COSTA RICA • WINTER 2018

Join us on a winter getaway to Costa Rica this February 1-10, 2018!

There are many reasons to visit this rugged country: rainforests, volcanoes, coffee, hiking, flora, fauna and so much more. February is an ideal time to visit with pleasant weather throughout. This trip explores the following areas of Costa Rica:

San Jose: The coffee and banana industries helped finance much of the San Jose's early infrastructure. The city's cultural elite also funded construction of the neoclassic Teatro Nacional, which opened in 1897 as an opera house. Early-20th-century San Jose was a cosmopolitan city and one of the first electrified cities in the world, with electric trolleys ferrying office workers and residents to well-ordered neighborhoods. A short civil war tore the city apart but led to the abolishment of the military. The country became an oasis of peace amid Central America's wars and revolutions and San Jose became an important financial and political hub for the entire country and benefited from a large influx of foreign investment. Today, San Jose is at the center of it all and is the country's only major urban center. It's buzzing with art, nightlife, cuisine, culture, business and politics.

Tortuguero: Sometimes referred to as the Venice of Costa Rica, Tortuguero is connected to the rest of Costa Rica by a series of lagoons and meandering rivers. Dense tropical rainforest surrounds the area and the wild jungle here is home to howler monkeys, green macaws, toucans, sloths and an abundance of birds and other wildlife.

Arenal: After hundreds of years of lying dormant, Arenal Volcano decided to erupt with sudden violence in 1968, destroying a nearby village. The eruption lasted decades and didn't quiet down until recently in 2010. The volcano may be dormant for now but it's still as majestic as ever to admire and adventure surrounds the area. Natural hot springs beckon swimmers and hanging bridges over rushing jungle rivers offer up the perfect opportunity to spot the lush flora and fauna below.

San Ramon: Dubbed the City of Presidents and Poets after having sent five men to the country's highest office. One of those men is former president Rodrigo Carazo, who built the farmstead that is today known as Villa Blanca Hotel (our home while in San Ramon). Here, we have the rare opportunity to experience one of the most unique and endangered types of tropical forests in our own private cloud forest reserve.

If you're ready to discover all that is wild and wonderful about Costa Rica, register soon to secure your spot!

Contact Sara Mooney or Vanessa Merchant Blaisdell at mayo@carrouseltravel.com or 800-800-6508 with any questions or to register.