2022 Evergreen Costa Rica Sea Turtle Expedition
| Travel Dates: | June 4, 2022 - June 13, 2022 |
| Group Organizer(s): |
|
| WTT Contact: |
|
| Program Tuition: |
$2,250 USD
Airfare not included in program tuition
|
| Confirmed Airfare: | $665 |
Tuition Calculator
There are two options for payment, including an interest-free monthly installment plan. Follow whichever option works best for your family. If we are within 90 days of travel, only the pay in full option is possible.
Program Tuition: $2,250
Pay in Full
$2,250.00
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:
$70.00
per month
All prices in United States Dollars.
Costa Rica Conservation Expedition: Tortuga Feliz
From white sand beaches to misty cloud forests, towering volcanoes to beautiful rivers that carve through tropical canyons, and hospitable, friendly communities, Costa Rica has it all! Our conservation program along the Caribbean coast gives travelers the opportunity to delve deep into the verdant ecosystems that set Costa Rica apart; in addition to white water rafting, relaxing on white sand beaches and swimming in hot springs at the base of an active volcano, students will participate in field work and data collection at a research station staffed with professional scientists who conduct a wide array of research projects. Adventure awaits!
Conservation Expeditions
Conservation Expeditions bring travelers to the heart of the modern-day conservation movement. Whether building nurseries for sea turtle hatchlings in Costa Rica, monitoring the health of coral reefs off the coast of Belize or helping school children in Thailand to understand the importance of wild elephants to their ecosystem, these adventures make the wonders of our world, and our responsibility to protect them, abundantly apparent.
Program Highlights
Check out some of the featured experiences of your program!
Have the adventure of a lifetime with your friends
Contribute to sustainability efforts on a conservation project
Practice your Spanish language skills with locals
Raft down one of Costa Rica's best rivers
Relax and unwind on picturesque white sand beaches
Release baby sea turtles into the wild (seasonal)
The Itinerary
We do everything possible to abide by itineraries as originally planned, but decades of experience teachers that we must flexible in our planning. Changes to a trip’s schedule are uncommon, but Walking Tree reserves the right to make adjustments to programming in the best interest of the group.
| Day | Location | Description | Lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 4 | USA - Costa Rica | Today the group will travel from the USA to Costa Rica, with flights usually arriving in the evening. After arrival, the group will settle into their hotel for the evening and have an orientation meeting where we'll discuss the upcoming trip in detail. | Hotel La Rosa de América |
| June 5 | Alajuela - La Fortuna | In the morning, the group will head to La Fortuna. We will enjoy a traditional Costa Rican lunch before jumping straight into our first adventure activity: ziplining through the rainforest! This evening we'll explore town and enjoy a great dinner. | Hotel Arenal Poshpacker |
| June 6 | La Fortuna | After breakfast, we will go on a wildlife and nature hike en route to La Fortuna Watefall. After a long and exciting day, we will be able to relax and soak in the hot springs at the base of Volcán Arenal, one of seven active volcanoes in the country. | Hotel Arenal Poshpacker |
| June 7 | La Fortuna - La Tortuga Feliz | Today the group will travel to the Caribbean coast. The bus can only take us so far before we need to board boats and make the final part of the journey by boat! After navigating the canals that carve their way through the mangroves, we will arrive at the La Tortuga Feliz Field Station. After an introduction and tour of the station, we will begin our nightly beach patrols in search of female leatherback and green turtles. | Field Station |
| June 8 | La Tortuga Feliz | Days at the La Tortuga Felize Field Station will be dedicated to helping research assistants with their personal research projects or camp maintenance tasks, such as beach cleanups or equipment inventories. In the nighttime, we will continue the important task of patrolling the beach in search of nesting (or hatching!) turtles. | Field Station |
| June 9 | La Tortuga Feliz | The morning will be spent assisting with the research projects and camp maintenance tasks. After a hearty lunch, we will go on an exciting river biodiversity tour with a local expert who will help us identify the diverse plants and animals that call the river home. | Field Station |
