Costa Rica | Adventure with Marshfield High School

Upon arrival at the Juan Santamaría International Airport, meet your driver and travel to your hotel. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner and orientation to your program. Get to know your guide, and learn about the amazing country that will be your home for the next week.

This morning after breakfast, travel from San José to Sarapiquí. En route, stop at Cafe Britt for lunch and an organic coffee farm tour with field explanations. Continue to Selva Verde Lodge. After settling in, enjoy a hike in the reserve forest. Your guide will discuss the complex details of the ecosystem and how life in the rainforest thrives; also, receive an introduction to the amazing tropical birds of the lodge. This evening, enjoy a dance lesson hosted by the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC), a not-for-profit organization founded to preserve the cultural integrity of the rural community of Chilamate and aid in sustainable community development projects.

After breakfast, participate in a reforestation project. Planting native trees creates biological corridors that help preserve the rainforest and a multitude of endangered animals. Next, enjoy lunch and time with a local family on their farm. This afternoon, go on an exhilarating whitewater rafting adventure in the Río Sarapiquí. A professional river guide escorts all trips, and all necessary safety equipment (helmets, life jackets, etc.) will be provided. Following a thorough safety orientation and basic rafting lesson, enjoy both Class II and Class III rapids of the Río Sarapiquí. This evening, a nocturnal hike provides a comparison between wildlife during the day and night.

Depart early from Sarapiquí to visit Ecotermales Hot Springs in La Fortuna. Have a soak in the thermally heated hot springs warmed by Arenal Volcano and have lunch on site before crossing Lake Arenal to travel to Monteverde. Cloud forests occur near mountain peaks where rain turns into a life-sustaining mist, hydrating and nourishing epiphytic plants, providing a consistent cool and wet environment; the one in Monteverde in particular receives over three meters of rain annually and is home to an astounding variety of flora and fauna. More than 2,500 plant species have been identified here, including 300 individual orchid species and more than 200 species of ferns. The beginnings of the preserve can be traced back to a group of Alabama Quakers that emigrated to Monteverde in the early 1950s. Visiting biologists discovered that the cloud forest, located above the Quaker community, was rich in plant and animal life. Due to the incredible foresight of the Quakers and the Tropical Science Center, Monteverde and Santa Elena reserves were born. Continue to check-in at Fondavela and enjoy dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast, enjoy a guided hike in the Curi Cancha Reserve. Spend an adventure-filled afternoon in forest canopies as you navigate the many suspension bridges and zip lines of the Monteverde Sky Adventures park. The Sky Walk offers a spectacular chance to view flora and fauna from an 'up-in-the branches' perspective. Complete your cloud forest exploration with Sky Trek's exhilarating zip line adventure through the forest canopy. (Please note there is a 225lb weight limit for the Sky Trek program.) Following the Sky Walk, the Sky Trek is a system of three platforms suspended above the ground in the midst of tree boughs. Zip lines attached from one platform to the other allow you to slide through the canopy. Each platform commands exceptional 360-degree views of Guanacaste, San Carlos, and Puntarenas. Later this evening, have dinner at the Treehouse Restaurant.

This morning, depart for Costa Rica's Pacific coast. En route, stop for a horseback riding excursion. Have lunch and then continue on to Quepos to check in at the hotel and have some time to relax by the pool.

This morning after breakfast at the hotel, hike in the renowned Manuel Antonio National Park. The park is situated along the Pacific coast and is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. Spend the morning exploring the park's trails and beaches. Have lunch at Marlin Restaurant and enjoy time at the public beach in Espadilla with beach chair and umbrella rentals. This evening, have dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast, depart for San José. En route, stop at the Tárcoles River for a crocodile safari. Explore the mangrove ecosystems, and then have lunch at a nearby restaurant before visiting a local school to provide donations. Head to the market in San José to do some shopping. Continue on to the hotel, and after check-in, enjoy a farewell dinner and debrief of the program.

This morning, depart for your flight home.