Journeys by Maple Leaf Tours

01/19/2025

Today was a free day to wander around Tamarindo. We walked the beach from end to end, lounged around the pool while the Howler Monkeys jumped from tree to tree. As the sun set tonight, we enjoyed our last night together. It has been a fabulous journey with all of you. As our Costa Rica experience comes to an end, I would like to thank you for the laughs, the mountains we climbed, the supporting of each other as we conquered our fears of zip-lining, saving me from the crocodile, and the stories we shared. We will treasure all the memories made💕safe travels home!

01/17/2025

What a wonderful day we had today. It was a free day to enjoy however you wanted. Most of us walked the beach one way or the other collecting shells along the way. Some did some shopping at the various stores on the strip. Some gathered around the pool. We ended our night watching the sunset while enjoying dinner near the water.

01/15/2025

Today we left our resort behind and travelled to Rincon de La Vieja National Park. Rincon de la Vieja, now part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, is one of the most ecologically diverse areas in Costa Rica.

The park is named after the active Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, one of the largest in the Guanacaste Mountain Range. The volcanic activity has shaped the area, creating hot springs, bubbling mud pools, fumaroles, and a variety of unique geological formations. Rincón de la Vieja National Park is also home to rich biodiversity, with distinct ecosystems ranging from dry tropical forest to lush cloud forests at higher altitudes.
We enjoyed our 3 hour hike through the park learning how this park goes from a rain forest to a dry tropical forest. Fascinating seeing boulder that were spewed from the volcano over 5000 years ago. We even enjoyed a waterfall that this time of year is normally just a rock face.
From boa constrictor to green iguanas the ladies enjoyed the day!

01/15/2025

After breakfast, we left Monteverde towards Tamarindo. Another scenic drive from the mountains to the lowlands. We passed through Abangares. The town where 3 Amigos first started panning for gold.

Next we stopped along the Pan American Hwy to see Scarlet Macaws in a Mango tree.

When the Pan American Hwy was built it cut the forest in two. This division of the forest cause the Howler Monkey to mutate as they bred with their own. To try to stop inbreeding they built Monkey Bridges across the Hwy.

Now we have arrived in Tamarindo. We decided that we would go to the beach and watch the sunset. Stay tuned for another adventure tomorrow......

01/13/2025

Hello from Monteverde!

We started our day with a wonderful boat ride across Lake Arenal. Originally a natural lake, Lake Arenal was tripled in size with the 1979 construction of the Presa Sangregado Dam at its northern end. All land below the 550-meter level was expropriated by the Costa Rican government. The old towns of Arenal and Tronadora now lie at the bottom of the lake; their residents were resettled in the new town of Arenal to the northeast. The dam also displaced a large cattle operation, Hacienda La Rosita, which was owned and operated by P. Eckrich & Sons, a subsidiary of the U.S. corporation Beatrice Foods. Hacienda La Rosita occupied most of the land that is now Lake Arenal as well as additional land surrounding the lake.

Once we crossed the lake we enjoyed a wonderful scenic ride through the countryside. At one point a creek over flowed the road we had to cross. Today we stopped in Santa Elena for lunch and chose a traditional local favourite, Apollo Asado, for some rotisserie chicken dishes.
We walked through some of the artisan shops until we could check into our hotel.

Later in the afternoon we learned about coffee, sugar cane and chocolate on the El Trapiche tour. Here we visited a local family farm beginning with a short walk through the farm where you can get a glimpse of plantations as sugar cane, coffee, cocoa and fruit trees. We were eager to learn the entire coffee process, the artisanal cocoa process and sugar cane traditional process and experience the process of making the traditional sugar cane candy. At the end of the tour we were offered a fragrant cup of coffee from the farm and a traditional dish of picadillo de arracache.

It was a lovely relaxing type of day! Stay tuned as we venture out into the cloud forest tomorrow.....