| June 10 | La Tortuga Feliz | It is our last day to assist on the ongoing research projects and help out around the camp. After lunch, we will have time to play soccer with the local community and in the evening we will celebrate with our new friends with a fiesta de despedida! | Field Station |
| June 11 | La Tortuga Feliz - Playa Chiquita | In the morning, we will take a boat ride out from Tortuga Feliz and travel to the southern Caribbean coast. After all of our hard work at the station, we will enjoy some much deserved time at the beach to relax, swim, and do last minute souvenir shopping. | La Costa de Papito |
| June 12 | Pacuare River - Alajuela | In the morning we'll be picked up for a full day of white water rafting along one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. The Pacuare River flows from the top of the countries highest mountains, carving its way down the eastern half of the country before emptying in to the Caribbean Sea. Under the steady guidance of our guides we'll navigate class I, II and III rapids through gorgeous canyons covered in primary rainforest. Wildlife is abundant. We'll stop for lunch along the banks of the river and once finished travel back to Alajuela for our final night together. | Hotel La Rosa de América |
| June 13 | Alajuela - USA | After breakfast, we will head to the airport for a morning departure back to the USA. | Your own bed, eventually! |
Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing group accommodations. Walking Tree partners with hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, locally operated, clean and safe. We inspect each partner hotel to ensure they meet these standards.
Rosa de las Américas
A charming ranch-style hotel on the outskirts of San José, Rosa de las Americas is a great spot to unwind after a long day’s travels. This hotel is complete with a lush gardens, a big pool, updated rooms, and friendly staff.
Arenal Poshpacker
Located right in downtown La Fortuna, Arenal Poshpacker offers a great location, a pool, restaurant and cozy bedrooms. This is the ideal location from which students can the nearby waterfalls, caves, thermal hot springs, and of course the amazing Arenal Volcano. All rooms are equipped with A/C with free Wi-Fi to keep everyone feeling comfortable and connected.
WIDECAST Field Station
WIDECAST Field Station is situated on a beautiful isolated beach right behind what people refer to as “The Amazon” of Costa Rica, a network of mangrove rainforest, rivers, canals and lagoons. This program is run by volunteers for volunteers, and students will share dorm-style rustic lodging with separate dorms for boys and girls, shared bathrooms, and no electricity or hot water. The basic accommodations at WIDECAST align with their commitment to environmental conservation.
La Costa de Papito
La Costa de Papito is nestled in verdant lowland jungle and just steps away from the white sand beach of Playa Cocles. Chosen for its great location, laid-back vide and effusive hospitality, students will have a truly Caribbean experience in this cozy hotel. Free Wi-Fi access throughout the facilities keeps everyone feeling connected. 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
This was our daughter’s 2nd trip with Walking Tree. In 2016, she took her school’s first trip with Walking Tree to Ecuador, and absolutely loved it. Once again, the Walking Tree representative was excellent. My daughter said Ben really made the trip, and worked hard to keep the group happy. Other positives: communication before the trip, website outline, daily blogs and trip photos. Very professional organization. We feel very secure sending our student out into the world with Walking Tree.
Andrea
Parent of Olivia, traveler on California Cultural Journey
Your Adventure Includes
Estimated Airfare
In order to give our travelers the best possible price, we break out airfare from the Program Tuition. We will still handle all booking and ticketing via our flight partner who has access to special fares not available to the general public. Once confirmed, you will be invoiced for the flight roughly 75 days prior to travel.
Program Tuition Excludes: Travel insurance, baggage fees, passport/visa fees, laundry, souvenirs, and activities not listed on itinerary.
Need to Raise Money? We Have You Covered.
Walking Tree Travel is proud to team up with Equal Exchange, a worker-owned cooperative that distributes organic coffee, tea, sugar, bananas, avocados, cocoa, chocolate bars, and more. There is no limit to the amount you can earn, so the sooner you can start, the better!
Learn more here.
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.