Activities
We encourage you to participate in the many activities available in the San Luis and Monteverde areas during your stay at UGA Costa Rica. Activities vary widely to include adventurous outdoor exeriences, educational lectures, and even home stays with a Costa Rican family! Please remember to stay on the trails (whether on our campus or in one of the local reserves) as this helps to minimize both your impact on the environment and your risk of injury.
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Activities Included in Daily Rate - Outdoor
Our Campus is an ideal environment for research and recreational hikes. It includes 52 hectares (123 acres) of forest and a network of aproximately 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) of maintained trails as well as a beautiful Botanical Garden, sustainable farm, and educational resources. Please inquire with Reception for logistics.
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| UGA CR campus tour | Get to know our campus while hearing about UGA Costa Rica and its history, sustainability goals, read more... |
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| Guided Natural History Hike | Discover the natural history of the area with one of our trained naturalist guides. Allow read more... |
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| Bird Watching | Observe the birds of San Luis in their habitat, and learn their natural history and behavior. |
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| Night Hike | Join our naturalists for a walk in the dark forest. Learn about nocturnal species and behavior, read more... |
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| Botanical Garden | Explore our gardens and forest trails. Learn about our reforestation project, common edible read more... |
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| Milk Cows | Try your hand at milking our cows… then enjoy the milk in your coffee at breakfast! Begins at read more... |
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| Specialized Natural History Hike | Tailor a guided hike to your area of interest, including plant and bird identification, read more... |
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| Assist Field Researchers | Participate in an ongoing research project… A great chance to meet our researchers and learn read more... |
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Activities Included in Daily Rate - Talks & Workshops
Our lectures and workshops are given by staff, visiting faculty, or researchers. The following activities are free for guests and students. Additional fees apply for day visitors. Availability of each talk or workshop is subject to change. Please inquire with Reception or contact the Academic Programs Manager for more information.
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| Orientation & Introduction | General introduction to Costa Rica, San Luis and the UGA CR campus. Allow 30-60 minutes |
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| Introduction to the Monteverde cloud forest (film) | An excellent introduction to cloud forest ecology and biodiversity, as well as Monteverde history read more... |
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| Introduction to the Birds of San Luis | Learn how to identify the birds of San Luis. A great introduction for beginning birders and those read more... |
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| Insect-O-Rama! | Learn about the wonders of insect biodiversity, behavior and general classification. Try your read more... |
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| Plant-O-Rama! | Dive into the world of tropical plants! Participants will learn about the diversity, common read more... |
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| Carbon Offset Program & The Bellbird Biological Corridor Lecture | Learn how UGA Costa Rica is working to reforrest the Bellbird Biological Corridor and contribute read more... |
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| Introduction to Costa Rican History and Culture | Allow 1 hour. |
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| Ecotourism as a Tool for Conservation | Learn how ecotourism has provided an opportunity to use tropical forests sustainably. Allow 1 read more... |
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| Plant Communities of Costa Rica | Learn about the major plant communities of Costa Rica. Natural history, biogeography and read more... |
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| Current Research at UGA CR | Topics will vary depending on researcher availability. Allow 1 hour. |
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| Dance Workshop | Learn the essentials of Latin dance, including meringue, cumbia, and salsa! Allow 1 to 2 hours. read more... |
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Activities Not Included in Daily Rate - Monteverde
Take advantage of all the Monteverde region has to offer from your home base at UGA Costa Rica. All of the activities in this section require transportation; allotted time does not include travel time. Inquire at Reception or contact the Academic Programs Manager for more information.
