Origin Adventure - Costa Rica 2024

Adventure Overview

The lush jungles of Costa Rica are tranquil, untouched and inhabited with extraordinary wildlife. Join our team as we travel to source cacao from our farming partners, become immersed in rich Latin American culture, and explore the beauty and natural wonder that Costa Rica is famous for. Experience firsthand the importance of ethically traded cacao–we'll even make our own chocolate right on a cacao farm! Being known for it's diverse array of unique wildlife, we'll see some incredible animals as we spend time in the cloud forests of Monteverde, where we'll zip-line and hike on majestic hanging bridges. The trip will end with relaxation on the beach in 1 of 5 blue zones in the world, while we enjoy snorkeling and kayaking to a remote island.

Highlights

Rio Celeste Turquoise Waterfalls
Cacao Pod Harvesting and Tree Planting
Jungle Hanging Bridges and Sloth Tour
Coffee Harvesting, Roasting, and Tasting
Chocolate Making and Tasting Class
Rainforest Zip-Lining and Treetop Canopy Tour
Downtime on the Beaches in the Nicoya Blue Zone

Itinerary

This Costa Rica Adventure is a delightful blend of food, nature, and fun! There will be several hands-on activities involving cacao and coffee that all ages will enjoy, including making our own chocolate and harvesting cacao pods. Get a first-hand look at the diverse array of wildlife unique to Costa Rica as we see sloths, birds, reptiles, and other creatures. Enjoy some time in the sun, in the water, and exploring lush jungles in this exciting Origin Adventure.

Day 1: Arrive, Relax, and Swim

Arrive at Liberia International Airport. Transfer to hotel in Rio Celeste. Swimming, hiking and night hike around Rio Celeste waterfall. Welcome dinner and orientation.

‍Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
‍Accommodations: Rio Celeste Hotel
Day 2: Cacao Farm Tour & Rio Celeste Waterfall Hike

Drive to Bijagua in the state of Upala for a cacao farm experience. Meet our farming partners, Finca La Amistad, and get your hands dirty on the farm. After a local lunch drive to Rio Celeste for a hike to the aqua blue waterfall. Return to Rio Celeste hotel for the night.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
‍Accommodations: Rio Celeste Hotel
Day 3: Swimming and La Fortuna Waterfall Hike

Free time at Rio Celeste hotel. After lunch, drive to La Fortuna waterfall for a short hike and swim. Head to Baldi Hot Springs Resort for the night.

‍Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
‍Accommodations: Baldi Hot Springs Resort
Day 4: Hanging Bridges & Sloth Tour

In the morning, head to Mystico Hanging Bridges. Lunch at a local restaurant. Sloth tour and local coffee/chocolate tour in the afternoon. Relax and unwind at Baldi Hot Springs Resort.

‍Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
‍Accommodations: Baldi Hot Springs Resort
Day 5: Chocolate Experience and Hot Springs

Join our friends at Two Monkeys Craft Chocolate for a bean to bar chocolate experience and local lunch. Drive to Monteverde cloud forest for the night.

‍Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
‍Accommodations: Monteverde Lodge
Day 6: Cloud Forest and Aguti Reserve

Journey up into the mountains and settle into the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Enjoy the many species of animals and plants that coexist in complete harmony.
Day 7: Ziplining and Animals in the Cloud Forest

Spend the day at Selvatura park in the cloud forest of Monteverde. Canopy ziplining and walk, butterfly garden, sloth sanctuary, reptiles and lunch. Stay the night in Monteverde.

‍Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
‍Accommodations: Monteverde Lodge
Day 8: Coffee Experience

Drive to Cafe Monteverde for a coffee experience in the morning. Experience every stage of coffee farming and processing, from seed germination, to farming, harvesting, processing and roasting. Head to Samara for the night.

‍Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
‍Accommodations: Samara Hotel
Day 9: Kayak, Snorkel, and Beach

Experience the rejuvenative Blue Zone region of Samara. Kayak and snorkel trip to Chora Island from Samara. Day on the beach. Lunch on Samara beach. Farewell dinner.

‍Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
‍Accommodations: Samara Hotel
Day 10: Departure Day

After breakfast, depart from Liberia International Airport.

‍Meals Included: Breakfast

Direct-Trade Partners

Origin Adventures started as a way to take you to meet the farmers who grow the cacao and coffee beans we use in our products. These trips are the ultimate way to experience a transparent, direct-trade supply chain - from farmer and raw bean, all the way to finished product. At the heart of every Origin Adventure are our farming partners - they’re the reason we do what we do. In Costa Rica we are proud to have Fina La Amistad as our cocoa partner. Amistad buys fresh cocoa from more than 100 small cocoa producers and takes it upon themselves to ferment, dry, and ensure that all of the cocoa we buy is exceptional.

Accommodations & Food

This trip provides plenty of time to relax, swim, experience culture and enjoy local food. All participants will share lodging with immediate travel partners, or with a same-gender roommate. We'll be staying in comfortable lodgings throughout our journey.

‍Accommodation Styles: Hotels & lodges for all nights. 2 nights in 4 locations. All bookings are double-occupancy minimally with families being the exception.