Come spend the beginning of winter in Costa Rica!

Finca Rio Perla waterfall. Photo by Matt Miller
The week-long Costa Rica Caribbean Experience this December offers a diverse adventure that combines the Caribbean Highlands of Costa Rica – with its breathtaking tropical beaches. It begins on the highlands, with their lush mountainous rainforest, waterfalls, freshwater pools and whitewater rafting - all while based at a cool eco-farm on the slopes of Volcan Turrialba. It continues to the Caribbean Lowlands, with their tropical beaches, unique flora and fauna, active nightlife, and indigenous culture.
This complete tour package provides a diverse and exciting adventure-experience brimming with activities (including chill time), all in a short but long week, and all in the beautiful and peaceful paradise called Costa Rica. It offers a mosaic for all your senses, focusing on the contrast between the highlands and the lowlands-coast. So come and spend an amazing week in the Costa Rican Caribbean!
We take the environment seriously, and plan our trips in accordance with the guidelines of eco-tourism: minimizing environmental damage through low impact travel, supporting local environmental projects and indigenous communities, and learning about the culture and natural environment of the places visited.
This complete tour package provides a diverse and exciting adventure-experience brimming with activities (including chill time), all in a short but long week, and all in the beautiful and peaceful paradise called Costa Rica. It offers a mosaic for all your senses, focusing on the contrast between the highlands and the lowlands-coast. So come and spend an amazing week in the Costa Rican Caribbean!
We take the environment seriously, and plan our trips in accordance with the guidelines of eco-tourism: minimizing environmental damage through low impact travel, supporting local environmental projects and indigenous communities, and learning about the culture and natural environment of the places visited.
EVERYTHING listed below is included in our trip. These adventures are paid for already – including a swim in the pool above – just imagine that! You may, but you do not need to spend another dollar on an adventure – it’s all priced into our packaged tour.
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Trip itinerary
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Saturday, December 10th
Welcome to Costa Rica! Afternoon arrival in San Jose international airport, followed by a scenic drive to Finca Rio Perla, 2 ½ hours away. Check-in will be followed by refreshments, dinner, and a short orientation to this beautiful eco-farm located in a countryside paradise on the slopes of Volcan Turrialba. |
Sunday, December 11th
Good morning Finca Rio Perla! Today’s activities include: - Horseback ride, followed by macadamia picking, fresh sugarcane tasting, a view of the big waterfall (over 100 ft!), and a hike to another waterfall where we will take a swim in the cool water and enjoy the rainforest around us. - Farm tour and orientation - Tilapia fishing (tonight’s dinner- depending on fish availability) - Tico style cheese/ice cream making workshop with Vivian - Social activity, games, drinks after dinner Optional: early rise goat & cow milking! |
Monday, December 12th
Go on a rafting adventure on the nearby Pacuare River, known as one of the top five rafting rivers in the world for its scenery and rapids (Class III-IV). Afternoon chill time and optional farm activities: - Plant trees to help reforest the area and offset travel associated carbon emissions - Sow the seeds and cultivate the land at the farm’s organic vegetable and herb garden, or collect fresh eggs from the hen coop. After a festive vegetarian dinner, get into the mood by watching a rainforest themed film or go into town to enjoy a local Tico bar! |
Tuesday, December 13th
- Morning: Last chance to enjoy the farm and its activities!
- After lunch, we take an interesting car and canal boat trip to the tiny island village of Tortuguero, and the nearby national park.
- Check into to the jungle Evergreen Lodge – free evening in hotel.
Wednesday, December 14th - Early morning: Join a canal boat tour of Tortuguero National Park- experience the awakening jungle up close! - After breakfast, hike Tortuguero Hill, the highest point on the Caribbean side of the country (approximately 119 meters), and learn about the unique flora of the jungle from an experience naturalist. On a clear day a view of Tortuguero and the surrounding areas can rally capture you! - Afternoon visit the local village - a chance to interact, shop, and experience this secluded Tico community. During this time you can also head to the beach and enjoy the Caribbean sands at sunset! |
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Thursday, December 15th - Travel by coastal boat to Puerto Viejo on the southern Caribbean coast - one of the most happening places in Costa Rica - a place the international crowd blend with the local Latino, Afro-Caribbean and Bribri indigenous cultures, with its pristine coastline acting as a backdrop! - Visit the Indigenous BriBri Tribal Area and learn about the history of the native people of Costa Rica, medicinal plants, as well as the history and production of chocolate – including tasting! - At night, we can go for a Caribbean style dinner in town, taking in the special and laid back ambiance of Puerto Viejo. Later, we can hit one of the many bars/clubs/live music venues in town. |
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Friday, December 16th - Free morning / beach activities around Puerto Viejo! - You can rent bicycles and tour the beaches, take a surfing lesson, see a butterfly or iguana farm, go to the botanical gardens or the Jaguar Rescue Center, go kayaking or diving or just spend the day on the beach. - Afternoon: an amazing Jungle Canopy Tour, where we will literally fly through the forest by zipline. |
Saturday, December 17th
- Morning: half day hike in the amazing Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge – one of the best trips for wildlife viewing in all of Costa Rica. - Lunch at Maxi’s Restaurant, considered by many to be the best seafood restaurant in the Caribbean - Free afternoon on the tranquil beaches of Manzanillo, with optional snorkeling and water activities. Sunday, December 18th Return to San Jose and flight home! |
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For a full detailed itinerary of the trip, click here!
Practical Details
Dates
The Caribbean Experience trip will take place from Saturday, December 10th to Sunday, December 18th, 2011 (8 nights in total). We will be meeting at and leaving the San Jose (the capital) international airport by 4:30 pm on Saturday. We ask that you plan to be on a flight that will land in San Jose by 3 pm on December 10th. Your flight home should be no earlier than 1:00 pm on Sunday, December 18th.
