COSTA RICA
SURF, SPORTS & SUSTAINABILITY ADVENTURE
Experience Costa Rica's Pura Vida as you surf world-class waves, support local environmental stewardship efforts and build connections through sports.
Program Overview
On this program, you’ll explore Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Province, home to beautiful beaches, mangrove forests and lush jungles. As part of your service project, you’ll take part in initiatives that respond to the community’s needs. You might help on a sustainable farm, support a community sports day for local children, clean up mangroves and beaches, or design educational signage to raise environmental awareness. You’ll also learn about sustainable farming practices and engage with local environmental initiatives. Stay active every day by learning to surf, practicing yoga, playing pick-up sports and enjoying various fitness and wellness activities. Immerse yourself in the ocean-minded “Pura Vida” lifestyle as you experience the beauty of the Pacific Ocean and Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity.
On GLA’s Costa Rica: Surf, Sports & Sustainability Adventure program you will:
- Surf waves, join pick-up games, practice yoga, and stay active with daily wellness activities
- Learn about sustainable farming and explore local environmental initiatives in action
- Help run a community sports day with local children and families
- Contribute to ecological restoration and other community-driven projects
- Zipline through the treetops and tube down a river along lush canyons
- Explore the coast by catamaran and snorkel among diverse marine life
Program Menu
COSTA RICA
SURF, SPORTS & SUSTAINABILITY ADVENTURE
Sample Itinerary
Let’s take a sneak peek at what your program experience might look like this summer! Please note that the order of activities may differ for each program session. The details provided here represent a general outline of what you can anticipate, though community service projects and activities are subject to change based on the needs of our local community partners, cultural celebrations and traditions, weather conditions and the specific requirements of the student group.
Day 1: Arrival
Fly into Liberia (LIR), where GLA staff will be ready to welcome you and bring you to our Home Base, a rustic ecolodge and yoga retreat center surrounded by tropical forest. You’ll get to know your fellow travelers and staff, along with an overview of the adventure ahead. Then, settle in and enjoy your first Costa Rican dinner at Home Base.
Day 2: Orientation, Surfing & "Pura Vida"
Our first day includes orientation, team-building, and meeting the local farm and ecological groups you’ll support.
In the afternoon, enjoy a surf lesson at Playa Avellanas followed by a traditional Tico meal. We’ll end the day with our first Mentor sessions and a leadership activity to connect as a group.
Day 3: Surf & Mangrove Restoration
Start the day with your second surf session, building confidence and rhythm in the waves. In the afternoon, help restore the mangroves of Playa Avellanas and Junquillal by clearing waste and supporting this vital ecosystem. End the evening relaxing with friends after a rewarding day.
Day 4: Community Service - Sustainability
Visit a family-run sustainable farm to learn about organic practices, artisan cheese making, and the benefits of local food. Afterward, join a cooking class with a village chef, then end the day with a friendly soccer game.
Day 5: Surf & Community Service - Farm to Table
Head back to the waves for your next surf lesson, learning to read the ocean and build new skills. In the afternoon, help with farm projects from harvesting crops to working in the garden. We’ll close the day with a leadership activity on responsible tourism and sustainability.
Day 6: Sports Training & Community Connection
Join local children for soccer and field games, connecting through the universal language of sports. End the day with a beach volleyball match at sunset along Guanacaste’s coastline.
Day 7: Adventure Day!
Soar through the jungle on a zipline, hike the tropical dry forest, and (weather permitting) tube down the river with guides. After a traditional Costa Rican lunch, unwind back at Home Base with time to relax and recharge.
Day 8: Surfing, Leadership & Salsa
Hit the waves for another surf session to refine your skills, then join leadership activities focused on teamwork and personal growth. End the day with a salsa class led by a local instructor, learning the basics of Costa Rican dance.
Day 9: Yoga & Service - Environmental Action
Support a local conservation nonprofit through a mangrove clean-up and plant ID project. In the afternoon, reset with a yoga class to stretch and recharge. End the evening with group reflection under the stars.
Day 10: Environmental Leadership & Final Surf Lesson
Join a beach cleanup with a local organization, learning how clean shores support healthy marine ecosystems. Afterward, enjoy your final surf session and reflect on lessons from the waves. Close the day with leadership activities on carrying sustainability and stewardship into life back home.
