Schools trip to Costa Rica

country:	Costa Rica
departures:	This trip can be tailormade for schools with departures throughout the year
price:	From £2500 (11 days) including flights from the UK. This trip can also be booked without flights
vouchers:	Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday

Costa Rica holidays

School trips abroad

the amazing things you'll be doing

The educational value of a trip to Costa Rica is enormous. With towering volcanoes and pristine jungle teeming with wildlife, it is paradise for the geographer or naturalist.

At many of the reserves we have arranged informative talks by local specialists to maximise the learning experience for your group.

We raft at Turrialba and learn about modern agriculture before heading to the tangled jungle, swamps and coast of Tortuguero to search for turtles and howler monkeys.

We pause at the acclaimed Tirimbina reserve and see hot springs en route to Arenal - a perfect cone volcano. Our final days are spent exploring the magnificent cloudforest of Monteverde where some 2,500 species of rare plants can be found.

Highlights include:

Volcano Turrialba, the most southeasterly volcano in the Holocene region

Raft at Turrialba Modern Agriculture, visit Del Monte banana farm, Research Station and see coffee plantations

Tortuguero National Park, cruise through the complex waterway system

Arenal National Park, presentation by the National Volcanoes Observatory

Monteverde Reserve, cloud forest reserve, home to the Quetzal

Optional: Head south to the Manuel Antonio National Park with its sandy beaches and the possibility of seeing iguana. Costa Rica has many volcanoes, giving opportunities to explore this subject further.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Fly from the UK to San José and check-in at hotel.
Day 2:	Drive to Turrialba. We leave San Jose and drive through coffee farming land to the town of Turrialba. Today, accompanied by a local guide, we walk to the main crater of the Turrialba volcano. The volcano has 3 craters and last erupted in 1856 although in 2001 it showed some activity! After lunch we have some free time to enjoy this town.
Day 3:	In Turrialba. We make our way to the Reventazon River (the exploding river!) to begin our rafting. With a drop of some 1000 metres, from Lake Cachi on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Mountains, to the Caribbean plains, the river offers some classic white water fun, with grade III rapids and some great waterfalls and wildlife opportunities along the way. This afternoon we make a visit to CATIE (Centre for Tropical Agronomy Research and Teaching). The botanical garden is much more then a garden. CATIE maintains 4,400 genetic samples that represent more than 280 species from all over the world. The centre also has undertaken many research projects on environmental conservation covering issues such as deforestation, overgrazing and the sensitive ecology of river basins.
Day 4:	Drive and boat to Tortuguero. This morning we drive through extensive banana plantations to Cano Blanco where we board our boat to cruise through the jungle waterways to Tortuguero. Partly artificial, created from narrow lagoons, and partly natural, a complex canal system links small isolated settlements. The rivers are rich in fish, including rainbow bass and grouper and support an abundance of birds such as heron, stork and kingfisher amongst others. We stay in a lodge in the National Park.
Day 5:	In Tortuguero National Park. At certain times of the year green turtles, leatherbacks and occasionally loggerheads can be seen struggling ashore to lay their eggs (leatherbacks can weigh up to 700lbs). Every year between June and September over five thousand turtles come ashore to nest on Tortuguero’s beaches. There are many other animal species to watch out for such as the howler monkey noisily protecting its territory. The osprey, toucan, parrot and humming bird are amongst the hundreds of birds to be spotted whereas the ocelots, jaguar and tapir are shy and elusive. There is a full programme of included excursions by boat and on foot to help you get the most out of this unique environment.
Day 6:	Boat to Cano Blanco and drive to Puerto Viejo. This morning we return to Cano Blanco by boat on this system of waterways, passing virgin forest, seemingly impenetrable with dense vegetation. In fact 33% of the jungle’s total biomass is made up of ants and termites! We then drive to Puerto Viejo and visit The Tirimbina Rainforest reserve. We will receive a guided walk and presentation during our visit.
Day 7:	Drive to Arenal. Today we drive to Arenal, skirting the great central volcanic massif, past fertile farmlands, rich with a diversity of tropical crops, brings us within sight of Arenal, Cost Rica’s most active volcanic cone. One of the worlds most active volcanoes, Arenal’s last major eruption took place in July 1968, with an explosion that wiped out neighbouring villages of Tabacona and Pueblo Nuevo. Today’s eruptions are slightly more sedate, but certainly consistent, with daily outpourings of molten lava, rocks and gases. We will receive a special presentation from the Observatorio Vulcanologico Nacional (National Volcanoes Observatory).
Day 8:	Boat and drive to Monteverde. Today we use the exciting combination of boat and jeep to traverse the Laguna de Arenal to Monteverde. On arrival, there are plenty of activities on offer in this lush forested area, perched on the continental Divide between Pacific and Caribbean.
Day 9:	In Monteverde. We have a full day to take advantage of all the things there are to see and do around Monteverde. The famous, but now very rare, Resplendent Quetzal is fairly commonly seen in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the last remaining places in Central America where its habitat has been preserved. The best months are March and April, the breeding months. We include a morning guided walk searching for a glimpse of the three-wattled bell bird or the Quetzal, whose feathers were traded as valuable items throughout pre-Columbian America. Then you can spend the rest of the day exploring the reserve, walking the paths that wind their way through gigantic ferns and giant trees dripping with lichen and moss. Alternatively you can spend an afternoon in the Santa Elena Reserve, supported by school children worldwide.
Day 10:	Drive to San Jose; fly to the UK. In the morning we drive back to San Jose. San José lies in a fertile valley at an altitude of 1150m. Coffee and sugar cane are grown in this area and coffee is still planted between new buildings and along the roadside on the outskirts of the city. After lunch we will enjoy a tour of the city before transferring to the airport for our evening flight back to the UK.
Day 11:	Arrive in the UK.

award winner

This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.

how this holiday makes a difference

In Costa Rica our local agent has won several awards for their work in the field of sustainable tourism and is particularly noted for its work with the Rainforest Alliance suppliers, hotels and restaurants.

We support the Caribbean Conservation Corps in Tortuguero National Park which contributes to conservation in the turtle laying area of Costa Rica's coast, and encouraging people to help clean up the beach where turtles lay their eggs.

Proceeds from the entry fees to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve help to protect the highly endangered habitat of the Resplendant Quetzal, of which only 300 pairs remain in the world.

Our Tour Leaders are all trained in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference. This then percolates down through those they deal with.

As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

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