01/11/2025

I am so proud of the ladies this morning as our adventure had our hearts pounding by taking a zipline ride through the Costa Rican forest canopy. With Sky Adventure Park having the highest zip lines in Costa Rica, we traversed 7 zip lines of varying lengths to admire unique and breathtaking views of the Arenal volcano and lake. We flew over and in between trees to feel an adrenaline rush like no other.
Most of us had only thought about doing this adventure and took the plunge when the opportunity presented itself. Thanks ladies for another amazing memory💕

After our adventurous morning we went into La Fortuna for lunch and a bit of shopping.

This evening we will enjoy a lovely soak in the hot springs of Eco Termales.

What a great day! Stay tuned as we move onto the cloud forest.

01/10/2025

What a great day we had today! This morning we started our day finally with some sunshine. Then we headed out on the La Fortuna Waterfall Hike. We climbed up and down the many stairs to the waterfall. We took a break for lunch then off the the Mistico Hanging Bridges for another walk in the rainforest. The peacefulness of hearing the rainforest come alive as we walked the paths, crossed the hanging bridges over the tree tops and hearing water flowing underneath us. A fabulous walk in nature. Although we saw some birds, a frog and some tarantula burrows we ended the day with a visit from a coati. On our way home we were able to see a rainbow close to Arenal Volcano.

01/10/2025

Hello from Sarapiqui!
Today we left Tortuguero and are heading to Arenal. On our way we stopped in to see a local family that produce Heart of Palm. Nidia & her son have 7 hectares of land in the countryside. They grow various fruits such as oranges, lemons and lychee on 2 hectares.
The remaining 5 hectares, they grow Heart of Palm. Today they demonstrated the process from planting the seed to tasting the final product. It is a labour intensive process that doesn't earn them much in return. From the time of planting the seed 4 inches in the ground until the time they can harvest the heart is 1.5 year process. After the demonstration we were able to taste the fresh heart. Nidia then made Picadillo for us, using her family recipe. Very tasty!
Our adventure continues tomorrow in La Fortuna......Stay tuned

01/08/2025

Today we ventured out into Tortuguero National Park. We were welcomed by the rain forest with an abundance of rain, however that did not stop our positive spirits from exploring.

Hidden on the remote riverbanks of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, lies the sleepy village of Tortuguero. Tortuguero is home to a maze of waterways and a thick, dense jungle.

The small village, which can be reached only by boat or airplane, is sustained almost entirely by eco-tourism. The village is situated on a sand bar island, separated from the mainland by Tortuguero River and bordering the Caribbean Sea. The population is estimated at around 1200-1500.

Tortuguero can be translated as Land of Turtles, and gave its name to the neighboring Tortuguero National Park.

The beaches around Tortuguero are key nesting sites for four species of sea turtle, including two critically endangered species. The National Park is also host to an incredible biodiversity of insects, resident and migratory birds, and mammals, including jaguars and four species of monkeys. Even as I write this Howler monkeys are making noise in the distance. Tomorrow we move on the Arenal Volcano.....Stay tuned!

01/08/2025

Hello from Tortuguero, Costa Rica!

We landed safely in San Jose late last night and turned in as we had an early morning start to Tortuguero. We travelled roughly 1.5 hours from San Jose to our lunch stop in Guapiles. We had a traditional Costa Rican breakfast consisting of rice & beans, omelettes, eggs and fresh fruit. Then we travelled another 1.5 hours to our boat launch in Cano Blanco. From here we travelled the river to the edge of Tortuguero National Park to our hotel for the next few nights. This afternoon we wandered around our hotel property in hopes of seeing some wildlife. The Howler monkeys gave a little insight as to what our day tomorrow will bring visiting Tortuguero National Park... Stay tuned!

01/06/2025

Wishing a safe journey to the ladies departing today for our "Natural Wonders of Costa Rica" adventure.
Stay tuned to follow along the journey with us........

12/29/2024

12/25/2024

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas!
May you share love, laughter and memories for years to come.

12/19/2024

12/17/2024

Fellow traveller comes through again with pictures from today's tour.