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Arrival
Today we arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Overnight in San Jose. Dinner if required.
San JosÈ
This morning we travel to Poas Volcano, located 2660 m (8,869 ft) above sea level. Poas has one of the deepest volcanic craters on earth and is still active today, though calm. From a lookout (weather permitting) we are able to see geysers and active fumaroles.
Upon return to San JosÈ, we have a guided city tour. The city was founded in 1737 as Villa Nueva de la Boca del Monte del Valle de Abra, as the expanding population of the colony of Costa Rica moved westward from Cartago, then the capital. One of dozens of farming centres in a valley of forests, pastures and little plots of subsistence crops, San JosÈ -- the name of the town was shortened to that of its patron saint -- became the capital of Costa Rica during the brief upheavals that followed independence. Only slowly, though, did it grow into a national centre, as commerce in coffee and bananas brought substantial revenues to government and business, along with new administrative requirements. But even as San JosÈ grew to encompass nearby villages, it never lost its small-town ways. Josefinos - the people of the capital - still know most of their neighbours by name, not simply as familiar faces. They shop at the corner store, the pulperÌa, as often as at the supermarket, to pick up the local gossip along with their eggs, coffee and beans. And they gather at sodas and bars -- their own counterparts of cafÈs and pubs -- to while away spare time and discuss the latest upswings and downturns of their fortunes.
San JosÈ sits at the bottom of a teacup valley, the mound-shaped volcano Barva to the north, a ridge of hills to the south, the slopes of both honeycombed with farms. Hardly a part of the city is out of sight of these pastoral surroundings.
Overnight San JosÈ. Hotel Balmoral or similar. Breakfast and dinner.
San JosÈ - Arenal
Today we stop at Sarchi, a village renowned for its colourful oxcarts and wooden handicrafts. We travel through rolling hills covered with sugar cane fields to overnight near Arenal Volcano. The volcano's regular eruptions and lava flow can be heard and seen in the night sky from afar on a clear night. We make a stop at the Tabacon Hotsprings located at the foot or Arenal Volcano. Here a geothermally-heated river flows through beautifully landscaped grounds featuring many plant and tree species and great birdlife. We will have time to relax in or around the various pools (bring a towel).
This evening we make an excursion to see Arenal's perfect conical shape with glowing red lava flowing down its slopes (weather permitting).
Overnight in Arenal. Breakfast and dinner.
Arenal - Monteverde Cloud Forest
We travel today through a rustic rural countryside to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve area. Covered in a mantle of moss, ferns and orchids, this Private Reserve is home to over 400 species of birds and a great number of animals. This biological reserve is a treasure with lush ferns and mosses and the dark canopy formed by the tallest trees.
The Monteverde cloud forest is created by winds, particular temperature and moisture conditions, and mountainous topography, which combine during the dry season to hold a steady cloud cover along the continental divide. The rains, and the moisture in the air, nourish trees and plants rooted in the ground, as well as many plants that live at the upper levels of the forest, and take their nutrients directly from the mist and dust that pass through the air. The result is an enchanted, fairy-tale environment, where trees are laden with orchids, bromeliads, mosses and ferns that obscure their branches, where the moisture and mild temperatures and sunlight filtered by the forest canopy encourage the exuberance of begonias, heliconias, philodendron and many other tropical plants in every available space on the ground. Leaves are gigantic, vines penetrate everywhere, flowers blow through the air from the tree canopy. The forest is almost visibly growing and changing, throbbing and vibrating with life at all levels.
Hummingbirds feed on nectar, frogs use pools of rainwater trapped in bromeliads to rear their young, worms and tree roots alike mine decaying matter whether it lies on the ground or in the crook of a branch. The air resounds with a crack as an epiphyte-laden branch drops to the ground, to rot and return to life by feeding the creatures and plants all around.
More than 2000 plant species have been catalogued at Monteverde, including more than 500 kinds of trees, 300 orchids, and 200 ferns. Within the 10,000-hectare reserve there is a variety in the forest habitat. Parts are relatively dry, with little undergrowth, others are swampy. There are areas of dwarf trees, and gradations from premontane to rain and cloud forest.
This afternoon we have a guided tour of the "Butterfly Garden", where butterflies and other endemic very interesting insects are raised and protected in a controlled environment, allowing scientists to study them, their place in the food chain, and their response to things like increased pollution and climate change, especially global warming.
