This year we are offering 2 weeks of camp:

Week 1 ARENAL: June 30 - July 4
Week 2 ARENAL: July 7-11

Our curriculum is designed to be enjoyed as a one-week experience. However, many of our families like to stay longer, so you can sign up for multiple weeks. If your child will be joining us for two weeks we will try to diversify the learning experience by changing their pod so that they can explore a different project, but we can not guarantee this until we know the ages and numbers of children participating in any given week.

We provide a light breakfast snack! Some items on the menu are granola, fruit, muffins, yogurt, etc.

Yes! We provide a fresh hot lunch Monday-Friday and menu items are based on a typical Latin American diet, like rice, beans, meat and vegetables.

We can accommodate most food restrictions, like vegetarian, nut free, dairy free, gluten free, pork free, etc. If your child has allergies, please note them during registration. If they are a picky eater or have extreme dietary needs that we can not meet, they are welcome to bring a snack and lunch that they will enjoy.

Yes, all campers must upload proof of travel/medical insurance in advance of arriving at camp. This safeguards your child should they experience a major medical incident or need to be evacuated. Once you have signed up for Camp Pura Vida you will receive access to our planning guide which provides a couple of options for purchasing insurance. Once you have purchased your travel medical insurance policy, or if you already have a policy, you can simply upload proof in the supplementary forms section of our registration portal.

Yes, we do! You can hold your child’s space at camp with a deposit of $200, then pay the remaining balance in monthly payments. The remaining balance must be paid by May, 2025.

We provide a 5% sibling or multi-week discount, and early bird discounts. If you book in September or October you get a discount of $200 off. If you book by December 31, 2025 you receive $100 off.

You can fly in and out of two airports:

SJO - Juan Santamaría International Airport
San Jose Airport is the largest international airport in the country. It is about 3 hours from Arenal. If you are exploring other areas of the country, like the Caribbean coast, this airport is ideal for its central location and will also have the cheapest flights.

LIR - Juan Santamaría International Airport
Liberia airport also equidistant to Arenal at 2-3 hours drive . Flights to this airport can be significantly more expensive than flying into San Jose airport.

Yes. Our on-the-ground travel logistics partner in Costa Rica will assist you with all of your lodging and transfer needs. Their team has hand selected an array of local hotels and rental options in the Arenal area and can help you find the right accommodations for your family.

Yes we do! Our school bus can provide transportation to and from camp at an additional cost.

Please note that we have specific routes for pick up and drop off and there are limitations to the places that we can stop (eg. the large bus can not enter small streets or gated communities so you will need to walk or drive your child to the nearest bus pick up point). If you book at one of our approved hotels we can provide you with pick up or drop off. If you opt to book your own lodging, please confer with our Travel Concierge to confirm that your lodging is on the pick up route or be prepared to drop your kid(s) off at camp daily.

The cost for this service varies depending on the number of children utilizing the service and ranges between $25-50 for the week.

You can expect a maximum of 30-40 kids at camp per week.

Campers are divided into pods based on their age and we staff according to the following ratios:

Kinder/1st 1:8
Elementary 1:12
Middle School 1:15

In the past, we have been able to accommodate either way–if they close in age and prefer to be placed in the same pod, we can make that arrangement. Or if you prefer for your children to be separated, we can also make that happen as well as long as there are enough kids to warrant multiple same age pods.

Much like school, we ask that you DO NOT bring your child to camp if they are ill or have symptoms of illness. We try to keep a safe and healthy environment for our campers, families, and staff and appreciate your support in this matter.

Yes! Costa Rica has a pretty sophisticated medical system and care is relatively affordable compared to the US and can be paid by cash or credit card. However, we do require every child to have medical travel insurance as a back up. There are good pharmacies, clinics and hospitals nearby to where we hold camp.