Fiesta
Colorful Costa Rica
February 23 – March 2, 2008

THE COLORS OF PARADISE

A festival is an event, usually staged by a local community, which centers on some unique aspect of that community. Festivals (also called fests or fiestas) serve to meet specific social needs and duties, as well as to provide entertainment. These times of celebration offer a sense of belonging for groups. Modern festivals that focus on cultural or ethnic topics seek to inform members of their traditions. There are numerous types of festivals in the world. Though many have religious origins, others involve seasonal change or have some cultural significance.
     Whatever the reason for a fiesta, most people need little excuse to have an old-fashioned celebration. Similarly, our vacations should be like a fiesta—carefree and enjoyable. They should be alternately relaxing and exciting, planned and spontaneous, and above all, fun! Costa Rica is perfectly suited for turning your vacation into a fiesta, as the Ticos (as Costa Ricans refer to themselves) are already celebrating the arrival of spring with their own fiesta. One of Costa Rica’s more unusual traditions is a cruelty-free variation on the classic bullfight. In their version, there is no matador and the bull gets the upper hand (or horn) on the locals (and loco tourists) daring enough to enter the ring.
     Costa Rica feels like a year-round fiesta, because it is so naturally colorful. First time visitors may feel like they stepped into the middle of rainbow. From every angle the world is flooded with vibrant hues. Flowers of dazzling red, green, gold, orange, pink and purple are matched only by the brilliance of the tropical birds nesting in the branches. Exotic Morpho butterflies flit past adding the most vibrant flashes of neon blue. The brown cone of an active volcano glows at twilight with a fiery orange mantle of molten rock adorning its flanks. Coffee plants herald their presence with a million dots of lustrous red. The sea and sky blend together faraway along the horizon in an ethereal gradation of blue.
     Visitors can be so blinded by all the visual stimuli that they seem to forget what is perhaps Costa Rica’s most attractive feature. The sheer diversity of its landscape makes Costa Rica a veritable playground, with a wide range of activities to suit every taste. Whether you want non-stop action or quiet reflection, Costa Rica is a place you just have to experience.
     For more than a decade, Toto Tours has enticed hundreds of people on more than 30 tours to this beautiful country. With this new itinerary we take advantage for the first time of the ever-increasing number of flights into Costa Rica’s newest airport in Liberia. Entering the country at this point enables us to get close to nature as quickly as possible without the traffic snarl and hubbub that is San José. Liberia is the starting and ending point for an amazing vacation that includes a river float, a rainforest canopy tour, hot springs, volcano watching, walking in a primordial cloud forest and endless miles of beckoning beaches.
     Toto Tours provides your passport to the very best that Costa Rica has to offer. All our hotels are considered luxury properties (except the one at Arenal, which is rated “superior” and has an amazing view). For the hedonists, there are many opportunities for optional spa treatments to pamper body and soul. Those looking for nightlife will find plenty in “happening” Tamarindo on the beach.
     If you’ve never been to Costa Rica, then experience it with Toto Tours, the Costa Rica experts. If you haven’t been back in a while, return with us to see what’s new. You’ll discover why we return, year after year, to this very popular gay destination!

ITINERARY

Saturday, February 23, 2008
Arrival in Costa Rica

Arrange your international flight to arrive at the new Liberia airport (airport code: LIR) in Costa Rica’s northwest Guanacaste Province, by 4pm today if possible. Please consider arriving a day early if your flight will arrive after 4pm. We can arrange an additional night for you at a nearby hotel.
     We can arrange several transfers to our resort at the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano today, timed to accommodate the greatest number of arriving participants. Tonight Toto Tours gets the Fiesta started with a Welcome Dinner at the resort’s restaurant.     (Dinner Included)

Sunday, February 24, 2008
Free Day for Optional Activities

Our resort is absolutely fabulous, and there is no better way to start a vacation than to relax, participate in optional adventures or take advantage of our resort’s amenities. Surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and lush forests, our hotel offers a wide variety of outdoor and adventure activities, including a zipline ride through the rainforest canopy, a waterfall hike, horseback riding, an ATV excursion or a volcano adventure. Our resort is also a full service spa, offering mud baths, massages, mineral baths and facials. We meet this evening to share stories about our day’s activities during dinner.     (Breakfast / Dinner)

