Arrival to San Jose airport and transfer to Bougainvillea Hotel. We settle in and meet to discuss the itinerary and our artistic aims for this Art Safari tour in Costa Rica. (If you would like to arrive a day or two earlier, please let us know.)
Rachel may well set some challenges, asking us to christen the white pages of our sketchbooks with our first impressions of Costa Rica. Perhaps fast sketches of the tropical garden plants, or the decoration in our rooms, or the first cup of Costa Rican coffee - or perhaps an early morning view. We'll doubtless be itching to see the wildlife of the area and we'll be fast at finding new species to identify and draw.
The hotel has its own botanical garden brimming with tropical plants, including heliconias, bromeliads, orchids and trees that attract butterflies and birds which brighten the environment with their colours and sounds. It is truly the main attraction of the hotel.
The National Gardening Association recently gave the hotel an award for the best garden in Costa Rica. In the garden you can find small samples of the country's crops, such as coffee, cocoa, bananas, pineapple and papaya.
Also, there are several small ponds where work is ongoing to preserve endangered frog species, such as Forreri’s Leopard frog, the Blue-sided tree frog, and the Brilliant forest frog.
We are located in the Heredia district. It is a great place to see the contrasts of Costa Rica such as the Colonial architecture and traditional small towns, churches, and parks, all set against gorgeous green and blue mountains.
Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in a Garden view room.
Private land transfer San Jose – Tortuguero pier + Shared transfer by boat
We drive through the varied landscapes of Costa Rica with our driver/guide who will tell us all about this diverse country as we go. We can make stops for photos and snacks before entering Tortuguero by boat for our 5-night stay at Laguna Lodge. As ever our Art Safari trips are about the journey as much as arriving at the destination.
This area is vital for the conservation of Green Sea Turtles, Leatherback and Hawksbill turtles which nest on the beaches here from July to October. We may have a chance to see some hatchlings.
With large rivers, lakes and wetlands on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other, Tortuguero is in the northern part of Costa Rica and is a perfect place to learn about the wildlife of the area. Pachira Lodge is a comfortable riverwalk lodge, full of trees and exotic plants that attract a great number of birds and butterflies.
Our stay here includes a garden hike on the hotel trail, a boat tour and our entrance fee to Tortuguero National Park. We are also planning (tbc) a night hike one evening.
Located in the extreme northeast of Costa Rica, Tortuguero is accessible only by small plane or boat, along the famous Tortuguero Canals. This system of rivers and man-made channels parallels the coast and cuts through beautiful primary forest. The area was turned into a national park in 1975. It is one of the areas with the greatest biological diversity of the country.
The name Tortuguero relates to the Spanish word for turtle as this is the most important nesting site in the entire western half of the Caribbean for the green turtle. Other species of sea turtles like the leatherback and hawksbill also nest on the wide beaches of the park and refuge where most exploring is done by small boat, although some hiking trails are available.
All meals are included. Overnight in a Standard Room.
Shared tour through the canals of Tortuguero (Entrance to the National Park included)
This is a beautiful area. We spend our days painting and we go on boat excursions looking for wildlife, sketching what we find and stopping for landscape painting now and then.
With our sketchbooks on our laps we drift along freshwater canals and lagoons that crisscross the wetlands, making field-sketches of spectacled caiman, river turtles, spoonbills and herons, all the while keeping an eye open for the endangered West Indian Manatee.
In the foliage we look for sloth; jungle branches dip and swish with acrobatic troops of foraging Howler Monkeys, Spider Monkeys and Capuchin Monkeys, and in the canopy, exotic bird calls add to the Jurassic atmosphere.
Poison dart frogs, butterflies, iridescent hummingbirds, and every imaginable shade of green will challenge our colour-mixing skills!
The canals of Tortuguero are a popular attraction in Costa Rica. With rainforests, wildlife, sea turtles, crocodiles and a labyrinth of natural waterways, the region offers an authentic rainforest experience. Visitors can explore the lush flora and abundant fauna of the Caribbean coastal waterways by boat.
We continue to explore the waterways today in our small boats, taking on board more and more details from our naturalist guides and finding the colours and shapes of the flora and fauna.
Today we may also visit the village of Tortuguero to meet some of the people who live there.
Within the Tortuguero National Park along Costa Rica’s beautiful Caribbean Coast, the village of Tortuguero is known for its ecotourism and extensive network of canals, and lies amidst tropical lowland rainforests, magnificent rivers, and pristine beaches. Take the unique opportunity to watch baby green turtles hatch along the shoreline, or discover the park, home to over 300 species of bird, a variety of flora, and diverse fauna. Other popular activities include hiking, canal tours, canopy tours, and kayaking.
Today we are planning to have a private boat tour through the canals (subject to water levels). Please note that we cannot guarantee private boat tours until we arrive, though we have told the lodge that this is our preference each day.
A private version offers the group the opportunity to stay at a specific spot and take the time needed to paint comfortably in the little Amazon of Costa Rica without roads, without cars, and without city noise.
Tortuguero National Park is a wilderness area with an extraordinary biological variety. Diverse mammals, birds and fish live in eleven different defined habitats. Strong Caribbean currents have provided a straight 22-mile expanse of beach which is a favored nesting ground for sea turtles like the Hawksbill and loggerheads that nest from July through to October. The Leatherback, the largest sea turtle in the world, nests from February to July. Most exploring of the park is done by boat. Guides with an amazingly trained eye astound visitors finding wildlife in veiled corners, pointing at mischievous monkeys and sharing fascinating facts about nature.
