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| WHAT TO EXPECT | ||||
| ABOUT COSTA RICA | ||||||||
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Costa Rica extends majestically from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, and its distance from coast to coast is barely 200 miles across. Its land portion occupies only 20 thousand square Costa Rica is divided in to seven provinces: San Jose, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Guanacaste, Puntarenas, and Limon. Together they offer amazing destinations that include extensive rainforests, volcanoes, rivers traveling through the mountains, beaches and natural resources safeguarded by national parks and forest reserves. If you travel throughout the provinces of Costa Rica, you would soon realize that no other place on earth offers so many variations of landscape and climate. Costa Rica is one of most highly valued destinations on this planet. This small piece of land includes all of the necessary components to satisfy the taste of any adventure traveler. | ||||||||
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ABOUT COSTA RICA |
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Rugged highlands are found throughout most of Costa Rica, ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 meters (3,000 to 6,000 feet) above sea level. The Guanacaste Mountain Range, Central Mountain Range, and Talamanca Mountain Range are the main mountain ranges extending the entire length of the country. There are several active volcanoes (Arenal Volcano, Irazu Volcano, Rincon de la Vieja Volcano and Turrialba Volcano) and the country’s highest mountain, Chirripo, with a height of 3,819 m or 12,530 ft. Costa Rica has a relatively long coastline on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, as well as a number of world class whitewater rivers and streams which attract kayakers and rafters from all over the world. Costa Rica has a pleasant tropical climate with a year round average day-time temperature of 22 degrees C (72 degrees F) with more mild temperatures at night. There are two distinct seasons in Costa Rica, the dry season, which extends from December to April and the rainy season, which runs from May to November. During the rainy season, expect rain in the afternoons, while the mornings are usually sunny. Due to the topography and a variety of geographical factors you will experiences different micro-climates and in this relatively small country, you can experience them all in just one day. This combination also creates immense bio-diversity and a host of different types of forest: the cloud forest, the rain forest, the dry forest, and the transition forest.
Micro-Climates categorized by regions: | ||||||||
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The High Region: Elevation of 3,000 to 3,100 meters in altitude with temperatures of 0 degrees C (32 degrees F). |
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| CULTURE & PEOPLE | ||||||||
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Costa Rica’s cultural richness is in many ways a reflection of the diversity of its people. The predominant influence has long been European, mainly Spaniards, in addition to people with origins from Africa, Asia and through out the Americas. This is reflected in everything from the official language, Spanish, to the architecture of the country's churches and other historic buildings. The indigenous populations of the BriBri, Cabecar, Maleku, Teribe, Boruca, Ngobe, Hueter and Chortotega tribes are less visible, but their influence can be found through out Costa Rica, from tortillas, part of a typical Costa Rican meal, to hand made ceramics sold at markets. Both of which are distinctly different, The “Ticos”, as Costa Ricans are commonly known, are famous for their hospitality, and are quite happy to live up to their reputation. They are a well-educated and hard working people, who are quick to greet anyone with a handshake and a smile. They are well aware of how special their land is, and genuinely care about making your visit as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. People say Ticos are Costa Rica’s greatest asset, and once you've experienced their friendliness and spontaneity, you'll agree. | ||||||||
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Costa Rican cuisine can best be described as fresh, healthy and fairly mild, relying heavily on a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables. While true Costa Rican cuisine can be found through out the country. You'll even find popular fast food restaurants, such as McDonalds and Pizza Hut in some of the more populated areas. The staple dish of Costa Rica is gallo pinto, or rice and black beans, usually combined and cooked with vegetables and mild spices. A variety of Beef, fish, pork and chicken dishes are also popular through out Costa Rica. Common side items can include fried plantains, a slice of white cheese (not processed cheese) and some type of corn tortillas which vary from region to region. Tortillas are almost always present at meal time and there are many different types. Ticos will fill their tortillas with whatever they are eating, called a gallo, resembling what we would call a soft taco. Picadillos are another popular dish. Consisting of meat, spices and diced vegetables, served a variety of ways, often eaten in the form of a Common vegetables used in picadillos and other dishes are potatoes, tomatoes, onions, green beans, a variety of squash such as ayote, chayote, arracache and a variety of mild