Sea to Shining Sea Adventure Costa Rica

Day 1 -- Arrive & Drive to Pacific Coast (La Cusinga Ecolodge)

Your naturalist guide and driver will meet you outside the airport and transport you to the Central Pacific. Your final destination will be the La Cusinga Ecolodge. The owner of this ecolodge is a pioneer in conservation in Costa Rica and uses his ecolodge to educate visitors on the importance of living more sustainably. The ecolodge is situated with breath-taking views of the Pacific Ocean and the famous Marina Ballena National Park of Costa Rica. 

Depending on the time we arrive we will have dinner, journal time, and a short briefing details about the trip.
(Meals: Dinner)

Day 2 -- Zipline & Nature Hike (La Cusinga Ecolodge)

We will get this trip off with a little education and adventure. Just 15 minutes away from the La Cusinga Ecolodge is the Osa Canopy Tour. This is one of our favorite ziplines in all of Costa Rica. The cables are located on a ridge that's a 1,000ft above the Pacific, with marvelous views of the coastline. The cables run through the canopy giving us views of different species of canopy trees and an excellent intro into the surrounding ecosystems.

After the zipline we'll head back to the ecolodge where we will do some nature awareness activities. Here each student will be part of a nature hike through the reserve with their naturalist guide. During the hike do a game designed to keep the kids engaged during this hands-on activity.

In the evening we'll hace a delicious dinner at the ecolodge from the locally grown food. We will also have a short talk on the concept of conservation. Then there will be time to write in our journals and reflect on the first full day of our adventure. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 3 -- Community Service, Organic Garden Tour, & Hike to Cavern (Sleep Behind Waterfall)

Today each student will be tested in working as a team. The idea will be to design and create a compost bin which we will be donating to a school. We'll have the morning to build the bin and work on the lesson for the kids  and then in the afternoon make the presentation at the school. After the school project, we'll make our way to what we consider the most scenic spot in all of Costa Rica--the Diamente Canyon filled with gorgeous waterfalls.

We'll start at what we call the base-camp and from there we'll have 1 1/2 hours of hiking to our final destination -- a spot that is a land of waterfalls. We will make a stop along the way at an organic garden where the kids will get a lesson on different tropical species of fruits along with a boost of energy while trying the different fruits. When we arrive at the waterfalls we will hike behind a 150ft waterfall where you will see the living arrangements. This can be considered camping but not roughing it by any means. Everyone will have a comfortable sleeping area, there are private bathrooms and showers, and also a kitchen and dining area.

Sleeping in the Cavern!

In the evening we will have time to reflect on the day, write in our journals by candle light, and enjoy some time around the campfire. This is truly a magical place to spend the night. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 4 -- Rappel Waterfall, Hike to Pools, & Sunset atop 600ft Diamante Waterfall (Sleep Behind Waterfall)

Today you will wake up to the sound of waterfalls all around. After everyone is up we'll gather for breakfast and go over the days agenda. It is a full day of fun and adventure in the land of the waterfalls. First, we get geared up for our waterfall rappel. Here you will be put to the test of rappelling a 120ft waterfall. This is quite the adrenaline rush when we ask you to walk over the side of a 120ft waterfall. It is one of the most scenic spots from atop the waterfall. After rappelling we will get some lunch and hike to the upper pools where we'll discover more waterfalls. The upper pools are some of the best spots for swimming and jumping off a 15 ft waterfall into the pools.

In the evening we'll hike to the top of the Diamante Waterfall. This is the tallest waterfall in all of Costa Rica and we will be watching the sunset over the Pacific from the top of this phenomenal viewing area.

After the sunset we will enjoy dinner behind the falls, campfire, and some time to reflect about today's adventure.
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 5 -- Travel to Sitio de Mata (Homestays)

We will get an early start today, after breakfast. We will be driving over the tallest mountain range in Costa Rica. This is a unique experience because you will have the chance to see different ecosystems of the tropics as you rise in elevation and drop in a very short amount of time. Probably the most unique ecosystem will be at the top of the mountain range. Here you can see both the Caribbean and Pacific from the same spot. We will also be in an ecosystem that is referred to as the Paramo which is a high altitude ecosystem of the tropical regions that is only found in a few spots of the planet.

After a very scenic drive our final stop will be the rural village of Sitio de Mata. It is here that we have one of our homestay projects. The village is a picturesque village of perfect climate, incredible scenery, and fantastic people. With all the natural beauties in Costa Rica it is the faces of the new friends you will make here in the village of Sitio de Mata that you will remember more than anything.

We will arrive and each student will meet their homestay family. You will get some time to  spend with your family and then in the evening we will all meet up first for some journalling and reflecting. Afterwards there will be a fiesta that you will never forget. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Pacuare Camp

Day 6 -- Enter Pacuare River (Pacuare Camp)

We will be thanking our homestay families for a very memorable day and a fun fiesta. We will be moving on to the  Pacuare River for some whitewater rafting. National Geographic has this river listed as one of the top five scenic rivers on the planet and because of this we think it is worth spending two days on the river. Our first day will be spent on some smaller rapids, hiking to some waterfalls on the river bank, and enjoying a river lunch prepared for you buy your CRR river guides.

We will arrive at camp around 3pm and again this is camping but not roughing it. Our camp has above ground tents, private bathrooms, and is surrounded by virgin tropical rainforest. Our naturalists guides love taking the kids for a night hike and showing them the different critters that come out at night in the rainforest.  (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 7 -- Raft Canyon & Travel to Caribbean (Almonds & Corals)

Pacuare Canyon

This is three hours of rafting that you will never forget. Today's section of the Pacuare River not only has the adventurous class IV rapids but it also is the most scenic. Filled with canyons and waterfalls that fall into the river from the side, this is a picturesque run from start to finish. After we take out of the river, we will have lunch and then drive to the Caribbean coast. Here we will be staying at the Almonds & Corals which was voted Costa Rica's top ecolodge in 2010. This is a beautiful place that operates as a sustainalbe ecolodge completely surrounded by lowland tropical rainforest and just steps away from a white-sandy beach.

Here you will wake up to the sound of howler monkeys, see sloths, and literally be part of the rainforest while enjoying a splash of luxury to keep you comfortable. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 8 -- Nature Hike & Beach Day (Almonds & Corals)

One of our favorite nature hikes in all of Costa Rica is done by the local naturalist guides of the Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. Here we will have the native Afro-Caribbean guides of Tino and Omar who give you a rich look into their culture and history of being Afro-Caribbean in Costa Rica. They also are expert animal finders in their local reserve and promise to show us a number of different species of flora and fauna of the area. This hike ends on another white sandy beach. Here you can cool off in the water and then we'll teach you to cut up some coconuts.

In the afternoon we will meet back at the Almonds and Corals  and reflect on all the different things we learned and saw today. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 9 -- Time at Beach & Travel to San Jose (La Condesa Hotel)

Never know what you might find?

Today you will get your last few hours at the beach and then we will make the drive back to San Jose.  We will be staying in La Condesa Hotel which is 25 minutes from the San Jose Airport. We will be planning a farewell dinner for this last night so everyone can recap the amazing events of the last 10 days! (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 10 -- Fly Home!

Today we will transport you to the SJO  to catch your flight home and start planning a return trip to Costa Rica! (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)