Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Costa Rica! | Liberia & the Pacific Coast

Board your flight to Liberia, where your local Program Director will welcome you to Costa Rica! Transfer to your hotel on Guanacaste’s Pacific coast and settle into your surroundings. Time permitting, join an introductory beach walk to observe the coastal environment and discuss the connections between the ocean, shoreline, and surrounding communities.

Tonight, gather for a welcome dinner and an introduction to the marine ecosystems you’ll explore throughout the week.

Day 2: Snorkeling & Marine Biodiversity

Discover Costa Rica’s underwater world on a guided snorkeling excursion! Begin with an introduction to equipment, snorkeling techniques, and responsible wildlife observation before exploring local marine habitats with experienced guides.

Look for tropical fish and other marine life while learning about food webs, adaptations, and the importance of healthy ocean ecosystems. Afterward, work with your classmates to record your observations and discuss how tourism, pollution, and climate change can affect marine biodiversity.

Day 3: Sea Turtles & Coastal Conservation

Today, explore the fascinating lives of sea turtles and the challenges they face. Meet with a local conservation educator to learn about nesting cycles, migration, and efforts to protect turtles and their coastal habitats.

Participate in a beach cleanup and marine debris survey, recording the types of litter collected and discussing how plastics enter the ocean. Learn how lighting, coastal development, and everyday choices can affect nesting beaches.

If your travel dates align with nesting activity and a permitted program is available, join a guided evening turtle observation. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, and all activities will follow local conservation guidelines.

Day 4: Mangrove Exploration & Coastal Fieldwork

Explore a coastal estuary on a guided boat or kayak excursion, learning how mangroves shelter young marine animals, protect shorelines, and connect land and sea. Look for birds, crabs, and other wildlife while discussing the adaptations that allow species to thrive in this changing environment.

Later, take part in student fieldwork activities, such as measuring water temperature and salinity or recording wildlife observations. Compare your findings with those from your snorkeling excursion and explore how different coastal habitats support one another.

Day 5: Ocean Exploration & Community Connections

Head back onto the water for a second guided snorkeling experience, conditions permitting. Build on your identification skills, compare observations between sites, and consider what the presence of different species can tell us about a habitat.

This afternoon, connect with a local coastal community through a school exchange or a conversation with a conservation organization, depending on availability. Learn how local livelihoods and traditions are connected to the ocean, and discuss ways communities balance tourism, fishing, and conservation.

Day 6: Coastal Discovery & Conservation in Action

Begin the day with a guided shoreline exploration. Depending on tides and local conditions, investigate tide pools or sandy beach habitats, observing how organisms adapt to waves, sun, and changing water levels.

Later, bring together the week’s discoveries through a collaborative conservation project. Use your field notes, species observations, and marine debris data to create a short presentation or action plan that you can share with your school community.

Enjoy time to relax by the coast before gathering for a farewell dinner. Celebrate your adventures, new connections, and deeper understanding of Costa Rica’s marine environments!

Day 7: Hasta Luego, Costa Rica!

After breakfast, transfer to Liberia International Airport for your return flight home. Leave with new fieldwork skills, lasting memories, and a greater appreciation for the ocean and the communities working to protect it.