peppers. There is no shortage of vegetarian dishes - this is fruit and veggie paradise. Coffee and Bananas are the two main agricultural exports of Costa Rica and are a large part of all local cuisine. Coffee is usually served at breakfast and again in the afternoon, during traditional coffee breaks. The Plantain, a larger member of the banana family, is another commonly used fruit and can be served in a variety of ways. Ripe plantains have a sweet flavor, and can be fried in butter or baked in a honey or a sugar-based sauce. Green (unripe) plantains are boiled in soups or can be cooked, mashed into small round cakes and fried to make patacones. Other common and traditional dishes include sweet corn like pozole (corn soup) and chorreadas (corn pancakes). As with the tortillas, the corn dishes vary from region to region and are all very unique and delicious. The traditional breakfast drink, besides coffee, is called aqua dulce (sweet water) and is made from tapa de dulce. Sugar cane juice is boiled down in traditional trapiches and solidified in a mold, called tapa. Some of the tapa is scraped off and dissolved into boiling water or milk to make the sweet aqua dulce. Other popular drinks are refrescos or frescos for short, which consist of liquefied fruits diluted in either water or milk and sweetened to taste. They come in a host of wonderful fresh fruit flavors such as melon, blackberry, strawberry, watermelon, mango, tamarind, passion fruit, guanabana and cas. Whether you're a picky eater, or have an adventurous appetite, you will not be disappointed with the cuisine in Costa Rica. With a variety of drinks, meats, fruits and vegetables, you will find yourself looking forward to each and every meal. | ||||||||
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Our Adventure Center hosts a variety of sleeping accommodations from cabins which sleep up to 14, to our Eco-lodge, with four- person bunk rooms and a large covered deck, which can sleep up to 60 While rustic, each room and cabin has a private bathroom and with use of hydro-electric power and solar energy we are able to provide lighting at night, and our cabins are equipped with hot water showers and ceiling fans. For activities and travel outside of our Adventure Center we contract with the best Hotels and Lodges in Costa Rica. With security, comfort, food and water quality in mind, we offer a variety of lodging options ranging from family stays to high end resort facilities. We also maintain overnight permits in several National Parks and Nature Reserves.
Over the years we have developed relationships with amazing families and small communities throughout rural Costa Rica. Each year, they open their homes to our participants, providing not only a unique cultural experience but amazing home cooked meals and a safe place to sleep. Each season, our Directors travel to personally meet with and inspect each of our lodging partners. During our visit, we negotiate great rates, develop meal menus, test water quality and perform an overall inspection of the property. All of our lodging partners meet or exceed our expectations and will surely meet or exceed yours. | ||||||||
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Most programs begin and end in San Jose, The Capitol of Costa Rica. The San Jose Airport (SJO), also known as Juan Santamaria International Airport, is the primary airport in Costa Rica. The airport sits just outside of Downtown San Jose, and is a short drive away from most major hotels and accommodations Our Adventure Center is located south of San Jose, over the Talamanca Mountains. Traveling Costa Rica's highest mountain pass, enjoy breath taking views while experiencing different micro climates, arriving in the town of San Isidro in just a couple of hours. San Isidro is the gateway to Costa Rica's Central Pacific and Southern regions, central to our area of operation and the closest major city to our Adventure Center. For travel to our Adventure Center, you will transfer to 4x4 vehicles and make your way to the confluence of the Sevegre and Division Rivers. Here, in the small Village of Brujo we'll prepare for our rainforest hike and hit the trail to our Adventure Center. Depending on time, your budget and thirst for adventure, there are several routes to the trail head in Brujo, and on to our Adventure Center. By means of either 4x4 vehicle, horseback, backpacking, or a combination of the 3, you can spend anywhere from a 1/2 day, up to 3 days traveling to our Adventure Center. While our own vehicles are used for smaller groups, logistics and support, we charter transportation for larger groups through a private, family owned transportation company. We have a long standing relationship with this company and have worked with them on a multitude of programs through out Costa Rica and Panama. Specializing in rural transportation, they are a certified tourism operator with a perfect safety record.
Using modern, safe and reliable Busses, Vans & SUV's we can accommodate groups, gear and equipment, ranging in size from 1 to 55 persons. From supporting expeditions of great lengths to regional transfers between activities, we understand the importance of flexibility and safety. You will not find a better partnership offering competent and dependable transportation in Costa Rica. | ||||||||
miles.
varying from region to region.
gallo.
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in the Central Valley Region. 
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Copyright © 2008 Rainforest Adventure Center Expeditions | |||||