Costa Rica Winter Garden Tour
Gardens, Beaches and Vistas

Sponsored by the Federated Garden Clubs of CT




This 8 day 9 night garden tour of Costa Rica includes the following: round-trip air, 9 nights accommodations, breakfast daily, 7 dinners, 5 lunches, coach airport transportation from Hartford, Stamford & New Haven, tours and transfers as per itinerary.  
 
Trip price: $2800 per person (double occupancy), details below.  



Enjoy a winter holiday in sunny and peaceful Costa Rica, a naturalist’s delight.  The extraordinary flora and fauna, and the carefully preserved internationally acclaimed National Parks  will make this a special tour.  We spend eight  nights exploring this peaceful country that treasures and carefully conserves its  environment.  
 
We tour public and private gardens, visit a coffee plantation, a butterfly farm,  Mineral Springs, and unspoiled beaches. Members and friends welcome!  
 






1.  Tuesday, February 1     Arrival
Depart by private motor coach from Hartford, New Haven and Stamford pick up stops.  Travel to Newark for Continental Airlines non-stop flight at 5:20pm and arrive in San Jose Costa Rica at 9:45pm.   We have a light supper at our hotel, the Hotel Bougainvillea,  which has a  pool, sauna, tennis court and well-kept gardens, www.bougainvillea.co.cr



2.  Wednesday, February 2     Plantation & Gardens
After breakfast  visit Doka Estate Coffee Plantation, a private family-owned coffee estate producing the country’s finest Arabica coffee. After lunch (included) visit to two private gardens in the area. Participants will have the chance to enjoy the variety of plants, trees and flowers. Return to the hotel after the visits. Dinner included at the hotel.



3.  Thursday, February 3     Botanical Gardens
This morning visit another private garden in the eastern part of the Central Valley. After lunch (included) tour the Jardín Botánico Lankester, created in the ´50s by an English naturalist, Carlos H. Lankester. In 1973 it was bought by the North American Society of Orchideology and the Stanley Smith Foundation of England in order to donate it to the University of Costa Rica. The garden is widely known for its collection of epiphytes among which the orchids are the most outstanding. You will also find other plants such as bromeliads, aroids, heliconias, gingers, musaceas, cacti, and ferns. Birdlife in the garden is also important. Return to the hotel after the visit. Evening at leisure; dinner on own.



4.  Friday, February 4     Volcano & Waterfall
Today we begin with a visit to the Poas Volcano, a restless giant with a 50-year active cycle and one of the largest craters in the world,  measuring 1 mile.  On the way up to the volcano are picturesque views of coffee plantations and dairy farms. It is a short walk from the park entrance to the crater. Visitors to the park will also have the chance to walk through cloud forest trails to the Botos Lagoon, a former crater that is today a picturesque lagoon.  
 
The La Paz Waterfall Gardens are blessed with an altitude ranging from 4300 to 5000 ft that provide an ideal climate for the cloud and rainforest to coexist. It offers the largest enclosed Butterfly Observatory in the country covering 18,000 sq feet, and includes species of the most colorful butterflies to be found in Costa Rica. It also features a Hummingbird Garden and forest trails leading to beautiful waterfalls.  
 
After the visit, continue to Hotel Montana de Fuego located in the Arenal Volcano area.  The hotel has spacious gardens and natural trails in this ecological paradise.  There is an excellent view to the volcano from the new restaurant. Dinner included at the hotel.  www.montanadefuego.com  
 



5.  Saturday, February 5     Hot Springs
This morning is free to relax and enjoy the facilities of the hotel which include a pool and a spa.  In the afternoon visit the Arenal Volcano National Park and the Tabacon Hotsprings. The Arenal volcano has been in constant activity for about thirty five years. Its perfect conical shape emerges from gentle green hills and clouds.  The Tabacón Hotsprings, located right at the foot of Arenal Volcano, offers five natural mineral pools of varying temperatures and depths, water slides, waterfalls. You can relax in a Jacuzzi or in an individual tub, surrounded by beautiful gardens. From some of the pools you even have a spectacular view of the volcano, weather permitting.  Dinner included.  
 



6.  Sunday, February 6     Gardens & Beaches
After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and travel to Manuel Antonio Beach on the mid Pacific coast. On the way, visit the Pura Vida Gardens which has 20 acres of botanical gardens and a great selection of tropical plants and flowers, as well as a large orchid collection with species from all over the world. We continue after lunch (included) to Quepos and Manuel Antonio Park. Where we stay at Hotel El Parador.  The hotel is located on a hill of Punta Quepos, in a densely forested peninsula, 2 miles from the entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Central Pacific Coast.  The hotel has a mini-golf course, swimming pool and Jacuzzi, health club with steam room, tennis courts and beauty salon.  Dinner included at the hotel. www.hotelparador.com  
 



7.  Monday, February 7     National Park
On a visit to Manuel Antonio National Park preserves you’ll find not only beautiful beaches, but also mangroves, a group of offshore islands, humid tropical forest and treasured wildlife. Visitors to the park will have the chance to enjoy the white sandy beach, walk along forest trails, and observe a variety of animals such as monkeys, raccoons, coatis, iguanas and sloths, among others. Birdlife is also abundant. A trail approximately 0.4 miles long will take you from the park’s entrance to the beach where you will spend the day; alternatively, you may walk along the beach. Lunch on own.  Balance of  afternoon and evening at leisure. Dinner on own (not included).



8.  Tuesday, February 8     Cruise
On a cruise along the Pacific coastline participants will observe islands with jagged rock formations, towering cliffs, and the nesting grounds to some 16 species of marine birds and their young. We travel along the coastline while your guide provides interesting facts of the national park. There is also chance to swim and snorkel, and observe some of the 60 species of tropical fish in the area.  Balance of afternoon is at leisure. Dinner included tonight.  
 



9.  Wednesday, February 8     San Jose
This morning we return to San Jose, with lunch included enroute.  We have a tour of San Jose before checking into the Hotel bougainvillea.  Dinner included tonight.  
 



10.  Thursday, February 10     Adios
After breakfast we have a transfer to  Continental Airlines flight which departs at 915am and arrives at Newark airport at 3:15pm.  Transportation is  provided to Stamford, New Haven and Hartford locations.  
 





This engaging experience includes:

  • Round-trip air on Continental Airlines
  • Breakfast daily
  • 7 dinners
  • 5 lunches
  • Hartford, Stamford & New Haven coach
  • Tours and transfers as per itinerary
  • 9 nights accommodations
PROGRAM PRICES  
Per person (double occupancy) from New York:$2800  
Single Supplement:$550  
Air Taxes: $tbd