Highlights
- Explore Chirripó, Costa Rica’s tallest mountain
- Zip-line through Costa Rica’s Cloud Forest
- Hike through wildlife-rich Manuel Antonio National Park
- Volunteer at an eco-lodge in the heart of the rainforest
- Surf & swim in tropical blue waters
Trip Details
- Start: San José, Costa Rica
- End: San José, Costa Rica
- Age Range: 14 - 16
- Cost: $4,799
Dates
Jun 29 - Jul 10 (Available)
Jul 14 - Jul 25 (Available)
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Trip Itinerary
Costa Rica may only be approximately the size of West Virginia, but it packs an ecologically diverse punch. Over the course of this twelve-day summer adventure camp, you’ll see beautiful beaches, lush rain forests, impressive mountain peaks, and abundant wildlife. You’ll hike in a wildlife-rich national park with local guides, spend time exploring and volunteering at a eco-lodge in the heart of the rain forest, zipline through the lush canopy of a Costa Rican cloudforest, explore the trails around Costa Rica’s tallest peak, and surf in the Pacific Ocean with professional guides. You’ll return home with a wealth of new friendships, endless stories, and memories to last a lifetime.
Manuel Antonio National Park: Wildlife Tour, Beaches, & Zip Lining
Our group will assemble at the San Jose airport and we will start our Costa Rica hiking trip by heading straight to the Pacific coast to explore Manuel Antonio National Park. We’ll take a guided tour of the Park with rangers, get to know the resident sloths, enjoy the antics of the three different species of monkeys, and swim in warm, clear, Pacific water. To cap off our time in this beautiful area, we’ll take a canopy tour on Costa Rica’s longest zip line, soaking in views of the Cloud Forest.
Chirripó National Park and the Rainforest Ecolodge
Our next stop is the mountain village of San Gerardo de Rivas, nestled at the base of Cerro Chirripó, Costa Rica’s tallest mountain. During our three days here, we’ll explore the wide variety of trails with gorgeous mountain vistas, waterfalls, and wildlife in the beautiful protected areas around Chirripó. After exploring all that Chirripó National Park has to offer, we’ll backpack into the Costa Rican wilderness to a scenically located eco-lodge. During our stay we will spend time exploring the wonders of the rainforest, immersing ourselves in one of the most biodiverse biomes on Earth!
Beach Time, Surfing, and Final Dinner
Off with the hiking boots and on with the swimsuits! The next page of our adventure takes us to the Pacific beach town of Uvita, with their famous “whale’s tail” breakwater. What better way to celebrate our hiking accomplishments than by surfing and swimming? With our professional guides, we’ll “hang ten” as we spend a morning learning how to surf before taking the afternoon to explore the area’s beautiful beaches. A festive farewell dinner in the capital city of San Jose with our new friends will cap off our teen hiking trip in Costa Rica.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Please see our General FAQ page for many more frequently asked questions and answers!
How physically challenging is Costa Rica Mountains and Coast?
Given a Challenge Level of 4 (out of a maximum of 10), we consider Costa Rica Mountains & Coast (CRMC) to be an intermediate hiking trip that any moderately fit, motivated student can successfully complete with some preparation. Compared to similar hiking trips, we believe that CRMC is slightly more challenging than our Colorado’s Rocky Mountains trip, and a bit easier than our Alaska Mountains & Coast trip. Please note that all of Apogee’s Challenge Levels are not scientific and are subjectively calculated by the Apogee staff.
Where will my child be sleeping at night?
Our Costa Rica Mountains and Coast groups will be staying indoors – in hostels and eco-lodges. Sleeping accommodations are fairly rustic, but students should expect to have a bed every night of the trip. Leaders will separate students by gender into rooms. The eco-lodge where the group will spend three nights is located in a remote area of the rainforest in a gorgeous setting. There will be filtered drinking water, but, due to its remote location, no hot water.
What does a typical day on Costa Rica Mountains and Coast look like?
The wonderful thing about our programs is that every day is different and exciting, so no two days will be exactly the same. That said, the general layout of a day on Costa Rica Mountains and Coast starts with a morning activity (usually from about 8:30 AM until lunchtime), then an afternoon activity (after lunch until about 4 PM). The morning and afternoon activity may be the same (e.g., hiking up to a waterfall in the morning, eating lunch by the waterfall, then hiking back in the afternoon), or, on some days, they will be different (e.g., ziplining in the morning and beach exploration the afternoon). After the afternoon activity, the group returns to their accommodations, prepares dinner, and plays some evening games before the evening “Apogees and Perigees” circle that wraps up each Apogee day. For more detailed information on the day-to-day schedule of this trip, please contact us.
What is the maximum number of students I can expect on my child’s Apogee trip?
There are never more than twelve students on an individual session of this trip. Additionally, we limit enrollment by gender to two-thirds/one-third. Groups are always led by two of our excellent trip leaders.
How will I communicate with my child while they are on this trip?
We are a technology-free program, meaning that your child won’t have access to their phones or other electronic devices over the course of their trip. We have one email stop on our Costa Rica Mountains and Coast program; parents, relatives, and friends are welcome to use this to send messages to our office, which will be forwarded along to the group on a designated “email day.” If you have an urgent message to get to your child, please call our office and we’ll work to get you connected with your child.
My child will be flying to this trip start. How will they connect with their leaders? Given that this trip starts outside of the United States are there any special travel considerations for minors?
Please note that Apogee staff members do not travel with students; our trip leaders will already be in Costa Rica on arrival day and will stay in Costa Rica after the trip ends. We will ask you to share your child’s detailed flight itinerary with us prior to the trip so that Apogee staff can be fully prepared to be at the airport to greet them on arrival. Once students are with their leaders, they will call home to let their parents know they have arrived and are with their group. Please see our blog post for specifics regarding students traveling using an airline’s Unaccompanied Minor escort service. Further, we encourage you to coordinate travel with other attendees; we’re happy to put you in touch with other enrolled families from your region. We will provide enrolled families with a Travel Information document covering details specific to traveling to and from San Jose, including airport information and arrival and departure time windows. Please contact Apogee with any specific questions or concerns regarding drop-offs and/or pick-ups.
For international trips, your child will need a passport that is valid for at least 90 days after the trip start date. We will also ask you to send your child with a signed Declaration of Consent to Travel document (which we will make available to enrolled families in February).
How does the group move from place to place on the trip? Do they have a van?
Costa Rica Mountains and Coast will not have a dedicated van to transport the group. Instead, the group will utilize a private shuttle company to move them from place to place. Otherwise, once they are set-up at their accommodations, they’ll be walking everywhere they go!
Is there any “backcountry” hiking on this trip?
In a word, no. All of the hiking on our Costa Rica Mountains and Coast trip is on established and frequently-used trails. Some of the hiking includes trails that are more than one hour from definitive care (this is the usual definition of “backcountry” hiking). That said, our CRMC groups stay in indoor accommodations every night, and students can expect regular access to running water and bathrooms. Showers will be available at every campsite, but during the ecolodge section hot water is not guaranteed.
How much weight will my child carry on the hiking portions of this trip?
During their exploration of Manuel Antonio National Park and the Cloud Bridge Natural Reserve, the hikes will all be day-hikes, meaning students won’t be carrying overnight camping supplies. During these sections, students will be carrying between five and ten pounds during their hikes, composed mostly of an extra layer of clothes, rain gear, water, and snacks. For the hike into the ecolodge, your child should expect to carry somewhere between 10 and 15 pounds in their pack.
What does the community service portion of this trip entail?
Our service projects vary from year to year, but most CRMC groups will work with the eco-lodge at which we stay, doing trail maintenance, helping build and maintain a communal medicine garden, or helping plant trees to re-forest areas of the rainforest that have been deforested. Students can expect 6-8 hours of community service on CRMC and will receive a letter verifying the service at the summer’s end.
Does my child need to speak Spanish sign up for Costa Rica Mountains and Coast?
No. Apogee’s leaders will be Spanish-speakers, and will be able to translate when necessary for the group. However, there are numerous opportunities to practice and learn with locals if your child is currently taking Spanish classes.
Aside from the trip cost, what are the additional expenses for this trip?
Apogee’s tuition costs are meant to be all-inclusive and include all meals, accommodation, and activity fees. The most significant additional expenses on our Costa Rica Mountains and Coast trip will include travel to and from San Jose, Costa Rica, hiking boots, and personal gear. We suggest that you review the packing list (downloadable on this webpage) to determine what personal gear you already own and what you might need to acquire for this program. Please also check out our Gear Recommendations blog post for links to our personal recommendations.
