Costa Rica Tours

Costa Rica Tours

Costa Rica is famous for its natural beauty, with rainforests, beaches, and waterfalls. Costa Rican people, known as “Ticos,” are super-friendly. Their phrase “Pura Vida” (pure life) encapsulates how Costa Ricans cherish life’s simplest pleasures and find joy in the little things. Costa Rica is the first Spanish-speaking country we started taking travelers (in 2003) and remains one of their favorite destinations.

A mix of adventure travel, cultural immersion, and community service in one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.

 

Bring your high school, college or club soccer team to one of the world’s most soccer-crazed nations.
 

Challenge yourself against local players while serving the local community. Ziplining, waterfall hikes and volcano treks.

 

Costa Rica Facts:

Capital: San José
Population: 5 million
Language: Spanish
Religion: Catholicism (official)
President: Rodrigo Chaves Robles
Currency: The colón
Literacy Rate: 97%

 

Costa Rica FAQ

Do I Need a Passport? Yes. You must have a valid passport that will not expire for at least 90 days after arrival to Costa Rica. Apply for a passport (or renew) online with the US Department of State.

Do I Need a Visa? No. American citizens receive an automatic tourist visa upon upon arrival at the airport in Costa Rica.

Do I Need Vaccinations? No. There are no vaccinations required by Costa Rica or by EWE Tours (including COVID).

What Other Documents Do I Need?

1. Participant Agreement. Our contract that includes the terms of the trip and the rules of conduct during the program.

2. Medical Form. To ensure we can safely accommodate your child on their program.

3. Parental Consent Letter. An optional, notarized letter from parents saying their child has their permission to travel abroad without them.

Air Travel. You can elect to fly on our chaperoned group flight. Alternatively, you can book your own airfare. Our gateway airports are typically New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York. The costs of your international flights are not included in the program fee. The airport in Costa Rica is the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO).

Ground Travel. In Costa Rica our group will travel daily by private buses operated by our local partners. The professional drivers have many years experience with foreign tours.

Injuries or illnesses. Our staff will escort you 24 hours to the nearest medical facility for treatment. We will also immediately call your family back home to inform them of the situation. There are hospitals and clinics in all of our program areas. Most insurance plans require you to pay up-front for all of your medical care, then submit forms later to get reimbursed by the insurance company.

Parents Staying In Touch. Parents can call our staff 24 hours for any urgent concerns. We are also available by email and text for non-urgent matters. We will also post daily on social media for parents to follow the trip’s activities.

Accommodations. Students stay at 3+ star hotels, with 2-3 students of the same gender per room. Students occasionally stay one or two nights with a host family. All bedding and pillows are provided by hotel / host family.

Meals. Meals and snacks will be mostly local, traditional food, 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 in Costa Rica. 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.

Cell Phones
Cell phone coverage is quite good in Costa Rica. Check with your carrier at home to consider buying a roaming plan for the trip to avoid any exorbitant bills. Your phone should automatically connect to one of Costa Rica’s cell phone networks when your flight lands.

WIFI. All of our accommodations have free WIFI including hotels and host families. It is not typically as fast or reliable as back home though, so be patient. (We do encourage students to mostly disconnect in order to fully immerse themselves in the trip.) 

Spending Money. Students typically spend about $150 outside the program — on souvenirs, snacks, and drinks. Debit and credit cards are widely accepted in Costa Rica. You can also withdraw cash at ATM’s in either US Dollars or Costa Rican Colónes.

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

Laundry. For sports trips, laundry for your uniforms is included in your program fee and will be done by our local staff. For other laundry the cost is $5-$8 per load.

Spanish Language. 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. Our trip leaders are bilingual in Spanish and English.

Packing List. Please click here for our suggested packing list.

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