|
The Costa Rica Experience gives you the chance to take part in a 4-week adventure in this amazing country. The program includes a one-week Spanish course, a two-week volunteer project placement and a number of excursions.
Here is an itinerary of the program:
Day 1
A member of staff will pick you up at the airport and take you to your host family. There will be time for you to relax and settle in before your language course starts the following day.
Day 2
After having breakfast with your host family they will accompany you to the school for the start of your language course. Between 8am and 9am you will take an oral evaluation exam and will then be placed in groups according to your Spanish ability in order for you to get the most from your lessons, (before your arrival you will be sent a written test). In the morning you will have a Spanish class with a 15-minute break and following your lunch break your Spanish class will continue. In the afternoon you will also have an orientation meeting and your first Latin dance class! In the evening you will have dinner with your host family.
Day 3 to 6
Breakfast with your host family and Spanish classes in the morning and afternoon. At about 4pm you will have the chance to choose between Latin Dance classes, additional conversation classes, Costa Rican cooking classes or Latin American song
Classes.
- Dance classes run from Monday to Friday from 3- 5pm.
- Cooking classes are held once a week.
- Additional conversation classes are held twice a week.
- Latin American Songs classes are held once a week.
- Dinner will be with your host family in the evening.
Day 7
Tour to Poas Volcano, Grecia & Sarchi
Breakfast with your host family before going on your tour:
One of the world's largest geysers, the Poas volcano has a crater over 1.5km wide and although it is active it is completely safe for viewing. Your tour will begin with a stunning drive through local flower farms and lush coffee plantations. The Poas National Park is a 9,884-acre reserve rich in vegetation and animal life. Your tour includes a hike through the forest, which ends at the emerald green crater lagoon.
After enjoying lunch at a mountain restaurant you will travel to the town of Sarchi. Here, local craftsmen build the famous oxcarts of Costa Rica and other wooden
crafts.
Your tour today includes lunch. Breakfast and dinner will be with your host family.
Day 8
Breakfast with your host family before leaving with the group for your Canopy Tour.
The tour will leave the busy city early in the morning and head up to the mountains surrounding the Central Valley. Along the way there is the chance to drive by some typical Costa Rican towns and enjoy the scenery of coffee fields and ornamental plants.
Canopying really is a once in a lifetime experience! You will be sliding along cables between 12 platforms over the forest – including one of the longest cables in all Central American Canopies.
During your tour, you will have the chance to appreciate the valley and the tropical forest, while you enjoy two groups of cables: The Forest and the Adventure Cables.
Lunch will be enjoyed at a restaurant with a great view over the forest. Dinner will be with your host family upon your return.
Day 9 to 13
Today you will start your social volunteer work in either a day care center, orphanage, school or home for disabled people. During this time you will continue to live with your host family and they will provide you with breakfast and dinner.
On your first day at your volunteer placement a member of staff will take you and introduce you to the project staff. You will be required to work 4-5 hours each day,
which, depending upon your schedule will leave you with the option to take part in the cultural activities at the language school in the afternoon if you wish.
Day 14
Today will be a free day for you to relax or explore the surrounding area. You will be provided with breakfast and dinner at your home stay.
Day 15
The best of the Pacific Beach Tour
After having breakfast with your host family you will travel from San José and head towards the Pacific Coast. Once there, you will start a jungle boat tour that travels along the Tárcoles River. Your guide will introduce you to the world of crocodiles and different species of birds.
You will then arrive at your destination - one of the most beautiful protected areas, the Punta Leona Beach Resort, an exotic paradise surrounded by 750 acres of lush tropical rain forest, pristine white sand beaches and the deep blue waters of the Pacific.
The day will be relaxing and you will have plenty of time to enjoy the pleasant weather as well as activities such as water sports, swimming in the crystal clear water of the sea or just relaxing by the pool. For lunch you will have a delicious meal at one of the nearby restaurants.
You can also choose to take part in an optional guided tour through the jungle in the afternoon, which takes approximately 1½hours and is a good opportunity to see animals such as amphibians, reptiles and scorpions.
At the end of the day you can enjoy the extraordinary sunset at Punta Leona before heading back to San José. Your host family will provide dinner on your return from the tour.
Day 16 to 20
Continue with your volunteer work in either the same location as your first week, or an alternative option if you wish.
Day 21
Today will be a break from volunteering and the chance to do some exhilarating white water rafting! This is a fun and exciting trip where professional rafting guides will take you along the beautiful river surrounded by tropical vegetation. Your day will look something like this:
- 6am Depart from San Jose
- 8.30am Arrive at Siquirres and have breakfast
- 9.30am Go to the river where your white water rafting adventure will begin.
- 1 hour of preparation by a professional guide (all equipment is included)
- 10.30 – 1pm White water rafting tour
- 1.30pm Buffet style lunch
- 2pm Chance to change clothes before heading back to San Jose
- 5pm Arrive back in San Jose
Your host family will provide you with breakfast and dinner and lunch is included on the white-water rafting trip.
Day 22 to 24
Tortuguero Tour
Tortuguero is thought to be one of the most exciting areas in Costa Rica and is the most important site in the Western Caribbean for the nesting of the Green Sea Turtle. Monkeys, birds, toucans, crocodiles and sloths are some of the many species that can be seen in this lush tropical rainforest area.
Your tour will depart from San Jose on Friday morning and you will travel through the region of Heredia and through the heart of the virgin Cloud Forest of the Braulio Carrillo National Park.
After descending to the tropical lowlands there will be time for breakfast before traveling through banana plantations and boarding a boat which will take you all the way to your hotel. The boat ride is a tour in itself as you pass through the canals surrounding with tropical jungle before arriving at the hotel in time for a delicious lunch. Your afternoon can be spent visiting the beach area, the turtle museum and the small picturesque town of Tortuguero. Your evening meal will be served to you back at the hotel.
On your second day you will have the chance to take part in an optional tour of the canals at dawn, which is usually a great time to see animals. After a Costa Rican breakfast you can hike Tortuguero Hill for stunning views or visit the canals again for more wildlife spotting. After a delicious lunch at the hotel you will have the afternoon free to canoe along the canals near to the hotel or relax at the swimming pool. Dinner will be at the hotel.
On your third day there will be time for breakfast before heading back to San Jose. Lunch will be provided along the way and dinner will be with you host family after arriving back into San Jose late in the afternoon.
(All meals and transportation are included during your Tortuguero Tour)
Day 25 to 27
Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs Trip
The Arenal volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the Americas. On the first day of your tour you will take a scenic drive from San Jose to Fortuna (on the Northern part of the country).
Then, from a safe observation point, you will get to see the volcano and, if you are in luck, you can feel the ground tremble and see the night sky explode with ash and lava in a natural display of fireworks. Next you will visit the hot springs of the volcano where you can relax in the soothing water. Tonight’s accommodation will be at a lovely hotel in Arenal with magnificent views of the volcano. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided.
On the second day, after a buffet style breakfast, you will be picked up at about 7am for a boat tour of Caño Negro Wildlife refuge. You will be provided with a packed lunch to take with you and you will be returned to the Arenal Volcano area around 4pm. A second night will be spent at the hotel in Arenal (dinner not included).
On day 3 you will have another buffet style breakfast before getting a transfer from Arenal to San Jose at around 1.30pm. You will be provided with dinner and tonight will be your last night on the program in San Jose.
Day 28
At the end of the program you will get a transfer from the hotel to the airport. Alternatively you can stay in San Jose or continue with your own travels.
PRICE: USD $ 1825
|
