Costa Rica Autentica  A special tour to eco-tourism projects University for Peace + forest reserve Rodeo – Volcan Irazú  – Cerro de la Muerte mountains – Bahia Ballena national park: dolphins (and whales) at the Pacific beach – Silencio: a village, a cooperative – Crocodiles at the Tempisque river – Puntarenas – Peninsula and Gulf of Nicoya: forest reserve Monte Alto, mangroves + aquatic birds, colonial church Nicoya, fantastic beach Carrillo, pottery village Guaitil, solar energy – Arenal lake and volcano – butterflies and medicinal plants in La Fortuna – Volcan Poás  – coffee plantations – capital San José
The package includes: airport transfer 14 nights in small guesthouses or lodges of eco-tourism projects, half- board English-speaking tour guide and local guides transportation (minibus, excepcionally public bus) entrance fees Air transport as well as all activities marked as “possibility” are not included in the price. Dates 2005: 3-14, 8-1, 11-19 Price: € 1099 double room single room surcharge: € 180 Minimum # of participants: 6 Maximum # of participants: 15 The program: 1st day: Arrival at the airport of San José and transfer to the guesthouse EL MARAÑON, located in a tropical garden with view over the Central Valley on Volcàn Poás. 2nd day: University for Peace – Forest reserve Rodeo After the tropical breakfast detailed tour information. Afterwards trip through coffee plantations to the peace monument of the UNIVERSITY FOR PEACE: introduction to the democratic history of the country without an army; afterwards guided tour through EL RODEO forest reserve: first insight into the variety of species in the country. Afternoon free for individual activities. Possibility for horseback riding or relaxing in the wonderful garden of the guesthouse. 3rd day: Volcán Irazú  – Cartago – Macizo de la Muerte – Pacific: Bahia Ballena Trip via San José to the highest active volcano of the country: the IRAZÚ (3400m): walk along the rim of the two craters, then descent to CARTAGO, the former capital, and visit of the architectonically interesting pilgrim church Los Angeles; further southwards on the MACIZO DE LA MUERTE (3491m) to the MIRADOR DE LOS QUETZALES, a farm on 2700m above sea level with a fantastic view to the Pacific. Here milk, blackberries and trouts are produced. The legendary Quetzal bird lives in the surrounding cloud forest. Walk in the private forest of the farmers and possibility to have a trout; afterwards ride through Páramo vegetation down to SAN ISIDRO de EL GENERAL, the economic center of the South, and on to the Pacific to the BAHIA BALLENA national park in the CANTO DE BALLENAS (=song of the whales) lodge, run by the local cooperative. 4th day: Sea – Dolphins – (Whales) From the wide sand beach of the national park we start our boat trip  in order to watch dolphins. From August till October and from December till April there is the possibility to see whales that come to this sea national park for mating. Afternoon free for individual activities like swimming, snorkeling, diving or hiking. 5th day: Agricultural cooperative Silencio We go northwards along the coast to SILENCIO, a farmers’ cooperative that is situated wonderfully at the rim of the Savegre river valley. In Coopesilencio guided tour through the village (school, health station, kindergarten, eco-education center) and through oil-palm plantations and forestry plantations which also host a wildlife rescue center: Many parrots have been liberated here and a lot of them stayed. With some luck one can observe all sort of parrots while having breakfast. 6th day: Los Campesinos reserve Day trip to Quebrada Arroyo: Short drive to the enormous Savegre river. We cross the river with the help of a cable railway and hike (optionally ride on horseback) up to the village where a local action group of former vanilla farmers run the Los Campesinos reserve with a 130m long suspension bridge, a gondola between tree tops and two picturesque waterfalls; typical farmers lunch. Overnight stay again in CoopeSilencio.	7th day: Manuel Antonio – Tarcoles river – Puntarenas – Monte Alto Trip in the near tourism center MANUEL ANTONIO: possibility for swimming, visiting the national park and/ or shopping. We go on northwards along the coast passing the bridge over the TARCOLES river – crocodile watching! – to the old port of PUNTARENAS. From here we take over by car ferry on the peninsula Nicoya (in case the ferry is full or cancelled, we use the new bridge over the Tempisque river. In the afternoon we go up to HOJANCHA into the forest reserve MONTE ALTO. Here a cooperative protects the forest and reforests surrounding hills in order to protect the source area of the RIO NOSARA and thus secure the water supply of the town. Overnight stay in the lodge, wonderfully situated in the middle of the forest reserve. 