Adventures Cross Country: Costa Rica/Belize Blue Water Adventure Program Overview & Recommendation

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Choice Camps Recommendation of Adventures Cross Country: Costa Rica/Belize Blue Water Adventure

Since 1983, Adventures Cross Country has provided students with unique and unforgettable service, language, leadership, and blue water adventures. With destinations all over the world, ARCC students embark on intimate, authentic encounters with the people, cultures, and lands they visit. ARCC groups are co-ed and generally comprised of 8-15 participants of comparable age.

Travelers should not expect a catered vacation – students are involved in all aspects of the group’s adventure from cooking and cleaning to teaching classes and leading the group. Participants will occasionally wake up at dawn and may not have access to showers on a daily basis. Students, however, can expect a life-changing adventure to the world’s most beautiful, exciting, and enriching places. Most importantly, the ideal ARCC participant is looking for a challenging adventure within a fun, supportive, small group atmosphere where curiosity and exploration thrive.

Trip Description

Sample the tranquil life of two tropical nations celebrated for their verdant protected lands, stunning coastlines and vibrant culture. SCUBA dive Belize’s alluring and mysterious underwater walls, snorkel crystalline atolls, and come face to face with schools of brightly colored fish. Reside in your very own tropical island paradise. Anchor a sailboat in a crystal clear lagoon of a deserted Caribbean island, and plunge down the lush Costa Rican slopes in whitewater rafts. Surf an unforgettable coastline. Follow in the footsteps of the ancient Mayans, listen to the music of the marimbas, and delight in the wild abundance of these two extraordinary countries.

Trip Highlights Include:
• Earn SCUBA Diving Certification on Belize’s Barrier Reef
• Stay on Your Own Private Tropical Island
• Surf the Waves of the Pacific Coast
• Sail Amongst Deserted Caribbean Islands
• Raft Costa Rica’s Pacuare River
• Explore Waterfalls and Swimming Holes
• Spend the Night at a Jungle Lodge in the Rainforest
• Classes Cultural Sensitivity, Marine Biology & Expedition Behavior

Staff Overview

Ranging from 21-32 years old, Adventures Cross Country leaders have extensive experience in team leading, adventure travel, marine biology, service, and language. Each ARCC program is led by one male and one female leader as well as local guides in many foreign countries. Trip leaders also enlist the help of local experts during adventure activities such as rafting, rock climbing, sailing, and SCUBA diving to ensure the highest level of instruction and safety.

Prior to departure, all trip leaders are required to attend a nine day intensive staff training session which focuses on safety, group dynamics, logistics, communications, protocols, and emergency procedures. ARCC boasts an impressive 50% staff retention rate which speaks to the quality of the program and instruction.

Setting & Accommodations

Lodging varies by program and location. Some adventures stay in small hotels, hostels, or on sailboats. Other programs spend nights in dome tents on a beach, alongside a mountain trail, or next to a river. Many adventures, especially those traveling through remote areas, combine camping with stays in small hostels and hotels.

Like lodging, food varies by program and location. Depending on the program, the group may be cooking their own meals or eating in restaurants. Many trips can expect a combination of the two. Even in remote locations, ARCC can accommodate vegetarian and most dietary restrictions.

Safety Standards

Adventures Cross Country boasts an impeccable safety record – in more than 27 years of operation, no ARCC student has suffered an injury requiring an overnight hospital stay.

Each ARCC leader has a minimum of 80 hours of training in Emergency Wilderness Medicine and many leaders are Emergency Medical Technicians with over 120 hours of emergency medical training.