Beach Conservation Experience

Our Beach Conservation volunteer project is located on the extreme southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. ​

This nature reserve was Costa Rica’s first protected area for nature conservation and later became the first official National Park in 1963. Shortly thereafter, the National Park Service was created in order to preserve and protect these lands. The size of the reserve includes both land and ocean areas totaling around 3 million hectares, only 5% of which is open to visitors by way of the trail system. The remaining 95% is an “absolute reserve” allowing for the complete protection and preservation of the flora and fauna.

The Natural Reserve’s mission is to protect, manage, and research the park’s ecosystems as part of
Costa Rica's cultural and historical heritage. Through this work they aim to include members of the surrounding communities and to benefit the region through sustainable development. Ongoing research, study and volunteer efforts are key in carrying out this mission. 

Volunteers at Beach Conservation projects may be asked to:

• Do trail cleaning and maintenance
• Help clean up the beach
• Update park signage by making new signs and also making sure the existing ones are in good shape and readable
• Reviewing footage and do general maintenance on trap cameras
• Track beds (Set up, monitoring and analysis)
• Complete direct observation of wildlife on the park's trails
• Receive and orient visitors to the park
• Teach visitors about the history of the park and what trails they can go on
• Assist local ranger in daily tasks
• Facilitate school groups and researchers (day camps, conferences)
• Prepare educational materials for school visits or special activities
• Assist with general maintenance and preservation of the reserve

You are always supported by Maximo Nivel’s in-country coordinators but they are not on site at your project. You work directly with the Spanish-speaking project director and staff.

The Beach Conservation program begins with a mandatory 2 day orientation session in San Jose, where you receive vital information about your project and trip to the project site.

Working hours vary according to the needs of the project, but you can expect to work 5-7 hours per day, Monday-Friday. 

Presently, work at the Beach Conservation site is organized using a station based model. Volunteers should follow this structure consistently. These activities have been specifically selected and agreed upon with the project director. We ask you to follow the station/program model described during your orientation.​

Along the beaches, volunteers will find SCUBA, surfing, snorkelling, body boarding, and more or they can do land excursions with hiking, horseback riding or adventure tours and zip-lining that are also easily found. Opportunities to tour other parts of Costa Rica are also available if they want to explore outside of the area they will be staying in. Tours and trips can be easily booked through our on-site travel partner.