Discover the natural beauty of Costa Rica on Eco-Quest, then continue on to explore the ancient beauty of Italy & Slovenia. Spend a full four weeks of summer travel with BBYO Passport.

PART 1 / Eco-Quest Costa Rica

Join teens from around the world and head for the cloud forests of Costa Rica to explore a country rich in bio-diversity, culture and plenty of adventure.

Eco-Quest Costa Rica is a two-week teen travel experience that combines outdoor touring, a Costa Rican approach to sustainable living, and opportunities for peer-to-peer connections with local teens.

• Looking for adventure? Hike on an active volcano, zip-line over a rainforest, snorkel on a tropical beach, raft down a raging river, swim under a waterfall, relax in thermal hot-springs, and go on a night safari. Costa Rica is a stunningly beautiful country that is lush with colorful plants, rare animals, and endless opportunities for outdoors exploration.
  
• Living in harmony with nature. Although Costa Rica is a very small country, it contains more biodiversity than America or Europe! On Eco-Quest, we will learn about Costa Rica's unique approach to sustainable living. Spend the weekend on a "Costa Rican-style kibbutz", explore an organic coffee plantation, and eat deliciously fresh food at every stop along the way.
  
• Building cross-cultural connections. Costa Rica is a very friendly country. So friendly, it is one of the only countries in the world with no army at all. Spend an afternoon getting to know fellow teens from a local high school, celebrate Shabbat with the Jewish community of San Jose, and leave your mark through a series of service projects.
  

As a BBYO Passport experience, Eco-Quest is also an opportunity to explore your Jewish identity through the lens of life in Costa Rica. Delve into the meaning of being "eco-kosher", fulfill the Jewish value of Tikun Olam (fixing the planet), and celebrate two very memorable Shabbats.

PART 2 / Euro-Quest Mediterranean

Join us as we travel along the breathtakingly beautiful Mediterranean coast of Italy to the source of Western Civilization. Euro-Quest Mediterranean is a two-week teen travel experience that visits world-famous sites like the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel, the leaning Tower of Pisa, the canals of Venice, the Vatican, and Michelangelo's David sculpture.

Along the way, we walk in the footsteps of history in ancient Rome, explore the picturesque Tuscan countryside, hike in the Italian Alps, relax on the Mediterranean coast, and raft in the back-country of neighboring Slovenia. Of course, we also make time to enjoy the delicious local Italian cuisine.

As a BBYO Passport experience, Euro-Quest Mediterranean is also about connecting with the unique history of the Jewish People in Italy. We visit centuries-old synagogues, spend a special Shabbat with the Jewish communities of Venice and Rome, and learn about the original ghetto of Venice and what it stood for.

Euro-Quest Mediterranean is a well-balanced combination of must-see touring, eye-opening Jewish experiences, and a unique opportunity to forge friendships with teens from around the world in beautiful land.

WEEK #1 / Cloud Forests & Volcanoes!
Land in San Jose and get acclimated to Costa Rican society by visiting with a local high school. We then head up to the highlands of the Monteverde cloud forests where we will search for exotic animals and fly high above the canopy forests on a world-renowned zip-line course. From Monteverde we set off for Arenal, a volcano so active that bright red flowing lava is visible most nights. This region of Costa Rica is especially beautiful, and we will explore it on horseback, on foot, and in the water. Our first week caps off with a visit to Ranch Margot, a small Costa Rican agricultural community that can best be described as a "Costa Rican kibbutz". Here we will celebrate a unique Shabbat with yoga, community-building, and well deserved relaxation time.

WEEK #2 / Pacific Coast, River Rafting & San Jose
Our second week in Costa Rica begins descending from the mountains and heading to the Pacific coast where we snorkel, ocean kayak, and enjoy a beautiful sunset over the open ocean. From the Pacific we head back up into the highlands for a white-water rafting adventure on the raging Pacuare River and a tour of a local organic coffee plantation. The Eco-Quest experience wraps up where it started in San Jose, Costa Rica's capital. Here we will take part in a service project and spend Shabbat with the local Jewish community and learn about their history and special place in Costa Rican society.

WEEK #3 / Milan, the Alps & Venice
Land in Milan and the journey begins in stylish Milan before heading north to the Italian Alps and the Borromeo Palace in the middle of Lake Maggiore. We continue eastwards to Verona - home of Romeo & Juliet - and then on to Venice where we will travel the canals by gondola and spend a special Shabbat in the historic Jewish Ghetto district.

WEEK #4 / Florence, Pisa & Rome
Week two begins with a side trip to neighboring Slovenia where we raft down the Soca River through some of Europe's most beautiful terrain. We then head due south to the Tuscan countryside and onto Florence and Pisa where we will climb a certain leaning tower. We conclude our experience in Rome, a city that is both ancient and stunningly modern, with visits to the Coliseum, the Pantheon, the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, and much more.

Program Package

• Airport pick-up & drop-off in San Jose, Costa Rica. Participants are responsible for arranging own transportation to/from Costa Rica. An optional chaperoned group flight from New York or Miami is available.
• Round-trip flights to Europe from NYC, with an overnight stay in NYC between programs
• Accommodations (hotels and country lodging)
• All meals (kosher or vegetarian/allowance)
• Activities & entrance fees
• Deluxe motorcoach
• Dynamic staff team
• Medical insurance (excludes pre-existing conditions)

Trip Links

• Costa RIca Program Itinerary
• Euro-Quest Mediterranean Program Itinerary
• Pre-Trip Prep Costa Rica 2011
• Pre-Trip Prep Europe 2011
• Register Now for Eco-Quest Costa Rica + Euro-Quest Mediterranean

As a connected experience, this program combines two travel experiences in one of the following two ways:

• Euro-Quest Mediterranean #1 + Eco-Quest Costa Rica #2
• Eco-Quest Costa Rica #2 + Euro-Quest Mediterranean #2
  

The program tuition for Eco-Quest Costa Rica + Euro-Quest Mediterranean does not include flights to Costa Rica. For travel to Costa Rica, participants can choose to either book a ticket on a staff supervised flight or make their own arrangements on the airline of their choice:

OPTION #1 / Purchase Your Own Ticket on a Supervised Flight
An optional supervised flight is available from New York and Miami. Participants are responsible for booking seats on the supervised flights on their own from their home city 

OPTION #2 / Meet in Costa Rica
Alternatively, for those participants who wish to make their own flight arrangements to San Jose, Costa Rica on a separate airline, they will be met personally upon arrival and escorted back to the airport for their return flight at no additional cost.

For more details, please review the 2012 Pre-Trip Flight Info:
Eco-Quest Costa Rica 2

As a connected experience, participating in this program actually means combining two separate experiences (either Eco-Quest Costa Rica or Euro-Quest Mediterranean first - either order can be accommodated). Participants connecting Eco-Quest Central America # 2 first with Euro-Quest Mediterranean #2 second, should book their return to New York, where they will be met by BBYO Passport staff and supervised overnight at a hotel nearby. They will then return to the airport the next day to meet up with the rest of the group for program orientation and departure. The overnight in the NYC area gives teens a break between travel experiences.