Outward Bound Costa Rica has experience with a variety of dietary requirements including vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose intolerance and nut allergies. All students are asked to disclose ALL dietary restrictions in their online enrollment forms to best ensure their needs are met.

All meals are served family-style, meaning that students will not have options when it comes to what they eat. Thus it is important that all students be prepared to try new foods and accommodate the dietary needs of their coursemates.

Note: Specialty food items geared towards those with dietary restrictions are difficult to find in Costa Rica and surrounding course areas. If you have a very restrictive diet and/or will be attending a course longer than 15 days, you may be asked to bring some food items with you to supplement local products.

For more information, please see our Preparation page.

With the help of our course instructors, we have compiled comprehensive Packing Lists for each course. Your Packing List will be included in the materials we email to students when they’ve begun the enrollment process. If you have questions about packing and have not submitted an enrollment form, please give us a call 800-676-2018.

Note: A common misconception about Costa Rica is that it is always hot. Our Base Camp and many of the camping spots during the hiking phases of courses are almost one mile above sea level. It can get quite chilly at night. This is why we recommend all students bring at least one light sweater or fleece. Also, while hiking in the rainforest it will generally rain for part of each day (usually in the afternoon). A decent rain jacket with a hood is highly recommended.

Most of our backpacks are Jansport 5000s. Some of the features of these packs include:

• 5000 cubic inch capacity
• Ergonomic S-curved shoulder straps
• Sliding harness adjustment for 16″ – 20″ torso lengths
• Dual side water bottle pockets
• Side compression straps keep the pack close to the body and manage the load

Gaiters are a protective piece of clothing, usually made of synthetic material, that fit on one’s calf, extending from the knee and attaching to one’s hiking boots. They are worn to help protect boots from mud and water. They also protect one’s legs against scratches from dense grasses or low growing bushes.

If you will be hiking and come on a course between April and December you will most likely encounter mud and water. Due to this, we strongly recommend bringing a pair of gaiters with you.

You should be able to find gaiters at most camping and sporting goods stores. When choosing your gaiters, look for ones that extend to your knee–short gaiters that only cover the top of your boots are not recommended.

We recommend that all students come to Costa Rica with a minimum of $200 in U.S. dollars. While all food, lodging and transportation are provided as part of course tuition, all students are responsible for the international airport exit tax ($28 per passenger), personal purchases such as souvenirs and all incidental expenses. As it is hard for local vendors to make change for large bills, we recommend that spending money be in denominations of $20.

Please note that students will not be allowed to have any personal valuables with them while on course. This includes all wallets, passports, watches/cell phones, credit cards and cash. We have this policy, in part, to ensure students do not accidently misplace or lose these important items. The only exception to this policy is when students visit a local artisan market where they will be able to purchase keepsakes and souvenirs.

There are three ways to pay for the course: Visa Credit Card, personal or cashiers check, or wire transfer. We do NOT accept money orders. For complete payment instructions, please view our Payment Information page.

Costa Rica is a stable, functioning democracy and generally considered to be a very safe country. Most of the existing crime tends to be opportunistic (pick-pocketing and mugging) and general occurs in the larger cities at night.

Students are never left unattended in metropolitan areas and do not carry their valuables during the course, so it is highly unlikely that any student would be a victim of a crime.

Travel insurance is not required to come to Costa Rica or to participate in a Outward Bound Costa Rica course, but it is recommended. Many insurance companies offer short-term policies to cover the specific dates of travel. Most of these policies can be purchased instantly online. In addition to medical expenses, some travel insurance policies cover expenses such as lost luggage or cancelled flights.

We highly recommend that all families contact their insurance company to request information about international coverage. If you do decide to purchase travel insurance, please read the fine print. Many policies do not cover injuries sustained during adventure activities.

Outward Bound Costa Rica’s only requirement is a Tetanus vaccination. Other than that, there are no required inoculations to enter Costa Rica, but it is a good idea to check with your physician for recommendations of optional inoculations and health precautions.

All food and water which students access during their course is safe and clean. At our main rainforest base facility it is safe to drink water from the tap. While on course, students are directed to safe water sources by their instructors. All food at our main rainforest base is safely prepared and thoroughly cooked by our cooking staff. On course, students carry food with them and prepare it as a group under the direct supervision of their instructors.

Our staff does everything we can to ensure the that students take all required medications. To help us with this, it is vital that all students complete the medication and medical history sections of the required online enrollment form.

We request that you submit your online enrollment form as early as possible to ensure our team can contact you with additional information or requests for clarification or further details.

