COMM to COSTA RICA

Why study abroad in Costa Rica?

Our next trip begins:

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Trip Itinerary

Fly to Costa Rica

Depart Houston and arrive in San Jose!

Walking tour of San Jose.

Travel to Northern Region

Bus trip over the beautiful mountains to the North.

Visit small towns along the way (including Sarchi, Grecia, and Zarcero).

Arrive in La Fortuna.

School Visits

Visit the Green Forest School in the morning (K-11).

Visit the Universidad Tecnica Nacional in the afternoon.

Relax and enjoy the Hot Springs in the evening!

Travel to Monteverde

Hike through the rain forest to the Lava Flows on Arenal Volcano.

Bus ride around Arenal Lake and up the mountain to Monteverde.

Night hike through the Cloud Forest!

Witness the Southern Cross (the Southern Hemisphere’s version of the Northern Lights).

Santa Elena Cloud Forest

Hike through the beautiful Santa Elena Cloud Forest.

Be on the lookout for the rare, beautiful Quetzal bird.

Participate in Sustainable Tourism by planting trees in the reserve.

Travel to the Beach

Arrive in Jaco region (Playa Hermosa)

Enjoy the peaceful Aerial Tram through the Rainforest.

Have fun on the Crocodile & Bird Boat Tour down the Tarcoles River.

Beach Day

Visit Manuel Antonio National Park (the most beautiful beach). Watch out for the monkeys, raccoons, and iguanas trying to steal lunch.

Enjoy appetizers at El Avion restaurant.

Celebrations

Return to San Jose for end-of-trip celebrations.

Paint your very own Oxcart wheel! (Oxcarts are the national symbol for the country due to the importance of coffee exports).

Coffee Tours at Britt Coffee (mmm, it’s delicious).

Costa Rican folklore evening and fun dinner at Mirador Tiquicia.

Fly home

Leave San Jose and arrive back in Houston

Central Pacific Coast

Additional Towns

San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. The capital is named after Saint Joseph of Nazareth. In 2012, San José was ranked as one of the safest cities in Latin America.[1] This modern city has active commerce, eclectic architecture, and booming tourism industry. It is a significant destination for foreign visitors. We will fly into the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), which is located 14 miles west of downtown, in the city of Alajuela. In 2011, the airport was named the 3rd Best Airport in Latin America/Caribbean from the Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International.

La Fortuna (the Fortune) is a tourist destination located in the San Carlos region of the Alajuela province. This city sits at the base of the Arenal Volcano. Arenal grew in 1968 with a large eruption that killed several people and destroyed several villages. Today, the Arenal region is one of the most visited tourist destinations in all of Costa Rica. Visitors can swim in the pools at the base of La Catarata de la Fortuna, a waterfall that falls from a height of over 200 feet. Natural hot springs are featured throughout the region at several resorts, day spas, and along the side of the road. Visitors enjoy horseback riding, whitewater rafting, hanging bridges, zip-lines, mountain biking, kayaking, stand-up paddleboards, ATV or dirt bike rentals, butterfly farms, zorbing, and canyoneering.

Commonly referred to as San Carlos, Ciudad Quesada is the northern region’s economic and political center. The Green Forest School is one of the highest ranked bilingual elementary and high schools in the region. The Universidad Tecnica Nacional is a trade school serving the San Carlos region. Both schools focus on English education to serve the growing tourism industry in the surrounding areas.

Monteverde is considered a major ecotourism destination in Costa Rica. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is located in the area and was named the “jewel” of cloud forests by National Geographic.[1] It is known as the site with the largest number of orchids in the world. The famed quetzal bird (which is good luck to spot) resides in Monteverde seasonally. Monteverde is known for its canopy tours. These tours consist of trails, suspension bridges and zip lines that allows visitors to observe the cloud forest from a variety of different vantage points – from above, below and within the canopy itself.

The Central Pacific Coast makes up a large part of the Puntarenas province and includes Jacó, Quepos, and Manuel Antonio. Jacó is a resort city that lies between several mountains. Our hotel is located just outside of Jaco, on the beautiful beach, Playa Hermosa. Quepos is further south and is the town nearest Manuel Antonio National Park. The Pacific coast provides excellent surfing, dramatic ocean views and plenty of opportunities for fishing, swimming, snorkeling, horseback riding and just relaxing on the beach.

The capital of the Alajuela province, Sarchí is renowned for its arts and crafts, in particular its decorative oxcarts recalling the heyday of Costa Rica’s coffee industry. This town is Costa Rica’s most famous crafts center. The most popular items on sale are “carretas”, elaborately painted oxcarts that traditionally carried coffee from the highlands down to the port on the Pacific coast. Near Sarchí, we will also visit a coffee plantation where you’ll see firsthand how beans are grown, harvested, and roasted to make Costa Rica’s signature caffeinated brew.

What is included in the cost?

ALL HOTELS

ALL TRANSPORTATION

ALL MEALS

ALL TICKETS/TOURS

24/7 Tour Director

2018 Trip

Students enrolled in Intercultural Communication (COMM335) and in Tourism Communication (COMM485) took part in an adventure of a lifetime. We traveled to the beautiful country of Costa Rica,where we visited tourism sites, interacted with Ticos, and reflected on intercultural interactions to help apply course concepts to real life. We participated in eco-tourism, sustainable-tourism, and cultural tourism. And overall, we were very Pura Vida.