Sample Itinerary: “Ecology, Rivers and Cultures of Costa Rica”

The itinerary below, planned for Deer Hill school groups, is a wonderful journey into the wild places and native cultures of Costa Rica. Though it takes place outside of our “backyard” – the American Southwest – the program maintains our 25-year tradition of in-depth adventure and service expeditions, and offers exactly the attention to detail, continuity, integrity and leadership that Deer Hill is known for. Your class trip is led by experienced, Spanish-speaking Deer Hill Program Leaders, and accompanied by local Costa Rican guides. This program is run in collaboration with our Costa Rican partner organization, Exploradores. This company is owned and operated by brother and sister team Miguel and Yenze Cabrera, great friends of Deer Hill who have been helping us with our Costa Rica summer programs for 7 years.

This off-the-beaten-path adventure is presented as a 10 day itinerary to make the most of the opportunities and ensure the depth of each activity. It is possible to plan a shorter trip if you wish, with 7-8 days as a reasonable minimum. Bear in mind that this is just an example, and other locations and activities can be included based on your goals.

Itinerary:

Day 1 Fly into the vibrant capital of San José, where you meet your experienced Deer Hill guide. Spend your first night in a quality hostel with comfortable rooms and a pool.

Day 2 Travel from San José to El Copal, a community-owned nature preserve located in the Cloud Forest. We will take an afternoon hike through the towering trees, ferns, mosses and bromeliads, receiving a stunning introduction to the ecological diversity of Costa Rica. Spend the night at the preserve.

Day 3 From El Copal, we will travel to our put-in on the Rio Pacuare. This wild river is both stunningly beautiful and endlessly exciting, with rapids up to class 4. Our vastly experienced Costa Rican river guides will ensure everyone has fun and feels comfortable. We will spend two days on the river, spending a night in a comfortable river camp, with a delicious meal of local foods prepared by our guides.

Day 4 After completing our rafting expedition, we will travel from our take-out to the tranquil village of Tres Equis, where we will meet our native Costa Rican, or Tico, host families, and enjoy our first meal together.

Day 5-6 For our service/homestay, we will enjoy the hospitality of the village while working on projects that are important to the community. In the past we have refurbished the school buildings and equipment, and built a recycling center! The friendly atmosphere and welcoming local people create a supportive environment in which to improve Spanish language, even for beginners. Our staff can even plan informal conversation classes if this is a focus of the trip.

Day 7-8 We say goodbye to our new friends and travel the short distance to the Caribbean coast. Here we make camp on a quiet beach, learning shelter building and camp cooking in the most wonderful setting. We will receive surfing lessons, and have the opportunity to kayak on a river. This is an amazing opportunity for wildlife spotting: we have seen monkeys, sloths, turtles, and toucans, among many other rare birds.

Day 9 After a final relaxing morning at the beach, we will make our afternoon transfer to San José for a final evening in Costa Rica, last opportunity to explore this increasingly cosmopolitan city.

Day 10 Your guide will accompany you to the airport in plenty of time for your return flight.

Please contact us so that we can price the trip based on your group size and the time of year.

Our prices include all transportation, beginning and ending at San José airport, and all meals. All group equipment is included (rafting equipment, kitchen and cooking gear, tents, service tools, etc). Personal gear and clothing is not included, and we provide a detailed packing list.