Couples Rainforest Retreat         COSTA  RICA
Retreat Itinerary

8 Days and 7 Nights

Day 1
Arrive to the SJO airport.
Ground transportation provided for pick-up at the SJO airport in San Jose. Travel 90 minutes through the mountainous Braulio Carillo National Park to the Sueno Azul resort in Las Horquetas de Sarapiqui. You will be greeted with a natural fruit drink welcome. Check into your comfortable room and then, enjoy a delicious lunch at the beautiful open-air restaurant of the resort. After lunch, you will have time to relax as we wait for all participants to settle in. In the evening, We will meet at the restaurant again for a delicious dinner and to introduce the retreat facilitators. You will have the evening to unwind and take in the tranquility of the surroundings.

Day 2
Time to Breathe! Enjoy the morning to sleep late and enjoy a delicious breakfast at the resort. After breakfast, we will begin the week's activities with a special stretch/breathing/yoga session specially designed for couples to breathe deeply, move together and reconnect. A delicious lunch follows.
The aftenoon will introduce the first session of the PAIRS Essentials program,
The Heart of Intimacy, led by certified expert PAIRS instructors.  Four separate sessions will be provided throughout the week and all materials will be included for the course. Couples will be led in thoughtful exercises throughout each session to awaken the heart, mind and soul and learn essential skills to reenhance and strengthen their relationship. Dinner to follow and the evening to relax at the resort.

Day 3
Time to Indulge! Enjoy a delicious breakfast, and following, experience a morning activity to awaken the senses and indulge. We will travel to a local rainforest reserve for a mild nature walk and a fascinating and scruptious chocolate tour. The tour will be led by a trained naturalist guide, beginning by crossing the suspension bridge which hovers over the Sarapiqui River. Your guide will lead you through the trails of the reserve to a former cacao-growing plantation. During the hike, the natural and cultural history of the cacao tree will be explained and then, the artisanal process by which cacao fruit is transformed into chocolate will be demonstrated (harvest, fermentation, drying, etc.), while the story of pre- and post-colonial chocolate is told. At the site it is time to indulge and taste different kinds of chocolate, which are prepared on the spot in the traditional way. After the tour, we will return back to the resort for a delicious lunch. The afternoon will include the second session of the PAIRS Essentials program, Constructive Conflict. Dinner to follow and the evening to relax at the resort.

Day 4
Time to Refresh! After a delicious breakfast, you will have the choice of an adventurous and exhilerating white-water rafting tour or a more relaxing safari paddle float down the majestic waters of the Sarapiqui River. Both of these tours are with experienced guides. The White Water Rafting tour takes you through a beautiful part of the river filled with exciting Class II and Class III white water rapids and beautiful ponds, all surrounded by a wonderful natural scenery. This is a great tour for people who are going rafting for their first time, but who also want excitement and great rapids. It is also a great tour for people with previous experience in rafting.  The Safari Paddle Float involves little paddling down the river through mostly Class I and a few Class II rapids. It is an excellent option for those looking for a chance to see wildlife and relax on the serene and beautiful river.  Lunch will follow back at the resort. After lunch, delight in the benefits of participating in the third of four PAIRS Essentials program sessions,
Emotional Literacy. Dinner will be served in the restaurant and the evening will be free to relax or perhaps enjoy the jacuzzi.

Day 5
Time to Play and Rejuvenate! After a delicious breakfast, you will experience an adventure playground in the heart of the rainforest. The day begins with an exciting horseback ride which is perfect for admiring the flora and fauna that compose this pastoral landscape. The horses will bring you to the starting point of our next activity, the Zip-line Canopy tour where you will have the sensation of flying over the surrounding beauty of Costa Rican Rainforest by using cables that run between different platforms with distances that range from 80 to 800 feet and reaching heights of 20 to 100 feet above the ground.  Expert guides will lead you and provide you with all of the safety gear and instructions. Before having a delicious lunch, the whole group will meet at the Cascades where you can enjoy the pristine water born in the heart of Braulio Carrillo National Park.  Here you can relax with a natural hydro-massage and a refreshing swim at the cascades or in an 800 sqft natural pool and play with the gigantic water slide. Also from here you can enjoy a beautiful walk through the forest and visit the butterfly garden. Today, the afternoon will be free to relax or enjoy the different amenities of the resort... possibly have spa treatment, etc. All spa treatments are at an additional cost to participants. Dinner will be served in the restaurant and the evening will be free to relax or perhaps enjoy the jacuzzi.

Day 6
Time to Explore! A delicious breakfast will be served and this will be an open day... open to explore on your own and enjoy the day exactly as you desire. There will be an optional Full Day tour planned for couples to travel three hours to hike at the base of the very active Arenal volcano in the Arenal Volcano National Park, followed by lunch and then a delighful soak in the natural hot springs. The tour includes transportation, a guided hike, entrance fees to the hot springs and lunch. This full day tour to Arenal will be at an additional cost to participants and must be pre-reserved before arrival to Costa Rica. OR, you may choose to stay and relax at the resort, or possibly choose from a variety of different activities and tours local to the area. All additional tours are at an additional cost to participants. A delicious dinner will be served at the resort with the evening free to relax.

Day 7
Time to Celebrate! After a delicious breakfast, we will participate in the final session of the PAIRS Essentials program, Putting It All Together. This is the last full day of the retreat and is an excellent time to reflect and take time to let all of the experiences of the week soak in. As a couple, you will have had the very special opportunity to give yourselves the best gifts of all... the gift of quality time together and of gift of giving positive energy towards opening your heart, mind and soul to enhance and strenghthen your relationship. Now, it is time to celebrate each other and these efforts. Lunch will be served at the resort and the afternoon will be free. Then, in the evening, a farewell dinner including dancing will allow you to move and laugh together while learning and embracing the passion of latin tropical dances. An expert dance instructor will lead the group and will introduce all of  the basic dances popular within the Costa Rica culture.

Day 8
Breakfast will be served at the hotel.
Transportation will be provided for transfer to the SJO International airport in San Jose for you return flight back home. Our aim is to have provided you with an experience to cherish for a lifetime with the hope that you take home with you that Pura Vida feeling and that you have learned valuable skills to help enhance your relationship to live your life together with love, joy and a renewed sense of passion.

This itinerary may be subject to change.