Community Development and Cultural Exchange

• Arrival at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in the capital city of San Juan, Puerto Rico and meet the Global Works trip leaders
• Transfer by private vans to group lodging on the North coast (45 minute drive)
• Quick safety briefing and settle into rooms.

• Depart for Viejo San Juan, the heart of one of the oldest European colonial cities of the Americas
• Take a short stroll through the cobblestone streets of Viejo San Juan to meet Alvin, owner of a local eco-tourism company who will inform the group of Puerto Rico’s vibrant past from an insider’s perspective with an interactive tour of the historic district
• Enjoy a traditional Boriqua lunch at one of Old San Juan’s oldest eateries, El Jibarito
• Cool off from a warm day in the tranquil waters of the Caribbean
• Group reflection and first impressions of Puerto Rico
• View a documentary film produced by a Global Works partner organization that chronicles the tremendous impact of Hurricane Maria on the island

• Load into vans and drive into the tropical hills above Cerro Gordo and enter the community of Villa del Rio 
• Projects will focus on rebuilding efforts with individual families whose homes were severely damaged by the high winds and flooding attributable to Hurricane Maria
• Traditional Puerto Rican lunch prepared by members of the community
• Service projects continue into the afternoon
• Return to Cerro Gordo for volleyball, basketball or simply downtime
• Group activity

• Vans return to Villa del Rio for continued hurricane relief efforts which are driven by needs identified by the community members themselves
• Lunch prepared by the community
• Service projects pick up momentum again in the afternoon
• Return to Cerro Gordo for volleyball, basketball, and beach time
• Pizza night and/or Iron Chef competition at Cerro Gordo home-base
• Salsa dance lessons

• Drive to the nearby Northeastern Ecological Corridor protected refuge
• Meet with ecological tourism experts and engage in hands-on service for the preservation of the natural native environment. Projects may include trail maintenance and/or small construction work to help create a safe zone for local wildlife including wild iguana and nesting sea turtles.
• Tropical lunch prepared by project members
• Service projects continue into the afternoon
• Return to Cerro Gordo for volleyball, swimming at the beach, or simply downtime
• Group activity and reflections

(Option for Indigenous Archeology Adventure or Sustainable Forest Project instead)

• Arrival to Villa del Rio and dive back into community rebuilding and fortification projects
• Lunch prepared by community
• Conclude time in the community with a Big Yellow House beach cook-out- new friends from the community will join us to celebrate!
• Time to pack up in preparation of tomorrow’s departure to the eastern side of the island

• A scenic excursion carries the group into the Caribbean Basin’s finest example of tropical rainforest and wilderness area, El Yunque
• Ascend into the clouds and hike along El Angelito Trail
• Grab a beachside lunch at Los Kioskos de Luquillo before settling in at lodging in the coastal community
• Dip paddles into the spectacular bioluminescent bay on a sunset kayaking excursion
• Final group dinner out at a local restaurant in Fajardo
• Beach bonfire and time reserved for program reflections

• Breakfast at the hotel, then pack up
• Depart for the airport according to flight schedules