8th day: Monte Alto reserve Short information about the history and the development of this project, afterwards biological-ornithological guided tour on the study trails of the reserve – also orchid trail. In the afternoon we grind sugar cane in the traditional sugar cane press, the TRAPICHE. Furthermore you have the opportunity to go on a horse riding trip. 9th day: Gulf of Nicoya – Nicoya – Puerto Carillo In the morning we go to the small port PUERTO JESUS at the Gulf of Nicoya where we start a unique boat trip through the mangroves, organized by a women’s project. We will have the possibility to watch countless aquatic birds and to search for  traces of the Indian original inhabitants on a small island. After a typical lunch we go via NICOYA – with break at the central park and visit of the second oldest colonial church of the country – to the magnificent Pacific beach PUERTO CARRILLO. Overnight stay in a guesthouse 5 min from the beach. 10th day: Puerto Carillo Day free for individual activities; possibility to go swimming, surfing, snorkeling, diving, paragliding, horseback riding, canoeing on the ORA river or turtle watching on a boat tour in the sea. 11th day: Guaitil – Sol de Vida – Arenal lake and volcano Today we have the chance of getting to know the pottery making based on old Indian traditions and patterns in the village Guaitil. In SANTA BARBARA nearby we visit the CASA DEL SOL where a group of women produces and distributes solar-powered ovens and promotes the self-confidence of the participants in this project. Our healthy meal will be cooked by solar energy! Back over the Tempisque bridge to CAÑAS and around the 80 square km big ARENAL Lake which is surrounded by luxuriant vegetation. We will pass wind power facilities, that – together with the reservoir – produce 70% of the electric energy of the country, and reach the VOLCAN ARENAL, the fascinating active volcano of the country that erupts several times a day. Overnight stay in the CATARATA lodge, situated between the volcano and LA FORTUNA and also a project of a farmers’ cooperative. 12th day: La Catarata – Butterfly garden – Medicinal plants – Arenal Volcàn Arenal In the morning members of the farmers’ cooperative show us their butterfly garden and lead us to a Finca that produces plants for medicinal use. In the afternoon hike from the national park entrance along the lake to the dam where we will watch the lava and see diverse birds, possibly monkeys and other mammals. Afterwards you have the opportunity to visit the hot springs of Baldi or Tabacon. In the dark we will try to observe the red lava of the volcano 13th day: Waterfall La Paz –Volcan Poás – Alajuela – Ciudad Colón We drive through the northern lowlands passing cow pastures, papaya and orange plantations onto the Central Cordillera to the impressive waterfall LA PAZ. At the VOLCAN POÁS national park: hike to the crater and to the lagoon, back through dense cloud forest to the museum; descent into the Central Valley through the center of coffee cultivation on the fertile slopes of the volcano; break at the Casa del Café with its wonderful view of the Central Valley and the possibility to try first-class coffee. In ALAJUELA, the historically important coffee town, we can visit the museum and walk in the old downtown. Overnight stay once more in the guesthouse “El Marañon”. 14th day: Capital SAN JOSÉ, guided city tour to the MERCADO CENTRAL, to the OLD POST OFFICE, through the state cultural center CENAC, to the NATIONAL MUSEUM (guided tour), afternoon free for individual activities like further museums or shopping. 15th day: Departure or extension days, e.g. at the Caribbean
Extension days at the Caribbean Coast You go by public bus or private transfer to PUERTO VIEJO DE TALAMANCA, situated in the South Caribbean, with its dream beaches, tropical rainforest and the ocean around the fisher village Puerto Viejo. There is the best place to go out at night, having a Piña Colada at a bar. We recommend: - LA COSTA DE PAPITO: comfortable wooden bungalows, 100 m from a fantastic beach, tropical garden full of heliconias, banana trees, virgin forest giants and exotic birds. double rooms - B&B $ 63 (low season) + $ 75 (high season) Activities: swimming, diving, snorkeling, horse riding, hikes into the national parks GANDOCA-MANZANILLO and CAHUITA, botanic garden, Indian reserve KËKÖLDI, turtle observation (Feb.-Aug.!)