Note: All students are asked to bring extra supplies of all prescription medication in the event some is lost or damaged while on course. Instructors hold and distribute students’ oral medication for the duration of the course.

Every Outward Bound Costa Rica instructor is required to have training and certification in several areas–-both general training and training specific to their areas of expertise. For a description of the various certifications our instructors have, please visit the Safety tab on our: About Us page.

Our standard open enrollment courses are designed for a maximum of 15 students. Generally, courses range from 6-12 students. The number of students on a custom course can vary depending on the needs of the group.

Our open enrollment courses have minimum age standards specified in the course description, though we do not enforce any age maximums. We encourage diversity within all of our courses and make no effort to separate students based upon age or any other factor.

Yes. To find course updates, visit our Facebook fan page!

We provide weekly–if not more frequent–updates. Whenever possible, we include photos of the group along with brief anecdotes about their experience. We ask that you please understand most groups spend the vast majority of their experience away from our main rainforest base facility. Thus, we are not able to upload any photos of their experience until they return from their adventures.

The short answer is “it depends.” For the long answer, please visit our Contact Us page. The tabs here include a wealth of information about contacting a student on course, tracking course updates and reaching our office in the event of an emergency. Please contact our office if you have further questions. We’re happy to help clarify.

No. We welcome ALL levels of surfers into our courses – even if you’ve never been on a surfboard in your life.

Bringing something for the homestay families is both welcome and culturally acceptable, but not necessary.

Keep in mind that our homestay families live in some of the most remote parts of Costa Rica. Students generally hike about three days before arriving. If you would like to personally bring something to the families, please keep in mind that you will be taking it in your backpack.

If you would like to bring something for the families, we suggest one or more of the following items:

• School supplies
• Children’s books (in English or Spanish)
• Colored markers
• Soccer balls
• Hard candy
• Educational or youth-appropriate DVDs

Outward Bound Costa Rica has been a member of the global Outward Bound International network since 1997. All Outward Bound schools are connected through this parent organization, but each operates independently. Thus, each school may develop unique programs designed to better meet the needs of their students or based upon local geography. For example, Outward Bound Costa Rica is the only OB school to offer surfing.

For more information on Outward Bound International, visit their site.

Outward Bound Costa Rica has experience with a variety of dietary requirements including vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose intolerance and nut allergies. All students are asked to disclose ALL dietary restrictions in their online enrollment forms to best ensure their needs are met.

All meals are served family-style, meaning that students will not have options when it comes to what they eat. Thus it is important that all students be prepared to try new foods and accommodate the dietary needs of their coursemates.

Note: Specialty food items geared towards those with dietary restrictions are difficult to find in Costa Rica and surrounding course areas. If you have a very restrictive diet and/or will be attending a course longer than 15 days, you may be asked to bring some food items with you to supplement local products.

For more information, please see our Preparation page.

With the help of our course instructors, we have compiled comprehensive Packing Lists for each course. Your Packing List will be included in the materials we email to students when they’ve begun the enrollment process. If you have questions about packing and have not submitted an enrollment form, please give us a call 800-676-2018.

Note: A common misconception about Costa Rica is that it is always hot. Our Base Camp and many of the camping spots during the hiking phases of courses are almost one mile above sea level. It can get quite chilly at night. This is why we recommend all students bring at least one light sweater or fleece. Also, while hiking in the rainforest it will generally rain for part of each day (usually in the afternoon). A decent rain jacket with a hood is highly recommended.

Most of our backpacks are Jansport 5000s. Some of the features of these packs include:

• 5000 cubic inch capacity
• Ergonomic S-curved shoulder straps
• Sliding harness adjustment for 16″ – 20″ torso lengths
• Dual side water bottle pockets
• Side compression straps keep the pack close to the body and manage the load

Gaiters are a protective piece of clothing, usually made of synthetic material, that fit on one’s calf, extending from the knee and attaching to one’s hiking boots. They are worn to help protect boots from mud and water. They also protect one’s legs against scratches from dense grasses or low growing bushes.

If you will be hiking and come on a course between April and December you will most likely encounter mud and water. Due to this, we strongly recommend bringing a pair of gaiters with you.

You should be able to find gaiters at most camping and sporting goods stores. When choosing your gaiters, look for ones that extend to your knee–short gaiters that only cover the top of your boots are not recommended.

