Communities of Costa Rica: Explorica Volunteer Trip

Volunteer in the rural community of Santos, where you will engage in activities like painting a local school, planting a community garden, or beautifying the natural landscape. Explore the great outdoors further by kayaking around Lake Arenal, then test the waters of nature's Jacuzzi at the nearby hot springs and learn how coffee gets from farm to table on our Bio Coffee Adventure.
Learn more
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Day 1 Hola San José
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Day 2 San José to Santos
Travel to Santos
Details: Introduction to Los Santos project
The rural communities of Los Santos will benefit from your group's visit and on arrival our team will assess what needs are most urgent. Activities include painting at the local school, preparing a garden, restoration by the river banks, garbage collection or construction restoration in the school or church. These activities not only help the community but give students the opportunity to experience life in a Costa Rican rural community.
Details: Local community exchange
Meet your local community and participate in dance classes, soccer games or a visit to the community center.
Day 3 Santos community engagement
Details: Bio coffee adventure
As part of the biocoffee tour, you'll experience the full organic coffee process, from the fields to the processing plant. The tour includes walks through both shade & sun-grown coffee with true Costa Rican coffee experts & farmers.
Details: Volunteer activities
The rural communities of Los Santos will benefit from your group's visit and on arrival our team will assess what needs are most urgent. Activities include painting at the local school, preparing a garden, restoration by the river banks, garbage collection or construction restoration in the school or church. These activities not only help the community but give students the opportunity to experience life in a Costa Rican rural community.
Day 4 Santos--Coastal Puntarenas
Details: Travel to Coastal Puntarenas
Through the rural back roads of Costa Rica you will appreciate impressive views of Los Santos forest reserves. You will have several opportunities to see 7 different altitude planes from Los Santos to Manuel Antonio & discover the diverse vegetation that is abundant in our country.
Day 5 Manuel Antonio excursion
Details: Manuel Antonio National Park visit
Combining white sandy beaches with lush tropical forest, Manuel Antonio is the perfect place to see a variety of Costa Rican wildlife, from white-faced monkeys and sleepy-faced sloths, to green turtles and orange-and-black-shelled land crabs.
Day 6 Coastal Puntarenas--Arenal
Travel to Arenal
Details: Lake Arenal kayaking tour
Glide along the still waters reflecting the perfect cone of Arenal Volcano and the surrounding rolling hills. Lake Arenal, the country's largest, is also among its most scenic, and the area has become popular area to kayak, windsurf, sail, fish, and hike. For safety reasons, weight restrictions apply to this activity.
Details: Hot springs visit
Let the volcanoes take you away. At Arenal’s hot springs, bubbling lava fields heat the waters to make nature’s own jacuzzi.
Day 7 Arenal to San José
Travel to San José
Details: Arenal Volcano National Park visit
Arenal Volcano National Park is located in the northern region of the country and is home to one of the world’s most active and impressive volcanoes. Besides the volcano, this national park has various hiking trails that wind through the tropical highland forest as well as the lowland wet forest. Also within the park is a magnificent man-made lake, Lake Arenal (the largest lake in Costa Rica), which provides over 40% of the country’s energy production.
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Day 8 Flight home from San José

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    Day 8 Start river rafting extension
    Lunch
    Details: Whitewater rafting guided excursion
    The perfect way to experience Costa Rica at its best. After getting full safety and paddling instructions from your guide, head off into lush rainforest teeming with toucans, herons, and iguanas. Be on the lookout for basilisk lizards—these reptiles can scurry across the water on their hind legs, a feat that earned them the nickname “Jesus Christ lizards.” End your tour of Costa Rica’s most popular river with a traditional lunch prepared by your guide. For safety reasons, weight restrictions apply to this activity.
    Day 9 Flight home from San José
    Map of Costa Rica: Sun and Service Educational Tour
    Tour Includes:
    • Round-trip airfare
    • 7 overnight stays (8 with extension) in hotels with private bathrooms
    • Breakfast daily
    • Lunch daily
    • Dinner daily
    • Full-time services of a professional tour director
    • Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
    • Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
    • Two half-day volunteer projects
    • Tour Diary™
    • Local Guide and Local Bus Driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
    • Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
    • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.
    We are better able to assist you with a quote for your selected departure date and city over the phone. Please call 1.888.310.7120 to price this tour with your requested options.
    Please select a postal code
    3182.00 total fee
    Basic Options


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