Day 11: Snorkeling & Catamaran Sail
Explore the Guanacaste coast to a snorkeling spot where you may see tropical fish, rays, or even sea turtles. After lunch, relax as the catamaran sails back across the Pacific.
Day 12: Departure
¡Adiós y Pura Vida! Our Costa Rican adventure comes to a close. After breakfast and final goodbyes, we’ll head to the airport where GLA staff will help students with check-in for their journeys home.
Program Map
COSTA RICA
SURF, SPORTS & SUSTAINABILITY ADVENTURE
Community Service
Join community service projects that support environmental conservation along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. You’ll team up with local groups on ecological restoration efforts and spend time on a sustainable farm, learning eco-friendly farming techniques that help protect the land for the future. You’ll also connect with local kids through your shared love of sports during a community Sports Day.
Throughout the program, you’ll work on projects that restore native habitats and raise community awareness, including efforts to protect coastal areas like mangrove forests. You’ll play a small but meaningful role in conserving these ecosystems while developing your voice as an environmental advocate. At the same time, the sports activities will help you build teamwork, discipline, and resilience, skills that carry over both on the field and in your future efforts to champion sustainability.
Hands-on Learning
This is your chance to experience Costa Rica’s famous Tico culture and embrace the “pura vida” lifestyle through cultural activities and time with local leaders. Try your hand at a cooking class and taste fresh dishes made on the traditional wood-burning stoves of the Guanacaste region. Practice your Spanish while working alongside our service partners. Jump into a pick-up game of soccer (“fútbol”) or beach volleyball. Stay moving with yoga, fitness and wellness activities, or a round of ultimate frisbee on the sand. And whether it’s your first time or you want to take your skills further, you’ll learn to surf in one of the best destinations in the world.
Adventure
Adventure is at the heart of this experience! Designed for athletes, board riders, adrenaline junkies and adventurous students, this program is a sports lover’s dream. Spend your days surfing the warm Pacific waves, whether you’re just starting out or looking to sharpen your skills on some of Costa Rica’s iconic breaks, just a short drive from our Home Base. Encounter Costa Rica’s wildlife on land while walking tropical paths, and at sea as you sail on a catamaran. Take on the rolling rapids at Rincon de la Vieja National Park on a tubing excursion. Zipline through the lush jungle canopy and take in spectacular views as you soar above the treetops.
Lodging & Meals
Your Home Base for this program is an ecolodge with rustic, rural beach vibes, surrounded by lush gardens and fruit trees. Immerse yourself in beautiful flora and fauna, with monkeys often spotted around the property! Students will share well-ventilated cabins or dorm style rooms with fans, but no air conditioning, and have access to shared bathroom and shower facilities.
Meals will be healthy, locally sourced, and primarily plant-based, with daily chicken or fish options, served alongside rice, beans, vegetables, and fresh fruit.
COSTA RICA
SURF, SPORTS & SUSTAINABILITY ADVENTURE
Dates & Tuition
12-Day Program
2026 Session Dates
June 15 – June 26, 2026
June 30 – July 11, 2026
July 15 – July 26, 2026
Program Details
More Information
Program Location: Costa Rica
Program Theme: Sports Leadership, Environmental Stewardship
Tuition Includes All In-Country Expenses
Airport pick-up/drop-off
In-country transportation
Lodging
3 meals per day
Professional full-time staff and experts
24/7 parent support hotline during program
Secondary medical and evacuation insurance
Cultural activities, lectures and excursions
Pre-departure materials and support
Educational materials
An application fee and $600 deposit are required
to hold your spot on-program.
Backed by our 5-Point Safety System™
GLA HOME BASE:
SAFE & SECURE LODGING
CARING SUPERVISION &
EXPERT LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
SAFE
TRANSPORTATION
HEALTHY FOOD
& PURE WATER
24/7 SUPPORT &
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Recommended by Students and Parents
“I recently had the incredible opportunity to volunteer in Costa Rica and it was an experience that surpassed all my expectations. This program was not just about giving back, it was about personal growth. Throughout my time with GLA, I developed a deeper appreciation for nature, gained new skills, and formed meaningful connections with fellow volunteers from around the world. “
Azalea T. | Student | 2017
COSTA RICA
SURF, SPORTS & SUSTAINABILITY
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