Costa Rica
Epic Service Adventure
Spanish immersion, community-driven service projects, and adrenaline pumping adventure!
Trip Details
Departures and Availability
Session 1
June 27, 2025 July 21, 2025 OpenFocus
Building Initiatives, Spanish Immersion
Grades
Entering 9th – Graduating 12th
Average Group Size
18 Students, 3 Staff
Days
25
Service Hours
60-80 Hours
Tuition
$6,395
Itinerary
Embark on a transformative Costa Rican journey with community projects, wildlife conservation, cultural immersion, adventure activities, and unforgettable connections.
- Start at a Bed and Breakfast in San Jose’s Central Valley
- Engage in team-building exercises and establish trip goals
- Visit a sustainable coffee farm and hike in the cloud forest near a volcano
- Embark on a thrilling overnight rafting trip on the Pacuare River
- Camp overnight along the river in a permanent campsite
- Stay at an ecolodge within a biological research station
- Participate in workshops and projects focused on rainforest conservation
- Volunteer with wildlife conservation experts at a refuge
- Experience an exhilarating zip-line tour above the forest canopy
- Live with families in a tight knit agricultural community
- Learn about coffee production, practice Spanish, and participate in cultural activities
- Work on community projects and enjoy evenings with games and events
- Travel to the Pacific Coast for surfing lessons suitable for all levels
- Visit local beaches, explore a waterfall, and spot humpback whales
- Return to San Jose and enjoy a final celebratory dinner
- Reflect on the experiences and prepare for departure
Highlights of the Trip
Live Like a Local
Experience authentic Costa Rican culture through homestays, where students stay in pairs with welcoming host families, practice Spanish, and participate in daily life, projects, and activities.
Ride the Rapids
Embark on an exciting overnight journey down the beautiful Pacuare River, navigating Class 3 and 4 rapids surrounded by lush rainforest. Spend the night at a riverside camp, experiencing the natural beauty and biodiversity of one of Costa Rica’s most stunning waterways while connecting with fellow adventurers.
Rainforest Conservation
Engage in focused workshops and projects to help park rangers and engage in conservation efforts.
Ride the Waves
Learn to surf on Costa Rica’s beautiful Pacific Coast, with beginner-friendly waves and expert instructors making it ideal for all skill levels.
Gallery
Accommodations
San Jose
Global Works Costa Rica participants spend the first and final days of the program in a small, comfortable lodge located in the mountains surrounding the capital of San Jose. The lodge is locally owned and specializes in hosting student groups. It is dorm style with 4 to 6 students sleeping in bunk beds; each room has a private bathroom with hot water showers. Large group spaces located on the property are ideal for group orientation, dance lessons, and ice-breaker activities.
Monteverde Ecolodge
Our two cloud forest lodges are located within the boundary of the largest private ecological reserve in the country, The Children’s Eternal Rainforest (Bosque Eterno de los Niños). To reach the lodges, students complete an attainable hike through primary cloud forest and are rewarded with rustic yet comfortable eco-lodges built to exist in harmony with the natural surroundings. Both lodges offer large rooms with bunk-beds and private bathrooms. A large balcony affords expansive views of surrounding volcanoes and the hammocks provide an unbeatable spot to sip coffee and relax after a long day of service work.
Wildlife Refuge
In the La Fortuna area, we stay in a comfortable lodge located in a mountain valley. The lodge is locally owned and specializes in hosting teens and student groups. Rooms are for 2 to 4 students; each room has a private bathroom with hot water showers. Large group spaces located on the property are ideal for group activities.
Homestays
Global Works has longstanding relationships with the communities where we place students and complete our service projects. All homes where students are housed are within walking distance of one another and close to the project work site. Homes are humble in nature, typically constructed of concrete blocks; they are clean and inviting. Students will have a private room within the home and the room is shared between two Global Works students. All homes have bathrooms complete with a flush toilet and a shower. Meals are prepared by the homestay families and families are trained in proper food preparation and food handling.
Pacific Coast Surf-camp
Participants stay at an ecolodge in southern Costa Rica located just steps from the beaches of Marino Ballena National Park. Accommodations are traditional hotel-style rooms shared by two to four students. The lodge is styled with an onsite swimming pool, hammocks, and common areas.
Enroll in a Teen Summer Trip With Global Works Today
Through our service trips for students, we cultivate unique adventures and inspiring experiences that will stick with our travelers long after the summer is over.
