Evolve Tours | Educational Tours & Trips, Easy Booking and Tour PlanningExperience Costa Rica - 8 days » Evolve Tours | Educational Tours & Trips, Easy Booking and Tour Planning  

QUOTE

Experience Costa Rica – 8 days

Prepared for:
Sandpoint Waldorf School   |   Kristina Wofsey
Proposal Date: September 14, 2023
Valid until: October 14, 2023

EMPOWERING STUDENTS THROUGH TRAVEL SINCE 2006

Rainforest hikes and brisk high-altitude trails, world-class surfing: Costa Rica offers a dizzying suite of outdoor adventures in every shape and size – from the squeal-inducing rush of a canopy zipline to a sun-dazed afternoon at the beach. National parks allow visitors to glimpse life in both rainforest and cloud forest, simmering volcanoes offer otherworldly vistas, and reliable easy to learn on surf breaks are suited to beginners and experts alike. We look forward to exploring Costa Rica with you and your students

Starting Price

$2,400.00

Proposed Dates

May 2023

Activities & Attractions

Outdoor Adventure:

  • Hike to see Mountain views, primary and secondary forests, river, waterfalls, swimming holes, wildlife, and two stream crossings
  • Visit coffee plantations
  • Take some time to relax at the Baldi Hot Springs Resort
  • Participate in Surf lessons with professional instructors
  • Take in breathtaking views of the Costa Rican wilderness, including a volcano
  • Participate in a Zip Line Activity
  • Guided boat tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
  • See local wildlife, such as sloths and monkeys!
  • Take a cruise on a catamaran and enjoy time to snorkel in Costa Rican waters
  • Beach time

Community Service and Cultural Interaction:

  • Tree planting in the Rainforest
  • Play soccer with local kids
  • Learn how to cook Costa Rican meals in a responsible way by using a methane bio-digester, rocket stove, cob oven and solar cookers
  • Work with goats, hens, ducks and fish
  • Work on a Soccer Field and Trail Maintenance Project
  • Work on community service activities at a school
  • Visit a traditional market in Costa Rica
  • Learn how to Salsa dance
  • Learn basic Spanish

Trip Details

Accommodations

Hotels:

  • Triple accommodation for students
  • Double occupancy for staff

Eco Lodge: Mix of dorm and Cabin style accommodation,

Accommodations as follows, Subject to change

  • Night 1&7: Alajuela
    Night 2,3: Mastatal
    Night 4: Quepos
    Night 5,6: Fortuna

Meals

  • Breakfast, Lunches and Dinner included Daily

Transportation

  • Return Coach Airfare from Spokane to San Jose, Costa Rica
  • Private Coach Bus Transportation for duration of stay in Costa Rica

Additional Personnel

  • 1 Evolve Tours Director + Additional Local Costa Rican staff

Exclusives

  • Creative Trip programming and leadership activities
  • Videography and Photography
  • Forever Green by Evolve Tours- Carbon Offset this whole trip (ask for details)

Insurance

  • Insurance Medical, Cancellation, Baggage and Interruption. Travelers can opt for CFARcancellation for any reason insurance which covers students up to 75% of their costs no matter the reason. The costs would be $105 for the general coverage or $157.50 for CFAR.

Package Price is based on

Students
16
Chaperones
1
Price per student
$2290
  • Prices subject to availability and change until contract signed
  • Total Package price may vary if number of paying customers changes
  • Does not include airline baggage fees if applicable
  • Tips for drivers and guides are appreciated
  • This quote expires September 30 2023
  • Happy with what you see? Sign a 2-year contract with Evolve and pay the same rate for two years. Ask us for more information. *Based on same group size

Itinerary

Day 1:

TRAVEL TO COSTA RICA!
Fly to San Jose, Costa Rica!
Pick up your luggage and meet your Evolve Tours guide. Our private bus will transfer us from the airport to our hotel. We will have a snack upon arrival and then head to bed following an exhausting day in order to energize ourselves for the week ahead.

