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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 five national parks and two 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, 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.

We'll travel comfortably by small 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 will stay in very pleasant lodges.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive at San Jose’s international airport, where you are met by our hotel bus. In the evening, get to know your traveling companions at a welcome dinner.

Days 2-3: After breakfast, drive south along the Talamanca Mountains, heading toward 11,450-foot Cerro de la Muerte. Stop briefly to study the unique paramo grass and shrub ecosystem at about 9,300 feet before dropping 2,000 feet down to our lodge adjacent to the Savegre Biological Reserve. Our guide helps us search for the quetzal and other exotic birds, and we will have time to enjoy a hike in an unusual oak forest.

Days 4-6: Today, we head to our lodge at Ballena Marine National Park, Costa Rica’s newest. This park is dedicated to protecting the nesting grounds of brown boobies, frigate birds, and ibises. While at Ballena, we have opportunities to spend time at the beach, take a snorkeling tour along the reefs, 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 beautiful setting.

Day 7: We continue on to a stop at Manual Antonio National Park, where we're almost sure to see large numbers of monkeys on our walk. The beach here is thought to be one of the country's most attractive, so we take time to enjoy it. Then we drive to our hotel adjacent to Carara National Park, where we hope for sightings of crocodiles and the colorful scarlet macaw.

Day 8: After exploring by boat the mangrove forests of the Tarcoles River and its abundant wildlife, we drive to Palo Verde National Park, where we settle into our lodge, relax, and get ready for a big day tomorrow in the wetland area of the park.

Day 9: We start out the day with a riverboat tour along the mangrove forest of the Tempisque River and then hike a short distance to our lunch stop. Along the way, we hope to see some of the wildlife that abounds here, such as peccaries, anteaters, crocodiles, and a myriad of bird species, including the world’s largest stork, the jabiru.

Days 10-11: Through the verdant countryside, we travel to Arenal Volcano National Park and our hotel on the flank of the volcano. We take time to relax in some lovely hot springs. The following day, we hike in the park and enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the rainforest from a treetop-canopy walkway.

Day 12: Today we begin our return journey to San Jose, first stopping at the top of Poas, a dormant volcano, to walk short paths for spectacular views into the crater. Afterward, we will tour a local coffee plantation and then return to our first hotel in San Jose. In the evening, we enjoy a farewell dinner together, reliving our adventures with newfound friends.

Day 13: After breakfast, we are shuttled to the airport for our flights home.

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 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.

Accommodations and Food

Although we won’t have the luxury of four-star hotels, we will stay in very nice lodgings. Rooms will be double-occupancy, so if you’re a solo traveler, you will be assigned a roommate of the same gender. For days four to six, some of the rooms may be triple occupancy. If you have special dietary needs other than vegetarian, please contact the trip leader to see if they 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 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 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. 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 a very important part of the experience. The most challenging one takes about four hours and climbs about 200 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.

To take advantage of the dry season, we've scheduled this trip during February. 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.

Equipment and Clothing

Binoculars, camera, and a day pack (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 Companian. 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 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 the various wildlife we might see and 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 identify and learn about plants we might see.

Map:

• 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% of Costa Rica's land area. When forest reserves and wildlife refuges are included, the country's federal lands total about 25%. By comparison, the U.S.'s national parks cover about 3% 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. As we travel the country, we will learn about the conservation successes and pitfalls that the Costa Ricans have encountered.

The Sierra Club is an environmentally focused entity. We are concerned about conservation and sustainability of resources, both locally and globally. Our work is accomplished by volunteers and aided by a salaried staff, encouraging grassroots involvement. Our outings seek to empower participants toward environmentally understanding parallel concerns at home and abroad.

Trip Price

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.

Staff

Susan Kozacek is a veteran leader of National Sierra Club trips in the past. She has spent the last 20 years trotting across the globe exploring the environments of Central and South America, Africa, Australia and the South Pacific. Susan spent more than two years living in the tropics of Panama as a Peace Corps volunteer in an indigenous village and has a repertoire of stories to share of this enlightening experience. Susan is a wildlife biologist and botanist by training and enjoyed a long career in her chosen fields. She continues to be an avid, life-long student of the environment and finds tropical ecosystems especially fascinating. New discoveries occur on every trip. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences with trip participants and makes it her personal goal to insure that participants have a rewarding, safe and enjoyable trip. In addition to traveling, Susan enjoys bird watching, hiking, camping, scuba diving, gardening and art. Susan has found Costa Rica to be one of the easiest Central American countries to visit and looks forward to sharing her passion of Costa Rica's environments and culture. Susan welcomes any questions you may have about this trip. Please contact her e-mail address: suekozacek@earthlink.net

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General Notes About Sierra Club Trips

• Carbon Offsets
• Electronic Devices
• Equipment
• How to Apply for a Trip
• Leader Gratuities
• Liability Release and Assumption of Risk
• Medical Issues
• Non-discrimination Statement
• Participant Approval
• Reservation and Cancellation Policy
• Seller of Travel Disclosure
• Travel Insurance
• Trip Feedback