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Participant, CLF 2022-2023 Director, CLF 2023-2025 Harvard College Class of 2029
June 19, 2025
June 7, 2025
Travel as a team and play local soccer clubs in Costa Rican communities, give back through meaningful service projects, and experience whitewater rafting.
Travel as a team and play local soccer clubs in different communities. Start in Turrialba and contribute to an ongoing infrastructure community project before embarking on a whitewater rafting trip on the Pacuare River. Practice your Spanish, join pick-up soccer games, then play some competitive matches. Head into the mountains where you’ll stay with a Costa Rican family for a few days, participate in community development projects, and play several more soccer games. Wrap up your journey on the Pacific coast playing soccer on the beach or just enjoying the landscape.
Students love the homestays and lots of soccer matches
Catch waves and make an impact
Age 14-22
$3495 plus Airfare
Perfect start to service adventures
Age 12-18
$2495 plus Airfare
As you explore Costa Rica on your soccer tour, you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the country’s soccer culture while experiencing its natural beauty and vibrant communities. Whether you’re playing competitive matches against local teams or enjoying pick-up games on the beach, your trip will be an unforgettable journey filled with soccer, adventure, and camaraderie.
Bring your A-game during competitive indoor and outdoor soccer matches against village teams and local clubs while practicing your Spanish. Engage in exhilarating matches that test your skills and teamwork, as you face off against passionate opponents in spirited games filled with energy and excitement.
Raft the whitewater rapids of the world-famous Pacuare River, an adventure that promises thrills and unforgettable moments. Experience the rush of navigating turbulent waters surrounded by lush rainforest scenery, as expert guides lead you through exhilarating rapids and tranquil stretches of river.
Visit an active volcano and marvel at the raw power and beauty of nature as you explore the Arenal Volcano region. Witness the majestic sight of molten lava flowing down the mountainside, a spectacular display of volcanic activity that captivates the imagination.
Relax on the pristine beaches of the Pacific coast, where sun, sand, and surf await. Spend leisurely days soaking up the sun, swimming in the crystal-clear waters, and exploring the coastline’s hidden coves and secluded beaches.
Travel as a team and play against local soccer clubs in different communities, forging connections with players from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Experience the camaraderie and sportsmanship that transcend language barriers, as you bond with fellow athletes over your shared love of the game.
Contribute to an ongoing service project, making a positive impact in the communities you visit and leaving a lasting legacy of teamwork and collaboration. Share your passion for soccer with local youth through coaching clinics and skills workshops, inspiring the next generation of players with your enthusiasm and expertise.
We know Costa Rica for its stunning landscapes and rich biodiversity. But, it’s also famous for its passion for soccer. Costa Rica is the only Central American team to have played in multiple FIFA World Cups. As such, Costa Rica’s national soccer team holds a special place in the hearts of its people.
Costa Rica’s success in soccer is evident in its professional teams, such as Liga Deportiva Alajuelense and Deportivo Saprissa, which compete in the country’s top league, La Liga. Soccer is the most popular sport in Costa Rica. Matches draw large crowds and fervent support from fans.
The country’s love for soccer extends beyond the professional level to grassroots and community teams. Throughout Costa Rica, you’ll find soccer fields bustling with activity, as players of all ages and skill levels come together to play the beautiful game.
The capital city, San Jose, is the epicenter of soccer in Costa Rica. The National Stadium in San Jose hosts important matches for the nation of Costa Rica, including those of the national team and club teams competing in international competitions.
Costa Rica’s national team, often referred to as “La Sele,” has a rich history in international soccer. The team has competed in several FIFA World Cups, with its most successful campaign coming in 2014 when they reached the quarterfinals. This earned widespread acclaim for their impressive performance.
CONCACAF is the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football. It is the governing body for soccer in the region. It oversees various tournaments and competitions and plays a significant role in organizing international matches. CONCACAF has 41 members. Top rivals are the United States, Mexico, Canada, Panama, Jamaica, El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Curaçao, Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala.
Costa Rica boasts the most successful national football team in Central America, with numerous accolades to its name. They have won three CONCACAF Championships and led the Copa Centroamericana tournament with four championships until 2017.
Costa Rica stands out as the only Central American team to have participated in six FIFA World Cup editions. Their national football team holds the record for the highest average Football Elo Ranking in Central America, standing at 1597.1, and the highest Football Elo Ranking ever achieved in the region, reaching 1806 in 2014.
