San Jose, Costa Rica

San Jose is the capital, financial center, mid-point, and by far largest city in Costa Rica. It is truly the most important Costa Rican city and has even started to sprawl out across the Central Valley and engulf other cities like Alajuela and Heredia.

San Jose has a downtown area that contains walking streets, markets of all kinds, and many colorful characters. It’s a great place to explore! There are many restaurants, malls, and markets to visit throughout the city, as well as many other attractions. Here, you will take a tour of the city, visit museums, and participate in a local volunteer opportunity.

More information on San Jose can be found at Lonely Planet.

La Fortuna or Monteverde

La Fortuna is one of the top destinations for travelers in Costa Rica. It’s name, meaning “The Fortune,” is reflected in the vast array of geological wonders that can be found there. Keep your eye out for magnificent waterfalls, such as La Catarata de la Fortuna, as well as several natural hot springs.

Monteverde is an incredible rain forest at an altitude of over 1,000 meters. This altitude means that cloud moisture is captured by the trees, making the area extremely humid. But the amazing biodiversity in this cloud forest is well worth the humidity! You can get a bird’s eye view of native flora and fauna from skywalks and bridges suspended 60 meters up in the canopy.

 

Ostional Turtle Reserve

The Wildlife Refuge of Ostional in Costa Rica is one of the world’s most important nesting sites for olive ridley sea turtles. The reserve occupies 9 miles of coastline and protects 613 acres worth of precious sea and land habitat. Here, you will participate in a service learning project focused on environmental protection.