Costa Rica Pura Vida Expedition: 10 Days

Over 10 days in Costa Rica, you’ll combine service-learning with adventure, gaining new skills while exploring one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth. Mornings are spent on meaningful conservation and community projects, while afternoons and evenings bring cultural exchanges, outdoor activities, and time to reflect on your journey.

  • Location Costa Rica, Central America
  • Duration 10 days
  • Expedition Type Service Expeditions

Along the way, you’ll join activities like wildlife cruises, salsa dancing, and soccer with local students, while contributing to long-term conservation goals. The expedition ends in Monteverde, with night walks, coffee and cacao tours, and the chance to zipline through the cloud forest.

Map of the world pointing to Costa Rica

A fully supported expedition, from start to finish

Your expedition fee covers not just the incredible activities you’ll experience, but also the extensive guidance and support you’ll receive every step of the way. From the moment you sign up through your safe return home, our team ensures everything is organized and supported.

You’ll also need to plan for essentials like vaccinations, visas, personal gear, and a bit of spending money. Don’t worry—we make it easy. Once enrolled, you’ll get access to your personalized Traveller Gateway, with clear guidance and resources to help you prepare with confidence.

  • Round-trip international flights
  • In-country transfers
  • Expedition Leader (qualified and experienced)
  • Comprehensive travel insurance
  • All meals
  • Unlimited, safe drinking water
  • All accommodations listed in the itinerary
  • All activities listed in the itinerary
  • Entrance fees for all included excursions
  • All in-country transfers by private, approved vehicles
  • Project materials, costs, and management
  • 24/7 support throughout the expedition

This sample itinerary will give you a preview of what your expedition could look like. Please note that specific projects, activities, and camp locations may vary depending on local needs and conditions at the time of your expedition.

Day

Activities

More details

Day 1 Arrive in Costa Rica Arrive in San José where you’ll be greeted by our local team and taken to your accommodation in the city. This evening is all about settling in, meeting your fellow travelers and getting a first taste of what’s to come on your Costa Rican adventure.
Day 2 Head to your first camp This morning you’ll transfer to your first camp – Caño Negro. After the 4-hour drive, you’ll be welcomed by the Camp Manager, who will introduce you to the community and outline the activities planned for the coming days. Caño Negro sits inside a wetland refugio, one of the most important migratory sites on earth, home to monkeys, sloths, parrots, and hundreds of bird species. The evening will be spent establishing the Reflection process and setting the group’s project goals.
Day 3 Service Learning Project & Culture Life in camp balances service work, cultural activities, and community interaction. In the mornings you’ll contribute to conservation projects, and in the afternoons you may join cultural exchanges such as making tortillas with camp cooks, learning local dances or playing soccer with local children. Evenings end with dinner and reflection sessions to decompress after a rewarding day.
Day 4 Service Learning Project & River Cruise Continue your project work alongside maestros (community supervisors), supporting environmental goals. In the afternoon, take a boat ride through Caño Negro’s rivers and lagoons, where you may spot caiman, monkeys, sloths, and extraordinary migratory birds. Back at camp, enjoy dinner followed by a quiz night and time to relax.
Day 5 Service Learning Project & Salsa Dancing Each day you’ll make more progress toward supporting conservation and the local community. This morning, rangers from SINAC, Costa Rica’s national park authority, will explain their work and how Costa Rica is leading the world in forest regeneration. You’ll then continue your project work under the guidance of maestros. In the evening, take part in a lively salsa class before returning to camp for a well-earned dinner and downtime.
Day 6 Last Day in Camp With projects now well advanced, today is about completing tasks and celebrating progress. Long-term goals are achieved through collaboration between the community, SINAC, and groups like yours. After lunch, spend time with friends from the community, perhaps with a spirited soccer match. After dinner, gather for a final reflection and celebrate achievements before enjoying marshmallows around the campfire. The evening includes a short briefing on your next destination: Monteverde.
Day 7 Transfer to Monteverde After tying up final project tasks and enjoying an early lunch, travel to Monteverde, a town surrounded by cloud forest. On arrival, you’ll head to your accommodation and enjoy dinner before setting out on a night walk, where guides help you spot some of the incredible wildlife that thrives in this unique ecosystem.
Day 8 Cacao, Coffee and Ziplining Start the day with a tour exploring how cacao and coffee are grown and transformed into two of Costa Rica’s most important exports. In the afternoon, experience the thrill of ziplining above the forest canopy, a true highlight of your adventure. End the day with a group dinner and reflection, celebrating the rich experiences of the week.
Day 9 Transfer to San José This morning offers time to explore town and shop for souvenirs before traveling back to San José. In the evening, you’ll have time to prepare for your journey home and share final reflections on your experience.
Day 10 Departure An early start sees you transferred to the airport with a Camps team member, who will wish you well on your journey home. Leave Costa Rica with new skills, lasting friendships, and memories to last a lifetime.

