our days will be filled with as much activity as you like -- hiking, bird watching, boating, and snorkeling -- you'll also have the freedom to just relax in this tropical wonderland.

We’re likely to see a variety of wildlife, including monkeys, coatis, sloths, bats, the resplendent quetzal, toucans, and hummingbirds, as well as an incredible range of insects, reptiles, and brilliantly colored amphibians. The flora includes orchids, bromeliads, ginger, and the ceiba, the sacred tree of the indigenous people of Costa Rica. As we travel the country, we will learn about both conservation successes and threats that Costa Rica’s diverse ecosystems face.

We'll travel comfortably by air-conditioned mini-bus, enjoying spectacular scenery along the way, and feast on tropical fruits and healthy, fresh, local cuisine. While this isn't a luxury trip, we will stay in very pleasant lodges and a few amazing eco-lodges.

Come on this trip and fall in love with the beauty, biodiversity, and friendliness of Costa Rica!

Day 1: Arrive at San Jose’s International Airport and travel by taxi to our downtown hotel. Spend the afternoon in a nearby city park or explore downtown San Jose. In the evening, get to know your traveling companions at a welcome dinner.

Days 2-3: We begin with a visit to the Gold Museum in San Jose. From there we drive south along the Talamanca Mountains, heading toward 11,450-foot Cerro de la Muerte. We stop briefly at the 10,000-foot-high pass before dropping 3,000 feet down to our cozy lodge that is adjacent to the Savegre Biological Reserve. Our guide helps us search for the quetzal and other exotic birds. We will have time to enjoy two hikes, one to a waterfall and another through an oak cloud forest.

Days 4-5: Today we head to our amazing eco-lodge adjacent to Ballena Marine National Park, one of Costa Rica’s newest national parks. This park is dedicated to protecting the migrating whales and nesting grounds of brown boobies, frigate birds, and ibises. While at Ballena, we have opportunities to spend time at the beach, take a boat tour to see marine life (with snorkeling available), hike on the trails (including a guided nighttime walk), identify as many birds as we can from the comfort of the lodge's deck, or just relax in a hammock in one of the most beautiful settings on Costa Rica’s west coast.

Days 6-7: We drive north along the Pacific Coastal Highway to our hotel adjacent to Carara National Park. After lunch we will have a riverboat birding and crocodile tour on the Tarcoles River, sighting crocodiles, boat-billed herons, anhingas, and maybe even the elusive pygmy kingfisher. Two nights are spent at a serene eco-lodge and small farm, and we hope to see the resident spectacled owls searching for insects one evening. One morning there will be a guided walk in Carara National Park.

Days 8-10: We travel to La Fortuna and Arenal Observatory Lodge where we will stay for three nights. On the way we will stop at Arenal Volcano National Park, where we can hike through lava flows to see up close the rejuvenation and ecological changes after a major eruption. One morning we enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the rainforest from a treetop canopy walkway, where we hope to see monkeys, peccaries, and sloths.

Day 11: Today we drive to the Sarapiqui Area in the Caribbean Slopes. While there we will work with a local organization to complete some reforestation along the Sarapiqui River. Spend the night at the Selva Verde Lodge.

Day 12: This morning we will have a birding nature walk near the Selva Verde Lodge followed by a natural history walk at the La Selva Biological Station. In the evening, we enjoy a farewell dinner together, reliving our adventures with newfound friends.

Day 13: After breakfast, we will travel by taxi to the airport.

Getting There

The trip begins and ends in San Jose, Costa Rica. You must make your own travel arrangements to San Jose. It is served from the U.S. by several of the major airlines. Airport transfers are not included. You will need a passport with an expiration date that is at least six months after the last day of the trip. This trip does not include San Jose tourist sites or attractions in the Central Valley. The leader will be happy to assist participants who wish to extend their stay to see San Jose or other areas of Costa Rica. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Although we won’t have the luxury of five-star hotels, we will stay in lovely lodgings, many of which are true eco-lodges. Rooms will be double-occupancy, so if you’re a solo traveler, you will be assigned a roommate of the same gender. If you would like a single supplement, please contact the leader for availability. The food is healthy, fresh, and wholesome. If you have special dietary needs other than vegetarian, it's essential that you contact the trip leader to see if these needs can be accommodated.

