Trip Overview

Sacred Heart Academy's Costa Rican Adventure

April 15 - 23, 2022

 

  • Richard Powers
  • 329030
  • NYC
  • 0 days

Announcements & Reminders

  • Welcome to your next travel adventure! Please let us know if you have any questions about this tour. Read More

Insider's Costa Rica

April 15 - 23, 2022

Itinerary

The itinerary is the starting point to your tour, but it’s not set in stone. Your group leader may make changes leading up to departure.

Day 1, Friday April 15: San Jose

Depart from the USA. Arrive in the Costa Rican capital of San José, meet your ACIS Tour Manager and get out to explore San Jose's Spanish colonial remains and discover how history has shaped this city both architecturally and socially today (L,D).

Day 2, Saturday April 16: San Carlos

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. After the workshop you will head over to the next destination San Carlos, but before that you will have a pit stop to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon you will arrive in San Carlos where you will visit Don Juan's farm. Here you will be immersed into the Tico culture by learning some typical Costa Rican dances and learn how to make a Costa Rican typical dish. By the end of the day, "Pura Vida!" will become part of your vocabulary. (B, L, D)

Day 3, Sunday April 17: San Carlos

Start the morning off experiencing Easter Sunday Mass at a local church nearby. After mass you will 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. Return to San Carlos, where you you will get the chance to experience natural hot springs. As you relax in the therapeutic, geothermal waters, look up at their source, the Arenal volcano, a perfect cone more than 5,000 feet high. (B, L, D)

Day 4, Monday April 18: Monteverde

This morning visit a local school to practice your Spanish with the students, discovering the similarities and differences between their typical school day and yours at home. Then travel from the Arenal area along the shores of Lake Arenal by bus toward the lush cloud forest of Monteverde. After lunch you will explore the 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. In the evening go to the town center to have dinner at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 5, Tuesday April 19: Monteverde

This morning riding horseback and get a new understanding of how the local native populations traveled and a deep appreciation of just how spectacularly beautiful Costa Rica can be. After lunch get ready for another adventure and different perspective of the cloud forest as you zipline between the trees and hopefully get a chance to spot some animals in their natural habitat. Monteverde Canopy Tour is world famous, and many people travel all around the world to experience this tour. (B,L,D)

Day 6, Wednesday April 20: Puntarenas Region

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 in to your new neighborhood. (B,L,D)

Day 7, Thursday April 21: Puntarenas Region

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. (B,L,D)

Day 8, Friday April 22: San Jose

Enjoy a free morning on the beach and then say adiós to the Pacific coast and drive through lush vegetation back to San José In the evening, you will enjoy a farewell dinner and say your final goodbyes. (B,L,D)

Day 9, Saturday April 23: Departure

Depart for the USA.



Optional Extensions and Extra Nights:

Further immerse yourself in the culture and wonders of Costa Rica with an extra night in San José, including the services of your ACIS Tour Manager, at the beginning or end of your tour. (B)

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