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Participant, CLF 2022-2023 Director, CLF 2023-2025 Harvard College Class of 2029
August 7, 2025
June 19, 2025
Turtle conservation and environmental adventures on the North Pacific coast beaches. Learn how to lead your class on a school group travel program in Costa Rica today!
Learn all about turtle conservation and work to protect native sea turtles on the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica. Spend the days both enjoying the beach and working to keep it clean. Help protect the turtles during evening patrols looking for nests to relocate eggs to safety. Experienced conservationists will lead you through service and teach you about the many ongoing efforts to save sea turtles. In addition to daily shifts in a hatchery, carry out beach cleanups with park rangers and take breaks to surf, zipline and watch the sunset.
Because of wood collecting on the beach a mother turtle couldn’t dig her hole, so she had to go back to the ocean. It was sad because she may never come back to that beach to lay her eggs. Seeing that firsthand motivated us to clear wood off the beach.
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Arrive at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) or Liberia (LIN) and meet your program leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head to the hotel and settle in, relaxing after your long flight. Join the group for an orientation discussion and an introduction to the local culture.
Flights: Rustic Pathways is happy to book your flights as an optional add-on service.
Overnight: Hotel in San Jose or Liberia
Depart to Camaronal Wildlife Refuge after a delicious Tico breakfast. Enjoy the beautiful drive over the mountains and along the coast, and arrive at Camaronal Wildlife Refuge to receive an introduction to the week’s service project with the turtles. After you get settled in and enjoy dinner, start your expedition with a night walk along the beach patrolling for turtles in the dark.
Overnight: Hotel Hacienda del Mar, Carrillo Beach (or similar)
Wake up surrounded by nature, gain energy from a tasty breakfast, and get ready to protect sea turtles. The next several days you’ll live as a Costa Rican park ranger and understand how important — and often challenging — it is to work on a conservation project.
This turtle expedition will involve nightly walks looking for sea turtles, working in the hatchery, and participating in beach clean-ups. All of this is designed to protect the turtles nesting on Camaronal Beach.
In your spare time, enjoy the natural beauty of the area with fun activities such as hikes through the wildlife refuge, walks through the forest to a river, soccer games on the beach, and surfing. On day four, take a break from service to take surf lessons.
In the morning go ziplining above the trees! Afterwards, enjoy lunch and relax at the beach. Watch a beautiful sunset before gathering for an evening with your group. Engage in a post-service debriefing, discussing what you experienced and learned through hands-on work in the community.
After breakfast, travel along local dirt roads to visit a women’s cooperative where you’ll learn woodworking and traditional skills during an art class. After lunch, say goodbye to the beach and start driving to San Jose or Liberia.
At the program’s end, students reflect on their experiences and participate in the traditional Rustic Ties ceremony. This unique and powerful activity allows students to capture highlights of their program so they can share what they’ve learned with their communities back home.
Say goodbye to your newfound friends as your program leaders take you to the airport for your flight departure. We hope the people you’ve met, perspectives you’ve gained and lessons you’ve learned will serve you well as you head home.