Costa Rica: Heart of the Jungle

Arrive at the Rustic Pathways Hub airport where you’ll meet your Rustic Pathways Flight Leader, who will help get you checked in and through security before traveling with your group to Costa Rica. Get acquainted with fellow Rustic travelers before boarding your flight. Arrive at San Jose International Airport (SJO) and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture.

Settle into your hotel for the first night in San Jose, relaxing after your long flight. You’ll share rooms with your fellow Rustic travelers with private bathrooms.

After a light breakfast, head south a few hours into the town of Uvita. On your way stop in the beach restaurant for lunch. Check into the hotel and spend the evening working on an infrastructure project in town to improve the community infrastructure. In the evening, get involved in team-building activities to get to know your group.

Spend the next three nights in shared cabins with 3-4 students, separated by gender.

Wake up early to start the day with a delicious breakfast and then head out for service. Support local construction projects to improve the community infrastructure. In the afternoon, travel to Dominical Beach for surf lessons. Catch the best waves in the Pacific Ocean and then kick back for a relaxing dinner.

Wake up bright and early and prepare for this adrenaline-filled day in the south of Costa Rica. After a hearty local-style breakfast, get geared up to head toward the jungle where you will spend the day hiking through beautiful trails and canyons to a series of impressive waterfalls.
Next, professional guides will instruct you on the sport of rappelling, instructing you on important safety measures and preparing you to rappel down the side of the falls. After this mission is accomplished, you’ll spend the afternoon learning about coffee farming and then watching the sun set.

Wake up early and enjoy a typical breakfast before embarking on a three-day sea kayaking expedition through the Golfo Dulce in the Osa Peninsula. Spend the days paddling through the calm waters, admiring the beautiful green landscape, and stopping at various landmarks along the way. Your first day on the water will be a full day of paddling, with plenty of breaks along the way. Your second day will include hikes in a private reserve, volleyball and soccer games and you will also have the chance to go snorkeling. Your final day of the expedition will involve a full morning of paddling, as you head across the water to Puerto Jiménez. That afternoon you’ll be able to relax and look back with pride at the distances you covered and the challenges you overcame. Congratulations on finishing the expedition!

At night, camp out on the beach and enjoy dinner next to the water as you exchange stories of the day’s adventures. Shared bathrooms in the camping area.

Bienvenidos a Puerto Jiménez, home to many small communities that will welcome you with open arms over the next few days. Spend the day working on various small-scale construction projects, you are also going to work on projects to support the local community on construction projects to improve the people’s community life quality. In the evening you’ll return to the hotel, and spend the evening falling asleep to the sounds of the jungle.

Spend the next three nights in shared rooms with showers, separated by gender.

This will be your final morning to wrap up your service projects and say goodbye to the children and community members that you have grown connected to. As a special reward for several hard days of work, This afternoon take a tour of a local chocolate farm to discover the roots and origins of the cacao plant. There will be samples!
Join your group for a post-service debrief in the evening, discussing what you experienced and learned through hands-on work in the community.

Awaken to the grunts of howler monkeys and the calls of scarlet macaws, and enjoy a breakfast of fresh fruits and typical Costa Rican dishes before embarking on the day’s activities. During these next two days you will work on environmental efforts that will ensure that this pristine environment is protected for generations to come. You will also take guided hikes through the Corcovado National Park, which will give you the opportunity to check out this remote and untouched home to tropical wildlife. In the afternoons, play games of beach volleyball or relax in a hammock on the beach. Enjoy the peace, tranquility and refreshing vibe of your group’s escape into the wilderness.

Spend these two nights glamping in shared tents with private bathrooms.

This morning after breakfast, it’s time to pack your bags and continue on with your journey into the Osa Peninsula driving back to Uvita. Spend the afternoon at Playa Hermosa, a popular beach in Guanacaste province. Tonight you’ll want to get a good night’s sleep before the next day’s adventure!

You’ll return to comfy shared cabins here for the next two nights.

Today is a day packed with adrenaline and excitement as you prepare to experience the beauty and exhilaration of whitewater rafting on the Savegre River. The Savegre is considered one of the most beautiful rivers to raft in the central Pacific due to the lush greenery, the narrow canyons, and above all, the exciting class III and IV rapids. After a full day on the river return for a delicious dinner at the hotel and enjoy a relaxing evening.

Rise early and get ready for your return to San José. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to zip line high above the jungle canopy and witness spectacular views of the coastline. Arrive in San José in the evening for a final dinner and your last night in Costa Rica.
At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences and discuss how to apply what they’ve learned in their own worlds. During or after their closing discussion, groups participate in Rustic Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows students to capture the memories and learning moments of their program to process and share with their communities back home.

You’ll stay one last night with 3-4 students in shared rooms and private bathrooms.

Your program leaders will take you to the airport for your flight home or to your next Rustic program as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.

If you’re staying in Costa Rica, your program leaders will take you to your next accommodation to meet your new group. If you’re continuing on to another Rustic Pathways destination, you’ll board a connecting flight to that country.