We recommend that all students come to Costa Rica with a minimum of $200 in U.S. dollars. While all food, lodging and transportation are provided as part of course tuition, all students are responsible for the international airport exit tax ($28 per passenger), personal purchases such as souvenirs and all incidental expenses. As it is hard for local vendors to make change for large bills, we recommend that spending money be in denominations of $20.

Please note that students will not be allowed to have any personal valuables with them while on course. This includes all wallets, passports, watches/cell phones, credit cards and cash. We have this policy, in part, to ensure students do not accidently misplace or lose these important items. The only exception to this policy is when students visit a local artisan market where they will be able to purchase keepsakes and souvenirs.

There are three ways to pay for the course: Visa Credit Card, personal or cashiers check, or wire transfer. We do NOT accept money orders. For complete payment instructions, please view our Payment Information page.

Costa Rica is a stable, functioning democracy and generally considered to be a very safe country. Most of the existing crime tends to be opportunistic (pick-pocketing and mugging) and general occurs in the larger cities at night.

Students are never left unattended in metropolitan areas and do not carry their valuables during the course, so it is highly unlikely that any student would be a victim of a crime.

Travel insurance is not required to come to Costa Rica or to participate in a Outward Bound Costa Rica course, but it is recommended. Many insurance companies offer short-term policies to cover the specific dates of travel. Most of these policies can be purchased instantly online. In addition to medical expenses, some travel insurance policies cover expenses such as lost luggage or cancelled flights.

We highly recommend that all families contact their insurance company to request information about international coverage. If you do decide to purchase travel insurance, please read the fine print. Many policies do not cover injuries sustained during adventure activities.

Outward Bound Costa Rica’s only requirement is a Tetanus vaccination. Other than that, there are no required inoculations to enter Costa Rica, but it is a good idea to check with your physician for recommendations of optional inoculations and health precautions.

All food and water which students access during their course is safe and clean. At our main rainforest base facility it is safe to drink water from the tap. While on course, students are directed to safe water sources by their instructors. All food at our main rainforest base is safely prepared and thoroughly cooked by our cooking staff. On course, students carry food with them and prepare it as a group under the direct supervision of their instructors.

Our staff does everything we can to ensure the that students take all required medications. To help us with this, it is vital that all students complete the medication and medical history sections of the required online enrollment form.

We request that you submit your online enrollment form as early as possible to ensure our team can contact you with additional information or requests for clarification or further details.

Note: All students are asked to bring extra supplies of all prescription medication in the event some is lost or damaged while on course. Instructors hold and distribute students’ oral medication for the duration of the course.

Every Outward Bound Costa Rica instructor is required to have training and certification in several areas–-both general training and training specific to their areas of expertise. For a description of the various certifications our instructors have, please visit the Safety tab on our: About Us page.

Our standard open enrollment courses are designed for a maximum of 15 students. Generally, courses range from 6-12 students. The number of students on a custom course can vary depending on the needs of the group.

Our open enrollment courses have minimum age standards specified in the course description, though we do not enforce any age maximums. We encourage diversity within all of our courses and make no effort to separate students based upon age or any other factor.

Yes. To find course updates, visit our Facebook fan page!

We provide weekly–if not more frequent–updates. Whenever possible, we include photos of the group along with brief anecdotes about their experience. We ask that you please understand most groups spend the vast majority of their experience away from our main rainforest base facility. Thus, we are not able to upload any photos of their experience until they return from their adventures.

The short answer is “it depends.” For the long answer, please visit our Contact Us page. The tabs here include a wealth of information about contacting a student on course, tracking course updates and reaching our office in the event of an emergency. Please contact our office if you have further questions. We’re happy to help clarify.

No. We welcome ALL levels of surfers into our courses – even if you’ve never been on a surfboard in your life.

Bringing something for the homestay families is both welcome and culturally acceptable, but not necessary.

Keep in mind that our homestay families live in some of the most remote parts of Costa Rica. Students generally hike about three days before arriving. If you would like to personally bring something to the families, please keep in mind that you will be taking it in your backpack.

If you would like to bring something for the families, we suggest one or more of the following items:

• School supplies
• Children’s books (in English or Spanish)
• Colored markers
• Soccer balls
• Hard candy
• Educational or youth-appropriate DVDs

Outward Bound Costa Rica has been a member of the global Outward Bound International network since 1997. All Outward Bound schools are connected through this parent organization, but each operates independently. Thus, each school may develop unique programs designed to better meet the needs of their students or based upon local geography. For example, Outward Bound Costa Rica is the only OB school to offer surfing.

For more information on Outward Bound International, visit their site.