If you arrive a day or many early, or choose to leave later, please let us know how we can help you experience more of this magnificent country. We can arrange for a pick-up or drop-off in another part of San Jose at the beginning or end of the trip. Day trips from San Jose include the nearby volcanoes of Poas and Irazu.
Accommodations
For our time on the Finca Rio Perla farm, guests will stay in rustic but comfortable rooms, with shared bathrooms and toilets.
For our time in Turtuguero, we will be staying in the tranquil Evergreen Lodge, set in the rainforest right outside the National Park.
On the southern Caribbean coast we will be staying in a comfortable mid-level hotel, such as the elegant Banana Azul, or the Shawandha. We will be pairing up to share the rooms, though you might choose to be in a single room for an extra fee.
Guides
For your Caribbean Experience we will provide you with an experienced driver/guide that will escort you for the length of your trip. In various activities, we use the best local specialty guides with years of expertise in introducing tourists to the natural beauty of Costa Rica. We work mostly with local guides as well as with tourism non-profit organizations such as ATEC, which make sure that the local indigenous communities benefit from tourism revenues while protecting the environment and the traditional way of life.
Transportation
We provide all transfers during the week using an air conditioned van or minibus, driven by a bilingual driver / guide.
Packing list
Before departing, you will receive a comprehensive list of suggested things to bring on the Caribbean Experience.
Cost of trip
The cost per person is $1350. It excludes airfare, roughly 25% of meals, and a handful of optional activities during our free time.
Great! How do I sign up?
To reserve your spot on the trip, click on the link to the right to make your secure deposit of $150 via the Google Checkout system. After securing your spot, please fill out our tour registration form. The trip will leave with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 16. If this number is not reached by November 10, we will cancel and postpone the trip, and you will be fully reimbursed. If you cancel your attendance after November 10, we will reimburse you the sum of $1200, with $150 kept as cancellation fee. One we reach the minimum of 8 participants, we will notify you so that you can go ahead and purchase your flight. For general questions about the trip, please write us at: [email protected] Please feel free to forward this info to any friends of yours that might be interested in joining us for this week - ask us about our special registration price for groups of two or more that register together! |
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The cost of the trip includes:
Please note that if you do not wish to partake in the rafting, canopy tour, and zipline, you may opt out and we will reduce the cost of your trip accordingly.
The cost does not include:
Our tours are organized by the Costa Rica Caribbean Experience, a division of Greener Travel Company, LLC. The company was founded by Ami Greener, an experienced and enthusiastic environmentalist that has been captivated by the unique beauty of Costa Rica. By forming personal relationships with local providers in Costa Rica (hotel owners, activity outfitters and the staff of Finca Rio-Perla, the amazing farm that we visit), we are able to offer a tailored experience to both individuals and couples traveling alone and looking to explore the area, as well as group tours which a member of our staff or local Costa Rican associates will guide.
Though the dates for this trip are set, if you want to join and cannot take the whole week off from work, we could accommodate you for part of the trip, and price it differently as well.
If you cannot make it on these dates, but would like to plan a visit alone, with a small group of friends or a romantic getaway with a significant other - we can help you plan that trip as well with some of these amazing adventures – we regularly send couples, families and small groups of friends on a tailored Caribbean Experience!
For further information and questions, please contact us at:
The Costa Rica Caribbean Experience
[email protected]
US: +1-646-469-9743
- Transportation and transfers to and from all locations in Costa Rica by a bilingual guide/driver.
- Full accompaniment by a Costa Rica Caribbean Experience staff person.
- 8 nights of accommodations on the farm, in the Evergreen lodge in Tortuguero, and in a hotel in Puerto Viejo. Price is for accommodations of 2 per room. Single occupancy rooms are available for an additional nightly fee.
- All activities and all meals during our 3 nights at the Finca Rio-Perla eco-farm.
- All meals in Tortuguero
- Canal Tour, nature hike and tour of village in Tortuguero
- One day of amazing whitewater rafting on the Pacuare River (including breakfast/lunch)
- Gandoca –Manzanillo Wildlife Hike
- BriBri Cacao Tour (history of local indigenous people and organic chocolate making)
- Jungle Canopy Tour/ Zipline Adventure in Puerto Viejo
Please note that if you do not wish to partake in the rafting, canopy tour, and zipline, you may opt out and we will reduce the cost of your trip accordingly.
The cost does not include:
- Airfare
- Costa Rica departure tax of $26
- Traveler insurance (we will be able to arrange this for you if needed)
- Some meals on the Caribbean coast
- Alcoholic beverages
- Tips and gratuities
Our tours are organized by the Costa Rica Caribbean Experience, a division of Greener Travel Company, LLC. The company was founded by Ami Greener, an experienced and enthusiastic environmentalist that has been captivated by the unique beauty of Costa Rica. By forming personal relationships with local providers in Costa Rica (hotel owners, activity outfitters and the staff of Finca Rio-Perla, the amazing farm that we visit), we are able to offer a tailored experience to both individuals and couples traveling alone and looking to explore the area, as well as group tours which a member of our staff or local Costa Rican associates will guide.
Though the dates for this trip are set, if you want to join and cannot take the whole week off from work, we could accommodate you for part of the trip, and price it differently as well.
If you cannot make it on these dates, but would like to plan a visit alone, with a small group of friends or a romantic getaway with a significant other - we can help you plan that trip as well with some of these amazing adventures – we regularly send couples, families and small groups of friends on a tailored Caribbean Experience!
For further information and questions, please contact us at:
The Costa Rica Caribbean Experience
[email protected]
US: +1-646-469-9743