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Costa Rica Marine Gap Year Programme

Quepos + Manuel National Park

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Itinerary Options

What's included?
Let's go

Looking for more flexible dates?See our current dates

Let us know your details below and we'll be in touch with options?

Depart

Itinerary Options

What's included?
Let's go

Looking for more flexible dates?See our current dates

Let us know your details below and we'll be in touch with options?

Help regenerate coral reefs

Whilst learning to scuba dive, speak Spanish and a few yoga poses.

Discover a world of adventure and learning with our action-packed 3-week programme. Dive into an unforgettable experience that combines scuba diving, Spanish language immersion, yoga practice, and thrilling outdoor adventures.

Begin your journey by mastering scuba diving, from beginner to advanced levels, enabling you to contribute to vital coral regeneration projects. Enhance your language skills with Spanish lessons, perfect your yoga poses, and prepare to explore the enchanting Manuel Antonio National Park. Feel the rush of adrenaline with pre-departure, making every moment of your trip exhilarating.

Your base will be the charming harbour town of Quepos, nestled on the Pacific Coast just two hours from San Jose. This picturesque location, under the lush canopy of Manuel Antonio, offers quick access to the national park's pristine white beaches and the vibrant mangrove estuary, home to caimans, monkeys, and iguanas.

Ideal for those seeking a team-oriented experience in a breathtaking setting, this gap year programme promises a dynamic blend of PADI diving courses, Spanish language sessions, yoga practice, and adventure activities over the course of three thrilling weeks.

Costa Rica Marine Gap Year Programme

Download Itinerary

Costa Rica Marine Programme Itinerary

You will be based in the hip little town of Quepos, where you will help the dynamic NGO called Marine Conservation Costa Rica, who are making a huge difference to our ocean.

The following is a sample itinerary.

Overview

Quepos

Welcome to Quepos

A tropical inlet backed by rainforest, Quepos is a pretty harbour town on the Pacific Coast, famous for being one of the best places in the world for scuba-diving and fishing as well as being the gateway to the spectacular Manuel Antonio National Park.

Manuel Antonio National Park is abundant with mangroves, lagoons and beach-lined rainforests, home to howler, white-faced and squirrel monkeys – so binos at the ready.

While you are in one of the greatest locations of Costa Rica, it is only right that you make the most of where you are on your free time at weekends - horse riding, deep sea fishing and whale watching all available. Your team leaders will be on hand to advice you when you get there.

Accommodation

Local homestays all personally chosen by Geo and Kat (our programme co-ordinators). Expect a homely, cozy vibe and they have been looking after our leapers for several years now.

Food

Breakfast and supper in the homestay.
Lunch is not included. Most volunteers eat in one of the local cafes near the dive centre.

Costa Rica Marine Gap Year Programme
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Scuba diving and coral restoration PADI Training and conservation dives

PADI training and conservation dives
The heart of this programme centers around completing your open water and advanced PADI diving courses, so you can contribute to a sustainable, and effective coral restoration project, set up by the dynamic NGO called Marine Conservation Costa Rica.

The team will teach you about the complex eco-systems and how to harvest, and replant the baby corals back on the reef.

Open water and advanced PADI
You will need to be able to dive up to advanced level to contribute to the reef programme. This is so we can guarantee you have good buoyancy techniques. Academics for both PADI courses will be conducted online, over the first couple of days in Costa Rica.

Week 1: Base training program to get students up to Advanced open water level. If you already hold these base certifications, there are options to complete buoyancy and other training instead, just let us know.

Week 2 and 3: Coral restoration dives.

Costa Rica Marine Gap Year Programme
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Spanish + Yoga Mind, Body and soul

Interwoven into your 3 weeks will be conversational Spanish and yoga lessons.

Having the basics of Spanish up your sleeve is invaluable to help you get around Central and South America, as English is not wildly spoken. Throughout the 3 weeks - informal, yet effective conversational Spanish lessons will be interwoven into the itinerary but practicing will be nonstop as you will be living with a local family who only speak very basic English.

