Depart home and board the group flight at Newark Liberty International Airport to San Jose, Costa Rica. Arrive in Costa Rica in the evening and take private transportation to a nearby hotel. After a brief orientation, get a good night’s sleep for the adventure ahead.

Depart from the hotel and head deep into the jungle. Your destination is a remote jungle lodge way off the beaten track, where you will immerse yourself in nature and learn about conservation efforts in Costa Rica. The lodge is run by an incredible family who have grown up in the rainforest for generations. Their hospitality and this magical setting are sure to stay with you long after your program is over.

After you’ve settled into your new home, have a more in-depth orientation with your group and get ready for service and jungle exploration in the days ahead. After a hearty Costa Rican casado for dinner, fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle.

With almost 6% of the world’s biodiversity, you have picked the perfect place to experience the rainforest. After a morning breakfast of gallo pinto, your days will include jungle walks and activities, with breaks during the day to beat the heat. Climb giant trees, forage for medicinal plants, zip line through the rainforest canopy, and learn how to make chocolate from cacao you gather with your own hands.

Your service project will consist of building a hydroponic garden in the nearby community to help with their sustainable food production needs. Learn how this farming technique is more sustainable for soil quality, conserves water, and produces just as much produce as regular farming, while using much less land and conserving the surrounding nature. Improve your Spanish while learning from and working with the local farmers and community members, and see how many times you can use the term pura vida in a conversation.

Your time in the rainforest is the perfect balance of exploration, service, and adventure. After community service or chores around the lodge, cool off by taking a dip in the river just below the lodge, rappelling down a cascading waterfall or exploring a nearby cave.

Say goodbye to your adopted familia at the lodge and embark on your next adventure. Trade the jungle for the rapids of the Savegre River as you make your way to the Pacific coast. That’s right, you’ll travel to the coast via a raft! Take a break halfway for some lunch and delicious tropical fruit, and then at the end of your rafting expedition, make your way to the quiet beach town of Uvita.

Take the afternoon to relax on the beach. Share an epic beach sunset together as you prepare for program closure.

Don’t just admire the beautiful waves, ride them! Experienced surf instructors will give you a lesson on land before you hit the water and hopefully catch your first waves! This is a great spot for first timers and experienced surfers so it is sure to be an epic day.

After surfing and refreshing lunch, head back to the capital, stopping along the way for souvenir shopping and any last-minute gifts. Enjoy your last night of Costa Rican cuisine and head to your hotel, with an early departure to the airport in the morning. We hope you had an incredible time in the land of Pura Vida and hope to see you back soon!

There is always inherent risk involved in travel and Covid-19 certainly adds another layer of complexity to travel. During the design of this program, we have worked alongside our local partners to design a resilient program to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 for our students and staff as much as humanly possible. Here are the steps we are taking to make this program as covid-resilient:

• All students will be sent an at-home covid testing kit which will need to be completed within 72 hours of departure. This takes the hassle out of figuring out testing options and can be done at home. Students will need to show a negative test result to attend the program. Families will be charged $150 for this service.
• Students will receive a pre-departure health guide to reduce any potential exposure to Covid-19 as much as possible before departing.
• There will be daily symptom monitoring and temperature readings
• The group will be the only guests at most of our accommodations to avoid unnecessary exposure.
• The group will take private transportation at all times during the program.
• When in public settings our students and staff will wear masks and social distance from those outside of the group ‘bubble’ to avoid exposure.
• The group will be registered with the US State Department STEP program should we need any assistance.

We cannot guarantee that students will not be exposed to or contract Covid while on the program, but we are confident that our staff will do everything in their power to avoid exposure.

Yes, you will receive around ~15 community service hours on this program, and you will receive a certificate after your program that you can show to your school. Each school determines whether or not Global Routes service hours meet their requirements. We’re happy to communicate with your school service advisor ahead of time to answer any questions they may have about your service work.

The program can accommodate up to 18 students and average group sizes range from 10-15. The group will be chaperoned by 2 Global Routes leaders and our amazing in-country support staff.