Day 2:

MASTATAL & INTRODUCTION TO ECO TOURISM
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel.
Our private bus will transfer us to the village of Mastatal, which is located 2.5 hours from San Jose. The town of Mastatal has a population of 150 people, who live from the land and promote real Eco Tourism. All the meals that we will consume are cultivated from the land. The only item that is brought into the Ranch is packaged pasta, everything else, including drinks, vegetables, cheeses, breads etc is all grown, cooked, or prepared right on the property. Students will take an active role during meal time throughout the trip.
In the morning we will participate in a Ranch Tour and Orientation.
After having lunch at the Ranch, we will break into groups for the remainder of the day. Half the group will participate in a Sustainable Food Preparation activity at the ranch which will comprise of learning how to cook Costa Rican meals in a responsible way by using a methane Biogester, rocket stove, cob oven and solar cookers. The other half will participate in an Iguana Chocolate Tour (making chocolate from tree to bar).

Dinner as a group.

Evening activity at the Ranch (journaling, games, discussion).

Day 3:

NATURAL BUILDING WORKSHOP, SUSTAINABLE FOOD PREPARATION, & CHOCOLATE TOUR
Enjoy breakfast at the Ranch.
In the morning we will participate in a Natural Building workshop, designing and building structures to minimize the impact on our environment and maximize their sustainability. Using stones and rocks, Straw/Natural Grasses, Bamboo, and even Manure, students will learn techniques such as Cob Building, that utilizes clay, sand and straw or other fibers; Wattle and Daub, which uses woven woods or bamboo to construct a structure at the Ranch that avoids using concrete which is widely used across Costa Rica.
Refuel and have lunch as a group and rest before our afternoon activity.
In the afternoon half the group will participate in Sustainable Food Preparation and the other will participate in a chocolate tour at a local Chocolate farm where we will make chocolate from tree to bar.
Eat dinner as a group before heading to bed.

Day 4:

WHALE WATCHING TOUR, & SNORKELING
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel.
Head towards Quepos and visit Manuel Antonio National Park.
Arrive and participate in a guided hike of this beautiful oasis. Be fortunate enough to see families of Monkeys and Sloths that live within the park’s pristine eco-system.
In the afternoon, we will get on board a boat tour of Whale Tail National Park; snorkel, swim, and perhaps see dolphins at play– with licensed tour boat operator for Costa Rica
Upon returning from our afternoon adventure, we will head to dinner at a hillside restaurant. On a clear day we will see one of the most unbelievable sunsets.

Day 5:

MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK, WILDLIFE, & HERMOSA BEACH
Breakfast as a group at the hotel.
In the morning we will head straight to the beach for our private surfing lessons. We will spend some time learning the techniques of surfing (with certified/experienced instructors) on the beach before we head into the water for lessons. Afterwards we will make our way to town where we will eat lunch as a group and relax.
Break for lunch.
There are various attractions or small excursions which we can stop at on our way to Hermosa Beach such as coffee plantations, the crocodile bridge lookout point, incredible waterfalls, or other points of interest.
Dinner at a Soda on route to our night’s accommodation.
Check in to our accommodation for the night and rest after another action-packed day.

Day 6:

ZIP-LINING & BALDI HOT SPRINGS
Eat breakfast as a group.
In the morning we will head to a Zip Line activity, which has over 20 sections. As we zip through the rainforest, take in gorgeous views of the Volcano that can be seen from over-top of the trees. Desafio Adventure: behind the Catholic church, La Fortuna, San Carlos.
Break for lunch.
After lunch we will travel to the Baldi Hot Springs Resort and have an opportunity to relax and soak up the day.
Return to the hotel for dinner as a group.

Day 7:

ARENAL VOLCANO, HIKING, & WILDLIFE
Breakfast as a group at the hotel.
On this day we will participate in a hike near the Arenal Volcano. Within the national park, short trails will take us through both secondary forest and lava fields from previous eruptions. See plenty of wildlife along the way, including: deer, tapir, howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys and snakes, or birds like parrots, orioles and brown magpies.
In the evening, transfer to San Jose and check into accommodations.

Day 8:

Return Home
Wake up nice and early, enjoy breakfast and say our goodbyes.
Board your flight home, eager to see family and friends after an amazing trip to Costa Rica together!