Costa Rica Rain Forest Adventure… (trip)

Costa Rica Rain Forest Adventure For Families

  • Juan Santamaria International Airport, San Jose, Costa Rica
  • Culture & Nature
Costa Rica, Central America

from $1,175* per person7 DaysDecember-August
Comfort accommodations Exertion level: 3
Operator: Journeys International 22 people max
Three years ago JOURNEYS inaugurated a new concept in family travel: a week-long adventure program, with a range of hands-on activities and excursions suitable for ages 4-84, based in a gorgeous and comfortable setting. The response has been enthusiastic.  Enjoy the ease of an all-inclusive holiday, the fun of a family summer camp, and the amenities and privacy of three-star accommodations in a lush and intimate environment around the Sarapiqui River, just a beautiful two-hour drive north of Costa Rica’s capital of San Jose.  All of us at JOURNEYS are excited to offer travel to Costa Rica more easily and more affordably than ever before, with the same energy, professionalism, and personal attention that has built our reputation over 30 years.

JOURNEYS Rainforest Adventure Camp is based at La Quinta Country Inn, which is part of the homestead and farm of the Gamez-Jenkins family. The grounds are charming. Comfortable guest rooms have air conditioning and ceiling fans as well as private tile bathrooms and private porches with hammocks. Red ginger plants and banana trees bloom right outside the doorways; gardens full of colorful frogs, butterflies, and tropical birds are just footsteps away; and the open air dining room overlooks a swimming pool nestled in the trees.

An array of activities – all fascinating, but none required – will begin before breakfast and last well into the evening.  Search for bugs and animals at Tirimbina Reserve and La Selva Biological Station, both of which are world-class nature preserves; interact with schoolchildren and their parents in the intimate town of Puerto Viejo; and enjoy La Quinta’s own activities and grounds. The rainforest ecosystem is a nature enthusiast’s delight, and lovers of crafts, soccer, swimming, cooking, Spanish language, singing, and dancing will all have opportunities to engage their passions. The more adventurous travelers can choose to go whitewater rafting and ziplining over the rainforest canopy.  The itinerary that follows is a sample of how the days may play out; however, this base camp model allows us flexibility to update our schedule when new information and opportunities become available, in order to offer you the very best options throughout the week.

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Locations visited/nearby

Costa Rica, Central America

0 testimonials about this trip.

3 testimonials about the provider, Journeys International:

  • Reviewer: G. Wallace located in Chagrin Falls, OH USA
    We love that JOURNYES is eco-minded. The quality of the overseas tour companies are excellent. We have been very pleased with the quality and diversity of the content of your tours. We will definitely be back.
  • Reviewer: L. Linker located in Sahuarita , AZ USA
    The major reasons that we enjoy traveling with JOURNEYS, are the fast responses to questions and information, talking to a real person who is friendly and empathetic to individual needs, the professionalism of the staff and the knowledge of all trips we have taken.
  • Reviewer: L. Kofoid located in Chicago, IL USA
    This trip captured our souls and will live with us forever.  Our daughter still talks everyday of the Masaai people in the Sinya camp who carried her during our stay.  Our son bores anyone who comes through our door with our slide show.  We all look at our pictures and pinch ourselves…..were we really there?!  Did we really watch and listen as a mother lion “spoke” to her cubs and they sassed back?  Did we really see giraffes, monkeys, elephants and zebra….all in the same spot?!  Could we really see for hundreds of miles across the savannah?!  Could the sky hold any more stars and has the Milky Way ever been clearer?!  Could the people have been any nicer!?  It is all like a magical dream…

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Special information

  • This is a custom departure, meaning this trip is offered on dates that you arrange privately with the provider. Additionally, you need to form your own private group for this trip. The itinerary and price here is just a sample. Contact the provider for detailed pricing, minimum group size, and scheduling information. For most providers, the larger the group you are traveling with, the lower the per-person cost will be.
  • Family oriented trip.

Itinerary

Day 1      Arrive San Jose

Bienvenidos, welcome!

Families arrive throughout the day on flights into San Jose's international airport. (Fly direct from, or connect via, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Newark, or New York.)

A driver will greet you on arrival and bring you from the airport to first-night accommodations at a comfortable hotel outside San Jose.  Program activities begin the next morning.  Meanwhile, settle in, rest up, and enjoy the beautiful, extensive gardens.
    
