Costa Rica Southern Sky Party

After breakfast, board our private motor coach and, after a brief shopping stop for last-minute items at a supermarket, relax and take in the sights during a three-hour commute, inclusive of a lunch stop, west through the scenic countryside. Our destination is the Gulf of Nicoya on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, where our Star Lodge, set in a prime bird and wildlife habitat, is reserved exclusively for your stargazing and recreational pleasure.

Most lodge rooms have two beds, all with a private shower, floor and ceiling fans, plus screened windows on three sides so you can enjoy the evening breezes. Your room is also outfitted with red lights, enabling you to keep your eyes adjusted to the dark and take full advantage of the excellent viewing conditions. The lodge’s manicured lawn has open southern vistas, offering a perfect site for telescopes and other equipment (which you can begin setting up soon after we arrive in the afternoon). Away from the observing areas, non-stargazers can relax in a lighted part of the lodge devoted to reading, card games and socializing.

The open-air restaurant and lounge, which overlook the lodge’s lush property and the beautiful bay beyond, provide a comfortable meeting place during the day and in the evening. Our buffet-style meals feature a delicious array of fresh ingredients, including chicken, beef, fish, tropical fruits and locally grown produce. And throughout the night, stargazers can count on regular cups of fresh Costa Rican coffee – the country’s most famous export – as well as tea and cookies. Additional beverages can be ordered throughout your stay, and even into the night, from an overnight staff member.

DATE(S): Monday, February 24, 2020

MEALS: Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner

ACCOMMODATION: Star Lodge

Over the next four nights, look forward to thoroughly exploring the southern sky, from less-known corners of the Milky Way to the many deep-sky phenomena visible all through the night. On selected evenings, after dinner, you’re welcome to join our trip astronomer for PowerPoint presentations in the main lodge, workshops on binocular astronomy, night-sky photography and how to use star maps to locate deep-sky treasures. The astronomer also conducts guided tours of the southern sky, showing you many of the finest sights visible in binoculars and small telescopes.

Dinner is served nightly around 5:00 p.m., allowing plenty of time to prepare for a great night under the stars. In late-February to mid-March, the nights at our viewing location are about 10 hours long: the Sun sets just after 6:00 p.m. local time, with astronomical twilight ending less than an hour later. During the day, you can sleep in, relax in the lodge, take a dip in the refreshing pool or enjoy optional activities such as horseback riding (extra cost), or included guided morning and afternoon nature walks to spot exotic birds and wildlife. Your tour price also includes three daytime excursions: A day excursion to a macaw sanctuary; A half-day boat tour along the Gulf of Nicoya from the lodge’s private pier to visit a mangrove habitat home to many exotic water birds; And a short overland journey to a spectacular lookout point at sunset with appetizers and refreshments.

DATE(S): Tuesday – Friday, February 25 – February 28, 2020

MEALS: Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner

ACCOMMODATION: Star Lodge

After lunch, gather up your belongings – and some incredible memories – for the drive back to San José. We will stop en-route at a popular mercantile, where you can shop for Costa Rican coffee, vanilla, cigars, artifacts, clothing, and other authentic souvenirs. In the evening, join us for our farewell dinner.

DATE(S): Saturday, February 29, 2020

MEALS: Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner

ACCOMMODATION: Crowne Plaza, San José

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, or grab a boxed-breakfast to go, and then make the easy transfer to San José Juan Santamaria International Airport (airport code: SJO) for your journey homeward.

DATE(S): Sunday, March 1, 2020

MEALS: Breakfast

Your Star Lodge Stay

Our Star Lodge is located on the Gulf of Nicoya, on Costa Rica’s scenic west coast. Your private villa includes a bathroom with shower, floor and ceiling fans, screened windows on three walls and a porch with an inviting hammock. The lodge has no guest telephones, TVs, air conditioning or in-room Internet connections, allowing for an “unplugged” retreat amongst the beautiful natural surroundings. For dining and socializing, we gather under the thatched roof of the open-air restaurant and lounge, just steps from your cabin. The lodge’s cuisine focuses on simple, freshly prepared meals featuring typical Costa Rican fare: chicken, fish, beef, rice, beans and locally grown produce.

Things to Do and See

By day, you can do as much or as little as you wish. Join in the group activities included in your tour, relax by the lodge’s fresh-water pool, or enjoy optional horseback riding and bird watching. Costa Rica is a birder’s paradise: in the vicinity of our lodge you can spot more than 100 species, including white ibis, tri-colored herons, purple gallinules, double-striped thick-knees, parrots, parakeets, bellbirds, trogons and kingfishers. Other types of wildlife are equally abundant in nearby mangrove, river and forest habitats. As you walk the trails around the lagoon next to the lodge property, you might see howler monkeys, agoutis, iguanas, and even crocodiles.

Your Days and Nights

A typical lodge day begins with an optional guided walk for early risers at 6:00 a.m., offering you plenty of chances to spot birds, mammals and reptiles. Breakfast is served at 8:00 a.m. The morning hours are for sleeping (especially if you’ve spent a long night under the stars) or enjoying optional activities. Lunch is served at noon. You can spend the hot afternoon relaxing poolside, resting in your cabin or chatting with fellow travelers in the thatched-roof palapa. Your TravelQuest tour includes a boat cruise on the Gulf of Nicoya; A day excursion to a macaw sanctuary; and another excursion to enjoy the sunset vistas from higher ground. Near the end of each day, you can walk to a neighboring lagoon to spot crocodiles, monkeys and exotic birds. Dinner is served at 5:00 p.m. Stargazing begins shortly before 7 p.m., as twilight is starting to fade, and lasts until the sky begins to brighten just before 5 a.m. Cookies and beverages are served throughout the night.

How's the Weather?

February and March are typically dry in western Costa Rica. Temperatures are warm, hovering in the 90s by day and dropping to the 70s in the evening – perfect weather for winter stargazing and astrophotography. Hydration and fluid replacement during the day is key to a safe and enjoyable experience. As for what to wear, the dress code is 100% casual – leave your jacket and tie at home!

Thank you to Joseph Lau and Gary Seronik for photo contributions to this brochure.