- Program
- Surf and Service, Costa Rica
- Traveled
- June 2025
- Hometown
- Mill Valley, California
In this first-person account, Camille de Baere of Mill Valley, California, looks back on Rustic Pathways’ Surf and Service program in Costa Rica in June 2025, with photos from the trip.
Camille describes days at the pool, walking to the beach each morning with boards, card games before bed, zip-lining through the treetops, and the people met along the way.
Camille’s Surf and Service Summer in Costa Rica
Hey! My name is Camille, and this summer I had the incredible opportunity to travel on the Costa Rica Surf and Service trip with Rustic Pathways.
Pool Days, Beach Walks, Card Games and Zip-Lining in Costa Rica
Every day brought something new and exciting. Whether we were hanging out at the pool at the house, walking down to the beach every morning with boards under our arms, playing card games before bed, or flying through the treetops while zip-lining, there was never a dull moment.
The People Who Made Camille’s Summer
From our Program leaders teaching us the importance of immersing ourselves in a new culture, to the locals who taught us how to surf, to the children we met at the school we volunteered at; the people I met were truly amazing, and I learned so much from each of them.
I can’t imagine my summer without them. I cannot wait for my next Rustic Pathways adventure!
Camille describes the people who made the summer and a wish for the next adventure. The memories concern the June 2025 session, and Camille first shared them on the Rustic Pathways Instagram account on November 20, 2025.
The program still runs as Costa Rica: Surf and Service. It runs 8 days for students ages 14–18, with five days of surf lessons on the Pacific coast and about 12 hours of beach and community service. See the program page for the current itinerary, dates and activities.
