August 9 - 16, 2010

Explore a delicious tropical paradise of all things edible from the rainforest, the Caribbean coast, and the sustainable farms of Costa Rica.

Sign up by April 30, 2010 to take advantage of our lowest rate!

For more information on these or other tours please email Lisa Brooks or call (800) 551-7887.

Edible Adventure Itinerary

Day 1: Monday, August 9

We leave Costa Rica’s capital city of San Jose to begin the most flavorful adventure of a lifetime! Travel to the rainforest oasis of Luna Nueva farm at the edge of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, in a wide swath of land known as the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve of Costa Rica.

Overnight: Luna Nueva Farm

Day 2: Tuesday, August 10

Owned and operated by New Chapter, Inc., Luna Nueva is said by many to be a model for sustainable agriculture. We will be hosted by dedicated Earth steward, Steven Farrell, lifelong farmer and devout student of organic, environmentally conscious and biodynamic farming methods, who operates this certified organic and biodynamic farm. He will guide us through both the ecological diversity, and the Arcanum of biodynamic farming — Rudolph Steiner's esoteric approach to growing food and natural medicines. In the afternoon, you will have an opportunity to work in the organic ginger and tumeric gardens; or relax and imbibe this abundant expression of nature.

Overnight: Luna Nueva Farm

Day 3: Wednesday, August 11

After breakfast, we drive to the nearby town of La Fortuna at the base of the active Arenal Volcano. We spend the morning with Don Juan, a former school teacher turned organic farm, who will take us on a tour of his incredible compact farm. Don Juan has incredible insight into what it takes to live and produce food in a sustainable fashion. We’ll have lunch with Don Juan and help harvest some of the food we’ll be eating right from the farm itself. In the afternoon we’ll visit the beautiful Fortuna Waterfall which pours out of the rainforest. After an exciting hike down a jungle trail, everyone can swim in the natural pools at its base or just soak up the beauty of these stunning falls. In the evening we’ll visit the EcoTermales Hot Springs and soak in the geothermal pools that are heated by the volcano itself! The grounds are covered in beautiful natural gardens which blend seamlessly into the surrounding rainforest. Visitors are often treated to the sight of White-Faced or Howler monkeys playing in the trees above the steaming pools.

Overnight: Luna Nueva Farm

Day 4: Thursday, August 12

An early start gets us on the road to the Pacuare River, where we have a full day of white water rafting. This is one of the top five rafting rivers on the planet with class III and IV rapids. Expert guides help us to navigate safely on our adventure. The river cuts through primary rainforest on the Caribbean slope as we pass numerous waterfalls that practically pour into our raft. For lunch, our guides transform our rafts into a delicious buffet on the side of the river. After our adventure, we head to our Caribbean coast bungalows, nestled in tropical gardens by the sea.

Overnight: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (Limon)

Day 5: Friday, August 13

Today we visit grassroots projects to visit local people implementing positive solutions to some of the environmental, agricultural and social issues we have learned about thus far. We meet farmers growing bananas, cacao, and pineapple organically and compare this method with the large-scale banana plantations located nearby. We also visit an indigenous women's cooperative that grows medicinal herbs, and family farms and cooperatives of small-scale indigenous farmers. Dinner is served at El Loco Natural, the Caribbean's most flavorful restaurant famous for its curry dishes full of homegrown organic ingredients.

Overnight: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (Limon)

Day 6: Saturday, August 14

A local guide from the small fishing village of Manzanillo takes us on the only path through the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, showing off the wonders of his ‘backyard’ while explaining the medicinal, culinary and cultural uses of many of the trees, fruits and plants along the way. We travel through the jungle and along the coast, where the diversity of flora and fauna is beautiful and abundant. We eventually arrive at Kopali Organics’ founding headquarters, a sustainable permaculture farm. At Punta Mona, we have a delicious lunch and take a short farm tour, tasting everything from cranberry hibiscus to miracle fruit. We return by boat to the town of Manzanillo where dinner is served in town at one of Puerto Viejo’s many wonderful restaurants.

Overnight: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (Limon)

Day 7: Sunday, August 15

Our day begins with a visit to the Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve where we learn about the culture and customs of the Bri Bri people. We start at the Iguana Farm, a local project which has reintegrated over 25,000 endangered Green Iguana back into the area. Our native Bri Bri guide takes us on a walk through secondary and primary forests to teach us about the medicinal plants and trees that have supported their people’s existence for thousands of years. Afterwards we are served a traditional lunch prepared with foods from their understory gardens. In the afternoon we return to San Jose for our farewell dinner at another fine restaurant featuring Central American cuisine.

Overnight: San Jose Area

Day 8: Monday, August 16

Fly home with memories to last a lifetime and new fresh ideas for cooking, growing and creating a sustainable world through food!

Itinerary subject to change based on availability.

*Price is per person based on double occupancy and is land cost only. Airfare is not included. Single room supplements are available at an additional cost. After April 30th, land cost increases to $1750.