News Geographers Experience the Pura Vida in Costa Rica 05.11.2026

Over the half-term, 39 geographers from Years 11-Upper Sixth set off to Costa Rica to experience some of the landscapes and processes they have been studying. They were immediately whisked off to the depths of the rainforest where they were able to see the carbon and water cycles in action, while getting a tad wet in the process! The students got up close and personal with some incredible wildlife, including toucans, crocodiles and their personal 5am wake up alarms from some particularly loud howler monkeys. A visit to the local sea turtle museum and conservation area was a real highlight for many, where they were lucky enough to witness sea turtles laying their eggs on the beach before diving back into the Caribbean sea.

As well as the rainforest biome, students were able to hike up a tectonically active volcano in the Arenal region, learning about the causes and impacts of volcanoes on the region. After this, the students needed some well deserved R&R in the local geothermal hot springs – although some students did mention that it was harder to relax knowing there was a big volcano just across the road!

The students also got to grips with many key human geographical processes. They were able to witness globalisation in action during a tour of a local banana plantation and a very immersive (tasty!) cacao plantation visit where they learnt how goods cultivated in Costa Rica end up in the local London supermarket. In the Monteverde cloud forest the students were able to counteract the impacts of rainforest deforestation first hand by each planting their very own tree before they faced their fears and headed to the top of the canopy on a heart pumping treetop bridge walk.

The trip was a real cultural immersion. The students were extremely thorough in making sure they tried all the local snacks on offer and loved the traditional cooking class where we learnt how to make the traditional party food of ‘chicken and rice’. By the end of the visit every student was decked out in Costa Rican souvenirs and shouting ‘Pura Vida!’ like a real local.