Gap Semester in Costa Rica

Adventure Treks will not be running a gap semester for fall 2024. Please reach out to us at 828-698-0399 for questions about 2025 and beyond. 

The Costa Rica portion of our fall gap semester is a huge highlight for students. When chilly weather descends on the Pacific Northwest and North Carolina in October, students will head south to the Turrialba region of Costa Rica to focus on their paddling skills and to finish out their Adventure Treks gap semester program.

We will set up basecamp at an ec0-lodge and take both day and overnight trips during our three weeks in Costa Rica.

• We’ll hike to local waterfalls, including the 132-foot-tall Catarata Aquiares, with a beautiful swimming hole at the bottom.
• We’ll spend some time in the Cordillera Talamanca, a stunning mountain range with peaks soaring to 12,000 feet, where we’ll learn more about rural subsistence farming from locals.
• We’ll load up our canoes and paddle for five days from Turrialba to the Caribbean Coast. During this time, we’ll learn about the local culture, including birds, flora, and fauna; coconut farming; local cooking; and how to peacefully coexist with wildlife.
• We’ll take whitewater kayak instructor for three days from professional guides. We’ll master basic techniques, including rolls, before advancing our skills on moving water.
• Finally, we’ll celebrate the end of our semester together with a three-day rafting trip down the Río Pacuare, known for its pristine surrounding wilderness, insanely fun rapids, and vibrant wildlife (including river otters, ocelots, howler monkeys, iguanas, sloths, coatis, and capuchin monkeys).