Home • Costa Rica • Sea Turtle and Rainforests

Spend a week in Costa Rica this spring protecting endangered sea turtles while enjoying the natural highlights of this friendly tropical country.

You’ll spend four days on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, the world’s fourth most important nesting area
for Leatherbacks and the best place in Costa Rica to encounter these living dinosaurs. Next, we’ll bring
you to fantastic birding and old-growth rainforest canopy exploration at a top-rated eco-lodge, then
spend your final day in hot springs at the base of a volcano.

How to Apply

Send in an EPI application and $500 deposit. Applications can be downloaded by clicking on the Application icon to the right.

Day 1: Arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica
• Enjoy the cool air and volcano-rimmed views of the capitol city
• Get to know your fellow travelers, practice your Spanish, or relax at the hotel

Day 2: Experience Sea turtles at the Pacuare Nature Reserve
• Travel through cloud forests and banana plantations to reach the coast
• Explore the deserted beach and enjoy the sunset colors over the Caribbean
• Be introduced to the sea turtles as they come ashore to nest at night

Days 3-5: Measure the backs of the leathery sea turtles
• Sea turtles are most active at night, so nightly patrols continue
• During the day, explore the forest for monkeys, birds and other wildlife
• Enjoy the quiet beach for yourself, from sunrise to sunset

Days 5-7: Getaway in the Rainforest
• Head inland to Selva Bananito, an old-growth rainforest reserve and eco-lodge
• Take a hike to beautiful heliconia gardens or take a dip in the nearby river
• Retreat to spacious bungalows with solar-heated water and fabulous fresh-cooked food

Days 7-8: Visit Arenal Volcano and Tabacon hotsprings
• Leave the Caribbean to explore the small town of La Fortuna, near Arenal Volcano
• Soak in the hotsprings and find the hidden waterfall
• After spending a day at the base of the volcano, head back to San Jose at sunset

Day 9: Fly home from San Jose

Trip dates

May 9 - 17, 2009

Age

Adventurous travelers seeking to make a difference

Group Size

Limited to 16 people

Accommodations

For part of your trip, you will be staying at a privately owned reserve called the Pacuare Nature Reserve located on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The Reserve is only accessible by a 30-minute boat ride through beautiful jungle canals on very flat water (no need to worry about getting sea sick). This reserve contains 2,000 acres of rainforest and 4 miles of coastline. While at the Pacuare Reserve, you will stay in a comfortable cabin call the "Casa Grande" with private rooms and a large, shared deck. There is no electricity at the sea turtle reserve, where you’ll enjoy candlelit dinners and spectacular starry nights.

After (or before) Pacuare Reserve, you’ll travel to a forest reserve that borders Central America’s largest protected wilderness area. This family-owned private reserve, called Selva Bananito, subsists on eco-friendly tourism and is an incredible experience for anyone. Solar water heaters provide hot showers and, like Pacuare, nights are lit by candles and stars.

Other nights are spent in hotel rooms. Sheets, bath towels, and pillows are provided at all of the places we stay. Neither Pacuare Reserve or Selva Bananito have electricity (or phones), but all accommodations have running water.

Hotel Villa Zurqui is located about 45 minutes outside of San Jose, on the border of Braulio Carillo National Park. They will provide airport pick up/drop off services, for an additional fee.

Price

Contact us for pricing.

All meals and lodging outside of San Jose are included, plus two nights' lodging in San Jose.