Costa Rica is the perfect playground. Trek through dense jungles, raft world-class rapids, journey on horseback through cloud forest, surf the waves on the Caribbean side, sea kayak pristine Pacific coastline and hike below howler monkeys playing in the trees. Over one fourth of Costa Rica is protected by a national park system, preserving twelve "life zones" that are home to an astounding abundance of plant and animal life. Come prepared for unspoiled adventure and exploration.

To enhance our experience, local naturalists join us to reveal the secrets of the complex ecosystems we explore. Their expertise and knowledge is critical to understanding the unique regions we visit. They also offer us a good chance to practice a little Spanish! Without these guides, we'd pass by some of the coolest stuff on the trip without even knowing what we missed.

In the cloud forest, explore a misty, Pre-Jurassic world shrouded in the bromeliads, orchids and mosses that thrive in the canopy. Camp in the shadow of an active volcano. Glide above the trees on a zip line for a bird's eye view of amazing scenery and wildlife. On the Pacific coast, embark on a three-day sea kayaking voyage. Hone your paddling skills, play in lagoons, swim in waterfalls and camp on remote beaches. Along the way check out toucans, spider monkeys, flying fish and, if we're lucky, a sea turtle, dolphin or whale.

On route to the Caribbean coast, we spend several exhilarating days on two world-class rivers. Our first run is the Pacuare, a great river to build paddling skills — read the river, develop paddling techniques and work as a team to navigate the rapids. From our base camp on the river's edge, we hike into virgin rainforest. Confident and eager for more, we set out on our second run, the Pascua section of the Reventazon River. Using the skills we've learned, we blast down this spectacular section of whitewater. Energized, we turn our attention to taking on the ocean during a two-day surfing safari.

During our journey, we take two days to participate in a community service project. The project changes every year depending on current needs. Past projects include riverbank rehabilitation, reforestation work, painting school classrooms and construction of village playgrounds. Take a break to play soccer with local kids or sample a traditional Costa Rican meal. As we contribute, our appreciation of fragile ecosystems and native customs grows.