This eco-adventure includes diving or snorkeling with Costa Rica's marine life and as well as land-based tours through a vibrant tropical rainforest and an active volcano, and a wildlife-watching boat trip. The itinerary has 4 days of diving/snorkeling (incluing 2-dives/day) to conduct REEF surveys, as well as land tours throughout the diverse Guanacaste region. This weeklong family-friendly expedition welcomes divers and non-divers alike and has something for everyone.
Project Focus: The purpose of this trip is to conduct fish surveys to support REEF's Volunteer Fish Survey Project. Click here to learn more about participating in fish surveys on a REEF Field Survey Trip! This trip will also include several land-based tours and activities. Details and itinerary are below.
Best Suited For: Divers, Snorkelers, and Non-divers
Accommodations: Accommodations for this trip are provided by Bosque del Mar Hotel in Playa Hermosa. The standard accommodation is a junior suite. Each room is air-conditioned and has 2 queen beds, bathroom, living room, mini-fridge, coffee maker, cable TV, hairdryer, safe, desk, closet, and a terrace with seating. Upgrades to garden view suites or ocean-view suites are also available upon request; please inquire with REEF Trips for more information.
Diving or Snorkeling: The trip package includes 4 days of 2 morning boat dives with Rocket Frog Divers, the onsite dive operation. Snorkelers may also join these trips. The recommended age for snorkeling is ages 10 and up. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult when snorkeling, and may not be left unattended on the boat. The average water temperature in Costa Rica during the time of the trip is 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pricing, Inclusions, and Other Fees
| Jr. Suite Option | Diver | Snorkeler/Boat Rider |
| Double Occ. | $1,864 | $1,745 |
| Single Occ | $2,436 | $2,316 |
Rates for children ages 12 and under and for triple- and quad-occupacy are also available; please contact REEF Trips (trips@REEF.org) for more information.
Your Package Includes: The trip package includes 7 nights of accommodation, daily breakfast, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, 4 days of 2-tank boat dives or snorkeling, round-trip transfers from Liberia (LIR) airport, land-based excursions and activities, and associated transfers (weather permitting) as detailed in the itinerary below.
REEF Program Fee: A REEF Program Fee of $300 will be added to each package to cover the cost of the group leader, seminar, and REEF survey materials. The REEF Program Fee applies to all divers and any attendee age 18 or older.
Additional Fees - Not Included: The following costs are not included in the price paid to REEF - All flights, and meals other than those specifically mentioned in the itinerary below. Gratuities for boat crew, tourguides, bus driver, and hotel staff are not included and are at each individual's discretion. Optional Zip-lining add-on activity.
Registration
To reserve your space, email trips@REEF.org or call 305-588-5869. A $500 per person deposit will be due to confirm your reservation. Visit our Trip Policies page for more information on deposit and payment schedules.
Travel Info
Insurance: Travel insurance is not included. REEF strongly recommends that each participant purchase adequate dive travel insurance to protect you from unforeseen circumstances. REEF partners with both DiveAssure and DAN to offer travel insurance packages specifically for divers. REEF will receive a portion of the proceeds from travel insurance purchases when you click on the following affiliate links for DiveAssure or DAN.
How to Get There: Participants should make arrangements to fly into Liberia (LIR) airport, arriving by 3 pm on Saturday, June 24, and departing on the following Saturday, July 1. All participants are responsible for booking their own airfare. REEF is not able to book air travel.
Transfers: Round-trip airport transfers are included in the trip package. Participants will be picked up from the airport in Liberia and transported by shuttle to Bosque del Mar in Playa Hermosa, approximately a 30-minute drive. It is recommended to arrive in Liberia between 12-3 pm if possible. On July 1, the final day of the trip, participants will be transported back to the airport in Liberia for departure flights.
Passports, Documentation and Visas: Visitors to Costa Rica are required to have a current passport and a return ticket. U.S. citizens visiting Costa Rica for less than 90 days do not require a visa. Please refer to the appropriate consulate for requirements to enter Costa Rica.
Itinerary
DAY 1: GUANACASTE - Arrival Day
Airport Meet and Greet or short private transfer to your beach hotel. Arrive and get settled and relaxed on Costa Rica’s Gold Coast before your next morning dive adventure. Group briefing and dive center check-in meeting on-site, followed by "Common Fishes of Costa Rica" class.
Welcome dinner (included).
DAY 2, 3 : GUANACASTE – Scuba and Snorkeling in AM, afternoon free
Breakfast at Hotel (included). Boats will pick up the group right from the beach in front of the hotel, includes 2-tank dives / snorkels with a great variety and abundance of marine life. Return to the hotel for afternoon by the pool or arrange an outside adventure.