Overnight Monteverde. Breakfast and dinner.
Monteverde Cloud Forest
Full morning exploring, with the help of a local naturalist guide, the Cloud Forest reserve at Monteverde. There is more to the forest than the trees and lesser plants. Of over 320 bird species, the most notable is the quetzal, with its long arc of tail feathers. It nests in the trunks of dead trees. Other visually spectacular species include the three-wattled bellbird, the great green macaw, the bare-necked umbrellabird, and the ornate hawk-eagle. Assorted trogons in addition to the quetzal inhabit the reserve, along with more than 50 varieties of hummingbird. About 500 kinds of butterfly are found at Monteverde. Among the more than 100 mammalian species are howler, white-faced and spider monkeys, coatis and their cousins, raccoons; as well as the rarely observed and pumas, ocelots, jaguars, tapirs, and kinkajous.
This afternoon you may choose to go on an optional "Canopy Walk" excursion, located within the cloud forest. Suspension foot-bridges are strung across deep gorges allowing one to get a bird's eye view of the forest from a totally different perspective than we experienced this morning. At a leisurely pace, one can complete this easy and fascinating walk in about 90 minutes. Your tour leader can help you plan this excellent activity.
REMEMBER: This can be a wet and windy place by definition. You should be prepared for varied conditions.
Overnight Monteverde. Breakfast and Dinner.
Monteverde Cloud Forest - Tamarindo
Today we head for the beautiful Playa Grande on the Pacific.
En route we will make a stop at Las Pumas Wildlife Refuge, the only place that keeps the six species of the cat family native to Costa Rica, some of them on the brink of extinction. A big jaguar and two beautiful female pumas share the private preserve with other felines, thanks to the initiative of two Swiss citizens, Lilly and Werner Hagnauer. Since 1985, Minister of the Environment officials and other authorities take the animals they rescue or confiscate to Las Pumas, where they are cared for until released in the wild or kept if the release is not feasible because they have lived too long in captivity.
We continue to the Rio Matapalo estuary and Tamarindo, located just outside the Parque Nacional Marino las Baulas, a reserve created to protect the nesting grounds of the leatherback turtles. From October through early February (on average), the leatherback turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on Playa Grande, a beautiful sandy beach with a wide sweep of the bay.
If in season, you may want to participate in an optional excursion to the beach with the hope of observing turtles coming ashore to dig their nests and lay their eggs (approx cost USD 45 per person).
Overnight in Tamarindo. Breakfast and dinner.
Tamarindo - San JosÈ
Today we enjoy a free day on Playa Grande, one of Costa Ricaís most beautiful coastal spots. This afternoon we fly to San JosÈ.
Overnight in San JosÈ. Hotel Balmoral or similar. Breakfast and dinner.
San JosÈ, Costa Rica - San Salvador, El Salvador
This morning we fly from San JosÈ, Costa Rica to San Salvador, El Salvador. The rest of the day is yours free to explore the bustling city of San Salvador, sitting at the foot of the large San Salvador volcano.
Overnight San Salvador. Breakfast and dinner.
San Salvador
San Salvador is situated in the Valle de las Hamacas ("Valley of Hammocks"), at an elevation of approximately 600 m (2000 ft). The impressive tall dome of the Catedral Metropolitana can be used as a landmark from anywhere in the center. Most city dwellers pick up their daily staples at the huge Mercado Central, but many consider the Mercado Ex-Cuartel de Artesania to be the most interesting shopping area in the capital. It is here that you can bargain for ceramics, hand-woven textiles, and other crafts. Near the Plaza Libertad, with a winged statue of liberty, is the modern church - El Rosario. Father Delgado, a major figure in Central American Independence, is buried here.
Overnight San Salvador. Breakfast and dinner.
San Salvador - Panchimalco - San Salvador
Today we travel to Panchimalco. This peaceful village is nestled amongst the trees, and in this ancient colonial town live the Pancho Indians, descendants of the original Pipil tribes. Beautifully located at the foot of the Cerro Chulo, this tranquil village with cobblestone streets is ready for exploring. The church here is splendid, and inside the church are lovely wood carvings and a bell incised with the cypher and titles of the Roman emperor Charles V.
Later we visit Lake Ilopango, the largest crater lake in the country.
Overnight San Salvador. Breakfast and dinner.
