Turtles, Teenagers and Super-hero Teachers

1. 1

   Day 1

   Arrive San Jose

   Fly from the UK to San Jose, Costa Rica, where our local staff and vehicle will meet us at the airport. We then head straight to our hotel for drink, light snack and an early night in preparation for tomorrow.

2. 2

   Day 2

   White water Rafting to El Nido del Tigre

   After breakfast we depart for the white water rafting ‘put-in’ for our water adventure through pristine rainforest spotted with waterfalls. Fully qualified white water rafting guides will give us all the necessary training we need to undertake this activity safely. By afternoon we arrive at our comfortable riverside camp, El Nido del Tigre. Nestled between the sounds of the rainforest and the hum of the river, take time to explore this lush environment first hand, looking out for toucans overhead or simply relaxing in a hammock listening to the sounds of the river.

3. 3

   Day 3

   Waterfall trekking & white water rafting part II

   Today we spend some quality time exploring the trails and a waterfall at this unique location on the banks of the Pacuare River. Later, as we continue our rafting journey, the Pacuare River takes us through virgin rainforest, cascading waterfalls and river carved canyons. We manoeuvre through the exhilarating rapids and can observe the intricacies of the rainforest at the river’s edge. Along the way, we take time out to do some hiking to spectacular waterfalls and have lunch on the shore. Reaching the end of our rafting trip, we transfer to vehicles and drive to our destination - Cahuita - for a wonderful night’s rest at this beautiful Caribbean beach.

4. 4

   Day 4

   Snorkelling in Cahuita

   This morning we go snorkelling in the most important Costa Rican Coral Reef. We have the opportunity to witness some of the most amazing sea species including 35 different species of coral, 123 species of tropical fish, sea turtles, sea cucumbers, ocean sponges, lobster, and shrimp! The rest of the day is free to enjoy the beach. We will also get stuck in with an ‘Environment Clean Up’ and help to clear waste from the coastline.

5. 5

   Day 5

   Pacuare Reserve / Beach patrol

   Today we transfer to the Pacuare Reserve, a working reserve established by the Endangered Wildlife Trust, a British registered charity. Its 1050 hectares of tropical rainforest lies on the Caribbean coast where there is a high concentration of wildlife, the four mile stretch of deserted beach is the most important nesting site in the country for the giant Leatherback turtles.

6. 6

   Day 6

   Pacuare reserve activities

   Activities for today may include: tagging nesting turtles, collecting and counting eggs from nests for incubation, releasing turtle hatchlings into the wild, learning about the importance of this conservation work and why the turtles are endangered, plus rainforest based activities that relate to education and conservation.

7. 7

   Day 7

   Transfer to La Fortuna

   This morning we transfer to the town of La Fortuna, which lies at the foothill of Costa Rica’s most famous and until recently, most active volcano, Arenal. The eruptive cycle, which began with the infamous eruption of 1968, continued to produce enormous amounts of lava, gas and ash on an almost daily basis until 2012 when Arenal entered into an indeterminate resting phase. For the time being, there are no eruptions but that could change within a matter of months! In addition to the volcano, Arenal plays an important role in Costa Rica's power production. Lake Arenal, which rests at the base of the Arenal Volcano, supplies twelve percent of the country's hydroelectric energy. In the afternoon we can explore down town La Fortuna.

8. 8

   Day 8

   Waterfall, volcano and springs

   We start the day by having an early breakfast and later head to the famous La Fortuna waterfall for a refreshing swim. The trail runs through pasture and rainforest, offering chances to spot toucans, monkeys, and other tropical creatures. It takes about 15 minutes to hike down to the base of the waterfall. Later we will be led on a guided hike into the volcanic national park to learn about the explosive history of Arenal and its ‘big brother’, Cerro Chato Volcano. The hike takes us through trails in the secondary forest around the base of the volcano, past lava fields from previous eruptions. Later in the evening we discover the geothermal activity in this region by enjoying a soak in the Baldi hot springs, with over thirty spring-fed pools of various temperatures.

9. 9

   Day 9

   Zip line & hanging bridges

   After breakfast we transfer to Monteverde, set atop the spine of Costa Rica’s continental divide. Monteverde is a high altitude region in the north of the country that is best known for its private reserves and canopy zip lining. Prepare for an extreme day of adventure, flying through 12 cables and 18 platforms with an optional Tarzan Swing at the end of the tree-top adventure. If this were not enough, we later continue to the hanging bridges. Each bridge has a width of five feet, the widest bridges in Costa Rica, and also a capacity of up to 80 people per bridge making them both the longest and strongest bridge systems in the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

10. 10–11

    Days 10–11

    Return home

    This morning we drive back to San Jose and transfer to Juan Santamaria International Airport for our overnight flight back to the UK. We arrive back into the UK the following day (Day 11).

Itineraries can change with the seasons, local conditions and your group's needs. Ask us and we'll tailor it.