Costa Rica Student Volunteerism 10D/9N

Costa Rica Student Volunteerism is one of our 20 Costa Rica Students Travel Programs for schools, High Schools and Universities interested in bringing groups to our country for an educational experience.

VISITING: Our Costa Rica Student Volunteerism will be visiting the following places: San Jose, Poas Volcano, Sarapiqui, Arenal Volcano and Playa Ostional.

EDUCATIONAL OBJETIVES: To learn about Rivers, Active Volcanoes, Rainforest, National Parks, Rain Forest, Dry Forest, Wildlife, Ecotourism and Tropical Beaches.

LETTER CODES: (B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner. 

Day 1. WELCOME TO COSTA RICA (D). Our Costa Rica Student Volunteerism program start with the group arrival to the International Airport Juan Santamaria. Upon arrival at the San Jose airport, you will be met by one of our representatives how will explain your itinerary, answer any questions and provide you with a packet of vouchers and information about your trip. Transfer to Hotel Park Inn and free time at leisure.

Optional and depending on arrival time: City Tour: Visiting: San Jose, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, Principal buildings as National Museum, National Teather, Congress, Yellow House, Plaza de la Cultura, Gold Museum, etc. Residential areas and principal Malls. Welcome Dinner.

Day 2. COFFEE TOUR & SARAPIQUI (B, L, D) Breakfast at the hotel and departure to Doka State Coffe Plantations and Tour. At Doka, the students will be able to learn about many interesting aspects of the plant, crop, harvesting, processing and exportation. Doka is an important company in Costa Rica for the coffee production and processing. It is an important supplier of Costa Rican coffee for the famous company Starbucks. After the tour, typical lunch and after it, the group will continue to Sarapiqui Region.

In Sarapiqui, check in at Selva Verde Lodge. Free time for enjoy the place or swimming pool. Dinner at the lodge.

Day 3 & 4. SARAPIQUI COMMUNITY & VOLUNTEERING PROJECT (B, L, D).  Breakfast at the lodge and after it, transfer to the rural local school at Calle La Lucha. This is a very poor primary school with a student population of about 80 students in 6 level. First to 6th grade. 

The students come from the community called La Lucha (The Fight), a peasant´s village where many are immigrants from Nicaragua and work in the pineapple plantations or farms nearby.

During our visit, the group will learn about their living conditions, customs and traditions of this region. At the school, the group will help and support it doing volunteerism, such as school painting, reforestation, organic farms, etc.  Sport activities will be arranged such as soccer games and several other traditional games commons in Costa Rica. Combined with this visit, the group will be able to visit a typical and small farm, where the owner will explain to the group the common crops in the region, how to plant it, harvest and prepare. Here the group will learn about Black Pepper, Pineapple, Cassava, Jack Fruit, Cashews, Malanga, sweet potatoes and many other products.

After this activity, return to the lodge and lunch. In the afternoon, Latino Dancing Classes. Dinner at the lodge.

Day 5. ARENALVOLCANO (B, L, D). During the morning, nature walk at La Tirimbina Biological Reserve with our naturalist tour guide, who will explain the most important aspects of the tropical rain forests and wildlife species. Lunch at the lodge and check out. After lunch, transfer to Arenal Volcano and Fortuna Town. Overnight Hotel Arenal Country Inn.

Day 6. ARENAL VOLCANO (B, L, D) Morning, excursion to La Fortuna Waterfall, where the students will enjoy this beautiful attraction and swim. In the afternoon, visit to Baldi Hot Springs, a great place with some of the best thermal pools in Fortuna Town. In here, the group will have free time for enjoy the place, the waterslides, Jacuzzi, multiple pools, steam rooms and many other aquatic attractions of this park. Dinner include at Baldi Spa.

Day 7. PLAYA OSTIONAL (B, L, D) Morning breakfast at the hotel and departure to Ostional Beach. The beach of Ostional is the scenery for a rarely-seen biological wonder. The week before new moon hundreds, and sometimes hundreds of thousand sea turtles come to one specific mile of beach at Ostional to dig their eggs into the black, volcanic sand. The Ostional Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica was created in 1984 to protect one of the world’s most important nesting sites of the olive ridley sea turtle. Only olive-ridleys and their close relatives, Kemp’s Sea Turtles, the latter an Atlantic species synchronize their nesting in mass emergences or “arribadas”, the Spanish word for arrivals. Some days or weeks before the mass nesting, the “flotilla”, an increasing number of turtles, congregates close offshore. After some days, prompted by some secret signal, the “arribada” will begin. At first, a few hundred turtles will come out on the beach, followed by a steady stream of animals for the next three to seven days.

Turtles nest at Ostional year-round, but peak time is during rainy season. From August through December arribadas occur regularly once, sometimes even twice a month and the number of nesting females are in the range of hundreds of thousands as opposed to tens of thousands for the dry season months. The largest “arribada” thus far recorded in Ostional, took place in November 1995 when a calculated 500 000 females came ashore. The turtles generally ride in on the high tide at night but during an arribada they start arriving soon after sunset and keep coming until 6 am the next morning. 

Once in Ostional, the group will stay at the community lodge. Note. Lodging facilities are rustic. Rooms are equipped with bunkbeds and are shared rooms

In Ostional, the group will support different actions promoted by the local organizations, including: Cleaning beaches, turtle’s protection, patrolling, nests care, nurseries attention, etc.

Day 8. PLAYA OSTIONAL (B, L, D) Volunteering activities. All day.

Day 9. PLAYA OSTIONAL (B, L, D) Morning, volunteering activities. Afternoon, transfer to San Jose. Overnight at Hotel Park Inn. Farewell dinner.

Day 10. TRANSFER OUT (B). Transfer to the International Airport according with your scheduled flight and good bye. 

RATES: Please contact us for a quotation indicating number of students, adults and possible travel dates. Rates based on Triple & Quad occupancy for the students and double rooms for the teachers. No single rooms available unless a single supplement is paid. 

CHAPERONES:  One free ticket for every 20 students.                 

MINIMUM: NO minimum

INCLUDE: 9 nights lodging, all land transportation within Costa Rica, all airport/ hotel transfers on scheduled arrival/ departures dates only, specified meals, specified tours, private transportation and naturalist tour guide. 

NOT INCLUDED: International air fare, airport departure taxes, meals not specified in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service), gratuities, or costs associated with changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control. 

WHATS TO BRING: Hiking Shoes, Bathing Suit, Binoculars, Camera, Beach Sandals, Suntan Lotion, Hat, Mosquito Repellent.

Greenway Nature Tours is a Certified Travel Agency and Tour Operator by the Costa Rican Tourist Board with special certification in Sustainable Travel (CST).

We are members of SYTA (Students Youth Travel Association). For more Costa Rica Student Travel Programs visit our main page: https://greenwaytours.com/tours/student-tours-to-costa-rica/