San Salvador - Playa Costa del Sol
Today we travel to El Salvador's coastal area. The 320 km coast is dotted with beautiful bays, tropical lagoons and marshy areas that are a home to a great variety of birds. The beach at Costa del Sol is spacious, with wide-open water, and the Peninsula of de San Juan del Gozo has a wonderful beach of fine white sand.
Overnight Costa del Sol. Breakfast and dinner.
Costa del Sol
Today is free for you to enjoy this lovely coastal region.
Overnight Costa del Sol. Breakfast and dinner.
Costa del Sol - Tazumal San Andres - Santa Ana
The Mayan ruins of Tazumal San Andres - "Place of the Burned" - are El Salvador's most important pre-Columbian site. Although the present site dates back 3,000 years, the area was first inhabited around 5000 BC. The Pyramid itself dates from AD 300-1200, a Mayan period when the site was occupied by Pipil-speaking Indians. The view from the top is superb. The 14-step pyramid was probably a religious temple, and in the museum here are the artefacts found in the mud under the lake.
Overnight Santa Ana. Breakfast and dinner.
Santa Ana, El Salvador - Guatemala City, Guatemala
Lago de Coatepeque is probably El Salvador's most dramatically beautiful spot. Its' location is on the edge of the Cerro Verde National Park with its backdrop being the Santa Ana and Izalco volcanoes, and it is sunk deep into the base of a huge volcanic crater, with steep forested sides. The lake has clear blue water and is fed by natural hot Agua Caliente Island (Hot Island) where volcanic springs beneath the surface provide a hot pocket of water. Later we return to San Salvador where we connect to our Guatemala City-bound flight. Transfer to our hotel.
Overnight in Guatemala City. Breakfast and dinner.
Guatemala City - Chichicastanengo
This morning we travel to Antigua via Chichicastanengo, where we visit the famous market. This is one of Guatemala's largest local markets with an impressive array of beautiful hand-woven textiles and crafts for sale. It is also possible to see the 400 year-old Cathedral of Santo Tomas where Catholic and pagan beliefs mingle as one. Chichicastenango is an important centre of culture and religion for the local Indian population.
It is also the home of a large population of Maya QuichÈ Indians, said to be the purest descendants of the ancient Maya. These people still maintain much of their ancestorsí culture, including their religious beliefs and practices which are only mixed with the Catholicism forced upon them by the Spanish conquest. It is this relationship with the past, with the old traditions still omnipresent in everyday life, that makes Chichicastenango so fascinating to the outsider and a
must for every traveller.
About the 1000 people, mainly ladinos (people of mixed Indian and Spanish blood, who reject the traditional lifestyle), live in the village itself. They work as tradespeople or local officials, or they operate the small number of hotels, shops and bars in town. However, over 20,000 Indians live in the surrounding hills, most of them farmers on small plots of land. It is on market days that Chichicastanango comes alive, as Indians pour into the tiny village to sell wares, buy provisions and partake in religious ceremonies.
Overnight in Chichicastanengo. Breakfast and dinner.
Chichicastanengo - Iximche - Panajachel
Today we travel by bus through the spectacular volcanic landscape of Guatemala's western highlands to visit Iximche, an excellent Maya site which became a model of civic planning.
Iximche is in the central Highland mountain and lake district a short distance from Lake Atitlan. Until 1524 it was the capital city of the Cakchique Maya. The present-day village nearest the ruins is Tecpan. Iximche was built approximately half a century before the Spanish conquest. It has a fairly large civic centre surrounded for the most part by deep ravines and dry moats for defence.
Most of the buildings were erected around four large courtyards. There are also two smaller courtyards at Iximche that may have been used for religious ceremonies. Terraces were levelled from the natural terrain to accommodate platforms for temples, palaces, and other structures. The structures had roofs of thatch or of wooden beams and plaster and have long since perished. Ball courts were common at all civic and religious centres. At Iximche there are two ball courts, one of which, Ballcourt 8, has been restored.
Overnight in Panajachel. Breakfast and dinner.
