The Traveling Journal

Experiencing "La Pura Vida" in Costa Rica!

Natalia Rothwell, a WorldStrides Student Ambassador, had an unforgettable experience exploring Costa Rica with her classmates. From hiking a volcano to zip lining through the jungle, her “pura vida” memories will last a life-time.

Day 1: Coffee & Waterfalls

The first day of our trip we started off with a delicious breakfast and were introduced to the Costa Rican tradition of Gallo Pinto (rice and beans) It was absolutely delicious. We then visited the Doka Estate Coffee Plantation and learned how coffee is made and sold around the world. It was very interesting to see every single step and learn the process of making what many of us drink every morning. After that, we went on a long bus ride and got to drive along the mountains. We eventually entered the rainforest, so it was a very enjoyable ride with many sites. Diana, our tour guide, talked us through many different wildlife facts as we drove, which I found very interesting considering I am really into biology. On the way, we stopped at La Fortuna Waterfall and got to walk down to the water and take some beautiful pictures. We eventually got to the hotel with an amazing view of the Arenal Volcano. That night we went out to dinner and had amazing quesadillas; we also convinced our chaperones to allow us to walk around the town afterward which was really fun. We got to see the beautiful lights around the plaza and go shopping. A lot of the students enjoyed the freedom that we had to go walking around the town in our small groups. It was nice to get free time to ourselves to go exploring.

Day 2: Hiking a Volcano

The next morning, we prepared for the full day ahead of us and rode the bus to Arenal Volcano National Park. Diana, our tour guide, took us on a 4-hour hike around the volcano, which was tiring, but definitely worth it. The view was absolutely incredible. We could see so much from the top of the mountain we had hiked including the huge lake that sat next to the volcano. On the way down, we saw a couple white nosed coatis, and a monkey who was sleeping on a tree branch. For me, it was one of the highlights of the trips because we got to walk through the rainforest and learn about the wildlife and ecology of Costa Rica. After the long hike, we went to the Arenal lake which was beneath the volcano to go kayaking. It was really refreshing once we got to jump in the cool water, and we played a huge game of Marco Polo. It was really fun to be able to connect with everybody and everyone became more comfortable with each other in preparing for the week together.

Day 3: Pura Vida!

On day three, many of us woke up early and went outside to take pictures of the sun rising behind the volcano. We then walked the board walk at the Manuel Antonio National Park to get to the beach. Most students were really excited for this because they wanted to swim in the ocean. The water was so warm but refreshing at the same time. A couple students and I were able to swim to some nearby rocks and jump off them into the water. That was probably my highlight of the trip and others as well because I personally like the feeling of adrenaline, and having such a trustable and safe student group allowed us to do many things other groups would not have been able to do such as this. That night, we went shopping in the town of Jacó and bought souvenirs and sweets.

Day 4: Animal Sanctuary & Bonding Time

On day four, we drove to the Natuwa Animal Sanctuary and a worker brought us around to see all the animals they were caring for. We got to see many different types of Makaws and Monkeys. It was an amazing opportunity for many of the students because a lot of us want to become scientists so being able to interact with the workers and biologists was cool. After this, we helped with clearing brush for an hour to build a fire wall to protect the sanctuary. That night, we went to the beach near our hotel and took a lot of last-minute pictures while watching the sunset. The sun set right behind a mountain in the distance, it was peaceful, I think it was the point that everyone noticed we only had one day left. That night we went shopping a bit more, then hung out in the hotel pool. The chaperones had a couple of group activities for us to do and we all talked as a group about how we had been enjoying the trip. Getting to know everyone was one of my favorite parts of the trip because meeting knew people is always fun!

Day 5: Zip-lining through the Jungle

On the final day, we packed up and went zip-lining. We were all very excited to go. The experience was really adrenaline packed and a great opportunity to get out of your comfort zone if you don’t enjoy heights. After this, many of the students came up to me saying that this was their highlight which I was glad about because we only had that one day left and we were able to pack so much in. The ride back to our original hotel by the airport was a bit sad because we knew that we only had a limited amount of time left in Costa Rica. That night we had dinner at a Folklore restaurant at the top of a mountain and watched a couple dancers. The view was also amazing, and it was like nothing we had ever seen before. It was completely dark, but below us were the lights of the city of the San José capital. It was a great way to end our trip.

What I learned about myself is that I like to wander sometimes and take time for myself to explore. This trip helped me practice my independence, but also allowed me to work in a group setting rather than alone which I believe is helpful for the future. It also allowed me to interact with people I had never talked to in school before and I learned that everyone was nice and enjoyable to be around. It was great to see everyone interacting with each other, even if they had no clue who they were before. I think that other students should consider a trip with Explorica by WorldStrides because no matter where you are going, it is an amazing experience that holds many different opportunities and memories that you will hold onto for the rest of your life. You can learn so much about the world we live in and about the people who surround you, not only in your everyday lives, but you meet people who have completely different experiences growing up than you do. Meeting these people and exploring new places was something that I will never forget.