Costa Rica
What’s here
- 01A note from Tomp. 03
- 02The trip at a glancep. 04
- 03Six days, day by dayp. 05
- 04Flights & arrivalp. 11
- 05What to packp. 12
- 06What’s includedp. 13
- 07The four pillarsp. 14
- 08Who to callp. 15
Welcome to the family.
The first time I came to Costa Rica was in 2002, and I never quite left. What started as a hunch about a little river called the Pacuare turned into Sitio Mata, into the homestay families who became our friends, into a school program that’s now in its third decade. You’re about to walk into all of it.
This six day trip isn’t a vacation, although it might feel like one. It’s the program your students would do, condensed into a week so you can see it with your own eyes. You’ll meet doña Marta and the homestay moms. You’ll raft the Pacuare twice. You’ll sleep in our ecolodge with no signal and no excuses. You’ll come home with a clearer answer to the question your admin is going to ask: “Is this the right partner for our kids?”
I’ve put this little handbook together so you arrive ready. Read it on the plane. Bring it with you. Spill coffee on it. Keep the parts that matter.
Counting the days until I see you in San José.
The trip at a glance
Day by day.
Arrival in San José
You’ll land at SJO and one of our team will be waiting for you the moment you clear customs. We gather everyone, drive into the city, and settle in for the night. There’s a welcome dinner where you’ll meet the rest of the cohort, hear about the week ahead, and start putting faces to the names on this email thread.
- PickupSJO airport, your time of arrival
- LodgingBoutique hotel, San José
- MoodSoft landing. Coffee. First pura vida.
Into the Turrialba Valley
We drive east out of San José into the Turrialba Valley, watching the country shift from city to coffee terraces to dense green. We arrive in Sitio Mata, where the homestay program lives. You’ll meet the families, walk the cacao farm at Nórtico, and have an early dinner with one of the doñas to start understanding what immersion really means here.
- DriveTwo and a half hours east
- VisitNórtico fair-trade coffee plantation
- DinnerWith a homestay family
Onto the Pacuare
National Geographic called this “paddling through paradise” for a reason. We raft in to our ecolodge through Class III and IV rapids with our most senior guides. You’ll get drenched, you’ll laugh more than you’ve laughed in a year, and by mid afternoon you’ll be checking into a cabin on the riverbank with no cell signal and no plans except a long dinner.
- ActivityRaft-in arrival, Class III–IV
- LodgingPacuare Ecolodge, our cabins
- SignalNone. By design.
Adventure day
Today is the lodge’s full menu. Zipline canopy tour through the upper rainforest. Tarzan swing into a swimming hole. The Leap of Faith waterfall jump for those who want it (and a great viewing rock for those who don’t). We wrap with a guided night hike to listen for owls and red-eyed tree frogs.
- MorningZipline canopy course
- AfternoonTarzan swing & waterfalls
- EveningGuided night hike
The river, again
A full day of whitewater on one of the top ten rivers in the world. We do the lower section today, longer rapids, bigger drops, more time in the gorge. You’ll come back exhausted, sun-tired, and probably a little reluctant to leave. Farewell dinner at the lodge. Stories.
- ActivityFull-day Pacuare descent
- LunchRiverside, on the rocks
- TonightFinal dinner, lodge fire
Goodbye, for now
Raft-out departure through the lower gorge in the morning, then back to San José by van. We’ll have you at SJO with plenty of buffer for any flight after noon. Hugs, photos, a few quiet ideas about what your students would think if they were here. Then home.
- MorningRaft-out, lower Pacuare
- Drop-offSJO, midday onward
- Take homeOne real answer for your admin.
Flights & arrival.
Arrive on the 14th
The simplest version. Land at SJO on Tuesday July 14 before 3pm so we can pick everyone up together and head to Turrialba that same afternoon. Welcome dinner with the cohort that night.
Fly in the 13th
If you can’t find a flight that lands by 3pm on the 14th, fly in on Monday July 13 and overnight in San José. We’ll pick you up and meet the rest of the group on the morning of the 14th, fully rested and on schedule.
What to pack.
Clothes & shoes
- Quick-dry shirts and shorts (3–4)
- Hiking shoes or sturdy sneakers
- Sandals or water shoes for rafting
- Swimsuit (you’ll live in it)
- Light, packable rain jacket
- One warm layer for evenings
- Hat, sunglasses
The essentials
- Passport with 6+ months validity
- Reef-safe sunscreen, generous
- Bug spray (DEET works)
- Reusable water bottle
- Headlamp or small flashlight
- Small daypack for activities
- Basic toiletries, refillable
Worth bringing
- Cash, USD or CRC (USD widely taken)
- Camera in a dry bag
- Notebook for the moments
- Plug type A or B (same as US)
- A book for the lodge evenings
- Anything you’d take on a hike
- Patience for being unreachable
What’s included.
On us
- Airport pickup and all ground transport
- All meals from welcome dinner to farewell
- Lodging in San José, homestay, and Pacuare Ecolodge
- Every activity on the itinerary, including both rafting days
- Bilingual guides and program director
- Equipment for rafting, ziplining, hiking
- Optional Spanish phrases cheat sheet
On you
- International flights to and from SJO
- Travel insurance (recommended, not required)
- Personal spending money for souvenirs
- Anything alcoholic at the lodge bar
- Pre-trip overnights or extensions if you tack them on
- Tips for guides if you choose to leave them
What pura vida actually means here.
Spanish immersion
Not classroom Spanish. Real Spanish, learned at a kitchen table while peeling plantains with a doña who’s been hosting students for fifteen years.
Cultural exchange
Two-way. Students bring as much as they take. Homestay families have just as much to learn from your kids as the other way around, and we lean into that.
Community service
Real impact. Bus stops we built, gardens we planted, the indigenous shelter we keep coming back to. No performative volunteering.
Adventure that earns it
The Pacuare. The lodge. The night hikes. Adventure that comes from being somewhere genuinely wild, with guides who grew up on the river.
Who to call.
Tom Ranieri
tom@crrtravel.comSee you in Costa Rica.
Global Trails · crrtravel.com · est. 2002
