Volunteering in Costa Rica - Full

Volunteer work in Costa Rica offers you the chance to make a real difference in an incredible country not far from some of Central America's best beaches and where voluntary assistance is appreciated.

By volunteering overseas in Costa Rica together with a cultural home stay with a typical Costa Rican family you can get the best of both worlds to experience and mould your visit to your own needs and interests. Our Volunteer Projects in Costa Rica are quite varied and there are a few options to choose from. The preferred two areas are: assisting at a girl's refuge : organising Art/craft activities, teaching English and helping with daily chores. Assisting at a day nursery : looking after the children aged between newborn and 7 years old, changing nappies, playing,  and helping with meals. Volunteering in Costa Rica could also throw up new opportunities once settled in and see you move from your initial base onto conservation and sea turtle projects.

Volunteers usually spend their free time with their home stay enjoying family parties, shopping and practising their Spanish. Costa Rica is a small country and most tourist sights are easily accessible, tourists are well catered for and transport links are good.  Our Volunteer work in Costa Rica is the best choice for anyone wanting to create a unique volunteer experience entirely of their own.

What's included in this programme

Pick-up from San Jose airport and transfer to family home stay not far from a local coordinator. On arrival orientation and briefing is provided on all the projects currently available. Volunteers live with families (often sharing with another volunteer or two) and spend most of their free time with the family getting to know typical Costa Rican life, language and customs.

Once introduced to your chosen placement which is usually not far away you will make your own way between Monday and Friday. Longer stay volunteers may be interested in joining coastal ecology projects for a couple of weeks or more which focus on beach cleaning, conservation education and cultural exchange.

Weekends are free (and occasional days off midweek according to schedule) to explore this small but diverse tropical country either on your own or using organised excursions arranged by the coordinator. Costa Rica is well known as one of the most straightforward and modern Latin Americas for the first time backpacker.

We consider this project ideal if you...

Want the challenge of being submersed in a completely different culture
Want to get ‘stuck in' amongst local people with the opportunity to gain self confidence and develop new skills
Enjoy or want to make friends with local people rather than only between the volunteers
Want to get to know the people and the way of life a little before travelling in the region
Want to improve your Spanish or learn some Spanish from scratch and use it whilst volunteering abroad (classes can be arranged on arrival)

Costa Rica at a glance

Costa Rica is a tiny Central American country straddling two seas: the Caribbean and the Pacific. Trees laden with orchids are home to quetzals and over fifty species of hummingbird. There is a sophisticated, conservation-minded tourist infrastructure with a well-developed network of national parks. Peaceful, democratic Costa Rica is the ideal destination for independent travellers looking for a spot of adventure.

Climate: Sub-tropical (Warm all year round, hottest month November).
Time difference from UK: GMT -6hrs