Outward Bound Costa Rica

We went on a 9 day trip to Costa Rica with our Girl Scout Troop through the organization Outward Bound and it was outstanding in every way. We enjoyed spectacular views, exotic and delicious food and the company of friendly knowledgeable staff. As someone who has visited outside the US, I could not think of a better way to go. We enjoyed beautiful beaches, repelled down a waterfall and saw sea turtles lay eggs in the sand. We saw so much of the country with our local guides.
I felt that out trip was unique and outstanding because it was so intimate. Our troop got to meet and spend time with local families living in the Costa Rican rain forest. Our Troop was very fortunate to get to go on such an amazing adventure. I would highly recommend the trip.

I really loved this trip and it challenged me a lot. It helped me realize that I have a strong passion for the environment. I loved all of the other girls and my instructors as well. We all had a lot in common and almost always got along well. We did many interesting things like zip lining, SCUBA diving, cave tours, and more but I never felt rushed. The trip was focused on living in the moment and creating memories. My favorite part of the trip was releasing sea turtle hatchlings at San San Pond Sak. Turtles have been my favorite animals almost all of my life and releasing hatchlings has been a life goal of mine since elementary school. Scuba Sea Turtle Adventure and Outward Bound provided me with and opportunity to achieve some of my life goals.

Outward Bound Costa Rica exceeded every expectation I had for my 85 day Coast to Coast semester course. The program allowed us to experience the traditional culture of 3 different countries in Central America as well as teaching us everything we needed to know to get started with a career in the outdoor education industry. We got to experience many different activities from community service projects, to whitewater rafting, backpacking, surfing, scuba diving and more. This course was built for anyone who loves adventure and wants to push themselves both physically and mentally to become a better person and a better leader. I couldn't recommend this company or their instructors enough, I wish everyone could experience OBCR!

It’s sort of hard to rate the “housing” of a program like a semester Outward Bound course when it ranges from on the ground under the stars to under a tarp, to in shelters, to on the floor of homestay families’ homes, to small wooden bunk beds, but if you can sleep almost anywhere in all kinds of weather, it’s so fun to explore the country this way! The hike from coast to coast is one of my favorite months of my life. It was challenging but so so beautiful. SCUBA diving in Panama was truly magnificent, and sleeping on the dock overlooking the diving grounds is quite pleasurable. More rewarding challenges abound in the rafting and kayaking phases, and I’m also terrible at surfing, so that was difficult. But it’s wild to be in such close quarters with a group for 3 months, working together to achieve incredible goals and complete daily chores. Costa Rica is such a fantastic country. Great program.

This 65 day course in Costa Rica was the best thing I think I have ever done. Not only did I grow phenominally as a person, I also had a blast doing it. I met people I have never grown such a close bond to in such a short amount of time, overcame challenges I never thought I could, and pushed myself to my maximum physical and mental capabilities. By covering everything from small-scale team building lessons to rappelling down >100 ft waterfalls, every type of adventure I could have was given to me! Highlights were watching rain forest thunderstorms with a homecooked meal after brutal yet amazing days of mountain backpacking, scuba diving through bioluminescent waters in Panama, wakeboarding with dolphins, and learning how to save lives! I had never truly understood the purpose of outdoor and advemture education before I went on this semester course, but even three years after, I know that working as an outdoor educator is my dream job thanks to everything OBCR taught me.