2024 LFSF Costa Rica Cultural Journey
| Travel Dates: | March 26, 2023 - April 2, 2024 |
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Costa Rica Cultural Journey
From white sand beaches to misty cloud forests, towering volcanoes to beautiful rivers that carve through tropical canyons, and friendly communities, Costa Rica has it all! Our cultural journey aims to expose travelers to best the country has to offer and provide opportunities to speak Spanish and gain insight into one of the most hospitable destinations on earth. Adventure awaits!
Program Highlights
Check out some of the featured experiences of your program!
Have the adventure of a lifetime with your friends
Learn about the history of chocolate while you make your own!
Improve your Spanish and immerse yourself in a homestay community
Zip-line though the rainforest
Hike through the tropical rainforest and learn about local ecosystems
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 March | USA - Alajuela | Today, the group will travel from the USA to Costa Rica. Flights usually arrive in the evening. After our arrival, we will settle into our hotel for the evening and have an orientation meeting to discuss the upcoming trip in detail. | Rosa de las Americas |
| 27 March | Host-community | After breakfast we we'll head to our host community. After arrival we'll tour the town, we will get settled into our accommodation, tour the town. In the afternoons and evenings, activities are flexible and will vary, but may include time with community members, excursions to explore the surrounding area or group reflection sessions. | Homestays: San Gerardo _-Herradura. |
| 28 March | Host-community | We will start our day with a cheese tour where we will learn about the different types and even have the opportunity to milk a cow. After lunch, we will have our first Spanish class to improve our language skills, which we will be able to put into practice in the upcoming days. In the afternoon, we will meet the local Volleyball team to play with them and practice our Spanish, or engage in other field day activities. | Homestays: San Gerardo -Herradura. |
| 29 March | Host-community | Today we will continue with our Spanish classes, and after that, we will have our cooking class where we will learn how to make tortillas, which we will eat for lunch. In the afternoon, we will have time to relax at the local hot springs before heading back to the community to prepare with our families to celebrate our fiesta de despedida. | Homestays: San Gerardo -Herradura. |
| 30 March | Host-community | We will have our last Spanish class and then make the short drive to the Central Pacific Coast. Also, today will be our first opportunity to see our first sunset. | El Tecal |
| 31 March | Uvita | This morning we'll enjoy surfing lessons with some of Costa Rica's best instructors! Then we travel up the coast to the quiet seaside town of Dominical where students will be able to do some souvenir shopping and devour a tasty lunch. | El Tecal |
| 1 April | Uvita- Alajuela | This morning, we will explore Manuel Antonio National Park, where students will wander jungle trails and lounge on pristine, white sand beaches. After showers and lunch, we will jump on the bus and begin the trip back to San Jose, where we'll enjoy a celebratory dinner to commemorate our time together. After dinner, we will have the opportunity to attend our workshop about chocolate and create our own chocolates. | Rosa de las Americas |
| 2 April | Home | After breakfast, we will have a chocolate workshop where students will get the chance to prepare their own chocolate before getting ready to catch our flight home. Hasta luego!! | 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.
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.
Homestay
This will be the best part of your trip! Staying with a host family immerses you in the language and culture of the destination, and can lead to deep and lasting relationships with your hosts. Initially intimidating but ultimately unforgettable, there’s no better way to begin to truly understand the place you’re visiting.
Cabinas El Tecal
Cabinas El Tecal is a locally owned and operated three star hotel close to playa Uvita in the Marino Ballena National Park. Off the beaten path, the hotel comes with modern amenities, a private pool, and great service. It’s the perfect place to relax away from the crowds. Free Wi-Fi access throughout the building 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
Lovett’s trip to Morocco was a once in a lifetime trip for a lot of our students. It was great to hear how the students raved about the trip to their parents upon return. Overall a wonderful trip that the students and staff loved!
Sabrina
Group Organizer on Morocco Service Adventure
Your Adventure Includes
Program Tuition Excludes: Travel insurance, baggage fees, passport/visa fees, laundry, souvenirs, and activities not listed on the 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.