Turtle Conservation in Costa Rica | Biodiversity and Ecology in Costa Rica

SOUTH AMERICA

Conservation Tour to Costa Rica – Turtle Conservation and Ecology

This Turtle Conservation Tour to Costa Rica is perfect for students of all ages. The eight-day program is a great balance of immersive educational lessons and exciting leisure activities. You will have the opportunity to not only learn about Costa Rica’s extensive conservation efforts but also to engage in hands-on projects and fieldwork. On this trip, you’ll get to see Costa Rica’s many ecological habitats—from the ocean to the cloud forest—making for a rewarding educational travel experience you won’t soon forget!
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  • Itinerary

Costa Rica

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
  • Heredia
  • Heredia Walking Tour
  • Afternoon Spanish Class
  • Arenal Vida Campesina
  • Arenal Volcano
  • Morning Zipline Excursion
  • Continue to Guanacaste
  • Onward to Playa Flamingo
  • Turtle Conservation Project
  • Return to Verdiazul at Playa Junquillal

Your adventure, day by day

Day 1 : Embark on your Turtles and Ecology in Costa Rica Trip
Departure from home airport

Relax and enjoy your scheduled flight.

Upon arrival

Your International Studies Abroad (ISA) Program Director will meet you at the airport, and your private coach will be waiting to transfer your group to Heredia. Your accommodations for the next two nights will be in Heredia—daily breakfast will be included at the hotel.

Heredia

Heredia is the capital city of the Heredia Province, one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful areas. Nestled in the foothills of the dormant Barva Volcano and surrounded by lush green hills, Heredia is dotted with coffee plantations, tropical forests, and national parks and offers visitors an ideal location for exploring the region's natural beauty. Only 11 kilometers (less than 7 miles) from San José, the capital city of Costa Rica, your group will also have access to city conveniences. Heredia is a refreshingly pleasant and relaxed Costa Rican city, filled with enjoyable parks and lively plazas you can explore.

Group dinner

Enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

Day 2 : Heredia
Safety and orientation session

Participate in an orientation, where you’ll learn about Heredia and Costa Rica, health and safety information, what to do in an emergency, important reminders, and more.

Heredia walking tour

ISA staff will lead you on a walking tour of Heredia’s main historical sites. You’ll see the Fortin, Parque Central, Casa de Cultura, the Mercado Central, and the National University (Universidad Nacional) along the way.

Welcome lunch

Enjoy a special welcome lunch together.

Afternoon Spanish class

Get a crash course in basic Spanish phrases to help your transition to life in Costa Rica. The Spanish you learn today will help you communicate with your host family, navigate the city, order at restaurants, and more.

Day 3 : Medical Plants and Sugar Cane in Arenal
Continue on your journey

Your group will have a private bus and driver for the next five days. Your accommodations for tonight will be in Arenal. While here, you’ll enjoy breakfast and dinner at the hotel.

Arenal Vida Campesina

Today, you’ll transfer to the Arenal Volcano area. En route, your group will stop at Arenal Vida Campesina, where you’ll learn about medicinal plants and the sugar cane process. Afterward, enjoy a delicious Costa Rican lunch.

Arenal

Arenal is famous for its tall and imposing volcano, an unavoidable presence while traveling within this part of the country. Arenal’s perfectly symmetrical shape makes it a sightseer’s dream.

Afternoon activities

This afternoon, you’ll have free time to enjoy the hotel’s facilities, including the hot springs. There are also natural exhibitions such as a butterfly, turtle, and crocodile farms.

Day 4 : Zipline Tour—Guanacaste
Morning zipline excursion

Enjoy an exhilarating bird's eye view of the rainforest canopy while flying through one of the world's largest zipline systems. Your tour features bilingual guides, an introductory talk, a cart ride, and an 18-meter tower. The seven-wire canopy tour, which covers 2.6 kilometers, is above the treetops and overlooks the volcano. There are also self-guided tour options to visit the nature sanctuary, butterfly garden, frog ponds, and Villa Maleku.

Continue to Guanacaste

After your canopy tour, the group will travel to Guanacaste and the Playa Negra (Black Beach). Guanacaste is famous for its sun-splashed beaches and great Pacific surf. The region has a dry tropical climate and a varied landscape—popular white-sand beaches lining the coast and the Guanacaste Mountains to the east, featuring fascinating national parks and caldera volcanoes.

Accommodations

Your base for the next three nights will be in Guanacaste.

Day 5 : Flamingo Beach—Sailing and Turtle Conservation
Onward to Flamingo Beach

Today, you’ll have an early morning departure to Flamingo Beach, which is about an hour’s drive. Here, you’ll enjoy a two-hour sailing trip with wonderful views, basking in the sun, snorkeling, paddleboarding, or kayaking in the blue waters. Your expert crew will round out the experience with personal support as well as delicious food.

Turtle conservation project work

After a brief return to the hotel, you’ll begin your Verdiazul Turtle Nesting project at Verdiazul Playa Junquillal with a snack and a lecture about turtles. Your group will then go to the beach to practice finding footprints as well as search for and identify turtle nests. If there have been births that day, you’ll release the baby turtles!

Day 6 : Turtle Conservation
Morning free time

Savor some free time and lunch at the hotel.

Return to Verdiazul at Playa Junquillal

After you arrive at Verdiazul, you’ll have a snack, listen to a conservation talk, and begin your volunteer project work. If there are births today, you’ll release the baby turtles. Your group will then have dinner together before a night patrol on the beach.

Day 7 : Return to Heredia
Morning free time

This morning is at your leisure, so have fun at the beach and with the hotel facilities.

Farewell lunch

Today, a farewell lunch will be included.

Return to Heredia

After your farewell lunch, the group will travel from Guanacaste to Heredia, where your accommodations for the night will include breakfast.

Farewell dinner

Enjoy your group’s final dinner together in a local restaurant.

Final reflection and discussion session

This evening, you’ll make the final entries in your Reflection Journal and share some of the most significant observations and perspectives that have taken shape throughout your Turtle Conservation in Costa Rica program. We’ll also discuss how these experiences may be most relevant for us all as we return home.

Day 8 : Departure from San Jose
Title

Your rewarding and enjoyable Turtle Conservation and Ecology Tour in Costa Rica comes to an end as your ISA Program Director accompanies your group to the airport on your final day.

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