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| Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | $17/person | First and most-visited reserve in Monteverde. Well-maintained trails of varying lengths offer a read more... |
| Santa Elena Reserve | $15/person | This unique cloud forest reserve is owned and operated by students at the local high school. read more... |
| Suspended Canopy Bridges | $Please inquire for pricing | Experience the cloud forest from a bird’s eye view! Suspended canopy bridges allow a view of read more... |
| “Zipline” Canopy Tour | $Please inquire for pricing | Fly through the forest canopy on a zipline adventure! Allow aproximately 3 hours. |
| Frog Pond / Ranario | $Please inquire for pricing | This guided tour includes exhibits of live frogs from throughout the Costa Rica and Central read more... |
| Serpentarium | $Please inquire for pricing | Guided tour of 40 reptile species. Allow approximately 1 hour. |
| Butterfly Garden | $Please inquire for pricing | Highly recommended! Guided tour of butterfly gardens representing four unique tropical habitats. read more... |
| Monteverde Cheese Factory | $Please inquire for pricing | Get a close-up look at the cheese making process. Includes cheese sampling and a presentation on read more... |
| Monteverde TrainForest | $Please inquire for pricing | Travel through the cloud forest on this railroad adventure. Keep an eye out for rare glimpses of read more... |
| Aerial Tram | $Please inquire for pricing | This trip in an aerial carriage takes passengers through secondary forest and thematic gardens, read more... |
| Horseback Riding | $Please inquire for pricing | Enjoy the natural beauty of Monteverde on horseback! A variety of tour options are available. read more... |
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Activities Not Included in Daily Rate - San Luis
Explore the delightful community of San Luis and learn how to cook a traditional Costa Rican meal, tour a sustainable coffee farm, or visit the stunning San Luis Waterfall. All activities in this section require reservations; some require translation. Please inquire with Reception or contact the Academic Programs Manager for more information. progcr@uga.edu
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| San Luis Waterfall Hike | $8.50/person | A challenging 4-km hike along trails and up the San Luis River to this 100-meter waterfall (one read more... |
| Carbon Offset Program | $25/person | Minimize your carbon footprint by having trees planted, or plant them yourself! Includes an read more... |
| Café San Luis coffee tour | $5.50/person | Visit El Cafetal, a small, sustainable neighboring coffee farm. You’ll learn about how coffee is read more... |
| Finca La Bella Coffee & Sustainable Farm Tour | $5.50/person | Visit a small, sustainable neighboring farm where coffee, sugarcane, and other crops are grown. read more... |
| Cooking with local family | $6.50/person | Prepare Costa Rican specialties in the home of a local family. You’ll learn a typical recipe, read more... |
| EcoBambú paper recycling center | $4.50/person | Learn how this community-based paper recycling project got started. Get a first-hand look at the read more... |
| Cultural Activity: Fiesta wtih live marimba music | $please inquire for pricing | Enjoy live music from a local marimba band and practice your moves from the Dance Workshop, while read more... |
| Cultural Activity: Other | $Prices Vary | Get to know the locals in one of the following activities here in San Luis. Options include read more... |
| Homestay | $17/person | Immerse yourself in Costa Rican culture by staying with a host family in the San Luis community. read more... |
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Activities Not Included in Daily Rate - Talks
Attend lectures on a wide variety of topics to gain a deeper understanding of Costa Rica and its rich diversity. Talks may require travel and/or translation. All talks are subject to availability of the guest speaker. Please inquire with Reception or contact the Academic Programs Manager for more information.
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| Principles of Fair Trade Coffee Production | $80 | Learn how farmers organize to produce coffee within a sustainable, fair-trade framework. Guest read more... |
| Natural History of the Three-wattled Bellbird | $100 | Discover the natural history of this unique, endangered species, and learn about the efforts read more... |
| Cloud Forest Amphibians: Perspectives on Frog Declines in Monteverde and Worlwide | $100 | Take a broad look at frog declines worldwide, with special emphasis on the Monteverde read more... |
| Introduction to the Natural History of Frog Calls | $100 | A fantastic introduction to frogs and their unique calls. Guest Speaker: Mark Wainwright, read more... |
| Biodiversity and Conservation in Monteverde | $100 | An excellent introduction to the area’s history, biodiversity, and current conservation read more... |
| History of Conservation in Monteverde | $80 | One of the pioneers of conservation in Monteverde discusses its inception and development. Guest read more... |
| History of San Luis | $50 | Discussion of the settlement and evolution of the San Luis community since the 1930s. Guest read more... |
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