2019 Westgate Puerto Rico Service Adventure
| Travel Dates: | May 17, 2019 - May 26, 2019 |
| Group Organizer(s): |
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| WTT Contact: |
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| Program Tuition: | $2,490 USD - or - $2,390 USD with discount if paid in full |
| Deadline(s): | Pre departure meeting April 15th at 5PM |
Tuition Calculator
There are two options for payment, including an interest-free installment plan. Follow whichever works best for your family. If we are within 90 days of travel, only the pay in full option is possible.
Program Tuition: $2,490
Pay in Full
Pay in full at the time of enrollment and receive a $100 discount off your program tuition! Payment with the discount would be:
$2,390.00
due today
Payment Plan
Pay a $500 deposit at the time of enrollment and establish an interest-free monthly payment plan. If you enroll today, your estimated* monthly payments would be:
$34.32
per month
All prices in United States Dollars.
Puerto Rico Service Adventure
Recipe: Start with a picturesque tropical island, sprinkle in perfect white sand beaches and turquoise water, add lush rainforest and bioluminescent bays and stir in islets, rushing rivers, coral reefs and misty mountains. Let sit for centuries, and then mix in indigenous cultures, Spanish explorers, amazing colonial architecture, salsa music, delicious roasted pig and pinchos, a buzzing metropolis, tranquil surf towns, baseball and a complicated relationship with a super power neighbor. Serve with a short flight, no need for passport or foreign currency, and enjoy! Puerto Rico offers the perfect meal to any explorer hungry for a tropical paradise, improving their Spanish with friendly, passionate neighbors and losing themself in the “Land of Enchantment.”
Service Adventures
Service Adventures can combine rural homestays, adventure travel, and meaningful service projects which are guided by our community partners. Living in these small communities provides the opportunity to engage the language and culture from a uniquely advantageous position.
Program Highlights
Check out some of the featured experiences of your program!
Relax and unwind on picturesque white sand beaches
Hike to hidden waterfalls in the rainforest
Immerse yourself in Puerto Rican culture, food, language, art, history, and nature
Explore el Yunque, the only tropical rain forest in the US National Forest System
Enjoy a photographic scavenger hunt in San Juan's famous Old Town
The Itinerary
We do everything possible to run safe, engaging, and immersive programs for our travelers and given the unpredictable nature of international travel we must remain flexible in our planning. Changes to a schedule are uncommon but, we reserve the right to adjust programming in the best interest of the group.
| DAY | LOCATION | ACTIVITY | LODGING |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 17 | USA - San Juan, Puerto Rico | Today we will depart Denver for San Juan, Puerto Rico! Upon arrival in San Juan, we will unpack at our comfortable hotel and have our arrival dinner and first orientation meeting ahead of our weeks adventure. | San Juan Hotel |
| May 18 | San Juan | We will begin the day with a morning meeting with a Puerto Rican historian to learn more about Puerto Rico. We will then take time to explore and visit more of San Juan's famous sites including San José Church, La Fortaleza, Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, Capitol Building, Paseo de la Princesa and El Morro, the oldest Spanish fortification in the Caribbean. During the afternoon, we will have a photographic scavenger hunt in Old San Juan getting to practice our Spanish skills as we interact with locals trying to cross photos off our lists. | San Juan Hotel |
| May 19 | San Juan & El Yunque | Time for some action! We will depart early bound for El Yunque, the only tropical rain forest in the US National Forest System. We will hike through the amazing trail system and swim in a hole. Afterwards, we will visit Luquillo's famous snack street for lunch on our way to a picturesque white sand beach with calm turquoise water in San Juan, where the group can snorkel until sundown. | San Juan Hotel |
| May 20 | San Juan & Las Marias | Today we will leave the capital city for Las Marias, a small community in the west mountains of Puerto Rico, which is approximately a four hour bus drive. We will have lunch on our way at Frutos de Guacabo Farm, where the group will learn about farm-to-table movement, a tour around the property and a workshop about goat milk. Upon arrival to our cabins, we will settle in and have dinner. | Las Marias Cabins |
