Our staff - Trip Designers
Jackie Aguilar
A passionate traveler, Jackie loves visiting her friends in North Carolina, and wish to return to her favorite spots in Greece and to walk on the magnificent streets of Prague. Nevertheless, she is in love with her country and take advantage of every weekend or day off to visit the lush and amazing Costa Rican national parks and the picturesque coast line and its exotic beaches, where she spend hours walking and looking for nature treasures!
Jackie describes herself as a “trendy shopaholic” and a chocolate addicted! If you are ever hungry for a snack, search in her desk´s drawer and will always find some sweets!
The old capital of Costa Rica, Cartago, is Jackie´s hometown, however, since she married, she moved to Heredia, where she shares her life and “sweets” with her husband Allan and her newborn girl Lara.
With a Bachelor Degree in English Philology from University of Costa Rica and also a BA in Translation from International University of The Americas, Jackie has been a member of the Horizontes Family since 1997 designing amazing programs to take nature lovers through the adventure and green scenarios of this Central American country!
Rodolfo Alvarez
Rodolfo began working in travel industry in 1997, and has been with Horizontes since 2003. He manages perhaps the greatest diversity of travel programs for Horizontes, from bird watching and nature photography adventures for groups, to upscale itineraries designed for independent travelers.
A self proclaimed people person, Rodolfo says that traveling gives him the chance to learn about other cultures, try new foods and see new ways of looking at the world. Fluent in English and French, as well as his native Spanish, Rodolfo lived in Ontario, Canada, as part of a high-school exchange program, which awakened his interest in meeting new people.
In Costa Rica, Rodolfo’s favorite place is Corcovado, where he spotted wild dolphins and whales on a snorkeling trip to Caño Island. “They couldn’t get me out of the water,” he said.
Rodolfo is an avid photographer and outdoors enthusiast who loves taking long walks and hikes through the forested mountains just outside San Jose. He is an amateur bird watcher and, when not in nature, can be found reading travel magazines or listening to classical music.
Gabriela Calleja
Gabriela Calleja graduated with honors in Tourism, at the Colegio Universitario de Cartago, the former capital city of Costa Rica.
Growing up in a farm in the hills of Ochomogo, the mountain chain dividing Costa Rica´s Central Valley, taught her to love and protect nature. She always recalls those times when she woke up to the song of hundreds of birds just outside her bedroom window and the wind combing the many trees crowning the hill nearby. Now, she lives in Escazú with her husband, Eduardo, and her 19-years-old son Andrés, who is studying to become a pilot and eager to become a professional photographer as well.
Her career has developed in different fields of the tourism industry, working in airlines, outbound tour operator and for twelve years in the ground operation with Horizontes. She has also been teaching at private universities and has worked for a NGO focused on animal protection. A good movie, a good book, and a good wine, and of course, the company of her family, are her favorite hobbies!
Maria Consuelo León
Always the consummate professional, María Consuelo (Chelo) has worked for Horizontes Nature Tours for 23 years and has been in charge of creating the department of Research & Development, Guide Coordination and Meetings & Incentives for the company.
As Senior Trip Designer, she specializes in family travel and VIP services. She regularly explores Costa Rica with her 12-years- old son Gabriel, who she says is learning the business while accompanying his mommy on site inspections.
“In 24 years, I have found myself, bouncing around on mountain hikes and kayaking, experiencing the nocturnal show of a lava flow of Arenal Volcano, the falling starts of a clear Guanacaste night and the spectacular sunset of Manuel Antonio beach. My country is a paradise!
Catalina Mora
Catalina is the newcomer of our Trip Designers. She lives in Coronado, also called “City of the Clouds” on the North East of the capital city, San José. She is the oldest of four siblings.
Besides having more than five year experience in the tourism industry, Catalina studied in the Universidad Hispanoamericana (San Jose) where she obtained a Bachelor Degree and Post grade in Business Administration with emphasis in Tourism, Hotel and Restaurant Management.