Panajachel - Lake Atitlan - Panajachel
Our journey today takes us across the shimmering waters of Lake Atitlan, nestled beneath the three volcanoes of San Pedro, Atitlan and Toliman. When we visit Santiago de Atitlan you will notice the unusual headdresses that the locals wear which are called Tocoyal and consist of 12 metres/40 feet of material. This is easily the most beautiful and fascinating village on the lake, as well as the largest, with a population of almost 15,000 people if the outskirts are included. Built on the slopes of Volcano Atitlan, is it surrounded on three sides by water and faces Volcano San Pedro across a small bay. Originally the capital of the Tzutuhil Indian nation, Santiago was turned into an important missionary and trading outpost after the Spanish conquest. Today Santiago is one of the most traditional Indian villages in Guatemala, with a purely Indian population that lives much as it did hundreds of years ago. If you do nothing else during your stay in the area, take the one hour boatride to Santiago.
As your boat approaches Santiagoís shore, you will see dozens of women standing knee-deep in water, washing their familiesí clothes against the rocks, often with babies in colourful slings on their backs. This sets the mood for the rest of your visit. Just wander through the streets of this village and you will catch a firsthand glimpse of Indian life as it is today and as it always has been.
As we walk around we see towering volcanoes and spectacular scenery. Flowers are abundant; the white blossoms on coffee plants, bright wildflowers and hibiscus cover the landscape. Once again colour is the focus, costumes which are very vibrant are worn by nearly everyone. The womenís costume consists of white and purple huipiles embroidered with birds and flowers, bright red skirts and unique headdresses made from narrow, woven red bands (sometimes over twenty feet long) that are evenly wrapped around their heads until a wide brim is formed. The menís outfits are equally lovely, with purple and white striped knee-length pants, white shirts and multi-coloured sashes, worn nowadays with cowboy hats.
Overnight in Panajachel. Breakfast and dinner.
Panajachel - Antigua
This morning we travel to Antigua. Antigua was a place where religious orders founded churches and monasteries, many of them dedicated to improving the life of the Indian population. Once the third largest city in all of Spanish America, Antigua served as Guatemalaís capital city for more than 200 years until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1773. Then called Santiago de Guatemala, Antigua was home to 70,000 people, 32 churches and convents, a fine university and magnificent estates.
We spend the afternoon wandering through the cobblestone streets of the enchanting colonial town. We visit the Kojom Music Museum and later we enjoy the superb Capuchinas Monastery. We will walk through quiet cobblestone streets past rebuilt stucco homes with heavy, beautifully carved wooden entrances. It is possible to peer into open doorways and see stone courtyards filled with ornate columns and well-tended gardens. The scent of Bougainvillea pervades, it grows untamed over all parts of the city, and clings especially to the walls of the many ruins that have been left untouched as testaments to the power of nature. It is possible to sit and relax in the Plaza de Armas, the central square, and enjoy the view of the Palace of the Captains General, the old City Hall and the remains of the Cathedral and Archbishopís Palace; excellent examples of Spanish colonial architecture.
Overnight Antigua. Breakfast and dinner.
Antigua
Today you are free to explore Antigua. Sit and relax in the Plaza de Armas, the central square, and enjoy the view of the Palace of the Captains General, the old City Hall and the remains of the Cathedral and Archbishopís Palace, excellent examples of Spanish colonial architecture.
Overnight Antigua. Breakfast and dinner.
Antigua - Guatemala City - Flores - Tikal
Today we transfer to Guatemala City for our flight to Flores.
On arrival we embark on a guided tour to experience the mystiques of Tikal, possibly the most magnificent of all Mayan sites. Here we discover ancient temples, pyramids and stone structures dating from 500 BC. The five great pyramids of Tikal give this ceremonial centre a majestic grandeur unique among Maya cities. The height of the temples, crowned with tremendous roof combs; the complicated assemblage of the palace structures of the central Acropolis; and the complexity of the chronology of the North Acropolis are staggering to anyone visiting Tikal for the first time. In ancient times Tikal functioned mainly as a ceremonial centre in which the aristocratic elite and their priests ruled, dictated, and directed the activities of the architects, builders, craftsmen, and labourers. All endeavours in the region of Tikal were directed to enhance the city, to glorify the gods, to amass wealth, and to acquire tribute for the ruling upper strata of society. To sustain this activity for over a thousand years demanded a well-disciplined peasantry.
Overnight near Tikal. Breakfast and dinner.
Flores - Guatemala City
Today we fly back to Guatemala City.
Overnight in Guatemala City. Breakfast and dinner.
Departure
Departure from Guatemala City.
Breakfast.
