2024 Denver Language School Costa Rica Program

Dear Families, Friends, and Travelers – Welcome to the 2025 Westgate Costa Rica Service Adventure!  The Pre-Enrollment webpage is meant to share exciting highlights and important info that participants will want to know before signing up. Once enrolled, you'll begin using the Post-Enrollment page which offers a greater level of detail.  Please be sure to review the information thoroughly and get excited for a once in a lifetime experience in Costa Rica! Pura vida! 
Travel Dates: May 7, 2025 - May 16, 2025
Dates are tentative until flights are secured
Group Organizer(s):
  • Christine Loven-Santos
WTT Contact:
Program Tuition: $2,690 USD
Airfare not included in program tuition
Confirmed Airfare: $850

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: $2,690

Pay in Full

$2,690.00

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:

$312.86

per month

* This is an approximate price. Your exact total will be confirmed when your enrollment is processed.

All prices in United States Dollars.

Costa Rica Service Adventure

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 service adventures give travelers the opportunity to delve deep into small, rural communities set in stunningly beautiful corners of the country.  In addition to white water rafting, relaxing on white sand beaches and swimming at the base of a towering waterfall, students will gain confidence in their Spanish, contribute to a meaningful service project and grow into more confident travelers. Adventure awaits!

Service Adventures

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!

Brew coffee and make empanadas with a local farmer's family

Improve your Spanish and immerse yourself in a homestay community

Trek to a beautiful waterfall deep in the jungle

Learn to surf with some of Costa Rica's best instructors

Collaborate on a service project in your homestay community

Discover the gorgeous beaches and world-class national parks on the Pacific coast

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. 

DayLocationDescriptionLodging
May 17USA - Costa RicaToday the group will travel from the USA to Costa Rica, and flights usually arrive in the evening. After arrival, the group will settle into their hotel for the evening and have an orientation meeting where the group will discuss the upcoming trip in detail.Rosa de las Americas
May 18Alajuela - Host CommunityToday we will head to the host village to meet our host families. Upon arrival, students will tour the community and learn about our service project. Students will have lunch with their own individual host families this afternoon. Throughout the program, we'll have the opportunity to interact with community members in Spanish, participate in cultural exchanges, and explore Costa Rican culture.Sarapiquis Hotel
May 19Host CommunityOur days in the village will consist mainly of working on our community service project. Lunch will be either be on-site or at home with families. In the afternoons and evenings, activities are flexible and will vary, but may include time with host families, excursions around the village, or activities with the local community.Sarapiquis Hotel
May 20Host CommunityOur days in the village will consist mainly of working on our community service project. Lunch will be either be on-site or at home with families. In the afternoons and evenings, activities are flexible and will vary, but may include time with host families, excursions around the village, or activities with the local community.Sarapiquis Hotel
May 21Host CommunityToday, we will continue working on our service project and spending time with host families. In the afternoon we will have our final dinner with out host families. Sarapiquis Hotel
May 22Host Community - La FortunaAfter saying goodbye to our host families we will head to La Fortuna, a small city right next to the Volcán Arenal, an impressive volcano that stands out in the middle of the flatlands. Today the group will hike to La Catarata de la Fortuna for a refreshing swim at the base of the magnificent waterfall that cascades from a height of over 70 meters.Tonight we'll reflect on the time spent at the host community and prepare for the conservation part of the program. Montechiari
May 23La Fortuna - We will have time time to explore town and do some souvenir shopping. We will finish our day relaxing at the Baldi hot springs and eating a buffet dinner. Montechiari
May 24La Fortuna-CahuitaToday the group will travel to the Caribbean coast but in our way we will spend the morning doing whitewater river rafting in Sarapiqui. After a beautiful and scenic drive, we will arrive at Puerto Viejo de Limón.Costa de Papito
May 25Cahuita - AlajuelaToday we will head back to Alajuela for our final dinner together before our international departure the following morning. We will have the opportunity to check out the sloth santuary.Rosa de las Americas
May 26Alajuela - USAAfter breakfast, we will head to the airport for a morning departure back to the USA.Your own bed!

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.

Below are the accommodations we anticipate using on your program, subject to availability. 
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.

Sarapiquis Hotel

Sarapiquis Hotel combines research and education with ecoturism to create a unique experience for its visitors and to promote conservation. The rooms offer bunk and single beds, shared bathrooms, bug protection on windows and fans. Students will be grouped according to gender. They offer a dining hall, wireless internet, all-access trail, and on-station security.

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.

Montechiari Hotel

Arenal Montechiari Hotel located 400 meters from the central park, very close to the beautiful town La Fortuna. The Hotel is sorrounded of lush gardens and a spectacular view of the Volcano.

Safety and Support


 EASY FUNDRAISING & PAYMENT
EASY FUNDRAISING & PAYMENT
24/7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY LINE
24/7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY LINE
HIGHLY VETTED PARTNERS
HIGHLY VETTED PARTNERS
EXPERT LEADERSHIP
EXPERT LEADERSHIP
PRIVATE GROUP GUARANTEE
PRIVATE GROUP GUARANTEE
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM SUPPORT
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM SUPPORT
DEDICATION TO CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT
DEDICATION TO CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT
ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING
ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING

I thought all in all it was a great experience and wonderful program!! My daughter speaks about her experience daily. She had a ball!!

April
Parent of Jaylah, traveler on 2017 Program to Costa Rica

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.

WTT coffee
Resource center

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.

Learn More

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