6 lessons included

Yoga and a healthy living life style is an integral part of Costa Rican life – yoga studios, fresh smoothies and delicious food are everywhere. It doesn't matter if you have never done yoga before, you will be guided through the lessons and you will reap the benefits to help you stretch out and decompress post diving.

5 lessons included

Costa Rica Marine Gap Year Programme
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Adventure Whitewater rafting + canopy tour

White-water rafting + canopy tour

You are living right beside the world-famous Manuel Antonio National Park so the plan is to take you inside the park to experience the jungle in all its glory, seeking out thundering waterfalls, elusive wildlife and the spectacular native birds.

It is a breath-taking environment, so be prepared.

On another day you will head off to white water raft down the Savegre River, which is a grade 3 - 4 depending on the time of year. Please note this is included but entirely optional.


Costa Rica Marine Gap Year Programme
Costa Rica Marine Gap Year Programme

Did you know?

Onward travel has never been so easy

Book a programme with us and you will receive a complimentary 12 month subscription to our Backpacking Advice Hub. This Hub is your one stop shop for all things travel advice, itineraries, handy insider hints and tips to really get the most from your travels. It is a must-have resource for independent travel post-Leap.

Our teams never want to come home post-programme and often choose to add on a phase of independent travel with their new found friends - making the most of their gap year. Costa Rica is perfectly placed to add on a phase in Guatemala, Mexico and Panama.

A leap volunteer scuba diving in Costa Rica
Volunteers white water rafting in costa rica.
Accomodation in Costa Rica.
sloth in costa rica.
Quepos beach in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica's Details & Costs

We have several departures to Costa Rica throughout the year, which run independently or combine nicely with the other Costa Rica programmes.

Please note you need to be 18 years old or over at the time of travel.

Max team size of 12 per departure.

Download Itinerary

Options and costs

2024: November
Start date 7th Nov 2024

3 weeks
Scuba + Yoga + Spanish + Adventure

£3055

Book Now

Whats included?

Included
  • Access to our backpacker advice hub and gap year consultations
  • Pre-departure briefing on all aspects of the programme
  • 24-hour emergency backup, management and support by UK and in-country team
  • Safety and induction course on arrival
  • Airport transfers to and from San Jose
  • Accommodation throughout
  • Breakfast and supper
  • Leap T-shirt
  • Open water and advanced dive courses, including PADI registration worth over £700 and all conservation dives.
  • 5 yoga lessons
  • 6 Spanish lessons
  • Whitewater rafting
  • Canopy day in Manuel Antonio National Park

Please note: The Leap help co-ordinate flights

Not Included
  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Any weekend excursions
  • Lunch
  • Private airport transfer fee if you do not arrive on the main team flight

Budget:

Flights: £1000 (depending on time of year and availability)

Book Now

Request more information

Learning A New Skill

Gain your PADI Advanced and Open Water certificates, something you can use for the rest of your life.

The Bigger Picture

Be part of a flagship project doing vital work to regenerate Costa Rica's fragile coral reefs.

Bitesized Programme

At only 3 weeks long this is perfect to kick off your gap year travels, especially with the Spanish lessons - perfect if you're continuing your travels around Central/South America

Small Teams

Team sizes are usually 4-8 so great if you want a more intimate environment.

Weekends will generally be free time. There are many amazing activities to be enjoyed in and around Quepos on the beaches and National Park. Kat and Georgia will advise when you are there.

Please note

Travel at the weekend, or any of these extra activities, is at your own expense and risk. We cannot be responsible but, if anything happens, we will of course be there to assist.

Costa Rica Marine Gap Year Programme

Marine Conservation Costa Rica was founded in 2019 by Katharine Evans and Georgia King, who met in 2005 in Costa Rica. Over the years they have worked together, as scuba diving instructors and on various conservation projects.

Together they will run this program with the help of their conservation diving team and are passionate about regenerating the reefs around this coast line. They are an inspiration.



