When most people think about spring break, images of drunken teens guzzling draft in Daytona Beach nightclubs come to mind. Which begs the question, “do you come home relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to get back to work?” Nope. You come home burnt out, malnourished and embarrassed about lifting up your top for the Girls Gone Wild cameraman, who seemed a whole lot cooler when you were wasted.

Try something different this year – your parents will be proud of you. Costa Rica has everything in place for exotic spring break vacations that break the mold. Package deals range from around $300 – $800 inclusive and discounts for groups are usually offered by most tour companies. Select the Costa Rica Spring Break package that best suits you. Forget Daytona, I’m talking about rain forest canopy tours, snorkeling with tropical fish, swimming under waterfalls, hiking to active volcanoes, and my personal favorite: surfing perfect waves! All this in one week. Believe it or not it’s possible and not only that, it’s easier to plan and book your trip than ever. Costa Rica has an established eco-tourism industry with exotic spring break vacations already packaged and ready to go. Try Vacation City, Witch’s Rock Surf Camp, Sun Splash Tours just to name a few.

Start getting stoked to catch your first wave in the surfer’s paradise of Tamarindo, hike to the breathtaking Arenal Volcano, the heavenly Monteverde Cloud Forest, and finish with a visit to the pristine rain forest beach of Manuel Antonio. Costa Rica is an incredibly bio-diverse country, and on your travels you can expect to see giant turtles, crocodiles, howler monkeys, iguanas, dolphins, parrots, and maybe even a giant sloth if you’re lucky. Costa Rica has established numerous protected areas throughout the country, so you can enjoy the wildlife and feel good that these beautiful and exotic animals will be around for future generations. The sheer natural beauty of Costa Rica’s pristine landscapes, bio-diverse wildlife, and its native people (tico’s) culture, still remains unspoiled and sets the stage for spring break travelers who appreciate nature.

Have you always wanted to learn to surf? Costa Rica’s sand bottom beaches are some of the most consistent in the world. You are pretty much guaranteed to get waves during the march break surf season, and your surf instructors have it down to a science. Experienced surf camp operators like Witch’s Rock Surf Camp will provide everything you need – surfboards, leashes, rash guards, waterproof sunscreen and the best instruction available. Even get pictures or video of you and your friends “ripping” on your spring break surf trip to bring home to your friends and family.

The best part of the whole experience is that Costa Rica is a very safe country to travel in. You get the benefit of being escorted on your entire trip with pickup from the airport in Liberia or San Jose. From there you will be shuttled to your exotic locations for the next week. Your accommodations, travel from place to place, and adventure tour packages are already part of the package. Your tour guides have the local knowledge to take you to the best places and local hot-spots and events, while keeping you out of harms way at the same time. Costa Rica is the ultimate exotic locale with its blend of culture, adventure and beauty.