Costa Rica Bio-Experience

The purpose of the Pura Vida Program is to challenge participants to think critically and experience personal growth as they experience biodiversity and a culture different than their own. It was created by Costa Rican Senior Community Manager Elieth Herrera from Isaac Newton University of Costa Rica.

Green Communities
Costa Rica is world-renowned for its dedication to environmental protection and we support a number of local initiatives to protect the natural environment and promote sustainability. The Pura Vida Program contributes to projects at the National Park focusing on trails maintenance, small construction projects, and making and placing landmarks.

School Improvement Project
We partner with schools in two nearby districts to support infrastructure improvements that create brighter learning environments for students. Schools receive limited funding from the government and communities work hard to provide additional support to boost their children’s educations. You will work on small scale construction projects that in the past have included building new classrooms, installing tile floors and windows or adding a fresh coat of paint.

Community Infrastructure Project
Residents in communities outside of the tourist destination towns rely heavily on agriculture as a source of income and have limited resources to support their priorities for community development. We have partnered with several rural communities to support these goals and you will work alongside community leaders to undertake building projects. In the past these have included initiatives such as construction of a tilapia fish farm, a kitchen for a community center, and a communal garden project.

Arrive at San Jose International Airport (SJO) and meet your Program Leader, Prof. Elieth Herrera, and also your Tour Guide - an professor in Biology and History who will be with you for the duration of the program, Prof. Andrés Herrrera.

Join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture. Private transfer will be provided from the airport to La Fortuna Hotel Los Lagos Spa and Resort, a beautiful hotel close to Arenal Volcano. This will be your lodging for one night. This hotel has a wide range of services and facilities for the enjoyment of the volcano. Enjoy breakfast and fun at the pool and hot springs hotel facilities and the spa resort. No Costa Rica vacation is complete without seeing the magnificent Arenal Volcano!

Includes:

• Transfers from National Airport San José to San Carlos (3 hour trip)
• Bilingual guide
• Hot Springs, Butterfly Garden, Frog Farm - enjoy the surrounding scenery, gardens, nature facilities and the fauna. Here, rainforest animals can be seen close enough (and safely) for you to take great pictures.
• Tropical rainforest canopy top tour
• Dinner
• Transfer to the hotel
• One night stay at the hotel

Wake up early for a hearty breakfast and get ready to walk on the tops of the trees in the rainforest. The trail is 2.5 miles (4 km) and crosses five large suspension bridges spaced out through the jungle. Along the way, you can see impressive tropical plants and trees, wildlife, like snakes and birds, and also a waterfall.

Later you will take a bus to join your respective workgroup for an exciting and rewarding project in the community of Los Angeles, La Fortuna. Work will be divided into several community improvement projects, including efforts to save a spring source by planting trees in a local high school that has been awarded for environmental protection.

After a productive morning, you will have a typical lunch, coffee and fresh fruits, and then continue working on the service project in the afternoon.

Later in the afternoon, immerse yourself in a warm and friendly Costa Rican cultural experience, where you will be treated like family! Culture activities may include: live folkloric music, cooking and tortilla classes, sugar cane ancient mill at an organic farm - one of the most charming and authentic cultural sites near the Arenal Volcano.

Once filled with knowledge, secrets and inspiration, you will focus on delicious and authentic Costa Rican cuisine. During our tour, you will enter a 80-year-old farmhouse, known for its delicious traditional food, to get a taste of the true flavor of Costa Rica.

After dinner, you’ll sample chicha, a traditional local drink, in preparation for one of the coolest local traditions – Costa Rican folkloric dances and a discovery of typical Costa Rican legends. You will visit the home of local musicians, where three generations of the same family have been writing some of the most beautiful Costa Rican songs and making genuine Costa Rican gastronomy for special celebrations and parties. Also, you will learn from locals how to dance salsa, cumbia, merengue and pirateao.

After this Costa Rican party, you will return to your hotel room to relax.

Includes:

• Transfers from the hotel to the Community Project
• Bilingual guide/professor
• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Materials for the Community Project and people workers assistants
• Culture Tour, Folkloric Dances, Cooking Class
• Transfer back to the hotel
• One night stay at the hotel

After breakfast, get ready for an intense day of adventure! You will depart with your group to the most beautiful and enchanted places of Costa Rica: the Blue Waterfall, a magical place for the ancestral indigenous at the Tenorio Volcano National Park. After hiking into the deep rainforest, you will go on a tubing experience in the magical blue river. After tubing, a hearty local lunch will be waiting for you. After this, will go to the Pacific Ocean of Tamarindo Beach, and there will be a stop at the Guayabo Eolic and Solar Main Project along the way. Your accommodation is a two-minute walk from the beach. Located in Playa Hermosa, Condovac La Costa is an all-inclusive resort that offers free WiFi, a spa center, an outdoor infinity pool and a hot tub. There is a sauna, bar and outdoor pool available all year round. Have dinner, enjoy the pool and go back to sleep happily.

Includes:

• Transfers to the tour of Tenorio National Park
• Bilingual guide/professor
• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Entrance fee to Tenorio National Park
• Tubing tour in the Blue River with expert guide
• Transfer back to the hotel
• One night stay at the hotel

Relax this morning and enjoy breakfast! You are on the beach and can enjoy the pool during the morning. At lunch time, get ready to take a private catamaran tour to observe whales and dolphins! During this tour, we can see the humpback whales, spotted dolphins, bottle noses, turtles and sea birds. This thrilling and exhilarating experience is sure to be a highlight of your trip. Discover secluded beaches, sunbathe, float in the water, use a stand up paddleboard or snorkel in one of the most beautiful areas of Costa Rica. Music, drinks and lunch are included.

Back at the hotel, we will get ready to eat a special dinner with the freshness of season, prepared by a great chef, famous in Costa Rica for his extraordinary healthy superfood cuisine.

Includes:

• Transfers to the beach, resturant and hotels
• Bilingual guide
• Breakfast and Lunch
• Whale and dolphin tour watch
• Private Catamaran, snorkeling, paddle boarding, music
• Goodbye dinner at the beach
• Night activities at the beachfront otel
• One night stay at the hotel

Breakfast and chill out time in the pool, beach and gardens. We hope the people you’ve met, perspectives you’ve gained, and lessons you’ve learned will serve you well as you head home to use your new Spanish skills in your own community. Your program leader will take you to the airport for your departure as you say goodbye and reflect on your adventure in Costa Rica! Pura vida!

Includes:

• Breakfast
• Bilingual guide
• Transfer to the airport of Liberia, Guanacaste