How you’ll make a difference

You’ll work on a range of projects throughout your expedition, each aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and designed to make a significant and lasting impact on the region’s most critical issues.

Wildlife conservation

Costa Rica – Wildlife protection and conservation

Though Costa Rica accounts for only 0.03% of the earth’s surface, it holds 6% of the world’s biodiversity – however, it’s under threat from human activity. Your work here will help support conservation efforts such as reforestation, beehive construction and lime-washing trees, as well as projects to encourage eco-tourism in the area. You can also take part in jaguar monitoring and work in the endemic palm nursery for ecosystem regeneration.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

13 Climate Action

Climate action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

15 life on land

Life on land

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Planting Costa Rica

Costa Rica – Environmental Conservation and Community Work

Although Costa Rica makes up just 0.03% of the Earth’s surface, it is home to 6% of the world’s biodiversity. However, this rich biodiversity is under threat due to human activity. Your work here will contribute to conservation efforts, including regeneration, camera trap monitoring, and projects aimed at promoting eco-tourism in the area. You will also have the opportunity to collaborate with the community, helping to build new classrooms for the school and improving local infrastructure.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Experience the local way of life in our authentic camps

Our camps are at the heart of every expedition. Built in traditional styles and staffed by local community members, they offer an authentic place to rest and recharge after a day of service learning project work.

Depending on your itinerary, you’ll stay in several of our camps. These could include those featured below.

Camp Cano Negro, Camps International

Camp Caño Negro

The boundaries of Camp Caño Negro are formed by the waters of the Caño Negro refugio (wildlife refuge) which stretches into Nicaragua. Situated in the far north of the county it is next to one of the world’s most important migratory bird habitats. Relax in the mornings spotting caiman basking on the banks of the waters edge.

  • Location: The community of Caño Negro is located in the Alajuela Province. 4 hours from San José.
  • Accommodation style: Cabins
  • Bed type: Bunk beds
  • Toilets: Flushing
  • Showers: Cold, running water
  • Power: Will need a universal adapter/converter
  • Signature dish: Hash palm with chicken with sauce
  • Social areas: Large lawns ideal for chilling out on

Camps is amazing! I travelled to Costa Rica and I enjoyed every second of it, I loved all the project work and the staff in each camp were phenomenal. All staff, in country and back in the UK were brilliant. I overcame a lot over the month I was away, but I couldn’t have done it without the support of my leader and staff at the camps. Thank you for such an awe-inspiring trip of a lifetime!

Chloe, Camp Costa Rica 2019

Our local camp legends

Our camps are staffed by local community members who will quickly make you feel at home. These amazing team members bring each expedition to life and share the very best of their country with you.

Manuel Flores

Costa Rica is a very happy, peaceful country with some of the world’s most important wildlife and rainforests. It is so important to protect the environment and the work that we do here at Camps International enables these natural areas to be protected for the future.

Interested in this expedition?

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