Young Explorers: Pura Vida

San Jose, La Fortuna, Jaco Hotels

Participants will be staying in local hotels, 2-3 per room. The hotels are carefully chosen according to the needs of the program and are clean, comfortable and safe. There will be access to flush toilets and electricity.

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.

We usually work with community associations and in the beautification of Elementary schools, and the town. Small construction activities such as mixing cement, carrying materials, shoveling, and hammering are usually the activities we do.

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

Students will be eating at local restaurants as they travel throughout Costa Rica. The food will vary between traditional Costa Rican food and occasional American and International selections. Breakfasts typically include cereal, bread, eggs, rice and beans, and fruit. Lunches and dinners can be chicken, steak and fish dishes, rice, black beans, potatoes, plantains, salads, and vegetables.

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 use for drinking, brushing teeth, etc. Don’t forget to bring along your own reusable water bottle, so we can minimize our plastic usage.

Students will visit a variety of different locations but most of the time, students should be prepared for hot, humid weather in the 80’s and 90’s (Fahrenheit) during the day with the occasional afternoon rain shower. Synthetic fiber clothing is recommended, because it dries quickly.

Flights – Direct flight from US gateway airport 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 Tuesday afternoon. The program within Costa Rica runs from Tuesday to Tuesday. 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 moving every 3-4 days. This gives a good chance to get 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 limited access to internet during their program, but the students will not have access to internet during their stay in Maleku. 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 shops during this itinerary, in addition to small snack shops and purchasing handicrafts from the local community. We recommend students to bring from $200 to $250 to cover souvenirs and incidentals.

Students will have the opportunity to do laundry once during this trip. The cost is $10-$15 depending on the amount of clothes.

In general, Costa Rica dress modestly and as polite visitors we will dress accordingly, it is important that we show respect at all times, particularly if you are going to do some service work at the local school. While in the Pacific Coast can be a little more relaxed. The requirements are fairly straightforward and the same for both boys and girls:
Shorts: Basketball-style, running or soccer-style shorts are acceptable.
Leggings or yoga pants: Acceptable.
Loose-fitting pants, capris, and long skirts: Acceptable and preferred.
Tops: Shoulders must be covered, particularly if you are going to do some service work at local school. Tank tops or spaghetti straps are acceptable.
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.