Photo: Angela White Costa Rica: Hidden Treasures Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 10500A Price: Deposit: $200 Capacity: 15 Leader: Kathleen Giel
The Trip  Photo: Angela White You're likely to see a variety of wildlife including monkeys, coatis, sloths, bats, the endangered 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. We travel comfortably by tourist bus and enjoy spectacular scenery along the way, feasting on tropical fruits and healthy, fresh, local cuisine. While this isn't a luxury trip, we stay in very pleasant lodges.
 Photo: Angela White Note: The following day-to-day itinerary may vary according to the availability of accommodations. Day 1: Arrive at San Jose's international airport. It is an easy and inexpensive taxi ride to our nearby hotel. In the evening, we meet each other over a welcome dinner. Day 2: After breakfast we drive south from San Jose, stopping along the way at the famed La Paz Waterfall and Gardens where we enjoy the exhibitions of butterflies, frogs, snakes, and hummingbirds. The area attracts a huge number of butterflies and birds -- there are at least 800 varieties here alone. After lunch we continue to the misty and beautiful cloud forest. At elevations of over 7,000 feet, nights here can be chilly, but our lodge will be warm and comfortable. Day 3: Today we start with some early-morning bird watching, which should reward us with sightings of quetzals, scarlet macaws, tropical warblers, collared trogons, many hummingbirds, and any of 200 other species. In the afternoon, you can hike the local trails or take a horseback ride to a waterfall (not included in the trip price). Day 4: Following an early-morning birding walk and breakfast, we follow the Pan American Highway south, climbing steeply to the 10,600-foot Cerro del Muerte, high above timberline. Here we stop briefly to visit the paramo highland scrub and tussock fields. This unique ecosystem is found only here and in the Andes, in South America. Passing the city of San Isidro del General, we head west to the Pacific Coast and arrive at our destination with a spectacular view of the ocean. This drive takes the entire morning.  Photo: Angela White Days 5-7:Our accommodations
overlook the beautiful coast of Ballena Marine National Park. This is one
of Costa Rica's newest parks, dedicated
to
protecting nesting grounds for brown boobies, frigate birds, and
ibises. From December
to April, humpback whales and their offspring ply the waters here. Days 8-9: Heading south to the lowland tropical rain
forest of the Osa Peninsula, we enjoy beautiful views of the Pacific
coastline.
We then
stop in the town
of Palmar Sur to take a close look at the perfectly shaped spheres
made by the indigenous population that lived in this area 1,000 years
ago. Days 10-12: We take our faithful
bus to a road junction by the Rincón
River and cross the Osa Peninsula using a four-wheel-drive minibus
to get to the famous Drake Bay, where we take boats down the coast
to our Costa
Rican-owned
lodge located just north of Corcovado National Park. This lodge and
tropical forest preserve allows us to travel to the west side of the
park. Later
in the day we have free time to explore the wonderful trails and
beaches all
around the lodge.  Photo: Angela White Day 15: As we awake once again to the chattering monkeys and the calls of beautiful birds, we'll tour the Tarcoles River for incredible bird watching and crocodile sighting. After spending time enjoying our lodge and its environs, we then head for San Jose, stopping on the way in Sarchi for some handicraft shopping. That evening we gather for our farewell dinner. Day 16: Departure day. After breakfast, it's an easy taxi ride to the airport. Getting There The trip begins and ends in San Jose, Costa Rica. You must make your own travel arrangements to the starting point. Airport transfers are included, and will be arranged by the leader. You will need a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the trip date. This trip does not include San Jose or attractions in the Central Valley. The leader will be happy to assist participants who wish to extend their stay.
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, as long as you are in reasonably good health, enjoy the wilderness, 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 as they do at home. There may not be hot water in all our accommodations, rain will fall, clothes will get muddy and/or wet, and plans will change, but that's all part of the charm of international travel. A few of the bus rides will be long; we'll mostly be on good roads, though, and the views will be great. To take advantage of the dry season, we've scheduled this trip during December and January. The main part of our trip takes place in or near the Osa Peninsula, which has year-round tropical weather, so it will be very-warm-to-hot and humid. We can expect daily rain showers. (Rain occurs in every season in the tropics.) 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.
Conservation  Photo: Angela White
In Costa Rica, we will get an up-close look at 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, our national parks cover about one-thirtieth
of our total land area.
This trip requires a $200 per-person deposit. An additional payment of $300 per person is due six months prior to trip departure. International trip prices are subject to change and are based on double-occupancy or group accommodations as described above. Single rooms may not be available or may cost more than the listed price. If you have any questions regarding double occupancy, please contact the trip leader. See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner. The Sierra Club accurately and fairly budgets and prices our trips. However, unforeseen costs such as devaluation of the dollar compared to other currencies and fuel surcharges assessed by our international providers may necessitate adjustment in trip price. We will make every effort to mitigate and absorb these fees. If a price increase is necessary, however, you will have 14 days after announcement to cancel without penalty.
 E-mail: kath@mysite.com General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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