Costa Rica & Panama Trip: 20 Days

Why not try one of the most popular new sports in the Americas–Stand Up Paddling (SUP). Down in the small, surfer town of Santa Teresa you can find several kilometers of gleaming sands, crystal-clear waters and wicked beach breaks for every level of surfer… and that makes it ideal for SUP-ing as well!

You don’t want to be sleeping the day away in this paradise. Time to get out in the sun and waves, and get a full-body workout on your paddleboard. And hey, if you need a little break you can just stretch out and catch some rays on your board before picking that paddle back up.

Not only that, but rental includes a coupla’ bevvies (we can’t say no to free booze) and even a photographer so you have some wicked pics of your ocean adventure!

The Caribbean Sea is famed for its calm, tropical waters and its thousands of pristine islands that have come to be known as the picture of paradise. And the best way to explore this beautiful sea and its many islands is by gliding along it smoothly and calmly on a sailboat.

You can pretty much take your pick for where to begin and where to drop anchor when sailing though the Caribbean but our chosen spot for this experience is Bocas del Toro in Panama, an archipelago made up of several islands that provide plenty of beauty to be explored in and around each one.

Loading up on a sailboat with your group, a fully stocked cooler, snorkel gear, fishing rods and any other necessary supplies is one of, if not the best way to spend your days here and we definitely do plenty of sailing when we are in Bocas del Toro.

Bungee Jumping is one of those activities we all imagine we'll do once in our lives, but it's usually when people are traveling that they do it for the first time. Maybe it's because they don't give themselves the time at home or maybe it's because people feel a little more courageous away from home or maybe it's just a matter of "if not now, then when?" 

You're standing at the edge, staring out into the distance and feeling the fear build up inside you and then you finally leap off the edge and get a huge adrenaline rush as you fly straight down! It's quite a mental trip when you see the earth approaching so fast and your brain is telling you that you're about to die, but then you stop and go flying back up into the air as if you've just been reborn! If you've even got a slight urge to try it out then take the leap, you won't regret it!

It's called Coral Surfing and it's a wicked new experience that seems to have been pulled right from a video game or some kind of virtual simulator, but it's real and it's unbelievably cool and fun! You hold onto a set of carbon fins that is pulled by a boat, the fins act as wings under the water and allow you to dive up and down with speed simply by tilting your wrist.

Ever wonder what it would be like to be able to swim underwater like a dolphin or a shark, moving at high speed, gliding up and down and moving with ease and being able to see all the splendour of life in the sea? Well, you can!

 

There's just no getting around it, fish is meant to be eaten fresh! And the only thing tastier than a fresh fish is one that you caught, too! Catching the fish that you eat used to be a part of life and still is in many parts of the world.

We offer the option to go fishing on nearly all of our trips with friendly, local fisherman that show you their tricks - it's an experience that not only teaches you the importance of fishing but is also a hell of a good time: on a boat, with friends, with beer, in the sun, drifting down a tropical coastline… 'nuff said!

Snorkelling is a great alternative for those looking to save a little money on diving costs or those who can’t dive for medical reasons. Floating along the surface of the water at any one of our incredible destinations around the world will give you a peek into a magical underwater world.

More confident snorkelers can even dive down to get a closer look at the fauna and flora found in our oceans. From glittering fish, to colourful anemone, and super cool sharks (don’t worry, the non-carnivorous ones), snorkelling is a wonderful experience for the non-diver. So snap on a mask and grab your flippers (and DON’T inhale while diving) and you’ll be all set for a little adventure under the sea.

Most of us have seen a waterfall from the top and bottom, gazing up (or down) at its immense power and beauty. But being able to get right inside a waterfall and travel from the top all the way to the bottom will give you a whole new appreciation for them!

You can do this by strapping on some climbing gear, taking the rope and easing yourself down the waterfall! A total dream experience for anyone who has been mesmerized by the dazzling sight of a waterfall.

And in Monteverde, where we experience this thrilling activity, you get to rappel down not just 1, but 6 waterfalls! The longest one measuring over 110 feet! You'll be hearing the Indiana Jones theme song the entire time as you lean back and guide yourself down and around waterfall after waterfall!

Practicing yoga on the beach in warm, tropical weather provides you with the perfect environment to learn how to find a calm within yourself and feel your mind truly relax.