Costa Rica Marine Gap Year Programme

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"You are amazing organising it all"

How exciting for them!! - Trip of a lifetime. Inigo has been stuck at home since last March as I suppose they all have - so what a wonderful, exciting, fun and not to mention horizons broadening time they will have. You are AMAZING organising it all - I don't know how you do it. Huge thanks for everything


- Rose (mum)

"Very professional service"

I am super impressed that The Leap have been in contact at the beginning of my daughter's trip to tell me she had arrived safely. Very professional service - thanks very much!

- Abi Crampton

"​Thank you guys SOOOO much"

Thank you guys SOOOO much for the whole experience I have LOVED it all and couldn’t thank you enough for all the effort you have put into the trip my heart is so full from everything you have helped us achieve!! Enjoy your well deserved break :)

"One of my favorite memories from my trip to Costa Rica was the first time I released a baby turtle into the ocean"

I was immediately lucky because most baby turtles crawl out of their nests in the dead of night, so you don't get to enjoy the sight of seeing them walk to the water when it's so dark out.

When I saw my first baby turtle it was just before the sun went down, so it was still incredibly bright out! Watching all the babies push their little flippers against the sand as they fight to get to the water is something else. They are so excited to be alive! It's something so wonderfully inspiring that I will always remember.

- Madison

"The best experience of my life!"

Thanks to everyone involved as they have managed to make the trip a once and a life experience! I have learnt so much about the local community which will stay with me forever, this has shown that at home we are so privileged in every aspect of life and that anything we have done for the community has and could change lives. Also helping the fish community and restoring the ocean has opened my eyes.

- Niamh Anderson

"Hand on my heart it's been the experience of a life time"

I've just been having THE best time here! It's gone so quickly, but I feel like I've been here forever at the same time.

We've done a lot of work already, so I feel like we've made a big difference. Through this work we've all learnt a lot, but it's mostly given us a good sense of liberation and generally put a lot of things in perspective. And of course, we now understand how difficult it is for these communities to get just essential amenities!

But the main thing is that I am very happy with the programme, and I can put my hand on my heart when I say it's been the experience of a life time, and I can't wait to continue for the 2nd half of it!

- Peter Blake

"Grown in confidence"

I have grown in confidence from meeting new people and I have realised how much of an impact everyone could make with everyday things

- Louisa

"Team were amazing"

Thanks so much for your kind email, I am sorry that I only have just seen it now! That evening was definitely a scary shock but it has now made me so much aware about going out at night.

The Leap team were also amazing and I cannot thank Chris and Meli enough for helping me both at the hospital and then the following morning when dealing with insurance. My mum is also very, very grateful that you guys have been there to help the entire time!


- Anonymous

"Thank-you Leap! They make sure you get a taste of everything the country has to offer"

Amazing experience - couldn’t recommend more highly ! Perfect for first time backpackers but great for anyone to be honest. Highly organised trip, all the places you stay in are super unique and cool - not like places you could find travelling on your own. They know all the best places to visit and things to do, the team leaders were AMAZING super nice and knew exactly what they were doing and always eased anxiety as they were very experienced. All the people that did it were so nice and there wasn’t one person of the 15 I didn’t get on with. I honestly have made 15 new amazing friends. So super fun!! They make sure you get a taste of everything the country has to offer (in my experience the Costa Rica adventure one) it is so so fun and you also get volunteering opportunities too which are super rewarding and nice to do multiple different types during the trip. Thank-you Leap! I didn’t get homesick or anxious which is saying a lot and I can put that down to the fun, people and team leaders

- Izzy Utley

"We’re having an incredible time in Costa Rica "

I just want to quickly thank you very much for the amazing Leap trip. I honestly had the most unbelievable time and feel it is thanks to you for organising it, especially so last minute! I’ve been recommending it to all of my friends as I would do anything to do it all again. You were so kind and patient with both myself and Emma and we are truly grateful for all the help you gave us. We’re having an incredible time in Costa Rica at the moment and never want to leave!

- Clemmie

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