Educational Activities
Animal Rescue Centers
In Costa Rica the wellbeing of the animals are not only a concern of the government, that’s why there are a great number of rescue centers along the country. In this centers visitors can see animals that have been rescued and carried to that center with a truly intention of reintegrate them to their natural habitat, among them wild felines, crocodiles, snakes, wild birds and some other mammals as primates and deers. Also there are animal that can’t be reintegrated and have to stay the rest of their lives in captivity.ss.
Biological Reserves
Costa Rica is home to many wildlife sanctuaries, biological reserves and protected areas that are used for scientific and research purposes as well as the safeguarding of wildlife species that are endemic, threatened or near extinct.
The biggest difference between national parks and reserves is that the community and conservationist groups maintain the land of reserves.
School Visits
While visiting Costa Rica you may have the time to visit a public school, a great opportunity to learn about our educational system personal and close! Have some time to practice your Spanish with local kids and make a real “tico” connection. We also can organize in advance volunteer programs where you can work in different projects according to the school needs.
Many of our rural schools need all kinds of improvements in theirs infrastructures and facilities. At the end of the visit we normally celebrate with a “piñata” or some local snack with the children and of course we organize a pickup game! This is a really unique and pura vida experience that we hope we can make it happen for you!
Community Rural Tourism
Costa Rica has invested more than 50 years in rural development, as well as the rural communities have struggled more than 500 years in order to defend their identity and claim the right to development and equity. All these years of efforts are capitalized today into new initiatives for the endogenous enhancement of the local economies.
Community Rural Tourism is one of the initiatives that, little by little, has represented an important means of development for those rural communities potentially capable of competing with other high quality attraction sites. The rural world is therefore kaleidoscopically unique as for assets, history, nature, talents, and hopes. This is the meaning of community rural tourism, an authentic tourist product impossible to imitate, an important tool for the development of the communities and the enhancement of the Costa Rican identity.
Home Stays
While most Costa Ricans live in or near urban centers today, the vast majority of the nation’s landscape that is not forested is being utilized for agriculture. Much of this land is owned by local farmers who are humble and hard working and are perhaps the best representatives of true Costa Rican culture. At Sun Tours we are pleased to present a new program of rural home stays whereby visitors can get an authentic view of Costa Ricans and their ways of living, while also helping to support them as a part of our efforts to foster more sustainable tourism. By staying in homes of local families, enjoying home-made meals, and even participating in daily activities (if they so desire), visitors will experience much of our culture.
At present, we offer home stays in two regions:
In La Trinidad de Dota, visitors will enjoy the cool mountain air of a community perched over 5000 ft. in elevation in mountains about 25 miles south of the capital city of San José. Here country life revolves around farming activities of producing blackberries, milking cows and producing other products of mid elevation farms.
In El Roble de Sarapiquí, visitors will experience life in a lowland community close to the famed rainforests of La Selva (which is research forest most renowned among vacationing visitors for having over half of all bird species in the country and abundant, easily seen wildlife). This warm and humid region’s farms produce typical lowland “tropical” crops of bananas, plantains (large, robust types of bananas that are usually cooked), beef cattle, and lately, increasing numbers of large commercial plantations of pineapples.