It is easy to see her love affair with her country, being fascinated by its diversity and its beautiful flora and fauna. The thing that she likes the most about her job is precisely having the chance to assist others to get to know the beauties of Costa Rica.
She enjoys visiting the beaches and exploring the several forests in search of endangered species, activities where she also shares with one of her favorite hobbies: photography. When Catalina is not exploring, she can be found reading a good book, under the shade of a palm or almond three, beachfront, especially in Guiones, Conchal or Manzanillo beaches, in the Guanacaste area!
Catalina has a special passion for gastronomy and has deeply studied the local culture on this field. One of her dreams is to become a chef. She would love to enjoy another sunrise at Chirripó, Costa Rica´s highest peak.
Adriana Piedra
Adriana enjoys practicing adventure sports, such as rafting, canopying and kayaking. She also likes running, going to the beach and reading a good book. She spends most of her time off with her 10-year-old son Felipe who is a young adventurer that enjoys with her the love for life.
She has been involved in the travel industry for more than 14 years and in Horizontes for more than 10. The last 2 years she has been working in the Groups Department managing all the details related to the preparation of groups for different accounts.
Adriana studied Tourism in the Colegio Universitario de Cartago and is about to finish her bachelor degree in Business Administration from the Universidad Autónoma de Centro América.
“Working at Horizontes has enriched my personal and professional growth… traveling around my country gives me the opportunity to discover remote places to fulfill my passion for nature and authentic people for the country side”, she said.
Leonardo Rojas
Better known as “Leo”, his experience in the touristic activity started more than 16 years ago, enhanced by working for some inbound tour operators, participating in promotional events in and out of the country, as well as attending several industry congress and seminars.
Graduated in Tourism from Universidad Autonoma de Centro America, Leo also attended a Bio-Science course in the Universidad Nacional (Costa Rica) and was an exchange student in Michigan during his senior year of high school, a life experience which help changing his new vision of the world.
This native of Cartago, the first capital of Costa Rica, loves bowling, swimming and working out at the local gym, besides his deep passion for nature.
Marcela Valverde
Marcela is the oldest of three sisters from Moravia, San José. A nature lover enthusiast, Marcela graduated with a Bachelor Degree as PreSchool and English Teacher from University of Costa Rica, a job developed for only two years since her passion for tourism opened the doors of the travel industry.
Her contribution in Costa Rica during the last 13 years has enhanced her knowledge in the destination allowing her to design outstanding programs and delivering personalized and prompt customer service. She is in love with her country and considers traveling as an outstanding way of learning and teaching.
Fluent in English and Spanish, Marcela is Elvis's number one fan, collecting all memorabilia and music of the Rock and Roll King. One of her sales trips to the USA was extended for a three day trip to visit Memphis´ most famous house: Graceland.
On her free time, Marcela loves singing and has been part of many choirs during her academic years. Music is a very important part of her life! On weekends she can be found on her favorite seafood restaurant enjoying ceviche, tilapia, shrimp and lobster with her five year old daughter Jimena, who rocks her world!
Melba Villalobos
Melba has been with Horizontes for 23 years. Since the company formally opened the Inbound operation, she has helped in the development of the Independent Travels Department. Known as perfectionist, Melba’s attention to detail comes through on all the itineraries she designs. Melba graduated with a degree in tourism from Colegio Universitario de Cartago (CUC) in Costa Rica, which has led to a career of exploring every inch of her country, from coast to coast, making her an expert on the destination.
Melba enjoys adventure activities, and is always first in line for hotel and tour inspections. When not at work, she can be found working out, either at the gym doing pilates or on the dance floor, or going out to enjoy a fabulous meal or a good movie. Melba is also dedicated to raising —and spoiling— her dogs. A native of Puerto Limón on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, Melba’s favorite places remain the southernmost beaches along her province’s beautiful coastline.