Trip Difficulty

This is an active leisure trip, though you'll have plenty of opportunities for more strenuous pursuits. The trip is suitable for old and young alike (minimum age is 12), as long as you are in reasonably good health, enjoy nature, and have a good-humored and flexible approach to traveling in Latin America. Keep in mind that Costa Rica is still a developing country -- things don't always run exactly like they do at home. Rain will fall, clothes will get muddy, and plans will change, but that's all part of the charm of international travel. We will be traveling in an air-conditioned Toyota Coaster private mini-bus. The bus rides between lodgings are three to four hours, with stops along the way. We'll be on good roads most of the time, and the views will be great. The hikes are optional, but they are a very important part of the experience. The most challenging one takes about four hours (round trip) and climbs about 400 feet if you go all the way. The others are mostly on level terrain. The pace is slow because we take time to observe and study the plants and animals. We recommend that you work on your conditioning in order to get the most out of the trip.

This trip is scheduled to take advantage of Costa Rica’s dry season, which runs from December to April. While this time of year is drier, there may still be some rain, especially on the Caribbean side of the country. Temperatures vary with elevation. The Central Valley, which includes San Jose, is known for its eternally spring-like weather, with average temperatures in the high 60s. At lower elevations it is likely to be warm and humid. Cloud forest nights and mornings can be chilly, so you will need a fleece jacket and perhaps some light gloves and a hat.

Equipment and Clothing

Binoculars, camera, and a daypack (preferably waterproof) are highly recommended. Snorkeling gear is furnished. The leader will send a detailed packing list to each registered participant.

References

Books:

• Kricher, John, Neotropical Companion. This book has a second edition that is updated and more expensive. The first edition is fine. This book goes into a lot of detail about tropical ecosystems and it takes some time to digest all the information, but it is considered a classic for the neotropics and excellent for anyone wanting to learn about this ecosystem (the book explains the term "neotropics" as compared to "tropics" in general).
• Lonely Planet, Watching Wildlife: Central America. This book has excellent information on various wildlife we might see and it discusses the natural history of many of the species.
• Garrigues, Richard, The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide. This book is the easiest of the bird books to haul around and it has good bird info.
• Stiles, Gary, A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica. This is the bird book for the serious birder -- it is thick and has all sorts of detailed information. Serious birders usually cut out the plates and leave the rest of the book at home.
• Zuchowski, Willow, Tropical Plants of Costa Rica: A Guide to Native and Exotic Flora. This is a great book for helping to identify and learn about plants we might see.

Maps:

• Costa Rica, Borch Map, 2006.
• Costa Rica, National Geographic, 2008.

Conservation

In Costa Rica, we will get an up-close look at the effects of conservation in action. The country has long been committed to protecting, rather than exploiting, its natural resources. Indeed, as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Cahn puts it, the Costa Rican park system is "in some ways the most remarkable national park system in the world." All told, it contains 34 protected areas, including 28 national parks, and the entire system encompasses about 11 percent of Costa Rica's land area. When forest reserves and wildlife refuges are included, the country's federal lands total about 25 percent. By comparison, the U.S.'s national parks cover about 3 percent of our total land area.

There are severe problems, however, and signs of a weakening in this protection. Outside of the national parks and reserves, almost the entire country has been deforested. The nation's forests are falling at a faster rate than anywhere else in the western hemisphere, and, as a percentage of national land area, reportedly nine times faster than the rainforests of Brazil. The present government (and the electorate) must be convinced of the need for true and permanent protection of the environment.

Since 1892, the Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our own backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.