In addition to the national team’s success, Costa Rica boasts a vibrant soccer culture at the club level. Club teams like Alajuelense and Saprissa have enjoyed success both domestically and in international competitions, making them some of the most popular and successful teams in Central America.
Soccer in Costa Rica is played year-round, with two main seasons: the summer season and the winter season. During these seasons, professional teams compete in league matches and various cup competitions, providing fans with plenty of opportunities to support their favorite teams.
The sport’s popularity extends beyond the professional level, with soccer being a favorite pastime for many Costa Ricans. Whether it’s playing in organized leagues or participating in pick-up games at local parks, soccer is ingrained in the fabric of Costa Rican society.
From the streets of the city to the rural communities nestled in the mountains, soccer serves as a unifying force that brings people together regardless of their background. It’s not uncommon to see makeshift soccer fields in neighborhoods or children kicking a ball around in the countryside. Costa Rican teams embrace soccer, whether for fun, pride or at the association football level.
Costa Rica’s passion for soccer is evident in the pride and enthusiasm with which its people support their teams. Whether it’s cheering on the national team in a World Cup match or attending a local club game, soccer holds a special place in the hearts of Costa Ricans.
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.
Depart to the valley of Turrialba, where you will have lots of soccer games and get to know the town. Your days will be full of community service work, fun activities, and lots of soccer matches against different local teams in an outdoor soccer field. After full days spend the night in one of our base houses, where you can relax tired muscles in the swimming pool.
You’ll sleep these 4 nights at the Rustic base house while sharing rooms with 2-3 students, separated by gender. Shared bathrooms with hot water and Western-style toilets.
Today is a day packed with adrenaline and excitement as you prepare to experience the beauty and exhilaration of whitewater rafting on the Pacuare River. The Pacuare is considered one of the most beautiful rivers to raft in the world due to the lush greenery, the narrow canyons and above all, the exciting class III-IV rapids. Depart from the town of Siquirres after a day of rafting and head towards La Fortuna.
You’ll spend the next two nights at a hotel while sharing rooms with private bathrooms.
Today you will continue doing more adventure activities like zip lining in the rainforest in the morning. Have lunch, and right after walk around the beautiful town of La Fortuna to visit several souvenir shops, play a competitive soccer game, and then take some time to relax in the beautiful pools of the natural hot springs.
Enjoy being part of a Costa Rican family during your homestays, and eat delicious meals cooked by your host families. These days you will be performing some rewarding community service, playing pick up soccer games, you will be focused on practicing your personal soccer skills with your friends, and versus local teams as well. During your stay at this rural community you’ll have the opportunity to learn some Spanish, and do some typical activities.
You’ll spend the next five nights in a homestay. You’ll have one other student of the same gender in the homestay house with you. The homestay families have partnered with Rustic for over a decade.
You’ll say goodbye to your host family and head towards the central Pacific coast to the lush and beautiful area of Manuel Antonio. Play soccer on the beach, hang out in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, and catch spectacular sunsets. During your time on the beach, visit Manuel Antonio National Park in the morning, where you’ll have the opportunity to swim, appreciate the wildlife, and do a short hike around the National Park. Right after lunch get ready to board a 100-feet long catamaran that will take you on a cruise through the calm water of the central Pacific, where you might have the opportunity to see dolphins and do snorkeling, depending on the weather conditions.
You’ll spend 3 nights here in a comfortable hotel with shared rooms and private bathrooms.
At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences and discuss how to use 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.
After a final jump in the ocean, board the bus and return to San José, stopping halfway for last-minute souvenir shopping.
Spend your final night in a hotel with shared rooms with 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.
Packing the right gear (and the right amounts) is the first step to an incredible travel experience. Follow these tips to pack like a pro:
Travel light. Pack only the essentials. You’ll need less than you think! Consider no checked bag. We strongly recommend that you consider packing only a carry-on size bag. This prevents your luggage getting lost or separated from you, keeps your bag manageable, and helps you be more mobile on your travel day. Bring the right clothes. Pack clothes that are culturally appropriate for your destination and acceptable for service projects. This means bringing long shorts (think Bermuda and basketball shorts), t-shirts with sleeves to cover shoulders, and appropriate footwear. Leave your valuables behind. While traveling, it’s easier for things to get lost, stolen, or damaged. Keep any prized possessions safe at home. Check with TSA. Make sure your luggage complies with TSA regulations, especially your carry-on. Useful tip: Pack an empty water bottle and fill it up after security. Extra paperwork? If you need additional forms filled out to get credit for your service hours, no problem! Bring these forms with you so they can be completed in-country.
