Itinerary
Day 1-7: Learn Spanish During Homestays
For three days, we will take Spanish classes with Costa Rican teachers from Turrialba Base House while staying with local families (two to three students per homestay). Students will be in small classes, grouped by language ability. It’s not all classroom time, however—we’ll also explore the surrounding region in a multitude of ways. During this time we will connect with the local community by partnering with el Poró Community Committee, working on projects that benefit the neighborhood and its inhabitants. In the afternoons, we’ll zoom through the forest canopy on a zipline 🌳, play soccer games with locals ⚽, and explore the Pejivalle river by “Duckie” (inflatable raft) 🚣♂️, and eat the local cheese delicacy at Finca Florita farm 🧀. We will finish off our time in Turrialba area with family day, learning about local culture and saying goodbye to the families we have connected with during our homestays.
Accommodation: Homestay 🏠
Day 8-9: Whitewater Raft the Rio Pacuare
We’ll continue our Costa Rica adventure with a two-day jaunt down the warm, jade-green waters of the Río Pacuare! 🌊 Surrounded by dense, lush rainforest and cascading waterfalls, we’ll switch between calm waters and exciting class II–IV rapids; keep your ears pricked and eyes peeled for toucans, parrots, sloths, monkeys, and more 🦜🐒. National Geographic has named this river as one of the top 10 rivers to raft in the world. 🌍
Accommodation: Eco-resort/Guesthouse 🏡
Day 10-12: Community Service and Beach Time
Over two days we’ll volunteer with experienced conservationists on the local beaches of Corozalito 🌊. We’ll take nightly walks looking for sea turtles 🐢 and participate in conservation work to protect the turtle nesting sites on Corozalito Beach. If we’re lucky, we will observe them coming out of the water to lay their eggs and return to the ocean, all under the light of the moon 🌙.
Accommodation: Hostel 🏨
Day 13-14: Sea Kayaking and Dolphin Tour
We’ll continue to explore pristine waters while sea kayaking and snorkeling off the coast 🛶, encountering manta rays, butterfly fish, angelfish, and turtles 🐢! We’ll play in the local beach coves like Playa Samara 🏖️ and even head out on a dolphin-watching tour 🐬 one morning and experience the joy of watching these playful animals racing our boat. Our time here wouldn’t be complete without a visit to a local women’s group to learn woodworking and traditional artisan skills during an art class 🎨.
Accommodation: Hotel 🏨
Day 15-16: Visit Matambu and Zipline Through the Canopy
Before we leave the region, we’ll visit the indigenous territory of Matambu 🌿, a beautiful community of a modern-day indigenous tribe called the Chorotega. While there, we will visit Nangu, an eco-cultural project where the students will learn about the culture and participate in a cooking class 🍽️. We will also spend a morning flying through the jungle on a ziplining canopy tour 🌳; we will get up close and personal with the monkeys 🐒 and fly with the tropical birds 🦜 in this epic zipline adventure! Our time on the coast wouldn’t be complete without some time playing group games on the serene sands of Playa Samara 🏖️.
Accommodation: Hotel 🏨
Day 17: Surfing and Explore Liberia
While in Costa Rica, you have to learn how to surf! 🏄♀️ Professional surf instructors will teach us the correct techniques, water safety and awareness, and surf etiquette. Playa Carrillo is acclaimed for its reliable, beginner-friendly waves 🌊; in fact, this entire area attracts surfers of all abilities from across the globe. When we’ve had our fill of the wave breaks, we’ll relax on the beach 🏖️ and play games at the pool 🏊.
Accommodation: Hotel 🏨
Day 18-19: Explore Waterfalls, Hike in the Rainforest, and Learn About Puma Rescue
We get to spend the day exploring Rincon de la Vieja National Park 🌳, hiking through the rain forest, seeing if we can spot monkeys 🐒 hiding in the trees! If we are lucky, a view of the famous Rincon volcano may pop through the clouds 🌋. Costa Rica is famous for its waterfalls 💦, and we will get a chance to explore two of them, Pozas los Coyotes, and Llanos de Cortes, and swim in beautiful pools nearby 🏊. Experts at Las Pumas Sanctuary will walk us through rescued animals in their sanctuary 🦁, while educating us about the threats that wildlife face from humans 🌍.
Accommodation: Hotel 🏨
Day 20-21: Say Goodbye to Friends Made for a Lifetime
We will share our last day together looking back on all the memories we created while in the beautiful mountainous Rincon 🏞! The morning will be spent in a final goodbye ceremony 🙏 and transporting back to San Jose, where we will prepare for an epic farewell dinner 🍽 and celebration of our incredible adventure together in Costa Rica 🇨🇷. Pura Vida! ✨
Accommodation: Hotel 🏨
Activities
✅ Community Service: 20 hours
✅ Hiking
✅ Surfing
✅ Zip Lining
✅ Whitewater rafting
✅ Snorkeling