Lodging: Hotel Bougainvillea    

Day 2      Poas Volcano

Meet your fellow participants, and get acquainted during the morning’s drive through multiple climate zones and corresponding diversity of scenery.  Costa Rica is home to several spectacular volcanoes, and Poas is one of the most accessible.  On our way to our camp at La Quinta, http://www.laquintasarapiqui.com/, we will stop to learn about the tectonic landscape. If we are lucky, when we stand at the volcano's lip, we'll have a cloud-free view across the mile-wide crater.

Then, we will continue on to La Quinta, our base camp for the week’s adventures.  A group orientation will introduce the lay of the land and the activities that will be available throughout the program – some at fixed times, and others whenever the notion strikes you.  See the frog walk, butterfly house, caiman pond, herb and vegetable gardens, swimming pool, game room, and cozy areas to read, write, or watch tropical birds.

After a traditional Costa Rican dinner cooked with ingredients grown in La Quinta’s garden, you can choose how to spend your evening. Late-night options throughout the trip may include a “critters of the night” hike, late-night swim, and singing, dancing, and language activities.
    
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: La Quinta    

Day 3      Welcome to the Jungle

After breakfast, venture to La Selva Biological Station, a world-class preserve run by the Organization for Tropical Studies.  Part of central Costa Rica’s continuous greenbelt of connected parks, this is the best spot in the region to spot a wealth of bird, mammal, insect, and reptile species.  Learn about the scientific endeavors of student groups who travel here to conduct research.


In the afternoon, set out on a scouting walk around the La Quinta grounds.  Those interested in helping to prepare lunch can join a cooking class that includes harvesting ingredients from the garden.

Prepare for tomorrow’s visit to a local school by planning activities and learning a few Spanish words, then take a night-swim bed.
    
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: La Quinta    

Day 4      School Visit and River Safari

This morning early risers will have the opportunity to take a pre-breakfast bird walk with one of the region’s bird experts.

After breakfast, visit a local school where cross-cultural activities will help you connect with Costa Rican kids, irrespective of the extent of your Spanish repertoire.  The morning may culminate in a game of fútbol (soccer, for us Americans).

Throughout the week, young trip participants can check off their nature finds and activities to become camper-naturalists.  In the afternoon, a riverboat safari will help young spotters with their checklists.  Many birds and monkeys live on the edges of the forest that are exposed to the water, and if we’re lucky (and quiet), we can find large reptiles.

Enjoy a pizza dinner in the town of Puerto Viejo and free time for wandering the shops. Then, head back to camp.
    
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DInner
Lodging: La Quinta    

Day 5      Chocolate Tour and Bat Encounter

This morning set out to visit the property of a local conservation activist whose efforts have rehabilitated the local green macaw population. Afterward, select from optional activities. Take a sustainable crafts class, making artistic creations out of recycled local materials like pineapple husks and used containers.  Play games  on the La Quinta grounds. Or, choose an off-camp activity like a horseback trail ride through the forest. (Extra fees may apply for off-camp options.)

Then, in the late afternoon, head to Tirimbina Nature Preserve for an interactive demonstration of chocolate-making using rainforest-grown cacao.  Before heading back to camp for the night, an interactive bat program will introduce you to some of the dozens of species of bats that live in Costa Rica’s rainforest.
    
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: La Quinta    

Day 6      Choose Your Own Adventure!

Some campers may choose to partake of adventure activities, such as whitewater rafting, rainforest canopy ziplines, or horseback riding (additional fees will apply).  For those who prefer a morning around camp, you can enjoy a massage, try to spot additional creatures from your naturalist checklist, or laze by the poolside.

We will end our week of Adventure Camp with a fiesta!  We'll begin by making an authentic Costa Rican ice cream treat.  We'll enjoy a local-style BBQ party, a special closing circle, Latin dancing, and party activities into the night!
    
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: La Quinta    

Day 7      Goodbye / Onward

The time has come to say goodbye to La Quinta.  Swap e-mail addresses with your new camp friends to share photos once you’re home … and to make plans together to come to JOURNEYS’ family camp again next summer, in another new country! Hasta luego ... Until next time ... !

Consider extending your trip through the weekend with an extension to Tortuguero National Park, a remote wildlife haven and home to nesting sea turtles. Tourists can often witness egg-laying during summer months.
    
Meals: Breakfast

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