| May 21 | Las Marias & Bucarabones | This morning we will begin service work alongside an organization that was created in the wake of Hurricane Maria called CAMBU (Centro de Apoyo Mutuo Bucarabones Unidos). Bucarabones is a small barrio located in the municipality of Las Marias and is home to about 700 people. After the devastation of Hurricane Maria, the community of Bucarabones took recovery matters into their own hands and formed their own community center which has brought an incredible amount of positive change to the community. In addition to helping the community recover after the hurricane, CAMBU has brought a renewed sense of community to the barrio as well as a physical space for community members to participate in workshops. After our service project orientation in the morning, we will begin work on the project. | Las Marias Cabins |
| May 22 | Las Marias & Bucarabones | Today we will continue our service work with CAMBU in Bucarabones. In the afternoon we will hang in the local plaza and eat ice cream in the community. | Las Marias Cabins |
| May 23 | Las Marias & Bucarabones | Today we will continue our service work with CAMBU in Bucarabones. In the afternoon we will explore a nearby river to cool down. | Las Marias Cabins |
| May 24 | Las Marias & San Juan | We will spend the morning relaxing and getting ready to depart and debrief the experience. In the afternoon, we will return to San Juan and have a quiet evening in Old San Juan. | San Juan Hotel |
| May 25 | San Juan & Piñones | This morning, we will do stand up paddle board in the famous Laguna de Condado. We will then head to Piñones, an area of beautiful beaches just east of San Juan. In addition to enjoying the perfect beaches, we will have lunch on Puerto Rico's best pinchos and frituras before returning to our hotel. This evening, we will have our farewell dinner and reflect on our time in Puerto Rico before our departure for the USA tomorrow morning. | San Juan Hotel |
| May 26 | San Juan & Denver | Fly home - hasta luego! | Your own bed, eventually |
Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing program accommodations. Walking Tree partners with hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, clean and safe. We vet and inspect the accommodations to ensure they uphold the ethos of our programs, are great values for our travelers and nice places to rest after enriching days of travel.
Conturce Hotel
The hotel is designed for travelers from different places and cultures to share in common spaces, in an atmosphere of fellowship and camaraderie. Located in the heart of urban San Juan, hostel guests have easy access to many cultural places of interest. Free Wi-Fi keeps guests feeling connected at all times. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender.
Parador y Area Recreativa Adrian Heriberto Acevedo Cruz
This location boasts a beautiful and relaxing stay among nature in Las Marias community. This recreational center counts with several cabins with two rooms equipped with several beds and bunk beds perfects for hosting groups. Each cabin is also equipped with a kitchen and showers. The cabins do NOT include beddings or pillows so student must bring their own. The center is surrounded by nature and has several outdoor spaces, a river and rest areas. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.
Safety and Support
EASY FUNDRAISING & PAYMENT
24/7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY LINE
HIGHLY VETTED PARTNERS
EXPERT LEADERSHIP
PRIVATE GROUP GUARANTEE
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM SUPPORT
DEDICATION TO CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT
ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING
I was very concerned about my daughter who has a peanut allergy travelling to a foreign country for the first time without us. Walking Tree was very sensitive to my concerns and reassured me that this is something they could handle and they did! I would send her again in a heartbeat. Thank you Walking Tree.
Kerry
Parent of Emilie, traveler on 2018 Service Program to Costa Rica
Your Adventure Includes
Program Tuition Excludes: Travel insurance, baggage fees, passport/visa fees, laundry, souvenirs, and activities not listed on the itinerary.
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Resource Center
Why should high school students travel abroad? What happens if a participant gets sick? How quickly do we need to enroll? We’re sure you have plenty of questions and we’ve got you covered! Visit our Resource Center to discover the answers to your most pressing questions and contact us anytime with additional questions.