Costa Rica and Nicaragua coffee tour
| country: | Costa Rica, Nicaragua |
| departures: | 2009: 14 Feb |
| price: | From £1595 (16 days) excluding flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
On this two week trip we explore Costa Rica and Nicaragua whilst visiting the coffee farmers who supply the Cafédirect coffee we know and love. We take part in the coffee process from picking the beans right through to sitting back and enjoying a cup of coffee on the farm where it was grown. Throughout the process we can chat to the farmers and other representatives of the cooperatives who will be able to share with us the benefits that producing fair trade coffee have brought to their community.
After relaxing from our flights and getting our bearings in San Jose, we leave the city and begin our exploration of beautiful Costa Rica. Stopping at a group who produce fair trade sugar we end our second full day in Santa Elena in the Monteverde coffee producing region. After our first lesson in coffee production, the next few days are spent enjoying more of the natural beauty of the region. We will spend time in the cloud forest amongst the flora and fauna, marvel at the spectacular Arenal Volcano and relax in the natural hot springs at La Fortuna.
Continuing on our way we see some fair trade pineapples being grown before arriving at the turquoise waters of the Rio Celeste watching them tumble into Costa Rica’s most spectacular waterfall. We'll then head north over the border into Nicaragua. After a few days spent on the Pacific coast we head to Managua and Granada for a taste of history and culture and a chance to explore these two very different and fascinating cities before heading further into the mountains. Here we come towards the end of our tour with the coffee farmers of San Ramon enjoying the coffee of the region as well as its birds and butterflies.
After relaxing from our flights and getting our bearings in San Jose, we leave the city and begin our exploration of beautiful Costa Rica. Stopping at a group who produce fair trade sugar we end our second full day in Santa Elena in the Monteverde coffee producing region. After our first lesson in coffee production, the next few days are spent enjoying more of the natural beauty of the region. We will spend time in the cloud forest amongst the flora and fauna, marvel at the spectacular Arenal Volcano and relax in the natural hot springs at La Fortuna.
Continuing on our way we see some fair trade pineapples being grown before arriving at the turquoise waters of the Rio Celeste watching them tumble into Costa Rica’s most spectacular waterfall. We'll then head north over the border into Nicaragua. After a few days spent on the Pacific coast we head to Managua and Granada for a taste of history and culture and a chance to explore these two very different and fascinating cities before heading further into the mountains. Here we come towards the end of our tour with the coffee farmers of San Ramon enjoying the coffee of the region as well as its birds and butterflies.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Flights UK to San Jose, Costa Rica. |
| Day 2: | San Jose. We have a relaxed first day in Costa Rica allowing us to rest from our flight, acclimatise and enjoy our new surroundings. We have a short walking tour of San Jose so we can get our bearings and there will be various optional museum visits. |
| Day 3: | Coopecanera. This morning we travel out of the city to San Ramon to visit Coopecanera, a fair trade sugar processor. Here we will be able to talk to the cooperative leadership about their development and work in fair trade, and also observe the sugar cane processing. |
| Day 4: | Coocafe. We travel up into the mountains to visit Cooperative Santa Elena which is a member of cooperative of Coocafe who supply their coffee to Café Direct in the UK. Made up of 75 small coffee producers, all are committed to growing crops in environmentally friendly ways and the group have various environmental and educational projects. We have the chance to visit some of the coffee farms and see the coffee being processed before getting to taste the final product. |
| Day 5: | Santa Elena Nature Reserve. Straddling the Continental Divide, the Santa Elena Nature Reserve is a state-owned non-profit reserve containing 12km of trails and a canopy observation tower. |
| Day 6: | Arenal volcano. We head further north today to La Fortuna, a bustling town in view of the spectacular Arenal volcano. Here we can relax in the hot springs before a night viewing of the Arenal volcano. |
| Day 7: | Fair trade pineapple. We will visit pineapple producers who are members of ASOPROAGROIN, the largest fair trade pineapple supplier in the world. |
| Day 8: | Nicaragua. We arrive at San Juan Sur on the coast in the afternoon and after checking into our hotel we have the evening to enjoy this tranquil fishing village. |
| Day 9: | La Flor. Today will be spent at the beach reserve of La Flor. As well as being an important beach for nesting sea turtles, the area is home to many different species of animals and birds. |
| Day 10: | Managua. After lunch in one of the local restaurants we visit Potters for Peace, a US based non-profit organisation which was founded in Nicaragua in 1986 and works with potters all over Central America. The vast majority of potters in Central America are rural women and the core work for Potters for Peace has always been assisting these hard working people to earn a better living. |
| Day 11: | Lake of Nicaragua. After a tour of Granada we take a boat trip on the Lake of Nicaragua. Observing life on the tiny little islands make it a really beautiful and tranquil place to visit. |
| Day 12: | Coffee. We travel to San Ramon in Matagalpa in one of Nicaragua’s coffee growing regions. On arrival in Finca Esperanza Verde we enjoy a typical dinner, along with local music and dancing. |
| Day 13: | Cecocafen. This morning is spent with the coffee farmers of UCA San Ramon, a group member of Cecocafen, another of Café Direct’s suppliers. After lunch we visit a local women’s artisan collective. Over dinner we will have a discussion of the political and economic situation in rural Nicaragua, which will help to put some of what we have seen and learnt on the last few days into a wider context. |
| Day 14: | Butterfly hikes. We enjoy our last morning in rural Nicaragua today and especially its wildlife and scenery with a visit to butterfly farm. There are also options for light hiking and bird watching. We have a farewell meal together in a local restaurant in Managua. |
| Day 15: | Flights to UK. |
| Day 16: | UK. Today sees us returning to the UK where we will go our separate ways, saying goodbye to new friends. |
this tourism business was Highly Commended
In our 2005 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards, the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine. The idea behind the Awards is that all types of tourism – from niche to mainstream – can and should be operated in a way that respects and benefits destinations and local people. how this holiday makes a difference
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If you’re interested in fair trade and are looking for an opportunity to meet the people behind the products then this is the holiday for you. Global adventures start with a local perspective – that's our philosophy. We focus on creating the most enjoyable holiday for our customers while benefiting the local people, economy and respecting the environment.
With the focus on fair trade, we learn about the production of fair trade coffee at UCA San Ramon, a group member of CECOCAFEN who have been partners with Cafedirect since 2001 and also visit farms producing fair trade sugar and pineapples. Focussing good treatment of their workers and using natural resources without harming the environment, these projects will give us a great introduction to the concepts of fair trade. Our local partner was formed by two dual Costa Rican-US citizens in response to the demand of numerous friends and colleagues for tours in Costa Rica that are based on a clear understanding of the local culture as well as the needs and interests of responsible tourists. Their work is fully integrated in rural development, rural business organisation and women’s health. This tour is a great combination of this culture, politics and fair trade along with enjoying the stunning scenery and wildlife of these Central American countries. Spending time in carefully selected accommodation and restaurants we make sure that the local communities benefit directly. The range of accommodation on this trip is designed to give you a sense of the history and culture of the area as well as the modern way of life. By collaborating with locally based people when visiting different areas we are able to contribute to the regional economy. You will also enjoy some meal times with the farmer’s you visit. We provide guests with Travellers’ Codes to encourage the reduction of water usage, systems for collecting, recycling or safe disposal of litter and relevant suggestions to minimise damage to the environment, wildlife and marine ecosystems. All our holidays have a maximum group size of 12 to 14 people minimizing both the social and environmental impact. There is also the option to carbon-offset your flights. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |