Turnip Costa Rica Trip – 11 Days
Free
Fancy kicking the new year off with some active volcanos, ziplines through the Central American rainforest, sundowners on the Pacific coast and helping a rural community create an income stream? We’ve got you covered.
Costa Rica is both an adventure hub and a cultural haven, and in just over a week you’ll get to see the best of it all. If you haven’t heard the time ‘Pura Vida’, or ‘Pure Life’ in English, you’ll know the expression, and the laid-back vibes, it carries after your adventure with us.
We’ll kick it off with dinner and drinks in Costa Rica’s happening capital, San Jose. Then it’s into the ‘real’ country, with 3 days at our charity project. It doesn’t get more rural than this, with a hike and a raft to get us to the project each day, you’ll be helping a community develop ‘ethnotourism’, allowing them a viable income stream for future generations. Once we finish the new store and sanitation facilities, it’s time to experience that famous Pura Vida.
First we’re off to arguably the country’s biggest draw, the active Arenal Volcano. Hikes and hot springs await for the first couple of days. Before we move on to the Cloud Forest, the natural epicentre of the country, where we’ll cross some epic rainforests via hanging bridges, and maybe even a zipline or 3!
After the adrenaline wears off, we hit the beach. Days in the sun, followed by nights on the town. All building up to our private boat trip on the last day to say goodbye in style!
11 days
Adventure Level
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Arrival CityLiberia
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Departure CityLiberia
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IncludedAll AccommodationPrivate Luxury Boat TripArenal Volcano TrekNational Park Entrance Fees2 Experienced Guide 24/7Trip SwagInternational FlightsPrivate TransportationAll BreakfastsLanguage LessonAirport TransfersHot Spring EntranceZiplining In Cloud ForestMonteverde Hanging Bridges Tour
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Not IncludedLunch and DinnersTravel InsuranceVisa
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Be the genesis of a new income stream for a rural Costa Rican community
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Bask in the epic views of Costa Rica’s live volcano, Arenal
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Rest those weary bones in the natural hot springs at the footy of the volcano is colonial La Fortuna
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Build up the courage to first straddle the hanging bridges, and then zipline through the Cloud Forests of Central America
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Sign off your adventure in style with a sundowner or 3 on our private boat trip on the Pacific Coast
The project will be implemented in the Province of
Limon, one of the poorest in Costa Rica, in the
indigenous village of Tsiöbata, a village that forms
part of the Nairi Awari Territory. The indigenous
people of the territory call themselves Cabecars.
The Territory borders the National Park Barbilla on
the South East part and the Pacuare River on the
western and North western sections.
The primary objective of the Project is to generate
a new source of income for an indigenous village
through the creation of an arts and craft store. The
Project will also enhance the existing infrastructure
to attract visitors to the village creating a
destination for cultural and adventure travel.
Tsiöbata is a community that survives by subsistance
farming of root vegetables, raising chickens and pigs.
Some members travel 4-5 kilometers to find menial
Jobs in nearby non indigenous comunities of Tres
Equis and in the businesses along the Route 10
corridor. A few of them also do some menial work at
nearby lodges. The governing group of the territory,
Associacion de Desarrollo Integral de La Reserva
Indigena Nairi Awari, receives Costa Rican
government funds through the Carbon
Reimbursement Project for their role in protection of
the forest. This income provides some additional
support to the indigenous families. There is no source
of electricity. Spring water is plentiful. Most members
of the community have only elementary schools
education and they speak both Spanish and Cabecar. 1
Day 1
Fly into Liberia, Costa Rica’s happening Norther City. Dinner and drinks await to welcome Turnip to a life of Pura Vida.
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Day 2
We’re off to the depths of the jungle today folks, buckle up. We transfer deep into the central region of the country, through winding roads and steep hills. After settling into our accommodation for the next 3 nights, we’ll have a project brief with our local coordinator and then make the trek to the community where we’ll be helping to get to grips with where your money has gone, and the benefits it will have. And then time to get those pretty hands dirty.
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Day 3
Getting to the project each day is an activity in itself. The community has no road access, no electricity and limited running water. That means we either raft and then hike, or get pulled across the valley in a primitive ‘cabin’ and rope. We’ll make the call on the ground!
After yesterday’s introduction, you should have a better idea of what needs done (and finished!) by tomorrow. So get to work folks.
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Day 4
After another trek to the community, it’ll be all hands to the pump to get this thing finished by close-of-business. With the help of the indigienous community, we have to have it ready for the small, informal opening ceremony this afternoon. Let’s not let them down!
After the final t are crossed, and ‘i’s are dotted, we make our way back to our guest house for a proper shower. But hot water isn’t guaranteed until tomorrow folks!
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Day 5
You did it. Thank you everyone! Now it’s time to reap your rewards. We have a winding drive to the gorgeous town of La Fortuna, at the base of Costa Rica’s live Arenal Volcano. We should be there for a late lunch, when finally you have some downtime to appreciate what you’ve just achieved.
Then it’s time for a well earned dip in the volcano-heated waters of a local hotspring. Bliss. A group dinner and drinks to celebrate the end of the project and the start of the holiday.
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Day 6
Time to soak up those volcano vibes. We’ll go for a gentle hike to the best viewpoint of the volcano in the whole country, traversing lava fields to get there. Fingers crossed the clouds stay away and let us truly bask in the glory of the Arenal Volcano.
The second half of the day, you can chill and show off your exploits on Insta, or we have an optional trip to the Bali-esque La Fortuna waterfall. You don’t wanna miss that, surely?
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Day 7
Say goodbye to La Fortuna, and hello to Monteverde. Costa Rica is famous for it’s flore and fauna, from screaming monkeys to the much loved sloth. Let’s go see what we can see in the Cloud Forest. First we’ll traverse huge distances, with epic drops below, across the Hanging Bridges of the Cloud Forest (I hope no-one is scared of heights!). Before ramping up the adventure further still when we ditch the bridges and zip-line amongst the canopies instead. Yikes!
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Day 8
Perhaps the highlight for some, especially after escaping a Canadian winter, the Pacific Coast awaits. We’re off to Costa Rica’s most lively beach spot, Jaco.
Jus a couple of hours drive in the morning should see us arrive in time for lunch by the beach, then you have the rest of the day to bronze those bodies. No plans, just chill.
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Day 9
Beach bums, fear not. You can go soak up more rays if you want. For the more activity minded we have some awesome optional activities that await. Dune Buggies, Jet-Skis, FlyBoarding - you name it, Jaco has it. For the animal lovers, a day-trip to the Sloth Sanctuary is a possibility.
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Day 10
The last day, how the hell did that happen? Anyway, depending on how crazy last night in Jaco went, a lazy morning is in order. But perk yourself up, because we have a private boat charter awaiting the team to sign off this trip in style. Bring the party shirts guys and girls, it’s the last evening!
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Day 12
The last day?! Already?! How did that happen? Airport transfers and you're outta here. Until the next time....
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