Early evening fish class, folllowed by dinner on own.
DAY 4 : GUANACASTE – Miravalles Volcano
Breakfast at Hotel (included). Departure on motorcoach at 8:30 AM to Volcan Miravalles, Costa Rica’s only life volcano where you can walk around a crater, see and feel the smoke rising out from the boiling, muddy caldrons & steam vents. This volcano is known for its sulfur springs, fumaroles and bubbling mud pots sits 6,653 feet high and is the highest peak of the Guanacaste mountains. Relax in the hot springs, enjoy the volcanic mud. A 20 minutes pulled cart ride will lead us to the starting point of this unique private reserve surrounded by amazing waterfalls and nature, a medium –relax 45 minutes’ hike visiting 4 different waterfalls walking along wobbly bridges. We will be able to swim in the first waterfall - either by jumping off or climbing down a ladder. After working up an appetite, we'll enjoy a typical Costa Rican meal with a natural tropical fruit drink (included). Return to Bosque del Mar.
Early evening fish class, folllowed by dinner on own.
DAY 5 GUANACASTE – Scuba and Snorkeling in AM, Optional Canopy Zip Line in PM
Breakfast at Hotel (included). Boats will pick up the group right from the beach in front of the hotel, includes 2-tank dives / snorkels with a great variety and abundance of marine life. Return to the hotel for afternoon by the pool or arrange an outside adventure. **for those interested, you can add on an optional canopy zip line that afternoon, see below for details**
Early evening fish class, folllowed by dinner on own.
**OPTIONAL ADD ON 2:30 PM – Canopy Zip Line Adventure (Add on $70 per person)
This tour will leave you smiling from ear to ear. This is great fun and will get your adrenaline pumping as you enjoy the beauty of the forest and look for wildlife. This easy, yet exhilarating and exciting experience has you zipping through the treetops. If you’re lucky, the Howler Monkeys will come out and see you zip by at some point during the tour. Guides will accompany young children in tandem, and if necessary go with an adult who needs hand-holding. Age and weight are generally not a factor. After you arrive, experienced canyoning guides will help outfit you in the gear you will need and give you a safety briefing, showing you how to position your hands and gloves and how to brake when needed.
Within 15 minutes after gearing up, you will be zipping from treetop to treetop across the cables between the 11 platforms. Safety lines secure you to the platforms along the way. Guides do a lot to ensure that guests have maximum enjoyment – especially on the longer, lower height lines that prepare you for the later, higher platforms. By the time you get to the last platform, you will feel like a pro.
DAY 6 : GUANACASTE – Scuba and Snorkeling in AM, afternoon free
Breakfast at Hotel (included). Boats will pick up the group right from the beach in front of the hotel, includes 2-tank dives / snorkels with a great variety and abundance of marine life. Return to the hotel for afternoon by the pool or arrange an outside adventure.
Early evening fish class, folllowed by dinner on own.
DAY 7 : GUANACASTE – Tempisque Wildlife Boat trip with Tortilla making at Lunch
Breakfast at Hotel (included). Departure on motorcoach at 7:30 AM to Tempisque River. Float through waterway canals on this guided riverboat cruise along the stunning Tempisque River Park. See Costa Rica’s signature wildlife and vegetation growing and living along the riverside. Catch a glimpse of exotic animals from white-face monkeys to anteaters and more living in the freshwater lagoons, swamps, dry Pacific savannas, and mangrove trees. See colorful, tropical birds taking flight from this international bird-nesting site and let your inner nature-lover soar. We will finish the afternoon with a great local “guanacasteco” lunch (included). We will learn how to make our own tortillas after lunch and learn about local pottery artisians.
Farewell Dinner at hotel (included).
DAY 8: DEPARTURE
Breakfast at Hotel (included). Transfer to Liberia International Airport for your departure flight (included); departure time depends on your flight schedule.
COVID-19 Considerations: It is the participant's responsibility to ensure that they understand and comply with all local requirements (for entry and visit as a tourist) of the host destination, and for exit and entry requirements for their home country. Be prepared for your plans to change. Be sure your travel insurance covers COVID-related issues. No travel is risk-free during the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries may further restrict travel or bring in new rules at short notice, for example, due to a new COVID-19 variant. Please be aware that REEF is not a travel agent. We are doing our best to interpret the information provided by our trip vendor and the host country’s government COVID-19 webpages. We encourage everyone to do their own research, interpretation, and due diligence. Please see REEF’s COVID-19 Considerations and Vaccine Policies section in our REEF Field Survey Trips Policies page for more information.