Depart Home for San Jose, Costa Rica
Arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica (early flight recommended)
Drive to Hotel (approx 40 min)
Hotel Check-In & On-Ground Briefing
Cigar Factory Tour (1 hour away) - This activity will be running only if the flight has no delay. Students will be taken to the factory straight from the airport. Luggage will be left in the bus during the factory visit.
Learn about the production process of premium cigars in this factory. The tour starts with a welcome from one of the experts and a general explanation about cigar making and the history of the factory. Later you will be explained the stages of the cigar adventure.
Welcome Dinner - The group will be taken for an authentic dinner with a wide variety of menu options to cater all diets.
Breakfast & Day Briefing
Visit Palmitour - We will travel over road 32 for about 2 hours to visit Palmitour, which is an incredible an unique experience. We will learn all about Heart of Palm. Besides learning about this interesting crop, we are going to have the chance to taste some dishes prepared from Palmito.
Lunch Break at Palmitour (included)
Organic Pineapple Farm - After lunch, we will drive for approx. 30 minutes to an organic pineapple farm. Our goal is to learn about sustainable farming, and this farm allows us to do so. They are one of the few Costa Rican producers to export organic pineapple to North America and Europe. From farm to table experience, today we are going to visit a Pineapple farm and we are going to learn every single aspect of this fascinating crop. From preparing the field to planting and then harvesting, we will go directly to the fields to get hands on. We will also cover other important aspects such as exploration and production and how to run an organic farm. Topics: Production, Exports, Pesticides
Group Dinner (included)
Briefing after Dinner
Breakfast & Day Briefing
Travel Day to Juanilama Homestay - Travel Day to Juanilama Homestay. We will drive for about 2 hrs hours, located at Santa Rosa de Pocosol. Juanilama Proyecto Rural, is a community that is doing its best to preserve the Costa Rican culture. Today we are going to learn the day by day in farm areas in Costa Rica. We will visit Yamilleth's farm; she and her family were one of the original settlers that move to Juanilama. They have been sharing their knowledge about farming generation after generation. We will learn about the challenges that they lived 30 years ago and the facilities the community have now days. Introduce you to the families.
Dancing Lessons - one of the secrets of happiness in these smalls communities is to be active and enjoy the time together. We will be learning how to dance salsa, merengue, bachata.
Breakfast & Day Briefing (at each Individual Homestay)
Visit Yamilleth's Farm - We will learn how a Costarican live in the rural areas, learn their techniques of farming as well of the dairy products in a small scale production, continue learning about cassava, pineapple , pepper and medicinal plants. We are going to finish this local experience having some fresh made chocolate, coffee, and sugarcane juice.
Cooking Class - Lunch is going to be different today. We are going to take a cooking class! We will learn how to prepare a good Casado (Costa Rican dish). Each student is going to take place in the kitchen and will learn how to make a delicious Costa Rican dish, with fresh ingredients and all the love that the families at Juanilama are going to share with us. After an authentic lunch we will.
Walk into the Juanilama Reserve - a 19 hectare protected section of forest where we will be able to observe some wildlife. At the end of the trail you will see a waterfall. Monkeys, poison dart frogs, toucans, parrots are some species typically found in the area.
Topics: (Small entrepreneur, local experience, daily living of CR farmers)
Group Dinner (included)
Breakfast & Day Briefing
Travel to La Fortuna – After a farewell to Juanilama community, we continue our journey to La Fortuna. Travel time to Fortuna is only 2 hours.
Lunch Break (included)
North Fields Coffee & Chocolate Plantation - We will visit North Fields coffee farm. A small family business that grows coffee at the base of the famous Arenal Volcano. The area of La Fortuna is blessed with rich soils, and coffee, sugar cane and cacao is just one of many other crops grown in the area. The student we get to learn the history of the chocolate and coffee tasting a fresh grain cacao beans or a very recent roasted coffee. The importance of small producer of cacao & coffee, the unfair payment that the market lives today. Coffee we will learn about the harvest to the sampling of a good coffee.
Topics: Import/Export, Quality Product and Markets.
Group Dinner (included)
Breakfast & Day Briefing
Learn about the Local Development ETAI (Industrial Agricultural Technical School) - it is an institution located at Santa Clara, San Carlos and today we will have the opportunity to visit and learn about one of their majors. Our focus today at ETAI is on farming productivity. San Carlos is known for their cattle farming, crops such as pineapple, and other agricultural activities. At their campus we are going to find a cattle farm and we will be part of the different production processes related to this activity, with the opportunity also to see different crops growing on their farm. This experience is going to be delivered by the same students of ETAI, their tourism major has a program to encourage their students to put in practice all their knowledge they have learned in the classroom.
Topics: Artificial Insemination, Goats and Chickens Tropic Diseases, Sheep, Vermicompost & Sustainably Farming
Lunch Break (included)
Afternoon Off
Breakfast & Day Briefing
Mistico Hanging Bridges - Experience the Tropical Rainforest from a different perspective, you are going to explore the forest from ground level to the treetops, trying to spot as much wildlife as possible. Your guide will explain along the trail about the interactions that occur between the flora & fauna.
Lunch Break (included)
Hot Springs - After a long day of walking and exploring the rainforest we will finish enjoying some amazing hot springs 36°C-37.5°C (96.8 -99.5 °f) to Average temperature: 38° C – 39° C (100.4°F – 102.5 ° F)
Group Dinner (included)
Breakfast & Day Briefing
Visit the Facilities of MAG in La Tigra - “MAG” typically refers to the Ministerio de Agricultura Ganadería de Costa Rica (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica). It's the government agency responsible for developing and implementing policies related to agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and rural development in Costa Rica.
Mission: We will visit a farm and we will teach students to promote the sustainable development of the agricultural and livestock sector, contributing to the generation of wealth, decent work, food security, and the conservation of natural resources.
Lunch Break (included)
La Fortuna Waterfall - The La Fortuna Waterfall, also known as Catarata de la Fortuna, is a majestic 210-foot waterfall nestled within the lush rainforest near the town of La Fortuna, Costa Rica. It's part of the Arenal Volcano National Park and is fed by the Fortuna River, making its way through the rainforest before cascading over the cliff and into a refreshing pool below.
Group Dinner (included)
Breakfast & Day Briefing
Day Off to Relax and Explore Around the Town.
Optional Activities:
Lunch & Dinner (included)
Travel to San Jose (Approx 3hrs)
Farewell Dinner (included)
Breakfast & Day Briefing
Airport Transfer
Depart San Jose, Costa Rica for Home