Intro to Community Service in Costa Rica

San Jose Hotel
Students stay in a hotel with shared rooms. Private bathrooms with hot water and Western-style toilets.

Volcano and Rainforest Service Base House
This property has two fully equipped houses located 15 minutes away from the town of La Fortuna and is one of the most comfortable accommodations out of all our Costa Rica programs. Both houses have flush toilets, electricity, bunks beds, fans, and hot showers. They share a freshwater outdoor pool, soccer field, volleyball net, and many other amenities!

Rustic Pathways works with local community leaders and organizations to identify and prioritize the needs of each community. Please note that while we try our best to ensure we provide our advertised projects, some changes may occur due to the communities and project partners we work with.

Typically students will be involved in an infrastructure development project as well as interaction with students at the local primary school. Prepare to get your hands dirty during these incredibly powerful projects!

The service projects in this program are appropriate for most physical activity levels. Students should be prepared for moderate physical activity including lifting heavy materials, shoveling, digging, mixing cement, woodwork, and other manual labor during the construction projects. Rubber boots are suggested for community service projects.

This program involves service and adventure activities that require students to be physically active.

Participants will be eating a good variety of food during the buffet-style meals served at the Volcano and Rainforest Service Base. Breakfast usually includes eggs, bread, cereal, milk, juice, and fresh fruit. Lunches and dinners range from traditional Costa Rican meals such as chicken, steak and fish dishes, rice, black beans, potatoes, plantains, salads, and pasta; to more familiar dishes like barbeques and burgers.

Dietary Requirements/Food Allergies – We can easily accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other common dietary requirements on this program. Please make sure to include this in your medical form so that our staff can prepare and we recommend bringing along some of your own favorite snacks!

Water from the tap is safe to drink in this program. Don’t forget to bring along your own reusable water bottle, so we can minimize our plastic usage.

Students should be prepared for hot, humid weather in the 80s and 90s (Fahrenheit) during the day with occasional rain showers. Since the base is located in the mountains, the temperature will go down into the 70s in the evenings. The weather does not vary much between June and August. Synthetic fiber clothing is recommended, because it dries quickly.

Flights – Direct flight from Houston (IAH) or Newark (EWR) to San Jose. This program does not have any internal flights. The advertised dates for this program include travel time from the USA. Students from the USA will depart on a Tuesday afternoon and return on a Wednesday afternoon. The program within Costa Rica runs from Tuesday to Wednesday. Please refer to the itinerary for further details.

Visa –There are no visa requirements in Costa Rica for students traveling on United States passports. Students traveling with Rustic Pathways on passports not issued by the United States are responsible for determining their own visa requirements. Please check with the appropriate consulate or embassy.

Internal Travel – You’ll spend most of your time in one place. Traveling to your destination internally can require several hours on a bus ride with the group.

We want to encourage students to disconnect in order to fully immerse themselves in the experience and get the most out of their program. Thus, students will not have access to wifi. Reception for international plans is spotty and we do not recommend purchasing one for this trip. Parents will have access to our 24/7 emergency number and will also receive updates from our staff once your student is in country.

Personal gifts, internet, phone calls, and snacks are not included. All other costs (accommodation, meals, in-country transportation, and activities) are included in the program price. We recommend $200-250 per week to cover souvenirs and incidentals.

Students will have the opportunity to do laundry once during this trip. The cost is $5 per load.

In general, Costa Ricans dress modestly and as polite visitors, we will dress accordingly. While La Fortuna town can be a little more relaxed, it is important that we show respect at all times, particularly in the villages and local schools. The requirements are fairly straightforward and the same for both boys and girls:
Shorts: Basketball-style only; no running or soccer-style shorts. Rule of thumb is that the bottom of the shorts should be approaching the kneecap.
Leggings or yoga pants: Only if paired with a long T-shirt.
Loose-fitting pants and capris: Acceptable and preferred.
Tops: Shoulders must be covered – No tank tops or spaghetti straps.
If you arrive and your clothing is deemed unacceptable by your program leaders, you’ll have to purchase appropriate clothing before service work begins in the villages or the local schools.