Costa Rica: an Outdoor Adventure of Environmental Stewardship

This itinerary is a true experiential learning immersion into Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity. Students will explore three unique ecosystems including Arenal’s rain forest, Monteverde’s cloud forest, and Manuel Antonio’s lush Pacific coast.

On this journey, active experiences will include traversing hanging bridges, hiking to La Fortuna Waterfall, zip lining, and optional water activities.

These opportunities will encourage students’ independence and appreciation of new experiences while exploring themes of biology, geography, culture and history.

Discover Costa Rica's biodiversity: Explore, learn, and adventure in paradise.

Top Highlights

What’s Included

We design unforgettable educational journeys for you and your students. Our educational trips include:

Itinerary

We design each itinerary around you, so this suggested itinerary is a starting point that we can tweak or transform into something completely bespoke to you.

La Fortuna

Located just 2-hours drive northwest of San Jose, the little Costa Rican town of La Fortuna rests at the foot of the majestic Arenal Volcano. La Fortuna provides an excellent base for visitors to explore the beautiful surrounding area, most notably the scenic Arenal Volcano National Park. Photographers will delight in the spectacular views provided by several lookout points along sublime hiking trails, which wind through lush rainforests and past idyllic natural hot springs. The glistening Arenal Lake, which is the largest lake in the country, offers fantastic opportunities to practice water sports. Don’t miss the beautiful La Fortuna waterfall and natural pool. Visitors can also look forward to wildlife tours, coffee plantation tours, and cacao farm tours, as well as an array of excellent restaurants and shops in the town centre.

Activities:

Poas Volcano National Park: hike through the park as you learn about the geothermal forces that shaped Costa Rica, possibly witnessing a geyser eruption
La Fortuna Mistico Hanging Bridges: get a bird’s eye view of the rain forest vegetation and wildlife then hike the trails with an experienced guide to learn about the unique eco-system
La Fortuna Waterfall: admire the stunning views at the top before hiking to the bottom for a refreshing swim
Don Juan Coffee Farm: learn the methods used to grow coffee, the importance to the local population, and what makes Costa Rican coffee so special as a guide takes you through the farm
Chocolate Farm and Tasting: discover the intricate art of chocolate-making and learn about the cultural & social impacts of cacao
Night Hike: explore the jungle as it comes alive with nocturnal animals, including: opossums, two-toed sloths, armadillos, tree frogs, and many types of birds

Monteverde

Nestled in the northern reaches of the Puntarenas province within the stunning Tilaran Cordillera, Santa Elena is a small town just a short distance from the awe-inspiring Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. The town shares its name with the nearby Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, located approximately 5 kilometres away, adding to its natural allure. Despite its size, Santa Elena boasts a convenient downtown area, offering a variety of luxury and budget hotels, lodges, and accommodations to cater to every traveller’s needs. From the town, one can embark on horseback-riding tours of the magnificent Monteverde and Santa Elena Reserves, as well as engaging hiking trips and thrilling canopy tours that showcase the beauty of the surrounding areas.

Activities:

Monteverde Cloud Forest: hike through the clouds as you admire the diversity of wildlife in the reserve
Climate Change Education: learn about the potential impacts of climate change on the Cloud Forest from an expert guide
Quaker Community: visit the unique community to learn how Quaker beliefs and values lead to early conservation efforts and the creation of the protected Monteverde Nature Preserve
Monteverde Institute: hear a lecture on the Institute’s quest for sustainability at the institutional, community, national, and global levels, highlighting initiatives such as tropical habitat restoration and reforestation
Selvatura Canopy Zipline Tour: soar through the forest canopy at exhilarating speeds while admiring the unique system

Manuel Antonio

Set just south of Quepos, on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, the Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most bio-diverse areas in the world. Boasting enthralling rain forests, pristine beaches, and gorgeous coral reefs, this is an ultimate destination for outdoor explorers. Some of the best beaches are the Playa Espadilla Sur and Playa Manuel Antonio, and the conditions for swimming, snorkelling, and surfing (lessons are on offer) are excellent here. In the forests, hikers may see iguanas, sloths, snakes, lizards, butterflies, many types of monkeys and brightly coloured tiny crabs. The forest is a mecca for birdwatchers – there are more than 350 spectacular bird species including toucans and emerald amazon kingfishers. Several lovely bistros are scattered around the outskirts.

Activities:

Manuel Antonio National Park Biodiversity Tour: accompany a naturalist guide to see sloths, monkeys, birds, non-poisonous snakes, anteaters, and more
Dolphin Catamaran Sailing and Snorkelling Tour: experience the mysterious islands & jagged cliffs where marine birds nest before anchoring in a protected cove within the pristine Biesanz Bay for a snorkeling adventure in the warm Pacific water
Surfing Lessons: learn to ride the waves from an experienced instructor helping you gain confidence from right in the water

San Jose

San Jose, affectionately known to its residents as ‘Chepe’, lies in the heart of Costa Rica and is home to almost two-thirds of the country’s population. With few buildings over 100 years old, the mountainous capital is relatively modern compared to its Latin American counterparts, but still has a significant amount of culture, art and history for visitors to discover. With a number of theatres full of Costa Rican culture, museums that include the largest collection of American jade in the world, and streets full of bright murals and painted buses, San Jose is an eclectic city waiting to be experienced.

Activities:

Doka Coffee Estate: enjoy a guided tour of the coffee farm, culminating in a tasting and traditional lunch

Hear it from our clients first

I had an absolutely incredible experience with GHardy Tours for my trip to Switzerland. From start to finish, everything was flawlessly organized and executed. The attention to detail was remarkable – from the seamless travel arrangements to the carefully selected accommodations that provided stunning views of the Alps. I can confidently say this was one of the best travel experiences I've ever had. I'm already looking forward to my next adventure with them!

Thank you so much for arranging everything for our Italy trip. We had an amazing time without focusing on planning logistics. Your driver and guides are top of the line and mesmerized us with their in-depth knowledge. We cannot express our sincere gratitude with everything you have done for us. Thanks to you, we LOVED, LOVED, LOVED our experience in Italy!

The GHardy team planned the perfect family vacation to Italy for us! The hotels, private tours and excursions were all exceptional and exactly what we were hoping for! We didn’t have to stress over anything - we just showed up and there was always someone to meet us. We also took great comfort knowing if any issue did arise, the G/Hardy Tours team, as well as a 24/7 emergency contact on the ground in Italy were always a message or call away.

Our family vacation to Greece, which included Athens, Crete, Santorini and Mykonos, was unforgettable! The accommodations were lovely and centrally located to maximize our time at all of the hot spot destinations. Our private guides were very informative with all of the history and culture that Greece has to offer. Various transportation needs were met through planes, boats and private transfers which made travel effortless from one destination to the next. Thank you GHardy Tours for putting together a remarkable experience for the whole family to enjoy and providing memories to last a lifetime.

Our unique approach to planning transformative experiences ensures our clients gain more than just a vacation: they come away with a greater understanding of the world, their place in it, and how the journey has enriched their lives.

We prioritize personalized experiences tailored to guests’ wants and needs, from holiday getaways to educational trips and everything in between.
Travel is about more than just going from point A to point B. It's an experience; we're here to help you create the best possible one for you and your family or friends.
Taste. Indulge. Immerse. Each destination has unique flavours and dishes. Bespoke travel is the perfect way to indulge your senses.
Our team of experienced travel planners has an eye for detail, meaning no stone goes unturned when crafting the perfect itinerary. Whenever you want it, the way you want it.

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