Bordered to the north by Nicaragua and to the south by Panama, to the east by the Caribbean and to the west by the Pacific, tropical Costa Rica is perhaps the most varied and beautiful country in Central America. Despite it’s relatively small size (two thirds the size of Scotland) Costa Rica has an enormous amount of natural beauty to offer it’s visitors – including 63 national parks containing some of the most stunning arrays of flora and fauna in the world, with the rainforests and cloudforests, mountains and volcanoes, rivers, lakes, and the beaches of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The majority of Costa Rica’s inhabitants are of Spanish descent, but on the

Caribbean coast the population is largely Afro-Caribbean, and there is a very small indigenous population in the Talamanca jungle. Costa Ricans are extremely friendly people and will welcome any team enthusiastically to their beautiful country.

Costa Rica is a suitable destination for a team who want a varied itinerary - it is particularly well suited to those with a particular interest in biology, geography or conservation. Teams also have the option to cross over into Nicaragua and Panama for exciting volcano or altitude trekking.

Some possible expedition objectives are given below, please note these may alter between now and your expedition. The Expedition Programme Manager for Costa Rica will agree a suitable expedition itinerary for you, to best match the abilities and aspirations of your team.

Acclimatisation phase
There are a large number of acclimatisation treks to choose from – such as the Monteverde Cloudforest Reserve, or the Rincon de la Vieja National Park which offers hot springs and bubbling mud pools due to mild volcanic activity. Other “volcanic” treks include The Arenal National Park, where you’ll be trekking by Lake Arenal, from which at night you can see the spectacle of Volcán Arenal gently erupting in the distance.

Main Trekking phase
High Altitude Treks
At 3,820m Cerro Chirripó is the highest peak in Costa Rica - it makes a very challenging trek. They will however be rewarded on day 3 when they make it to the peak at sunrise and see the panoramic view of Costa Rica – and if the weather is clear, three quarters of Costa Rica, including both the Pacific and the Caribbean coasts, can be seen.

The Highlands of Panama offer the chance to make an ascent of Volcan Baru, the only volcano and highest peak in Panama at 3,478m. Teams can trek for up to 10 days in Panama: there are many challenging and varied Highland trails, Volcan Baru can be climbed, and for the ultimate challenge there is a rugged but spectacular 5 day trek from the Highlands all the way down to the pristine Caribbean coast.

Rainforest Treks
The Corcovado National Park is renowned for its pristine rainforest. Teams can trek for up to six days so that in addition to arduous treks of up to 20 kilometres through the rainforest, they will be able to spend days on the Pacific coast. Here they can do gentler treks and enjoy the varied and prolific flora and fauna which includes trees of up to 80 metres tall, bromeliads, sloths, monkeys, peccaries, coati-mundis, macaws and frogs, to name a few.

Volcanic Treks
Crossing into Southern Nicaragua teams can explore the beautiful Island of Ometepe with its 2 perfectly conical volcanoes, both of which can be climbed. Alternatively, a trek along Nicaragua’s Maribios volcano range offers the chance to summit 5 volcanoes in 5 days. Rincon de la Vieja National Park can also be used for the main trekking phase, with an ascent of the Rincon Massif providing an excellent challenge.

Projects
Community-based projects usually involve basic construction or agricultural tasks. Cultural interaction is a very important aspect of such projects. There are several community projects which can be integrated into the main trekking phase, with the team trekking for several days to reach the community. There is also a fantastic turtle conservation project on the Caribbean coast, so remote that it is reached by boat through the jungle lagoons.

Rest and Relaxation
Throughout the expedition there are numerous opportunities for R & R activities – white-water rafting is a popular option. Teams usually decide to spend their last couple of days in Costa Rica relaxing on a beach - either on the palm fringed Caribbean coast or the more rugged Pacific side. There are also opportunities for sea kayaking, including a 3-5 day ‘kayak trek’ that can be combined with hiking in the Corcovado Rainforest.