From preparing ceviche to a boutique spa high in the cloud forest, these seven days are filled with luxurious and exclusive experiences. From cacao to coffee and cocktails, Costa Rican cuisine will provide you with an endless array of indulgent pleasures. On this luxury tour, you will explore the country’s organic gastronomy that travels from farm to table in the rainforest and on the Pacific coast. Cultural connections add another dimension as you use food to understand and connect with the people...
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Central Valley – Volcanoes and Coffee Plantations
After landing in San Jose, you will be greeted by a guide and transferred to the Central Valley. By passing a couple of old colonial towns, you will ascend onto a plateau that is dominated by coffee plantations. Your lodge will be situated amid coffee bushes and will afford you wonderful views across forest and volcano. The afternoon will be at your leisure, and you can enjoy one of the self-guided hikes that start from the lodge. A hillside swimming pool can provide you with a superb view in addition to being an excellent place to unwind. You can also indulge in a stroll through fruit orchards and an organic vegetable plantation before an introduction to Costa Rican cuisine this evening.
What's Included:
Day 2
Central Valley – Cultural Highlands and Cacao Tour
Day 3
Bajos del Toro – Coffee Tour and Cloud Forest Charm
Day 4
Bajos del Toro – Costa Rican Gastronomy
Day 5
Punta Islita – Cocktail Class on the Pacific
Day 6
Punta Islita – Costa Rican Cooking Class
Day 7
Punta Islita – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Learn the secrets of coastal Costa Rican cuisine during a cooking class in Punta Islita with ceviche being among the dishes
- Explore the history of Central Valley on a cultural tour through towns like Barva and Heredia
- Tour a cacao plantation and follow the production from farm to bar
- Relax in a cloud forest hotel spa with a distant but spectacular view over a Costa Rican volcano
- Create your own cocktails as you settle into coastal paradise on the Pacific
- Pick organic herbs and veggies to be used in a rainforest-based, Costa Rican cooking class
- Explore an organic coffee plantation and rate gourmet beans during a coffee cupping
Detailed Description
Costa Rica is well known for its beautiful beaches and mystical cloud forests, but Costa Rica’s cuisine has an unwarranted reputation. There is so much more than rice and beans in this country of rich biodiversity and organic farming, especially for visitors who scratch below the surface. This luxurious, one-week adventure will celebrate Costa Rica’s fine produce and gastronomy with private tours and personalized classes in the kitchen. You will travel to the cloud forest, where a spa awaits and you can gaze at volcanos. Then, you will end your tour on the Pacific coast, where the pristine beaches will be perfect for sipping on cocktails as the sun sets.
Culture and cuisine are often hard to separate in Costa Rica, and with food being the focus, you will also get to meet local people, explore the country’s history, and find a connection to what this part of Central America is all about. From walking around a cacao farm to Costa Rican wine tasting and ceviche preparation, this luxury vacation provides the pathway into a more authentic local experience. All the tours and classes will be private, so you will have plenty of time to converse with the locals and understand where their food originates. This three-destination tour will also showcase the country’s laid-back atmosphere with plenty of downtime to follow the culinary activities.
After flying to San Jose, you will be transferred to the Central Valley and a boutique lodge that is located on a coffee farm. The views will be stunning here, and you can unwind on the hillside before strolling through an organic garden to witness some of the treasures that will be in store for dinner. Culture and cuisine will weave together on day two, beginning with a tour of Barva and Heredia, which are two colonial towns that keep ancient traditions alive. From these old towns, you will travel to an organic cacao farm and follow the process from plantation to gourmet truffles on a private tour that encourages you to get your hands dirty and smother chocolate all around your mouth.
Day three will begin with an organic coffee plantation and some very interesting stories that concern coffee and Costa Rican culture. By touring the plantation step by step, you will learn the production process before a coffee cupping session helps you to discern and rate coffee from bean to cup. It will be an hour and a half transfer to Bajos del Toro in the afternoon, where your lodge will be located in a private cloud forest. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the on-site spa and take a walk in the forest before a gourmet dinner brings new flavors to your table.
Costa Rican cuisine is dominated by the concept of farm to table. This is a country that has always farmed and dined organically, and many Costa Rican farms have received international organic accreditation. By visiting a community market, you will get to know local produce and meet with some farmers. You will then pick some vegetables and herbs from a local garden, and all the produce that you picked will come together during an optional cooking class. You can join the chefs or wait for the food, and there will be a variety of dishes that are complemented by local and international wines.
You will culminate your vacation with a two-night stay on the Pacific coast, where you will have many hours to relax on golden sand and paddle in the shallow surf. Sunsets are spectacular on the Costa Rican Pacific, and they are even more enjoyable with a cocktail in hand. You can pick up some of your ingredients for cocktails from a Pacific garden before mixing them up with a local bartender. Your final day on vacation will be dedicated to the country’s coastal cuisine. Some of the secrets that you will you learn will be about picadillo and ceviche. From Punta Islita, you will depart from Liberia.
Starting Price
$2,100 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.
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