One of the most valued environmental destinations approximately 25% of the country has protected forests and reserves

Transcription

1

2 One of the most valued environmental destinations approximately 25% of the country has protected forests and reserves Slightly smaller than Lake Michigan, this country is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the West and the Caribbean Sea on the East This country boasts 52 species of hummingbirds, 750,000 species of insects including 20,000 different types of spiders, 10% of the world s butterflies, and monkeys are the most common mammal next to bats. The 4 common monkey species are Howler, Spider, White-Faced Saki, and Squirrel. There are more than 121 volcanic formations, and seven of them are active. Poas Volcano has the second widest crater in the world and Arenal is one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world.

3 Purduettes Costa Rica Tour March 11-19, 2016

4 San José Day One: Friday, March 11 Depart via scheduled air service to San José, Costa Rica Arrive in San José. Meet your MCI Tour Manager, who will assist the group to awaiting chartered motorcoach for a transfer to the hotel via orientation tour of San Jose Afternoon hotel check-in Evening Welcome Dinner with Costa Rican dancing show and overnight San José Day Two: Saturday, March 12 Morning tour of San José. This tour introduces you to the Costa Rican people, culture and history, discovering, monuments, neighborhoods, and historical sites of San José. It begins with an orientation and drive through the beautiful Sabana Park, passing by Rohrmoser residential area, driving through Paseo Colón. Next, we will visit the heart of the city to admire the pride of the TICOS, the National Theatre. This old architectural jewel was designed as the opera house at the beginning of the 19th century and completed in 1897, being a masterpiece in art and architecture Lunch included Exchange with local music students as part of the American Celebration of Music in Costa Rica* Evening dinner and overnight Sabana Park National Theater

5 San José / Sarchi / Arenal Day Three: Sunday, March 13 Morning visit to the InBio Park to learn about the biodiversity of Costa Rica, in a special guided tour. Learn about flora and fauna and be in contact with different animals Lunch included Afternoon concert in the Basilica de Santo Domingo as part of the American Celebration of Music in Costa Rica* Evening dinner and overnight Day Four: Monday, March 14 Visit to Poás Volcano National Park for a tour. The most visited park in Costa Rica covers an area of approximately 16,000 acres; the summit is 8,900 feet. One of the attractive features about Poás is you can get all the way to the edge of the crater. The main crater is 950 feet deep and is quite active with frequent small geyser and lava eruptions; however the last major eruptions were during Two more craters make up parts of the park, the extinct Von Frantzuis crater and the Botos crater. Botos is a beautiful cold green water crater lake. Well marked trails take you to the two inactive craters Transfer to Sarchi known as the Cradle of Costa Rican Artisans because of its fine workshops. Here we will have time to enjoy the artistic work of the local artisans as they create the famous typical oxcart and you will be able to shop for that special souvenir Lunch included in Sarchi Continue to Arenal for a visit to the Hot Springs, a series of pools fed with volcanic water Evening dinner and overnight InBio Park Poás Volcano National Park Hot Springs

6 Ecotermales Hotsprings

7 Arenal Day Five: Tuesday, March 15 Morning tour of the nearby Arenal Rainforest Reserve. Enjoy the Aerial Tram. The tour includes the ascent by cable car to the top of the Arenal Reserve, where you can see beautiful landscapes of the forest, lake and the volcano. On the way back you can choose to return on the tram or take the Sky Trek which is a secure system of trails and zip lines that offer visitors the opportunity to observe and appreciate the nature from different vantage points. The shortest cable is 195 ft and the longest is 650 ft Lunch included Afternoon visit to the Arenal Volcano National Park. This volcano is active but without lava eruptions, however in the park you can see old eruptions and lava trails Concert as part of the American Celebration of Music in Costa Rica* Evening dinner and overnight Aerial Sky Tram Sky Trek Arenal Volcano National Park

8 Arenal Volcano

9 Arenal Day Six: Wednesday, March 16 Enjoy a visit to Finca Educativa Don Juan educational farm. The farm started with the vision of creating a viable, organic, educational farm that could serve as an example based on production, conservation and Education. The local farmer, who owns the sustainable five-acre farm, grows more than 60 crop species including native and introduced plants, as well as medicinal plants using environmentally-friendly techniques over traditional methods. He is continually looking to share his knowledge in the hopes of educating and convincing others of the importance of conservation, sustainability and viability of organic practices Lunch included Concert at La Fortuna Church as part of the American Celebration of Music in Costa Rica* Evening dinner and overnight Don Juan Educational Farm Don Juan Educational Farm Don Juan Educational Farm

10 Arenal / Puntarenas Day Seven: Thursday, March 17 Transfer to Tarcoles River to enjoy the Jungle River and a Crocodile Adventure. Here you can see one of the largest populations of American Crocodiles on the continent. Discover the mangrove swamp area with a high biodiversity, amongst which you will find a large number of aquatic birds and the red macaw Conservation Reserve. The boats will take you on the journey of a lifetime into an impressive ecosystem composed of four different mangle species, each one representing an important ecological habitat Lunch included Continue to Puntarenas for dinner and overnight Day Eight: Friday, March 18 Visit Manuel Antonio National Park. The park contains a charming combination of rain forest, beaches and coral reefs. These beaches are the most beautiful in the country, lined with lush forest, and the snorkeling is excellent too. The forest is home for sloths, iguanas, the rare and adorable squirrel monkeys and millions of colorful little crab. And the trail that winds around Punta Cathedral affords some spectacular views. The park is easy to reach, and is near a good selection of restaurants Lunch included Concert in Puntarenas as part of the American Celebration of Music in Costa Rica* Evening dinner and overnight Day Nine: Saturday, March 19 Transfer to San José s airport for return flight Jungle River Manuel Antonio National Park Manuel Antonio National Park

11 Performances

12 Overview: 9 days/8 nights Welcome Dinner in San José Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included each full day in Costa Rica 5 performance opportunities Cities visited include San José Sarchi Arenal Puntarenas Activity opportunities include Guided tour of San José Sabana Park, Rohrmoser residential area, Paseo Colón, National Theatre InBio Park see the flora and fauna of Costa Rica, be in contact with different animals Poás Volcano National Park Sarchi cradle of Costa Rican artisans Hot Springs Arenal Rainforest Reserve Arenal Volcano National Park Finca Educativa Don Juan educational farm Manuel Antonio National Park Cost: Trip cost - $2,680 Total cost to students $1,680 (PMO is picking up 37% of trip cost) broken down into payments Additional costs: $110 renewed passport $150 new passport ($110 passport fee, $15 passport photo, $25 USPS processing fee) *If the cost of the trip will jeopardize your ability to participate in Purduettes next year, please let Jeff know.

13 Pack your bags, Purduettes, you re heading to Costa Rica!