Today is for you to enjoy a free day for painting in camp at your leisure or, if you would like extra activities today, please speak to us or the lodge desk.
Group departure from Tortuguero to the Tortuguero pier by boat; then, land transfer to La Fortuna.
This morning we leave and head towards La Fortuna which is dominated by the Arenal Volcano. We will make a stop in a place where many huge iguanas live in the trees, some of them with amazing orange colors - it's fun spotting their huge shapes high in the branches and craning our necks as we sketch them.
In Arenal we hope for clear skies to paint the perfect cone of the Volcano, and we plan to take sketching walks along nature trails, as well as painting excursions to waterfalls.
We will also find time to immerse ourselves in the soothing waters of the volcanic hot-springs. Please bring your swimming costume. There's nothing quite as relaxing as these amazing natural mineral waters that invigorate the body and soul!
All meals included.
Transfer to Naranjo
Departure from the Fortuna area to the Central Valley stopping en route to see waterfalls and paint from viewpoints before checking into Chayote Lodge. We hope to have lunch in an area where we can paint the mountains - and where non-painters can enjoy amazing scenery, maybe some volcanos and some Tico hospitality.
We are spending a few days up here in the clouds to wind down from our wildlife adventures of Tortuguero, and to spend time with our sketchbooks and Rachel's expert tuition, but also so that we can be part of a totally different environment.
Surrounded by coffee fields, green pastures, and rich agricultural lands, the Naranjo area depicts the best of a simple yet enriching Costa Rican tradition.
Chayote is a very comfortable lodge, designed to make us feel at home and where we feel very much part of the surrounding nature - the bathrooms are particularly lovely! The gardens are buzzing with humming birds and butterflies, quiet woodlands for forest-bathing and sketching, and we will have views of the surrounding volcanoes when the clouds are high.
The Spanish name of the orange tree is naranjo, and that’s exactly where the name Naranjo came from. The delicious fruit trees were all over the fields around town, thus, the name. These days, oranges are not the main product of this part of the country. It's all about coffee, but rice, beans, sugar cane, and tobacco also grow nicely here due to the wonderful weather and excellent soil common to this zone.
The pretty pueblo of Naranjo is close to the cities of Alajuela and San Jose, but it manages to retain that old feel of a small rural town with most of the action centred around the church, shops, and park.
All meals included. Overnight at Chayote Lodge.
Bring a camera with a great lens and you'll be able to take amazing photos of humming birds around the gardens!
Chayote's unique combination of culture and nature is worth early mornings too - you might find yourself watching wildlife before a lovely Tico breakfast!
Painters
You are welcome to enjoy a free day for activities or to spend time painting at your leisure.
Rachel is keen for us to spend two days deep in our paintings to complete the wonderful sketches we have been making during our time in Costa Rica. You might choose to go back into your sketches from Tortuguero or make new works at Chayote and develop these. Having relaxed studio time together is just the most lovely thing - and gives you the opportunity to find your feet artistically as well as learning new skills from Rachel and from each other. There will still be time to explore in the immediate cloud forest next to the lodge, as well as have time to paint and talk.
This could also be a fantastic day to look for the perfect spots for sketches in amongst the shadows and light of the woodlands or in the village, with frequent intervals for drinking a delicious cup of local coffee. The property has some trails in a small forest, that combines the nice environment of the rain-forest along with the light that comes through the trees offering amazing shadows and forms. There are undercover outdoor areas where we can review our sketches from this exceptional artistic journey.
For those who would like to explore further afield, there could be an opportunity to go on a tour of the nearest national parks to explore the local wildlife and geology further
- Poas Volcano National Park
- Juan Castro Blanco National Park
(one hour's drive, either of these would be an optional extra and at your own cost). Please let us know if you are interested.
Or you could add in extra activities such as Oxcart Painting Tour (optional extra at your own cost)
Enjoy a visit to a local home and learn how the best Costa Rican food is prepared using the traditional way. Our experience starts as Doña Elida shares with you her secrets to make the best Costa Rican breakfast, you will learn how to make a gallo pinto in a wood stove, then make your own cheese tortilla and cook fried plantains to enjoy the best breakfast ever.
We also have the opportunity to start preparing lunch along with Doña Elida, and learn how to make arracache hash, a Costa Rican vegetable root used to celebrate special occasions.
After lunch we return to the lodge. Later in the afternoon we pay a visit to Don Carlos’ coffee farm to learn about his plantations and the history behind a coffee cup, whilst enjoying a freshly ground coffee .
Both of these places are exclusively linked to Chayote Lodge and provide us with a wonderful and authentic experience of rural Costa Rica.
You are welcome to enjoy a free day for activities or to spend time painting at your leisure.
Pura Vida. You have so many images to capture and finish!
We have our farewell dinner in the lodge by the open log fire.
Breakfast will be offered at the hotel. Today we travel the short distance to the International Airport to take our flight back home. The time of departure will depend on the time we will have to check in with the airline - and could be in the afternoon.
We check in and start the journey home.
If you would like to stay for some extra time in Costa Rica, please speak to us! We can arrange extensions to visit other areas.
Safe flight and happy memories!
