Surf and Service in Costa Rica

Hotels
Students stay in comfortable hotels. 2-3 students per room. Private bathrooms with hot water and electricity.

Surf House
Participants will be sleeping on comfortable beds in rooms with electricity a few meters from the beach. Girls and boys will stay in separate areas of the surf house and enjoy meals in a central kitchen area. There will be cold showers and flush toilets.

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.

Students will be working in different projects such as beach cleanups at Marino Las Baulas National Park, helping low-income families improving living conditions ( this can involve building houses, bathrooms, cementing floors, building walls ).

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. Participants will eat a combination of local Costa Rican dishes and western-style dishes. Breakfasts typically include cereal, breads, eggs, crackers, rice and beans, and fruit. Lunches and dinners can range from casado (rice, beans, vegetables, green salad and different types of meat) to pastas, 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. Since the base is located beachfront, the temperature will remain warm everyday. 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. That being said, students will have access to wifi twice during this itinerary while in the town of Tamarindo. 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. 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 once during this trip. The cost is $7 per load

In general, Costa Ricans dress modestly and as polite visitors we will dress accordingly. While Santa Cruz town can be a little more relaxed, it is important that we show respect at all times, particularly in Playa Grande. 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.