Our Costa Rica Volleyball Tour offers players age 13-21 the unique opportunity of going abroad for competitive volleyball, community service and adventure excursions. Depending on your level, you will compete against local high school, university and/or club teams. All while immersing you in Costa Rica’s culture where you can make new friends and even improve your Spanish. Bring your school team, club team, or assemble your own team for the trip.

Trip Highlights

• Volleyball matches against local teams
• Training session with local coaches
• Conducting a volleyball clinic for kids
• City tour of capital city San José
• Rainforest hike w/ ziplining & waterfalls
• Volcano excursion & beach time
• Serving children at a food bank
• Practicing Spanish with locals
• Homemade meal w/ a local family

Itinerary

Day 1: Departure Flight
Fly from Newark NJ to Costa Rica (SJO). Orientation and neighborhood walk and meal. Overnight in San José.

Day 2: San José
Volleyball training in the morning. Afternoon walking tour of San José with stops at the National Theater, Central Park, Mercado Borbón, and the Central Market. Volleyball match in the evening. Overnight in San José.

Day 3: San José
Volunteering at a food bank for children. Meet and train with players and coaches from the Costa Rican Volleyball Federation. Volleyball match in the evening. Overnight in San José.

Days 4: La Fortuna
Excursion to Arenal Volcano in the La Fortuna province. Hiking and zip-lining through the rainforest canopy and waterfalls. Explore the town of La Fortuna in late afternoon. Baldi Resort in the evening for a dinner buffet and hot springs swimming. Overnight in La Fortuna.

Day 5: San José
Return to San José. Visit the University of Costa Rica campus. Volleyball match in the afternoon. Conduct clinic for local volleyball youth. Distribute dinners at a church in nearby town of Heredia.

Day 6: Jaco
Travel to the beach town of Jaco. On the way, stop to walk over the famous Crocodile Bridge at the Tarcoles River. Beach fun for the rest of day with beach volleyball and optional surfing lessons. Beach side dinner.

Day 7: Jaco
Half-day waterfall excursion and swim in the rainforest outside Jaco. Visit literacy program for children in Jaco.

Day 8: San José
Return to San José. Homemade lunch and cooking lesson with a local Costa Rican family. Shopping for souveneirs and program wrap-up dinner.

Day 9: Departure Flight for Home

Included in Program Fee

• Bilingual trip leaders on call 24-hours
• All meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
• Accommodations at 3+ star hotels
• Daily ground transportation
• All volleyball arrangements
• All adventure excursions
• Community service
• Trip Director from the US
• Water & ice for practice & matches
• Laundry for uniforms
• Travel & Medical Insurance
• Airport Transfers in Costa Rica
• EWE Tours t-shirt & bag

Not Included: flights, vaccinations, COVID tests

FAQ

Entry Requirements
See our Entry Requirements page.

Travel
Our US Tour Director will travel with your group on a direct flight from either Philadelphia (PHL) or Newark NJ (EWR) to Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José (SJO). We will coordinate the flight date/time with your group leader. Ground travel in Costa Rica is by private buses operated by our local partners.

Accommodations
Students stay at 3+ star hotels, with 2-3 students of the same gender per room. Single rooms are usually available — please ask us in advance.

Food
Meals will be mostly traditional local meals, with occasional fast food visits. A typical breakfast is “Gallo Pinto” which is rice and beans, plus cereal, bread, eggs, plantains, pancakes, and fruit. Lunches and dinners will have combinations of rice, beans, vegetables, green salads, chicken, beef, pasta, stir-fries, potatoes, and tacos. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets are easily accommodated.

Water
Tap water is safe to drink. We will also provide bottled water daily.

Dress Code
We ask that you please be respectful and follow Costa Rican customs on dress: neat, clean, and modest.

WIFI & Cell Phones
Cell phone coverage is quite good in Costa Rica. However we encourage students to (mostly) disconnect in order to fully immerse themselves and get the most out of the trip. All of our accommodations do have WIFI. Ask your cell phone carrier about roaming charges/plans.

Emergencies
Parents will have our 24/7 emergency number and will also receive updates from our staff while your child is in Costa Rica. Our trip leaders in Costa Rica are available 24/7 for any illnesses or injuries. There are hospitals / clinics in all of our program areas.

Weather
From June-August expect hot and humid days (80-90 F), cool nights, and occasional rain showers.

Laundry
Laundry for your uniforms is included in your program fee and will be taken care of by our staff. You will have the opportunity to do your laundry at a cost of $4-$8 per load.

Spanish Language
Our trip leaders are bilingual in Spanish and English. You do not need to be able to Speak Spanish for this program. However we certainly encourage you to practice with locals as much as you can.

Contact US

We are available for any questions you may have, whether you are a coach, player or parent. Email or Text / Call.

Trip Deposit

When you are ready, please click this link to pay the $500 deposit for your trip. We use the company “We Travel” to process payments. During the deposit payment process, please create an account with We Travel.