A school backpack is ideal as it will be used for daily activities and outings.
A 40-50 liter duffel bag or backpack is ideal.
Clothes
Toiletries
(Travel size bottles in Ziploc bags)
Base House Students share rooms with 2-3 students of the same gender per room. Shared bathrooms with hot water.
San Jose, La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio Students stay in comfortable hotels. 2-3 students per room in each location. Private bathrooms with hot water and electricity.
Homestays Students stay with carefully hand-picked families that we’ve been working with since 2008. Students stay with at least one more student of the same gender per house.
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.
The community service projects in this program are divided into two parts:
Turrialba – Students will be working in the construction of brand new changing rooms and maintenance of a playground. Cement mixing, carrying materials, shoveling, and hammering are usually the activities we do.
Homestay Community – Students will be working in the construction of a sewer system to drain out water from rain and avoid the destruction on the new road to the soccer field. Cement mixing, carrying materials, shoveling, and hammering are usually the activities we do.
This program involves sports and service activities that require students to be physically active
Each location has its own resident chef and team of cooking staff, as well, at the homestay families, the participants are going to have the opportunity to have some real traditional local meals. Participants will eat a combination of local Costa Rican dishes. Breakfasts typically include “Gallo Pinto” which is rice and beans mixed, cereal, bread, eggs, plantains, pancakes, and fruit. Lunches and dinners range from traditional Costa Rican casado (rice, beans, vegetables, green salad and different types of meat) to pasta, stir-fries, potatoes, and tacos.
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. 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, the temperature could go down into the 60s 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 New York (JFK) or Los Angeles (LAX) 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 travel to a few core places while traveling every 3-4 days. This will offer a chance to know a few places well. 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. That being said, students will have access to wifi twice during this itinerary while in the larger cities. Parents will have access to our 24/7 emergency number and will also receive updates from our staff once your student is in country.
All activities in this itinerary are included. Checked luggage fees, personal gifts, Laundry, phone calls, and snacks are not. Students will have the chance to visit markets during this itinerary, in addition to small snack shops and purchasing handicrafts from the local community. We recommend $250 per week to cover souvenirs and incidentals.
Students will have the opportunity to do laundry twice (or more) during this trip. The cost will vary per load, but approximately $7-$15.
In general, Costa Ricans dress modestly and as polite visitors we will dress accordingly. Some towns can be a little more relaxed, it is important that we show respect at all times. 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, capris, and long skirts: 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 village.
Ensuring the safety of your teen as they travel with Rustic Pathways is a top priority. Please review our Health and Safety measures.
Our Travel Protection Plan helps protect our participants, their belongings, and their travel investment in those unforeseen circumstances that may arise during travel. Learn more about the plan offered through our partner.
On this program, students will be able to practice their Spanish while interacting with the local community and our staff, but will have no formal instruction.
Please know that your service contribution is an essential part of achieving the development goals we have established in collaboration with our partners and no donations are required.
If you do wish to bring donations, we are collecting donations of basic school supplies that will be distributed through a local organization to Costa Rican students with limited resources. In order to ensure what is brought is most useful and easily able to be distributed, we ask that you only bring a “school supply pack” as listed below. There are two types of packs needed, please select one and bring all the items on that list bundled together in a simple grocery bag or similar.
School Supply Pack Type 1
School Supply Pack Type 2
2-3 notebooks
1-2 packs of construction paper
1 geometry set
Scissors
Box of pencils
Set of pens
Glue
Set of color markers
1-2 packs 3-hole-punched lined paper
Box of coloring pencils
Pack of erasers
Pack of pencil sharpeners
Set of whiteboard markers
Box of crayons
Didactic learning games for kids
Please be aware that we are unable to accept donations sent by mail after your program ends. If you are interested, please bring them along with you on your program (and be mindful of baggage allowances).
Our Costa Rican staff will collect any donations from you on your arrival day. Thank you for your contribution!