Costa Rica 3-Week
Cultural Exchange & Service Adventure
PROGRAM ACCOMMODATIONS
ORIENTATION
Located on former coffee plantations, our Central Valley lodges offer seclusion from the hustle and bustle of the city yet serve as convenient bases to experience all that Central Costa Rica has to offer. A Global Works Costa Rica participant spends the first few days of the program in a small and comfortable lodge located in the mountains surrounding the capital of San Jose. The lodges we utilize are locally owned and specialize in hosting student groups. Lodging is typically dorm style with 4- 6 students sleeping in bunk beds, but each room has a private bathroom with hot water showers. Large group spaces are present on the properties and are an ideal spot for group orientation and ice-breaker activities.
RAFTING
All Global Works Costa Rica participants will spend an unforgettable night in the rainforest on the banks of the spectacular Pacuare River. After an adventure filled day of rafting we will unwind at one of two comfortable river camps. The camps are for the exclusive use of Global Works and participants spend the afternoon playing soccer and frisbee in the large green spaces surrounded by the towering trees of the jungle. Students are lured to sleep by the magical sounds of the rainforest and spend the night in either large tents or fully screened cabins. The camps include large common areas outfitted with hammocks to relax in, and open air eating areas where students take an active role in preparing the evening meal.
CLOUD FOREST EXPLORATION AND SERVICE
Our two cloud forest lodges are located within the boundary of the largest private reserve in the country. To reach the lodges, students complete an attainable hike through primary cloud forest and are rewarded with rustic yet comfortable eco-lodges built to exist in harmony with the natural surroundings. Both lodges offer large rooms with bunk-beds and private bathrooms. A large balcony affords expansive views of surrounding volcanoes and the hammocks provide an unbeatable spot to sip coffee and relax after a long day of service work.
COMMUNITY HOMESTAY EXPERIENCE
Global Works has longstanding relationships with the communities where we place students and complete our service projects. Communities and homestay families are carefully selected and have hosted Global Works students in the past. The rural communities are located in the mountainous interior of the country and commonly consist of between 20-25 families, a community center, and a small store. All homes where students are housed are within walking distance of one another and close to the project worksite. Homes are humble in nature, typically constructed of concrete block or wood and are very clean and inviting. Students will have a private room within the home and the room is shared between two Global Works students. All homes have bathrooms complete with a flush toilet and a shower. Meals are prepared by the homestay families and families are trained in proper food preparation and food handling.
PACIFIC ECO-RESORT SURF CAMP
Depending on the program, students go to either a surf camp in the province of Guanacaste in the northern part of the country or a comparable spot in the province of Puntarenas located in southern Costa Rica. Both are eco-lodges built at the edge of the jungle and the beach and are surrounded by spectacular national parks and wildlife refuges. Accommodations are roomy cabins shared by four to five students and all lodges have an onsite swimming pool, common areas, and eating areas.
