Exploring Costa Rica and the vast southern sky
Follow rainforest paths in search of tropical wildlife. View a magnificent cone-shaped volcano from the treetops. Spot countless water birds among the coastal mangroves. Plunge into invigorating hot springs in a jungle clearing. Then, for three memorable nights, scan the southern sky from an ideal vantage point on the Pacific coast, for a wonderland of southern stars, deep-sky objects, and the winter Milky Way.
TravelQuest offers you all of this an ...Show more
Cosmic splendors not seen from home
More than half of the the brightest, largest, and most dazzling clusters, nebulae, and galaxies are visible in the southern sky. So, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, traveling southward to see the spectacle for yourself is well worth the journey, at least once in a lifetime. We’ve timed our three nights of Milky Way stargazing to coincide with both the New Moon and the driest part of the year in western Costa Rica. This should ensure the greatest number of clear, star-filled nights – viewed from an open grassy area on the grounds of our lodge, with wide views of the southern horizon. Our Trip Astronomer will be able to take you on a joyride around the galaxy with an Explore Scientific 16-inch Truss-Tube Dobsonian telescope, with a 2” 82° apparent field 30mm eyepiece, akin to peering into a large cosmic porthole. You will find the Southern Cross, Carina Nebula, Omega Centauri and other wonders perched high up in the sky.
Discovering life on Earth
Costa Ricans are dedicated to conservation and environmental education. Our naturalist guide will show you the best of the country’s diverse ecosystems – from primeval rainforests to mangrove-lined waterways along the Pacific coast. Spot monkeys and sloths in the forest canopy, crocodiles and exotic frogs in the wetlands, myriad species of jungle and water birds soaring overhead – not to mention a host of plant life, from orchids and bromeliads to mosses, ferns and flowering vines. Our guide will masterfully locate otherwise-missed species in veiled dwellings and teach you to recognize concealed shelters and telltale signs of life in some of the most fascinating natural habitats on the planet.
Right place, right time
It’s easy to forget how accessible Costa Rica is – only a 2.5-hour flight from Miami. In fact, it’s on Central Time, so there’s none of the usual jet lag that comes with crossing multiple time zones. Other aspects of everyday life are equally simple, whether it’s the standard North American AC voltage (no need to pack adapters) or the fact that US dollars are accepted virtually everywhere. Best of all, it’s one of the safest and most hospitable destinations to which TravelQuest journeys.
February is the perfect time for a tropical escape from the northern winter, exploring some of the world’s most striking natural wonders and gathering with a small group of intrepid sky watchers to see what secrets the southern sky reveals.
Join Dave Eicher in Costa Rica
Chief editor of Astronomy Magazine and our Costa Rica stargazing astronomer
Dave Eicher is Editor-in-Chief of Astronomy Magazine, the world’s largest publication on the subject, and the author of 25 books on science and history. Most recently, author of Cosmic Clouds 3-D: Where Stars Are Born (with Brian May) and Galaxies: Inside the Universe’s Star Cities. He has been a staff member of Astronomy magazine for 37 years, and chief editor since 2002.
Eicher has spoken widely to astronomy groups, appeared on television programs, and spent hundreds of hours at the eyepiece as an accomplished observer. He was founder and editor of Deep Sky magazine. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Starmus Festival, Editor-in-Chief of the international Asteroid Day project, a board member of Lowell Observatory, and involved in mineralogy, studies of American history, and blues and rock drumming with his Astro Blues Band.
Join us and discover the Pura Vida lifestyle in one of the most awe-inspiring places on Earth!
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After you land at San José Juan Santamaria International Airport (code: SJO), your TravelQuest representative transfers you to our rendezvous hotel in the heart of this scenic capital city. If you arrive by late afternoon, join Chief editor of Astronomy Magazine and our trip astronomer Dave Eicher, your TravelQuest trip leader, and your local Costa Rican guide this evening for a get-acquainted dinner at the hotel. 
After breakfast, we depart on our private coach for a scenic tour of the colorful capital city of San José, and then through the tropical countryside as we make our way toward Costa Rica’s famed Arenal volcano. En route, stroll among the spectacular blooms at Botanical Orchid Garden, created by the Carrizal family in a former coffee plantation, and explore the whimsical topiary gardens at Zarcero. After checking into our hotel at Arenal, take a stroll or relax by the pool, enjoying great views of the cone-shaped volcano rising more than a mile (1,600 m) above sea level.
Start the morning at your own pace, gaining new perspectives on the majestic volcano, before we head into the national park to experience its beauty up close. While currently in a quiet phase, Arenal has been one of Costa Rica’s most active volcanoes throughout its 7,500-year history. Exploring the surrounding area on easy-to-moderate forest trails, you encounter a profusion of tropical flora and fauna: watch out for parrots, howler monkeys and maybe even a sloth. Your naturalist guide also knows the best vantage points for viewing the hardened remnants of ancient lava flows.
After breakfast, it’s a quick coach ride to nearby Lake Arenal, where we take in the beauty of Costa Rica’s largest freshwater body on a delightful boat cruise. Docking on the far shore, we follow winding roads through the tropical landscape to Monteverde and the Santa Elena Cloud Forest, named for the near-constant mists that create a moist, warm environment where exotic plants thrive. As you walk the trails for a half-day through this lush ecosystem, our expert naturalist helps you keep an eye out for an amazing array of flowers, animals and especially birds, including the bare-necked umbrellabird, the three-wattled bellbird – and, if you’re lucky, the fabulously colorful quetzal.
