US$1195  
Tour Code: TR8

Join biologists to study giant leather back turtles for two nights at Pacuare Nature Reserve. Then head to Selva Bananito for rainforest adventure!

8 day starting and ending in San Jose, Costa Rica. 

Day 1: Arrive San Jose
Overnight

Day 2:  Pacuare River Rafting (L, D)
This morning you head east towards the Caribbean and the Class III-IV whitewater of the Pacuare River.  One of Costa Rica’s most exciting whitewater trips, the Pacuare plunges through spectacular mountain gorges and passes through virgin rainforest filled with howler monkeys, toucans, sloths, ocelots and more.  After the river trip, the adventure isn’t over.  You’re transferred by car and boat to the Pacuare Nature Reserve.  Dinner is by candlelight against the backdrop of the rolling Caribbean sea.  Tonight, you can join biologists to search for your first leatherback turtle or just relax on the breezy beach house porch.

Day 3: Leather Back Turtles and River Canals (B, L, D) 
After a late breakfast, wander along the deserted four miles of beach and study the tractor-like tracks of the previous night’s leatherback turtles. Then take an afternoon boat trip through the adjacent canals and into the reserve’s primary rainforest. Besides being Costa Rica’s most important nesting ground for leatherback turtles, the 1850 acres of jungle, beaches and canals of Reserva Pacuara is home to birds such as toucans, herons, king fishers, parrots, hummingbirds and such rainforest mammals as peccaries, two and three toed sloths, howler, spider and capachin monkeys, the strange quatimundi, and pumas – just to name a few.  After the sun goes down, you’ll accompany one of the biologists on their turtle rounds.  During nesting season, your job is to walk the beach looking for a leatherback laying eggs.  When you find one, you’ll wait with the researcher until the turtle is done laying eggs.  Then, you’ll have the chance to approach the turtle and assist in measuring and tagging it before the giant leatherback returns to the sea.  Turtle egg poachers are a major threat to the survival of leatherbacks, so your next job is to carefully dig up the eggs and rebury them in another location so poachers cannot find the nest.  When the turtles begin to hatch later in the season, you’ll have the chance to observe dozens and sometimes hundreds of baby leatherbacks scratching their way to the service and making their way into the surf.  Don’t imagine that this is just a beautiful sight to observe!  Hatchlings at the top of a nest often pack the sand below them so that their siblings cannot escape to the surface.  This means that in the morning you might be invited to play midwife to these trapped baby turtles.  By loosening the sand in certain nests, you allow hatchlings at the bottom a chance to escape to the sea to begin their lives.  While the leatherbacks are hatching, 250 pound green turtles come to these same beaches to lay their eggs, and visitors will be out searching for these turtles, measuring, tagging, and hiding the nests of these endangered turtles too.

Day 4-6: Rainforest Retreat (B, L, D)
After a late breakfast, it’s off to Selva Bananito Reserve for a few days of jungle discovery and adventure.  Bordering Costa Rica’s largest and most pristine nature reserve, Selva Bananito is part of the same rich ecosystem as the 1.5 million acre La Amistad International Peace Park, and it’s alive with hundreds of species of birds, and animals such as toucans, parrots, monkeys, sloths and the elusive jaguar and tapir.  There’s an adventure here for everyone.  You’ll have the chance to climb a giant kapok tree and enter the fascinating world of the rainforest canopy.  With the encouragement Jurgen or Sofia Stein, the brother and sister team that created the reserve, even land lover will find themselves lost in a swinging world 100 feet off the ground and buzzing with life.  There’s also horseback riding through the adjacent family farm to learn about the organic tropical farming techniques that their father, Rudi Stein, has developed over the past 25 years. The farm boasts a heliconia garden brimming with enormous tropical flowers, and a half day nature trail through the surrounding primary rainforest where guests can learn about the rainforest ecology.  For the adventurous there’s an all day trip deep into the jungle where a dip in a pool below a 70 foot waterfall is the just reward for the effort.  At the end of each day, locally grown food is served by candlelight before you retire to the tranquil retreat of your jungle cabana. 

Day 7: Jungle Free Day (B, L)
This morning you can soak up the jungle ambiance or saddle up for a unique ride into the reserve’s primary jungle.  After exploring the jungle on foot and by boat, the added height of the horse introduces yet another world of jungle life.  At the end of the ride, there’s one more chance to climb into the rainforest canopy.  After lunch, it’s back to San Jose.

Day 8:  Return Home

Accommodations:  3 nights comfortable cabañas, 2 nights simple beach house
Food Included:  All meals outside of San Jose as indicated (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
Transportation:  minibuses, jeep, river boat
Single supplement: $195
Weekly Departures: Sat-Sat; Mar 18 to Aug 13 only
Group & Staff:  Minimum 2, Maximum 6 in Pacuara and 22 in Bananito; bilingual naturalists, local guides
Personal Budgeting:  Allow $40 for meals not included, $17 international departure tax
Pre and post tour accommodations:  Share $50, Single $75
Is it for me?  An itinerary filled with wildlife and adventure, and flexible enough to accommodate the most adventurous souls and those who prefer a more relaxed time.  An easy trip for any age.  For those not comfortable with Class III-IV rapids, they may skip the rafting or go on a delightful Class III trip.
Arrival transfers:
        1 person $50 each
        2 or more people $25 per person