Monday, February 25, 2008
Fiesta Day

After breakfast this morning we check out and return to Liberia to experience the local Fiesta, including the thrills and spills of a traditional Costa Rican style bullfight. Animal lovers need not fear the bullfights because these have no matador and no harm comes to the bull. In fact, it is the observers who are at greatest risk, especially those who take up the challenge of jumping into the ring and getting chased by the horny beast. It is a hilarious twist on an old cultural tradition from Spain, and so typically Costa Rican!
     In the late afternoon we travel to Arenal Volcano, one of the world’s most active. We stay in beautiful lodge with views of the volcano, from which we hope to catch a glimpse of fiery orange rocks as they adorn the summit late at night.     (Breakfast / Dinner)

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Canopy Tour / Hot Springs

After breakfast depart our lodge bound for the rainforest. We ascend to treetop level, from which you take a leap of faith in the well-proven safety of a canopy tour. Strapped into a harness and safety gear, you fly like Tarzan (or at the very least, “Jorge” of the Jungle), zipping down along a steel cable to a lower treetop. It is one of the most exciting things you will ever do, and it’s a lot of fun too.
     The morning’s exhilaration transforms to afternoon relaxation as we head to the Eco Thermales Hot Springs to enjoy a dip in natural pools, thermally heated by the volcano. Dinner is included at the Hot Springs. We return to our lodge for more volcano-watching, and the remainder of the evening is free.     (Breakfast / Dinner)

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monteverde

This morning after breakfast we head into the mountains to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. The desire to see what many consider the most beautiful bird in tropical America, the resplendent quetzal, is what brings us to this biological reserve. But Monteverde is not just about one kind of bird, but rather 400 different species, as well as 400 species of butterflies, 100 species of mammals, and 2,500 species of plants. Upon arrival at our luxurious lodge, we take time to get acquainted with the property and eat lunch (not included). This afternoon we visit a nearby Butterfly Farm for just a small hint of what makes this region so unique.     (Breakfast / Dinner)

Thursday, February 28, 2008
Cloud Forest / Tamarindo Beach

After breakfast take a guided hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. The early morning is the best time to view birds and wildlife when they are most active. We return to lodge to check out and travel the short distance to the Pacific coast. En route, we stop at the Corobici River to take a relaxing river float, following by lunch overlooking the river.
     Upon arrival at Tamarindo, we check in at our hotel and the remainder of the day is free to enjoy the facilities and the beautiful white-sand beach. Partners or people sharing rooms will reside in 2 and 3 bedroom villas with private pools. Individuals who request private rooms will stay in the hotel section, which has a large pool.     (Breakfast / Lunch)

Friday, February 29, 2008
Free Day for Water Sports

Today is entirely free to relax, explore the area on your own, or participate in optional adventures. Our beachfront resort is in Tamarindo, a charming fishing town of 1,000 inhabitants. You might want to stroll into town to purchase souvenirs or grab a cold drink. Playa Tamarindo offers great fun at the beach and also some wonderful nature adventures, including surfing, deep sea fishing, a sunset cruise, yoga, boat excursions, skating, tennis, horseback riding, snorkeling, kayaking, mountain biking, or 4WD tours. We are here during the nesting and hatching season of the giant leatherback turtles, and an optional excursion to their protected nesting grounds is offered every night, timed according to the high tides.     (Breakfast)

Saturday, March 1, 2008
Playa Panama / Farewell Dinner

The morning is free for those who were up all night watching turtles (or partying in Tamarindo) to catch some rays and enjoy the Tamarindo beach one more time. This afternoon we transfer to another beach at Playa Panama. We spend our last night together at a beautiful property just 20 minutes away from the Liberia Airport. It is a perfect way to extend our vacation right up until the last minute without having to drive hours inland to San José. Toto Tours brings the Fiesta to a close this evening with a Farewell Dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.     (Breakfast / Dinner)

Sunday, March 2, 2008
Departure

The tour officially ends after breakfast this morning. Arrange your return flight at any convenient time today. We provide your transfer to the airport. We can also arrange for tour extensions for those who would like to visit other parts of the country before returning home.     (Breakfast)