Costa Rica 2024- Travel Sparq Inc.

On July 5th, Travel Sparq's pioneering group of students and chaperones embarked on a unique journey to Costa Rica, with a brief, unexpected stop in Nicaragua due to weather conditions in San Jose. Our adventure in the land of waterfalls began with a few days in San Jose, where we savored coffee straight from the farm and encountered exotic wildlife such as toucans and sloths.
On the 8th, we set sail on a boat journey to the remote Pacuare sea turtle conservation. The week spent there was a transformative experience for our students, a true test of their mental strength. Despite homesickness and bug bites, they persevered and were rewarded with the unique opportunity to work with sea turtles. The magic of releasing the hatchlings into the ocean was a testament to their resilience. Patrolling the beaches at night to protect nesting female turtles gave us a profound sense of purpose on the dark, humid nights.
On the 15th, we waved goodbye to our new friends at the conservation (the research assistants, other volunteers, and dozens of un-hatched turtle nests) and set off for paradise! Puerto Viejo sits on the Caribbean coast in southern Costa Rica; tourists and locals agree it is "the place" to chill on the beach! We visited a jaguar rescue, toured the bay on a boat, hiked in Cauita National Park, learned the basic dance steps of the Salsa and Bachata, and experienced a Caribbean cooking class! And SOMEHOW, we still found time to relax at the beach, do a little souvenir shopping, and eat at some incredible restaurants!
This trip was designed to push comfort zones and alter both world and self-perspectives. This video is a glimpse of what we saw, heard, and learned that "sparqed" the seed for change and continued discovery! We are immensely grateful to our donors and supporters for making this life-changing experience possible for our students. For more information on how to support future trips, eligibility requirements, specific student results, upcoming trips, and more, visit our website or socials!