Listening to the sounds of the jungle and the crashing of the waves onshore only adds to the bliss of this experience. You can experience practicing yoga in a beautiful and isolated setting under the expert guidance of yoga instructors on several of our our trips.

So take an hour or so out of your day to stretch, breathe and enjoy one of the best yoga sessions of your life in paradise!

When leaving home and hitting the road with your backpack, one thought you may have in mind is that you're not going to have another good shower for awhile. In most parts of the world water pressure is lower, there is often no hot water and you just can't seem to scrub off that distinct backpacker odour.

However, there is one place where hundreds of gallons of refreshing fresh water can pour all over you in a surreal bathing experience and that spot is found at the bottom of a waterfall. When hiking around jungles, one of our favourite things to search out is a good tropical waterfall where you can swim, relax, and get right under it and let the huge torrent of water pour all over you and wash you clean!

Traveling by river can be a fun way to travel and see the surrounding nature, and if that river happens to be very fast and rapid and you're flying down it on an inflatable raft then it's so fun that it's better than any ride you've ever been on at an amusement park! Whitewater rafting down a river is a thrilling activity, and when you do it in a tropical setting it's also warm, exotic and encompassed by beautiful and lush jungle vegetation and waterfalls pouring right into the river. The Rio Pacuare in Costa Rica is where we experience this thrill and it's an absolutely surreal setting, named 1 of the 5 most beautiful rivers in the world by National Geographic, rafting down this river will make you feel like you're flying right through the rapids of Jurassic Park!

What better way to beach-hop than cruising with 20 of your new best friends on a retro bicycle along the Caribbean coast?

Throw in a couple bar stops scattered along the palm tree-dotted coastline of Puerto Viejo with its chill reggae vibes and you’ll see why our infamous Free & Easy Caribbean Bicycle Parade has been a staple and highlight on our Costa Rica/Panama trip since we started it!

Don’t forget some pirate gear! (It's only $5 a day for a bicycle rental - don’t forget to hold onto your bike an extra day if you’re wanting to visit the Jaguar Rescue Center!)

Follow the trip leaders for a free tour and hike to a local waterfall in Bri Bri aboriginal territory. There's no better way to escape the Costa Rican heat than finding yourself under the lush jungle canopy and jumping into the fresh waters of the rainforest. Shuttle bus and tour included in your trip price!

Our beach cleanups are a great way to do good, feel good, and get some sunshine all at the same time. With thousands of tons of trash swirling around the oceans, the unfortunate reality is that some of it washes up onto the beautiful beaches we fall in love with around the world. So we thought ‘Let’s do something about this!’.  Whenever possible, we grab some garbage bags and take it upon ourselves to leave the places we visit better than we found them.  A beach cleanup day is always one of the most fun and rewarding days on a trip.

 ** We will always strive to make a beach cleanup happen, but sometimes due to time constraints we may not be able to.  Or maybe the beaches are just already clean in that region!**

Life under the water is silent and peaceful, everything is flowing and moving in a way that we land creatures are unaccustomed to. Despite all of our high tech equipment, we are extremely out of our element in the water and it is a humbling experience to watch and observe what life is like under the sea.

Fish come in all shapes, sizes, and colours and move together in a harmonious unison through beautiful coral and twisted sunlight. On our trips, scuba diving is a huge activity as we travel to countries that offer some of the best diving in the world. The Caribbean in Central America possesses the second largest reef in the world, the warm waters of the South Pacific in Southeast Asia are home to the largest diversity of sea-life in the world and the seas of the Mediterranean are full of rich history and beauty.

There is a whole universe under the ocean and experiencing what it's like to be in it is a must at least once in your life!

Experience the rush of adrenaline as you step off the platform, the wind in your face as you begin to speed up, leafy branches whipping by until you burst into a sweeping view of the surrounding landscape…feel like you’re flying yet? This is zip lining! It takes you to previously inaccessible parts of the country, from lush rainforests to tangled jungles. As you soar through and above the canopy, you get a bird’s eye view of everything around you for miles. While being up high in the sky isn’t for the faint of heart, zip lining takes you to a whole new world where you can sit back, relax, and zip along enjoying panoramas you probably couldn’t find anywhere else. It’s no surprise that when you come upon a group of zip liners there’s nothing but smiles and whoops of excitement as they travel from tree to tree and on to new adventures.