Catalog Tour · Costa Rica

Gandoca Sea Turtle Project

The Gandoca Sea Turtle Project is built around a single, concrete purpose: students travel to one of Costa Rica's most biologically significant coastlines to assist with active sea turtle conservation research. Four nights are spent in dormitory-style housing at Gandoca, not a hotel, which signals immediately that this is a working trip. Students join researchers in the field, patrolling beaches after dark to monitor nesting leatherback and green sea turtles, recording data, and supporting the protection of nests from poaching and predation. The service component is not a half-day add-on — it is the spine of the itinerary, and the days in Gandoca reflect that.

Duration10 days · 9 nights

CountriesCosta Rica

Cities4 stops

Group size6 – 80+ travelers

Best fitService-learning

What makes us different

City-center hotels
Authentic local meals
Career Tour Directors
5.0★ on Trustpilot
Family-owned since 1992

Destination guide: San Jose →

Arrival San José

Arrival transfer

Dinner

Overnight

At a glance

Days10

Nights9

Countries1

Cities4

OvernightsSan José 1, Gandoca 4, Tortuguero National Park 2, Arenal Volcano area 1, San José 1

MealsAll breakfasts & dinners

Best fit for

Service-learning

Curriculum fit

Analyze the nesting behavior and conservation status of leatherback and green sea turtles along Costa Rica's Caribbean coast at Gandoca.
Evaluate the ecological role of Tortuguero National Park's canal and rainforest systems in supporting marine and terrestrial biodiversity.
Examine the relationship between local communities, anti-poaching efforts, and long-term sea turtle population data collected at Gandoca.
Compare the volcanic and lowland rainforest ecosystems encountered at Arenal and Tortuguero with the coastal habitat studied at Gandoca.
Construct an evidence-based argument about the effectiveness of community-led conservation models using fieldwork observations from the Gandoca project.
Interpret the intersection of biodiversity policy, habitat protection, and citizen science through direct participation in active conservation research.

Drafted from the day-by-day. Use as a starting point for your syllabus.

What teachers say

Verified by teachers — two ways.

On the left, the public Trustpilot reviews any group leader can write — and any future group leader can read. On the right, quotes from the private post-tour evaluation that every group leader fills out after their trip ends. See all teacher evaluations.

Reviews on Trustpilot are public and verified. Trustpilot prohibits companies from paying to have them removed — so what teachers say here is exactly what teachers said about traveling with Passports.

Read every review on Trustpilot

Overall

“This was a great trip — we felt like we were listened to, and the kids had a great time.”

Passports post-tour evaluation · Group leader · March 2026

Overall

“All major aspects of the experience met or exceeded expectations with Passports. The flight schedule, itinerary, hotel locations and quality, bus transportation, and meals were all excellent, with strong cultural relevance throughout.”

Passports post-tour evaluation · Group leader · April 2026

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