vanaf 1.062€

Super goed 4.4rating (78)

Work in a National Park

location
2 - 24 weken  ·  Leeftijd 18 - 50+

rating  Super goed 4.4  · 
  Geverifieerd door Volunteer World
  Goed Responsgraad

Highlights

  • Immerse yourself in the captivating biodiversity of Costa Rica and discover its unique natural wonders.
  • Indulge in ultimate relaxation as you unwind on the pristine, dreamy beaches of Costa Rica.
  • Enhance your Spanish language skills through immersive experiences and interactions with locals.
  • Embrace the authentic "tica" lifestyle of Costa Rica and immerse yourself in the rich culture and traditions.
  • Delight in the year-round pleasant climate, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of Costa Rica in every season.

Vooral geschikt voor

Leeftijd 18+
Alleenstaanden
Koppels
Groepen
50+

Over het programma

Help preserve beautiful national parks in Costa Rica, protect local wildlife and educate day visitors. Experience breathtaking nature and Costa Rican PURA VIDA! 🇨🇷

Although Costa Rica is a very small country, the vegetation and wildlife are extremely diverse. The national parks system was established to protect the country's unique nature and biodiversity since the beginning of the environmental conservation movement. Costa Rica is known for its extensive ...

Over het programma

Although Costa Rica is a very small country, the vegetation and wildlife are extremely diverse. The national parks system was established to protect the country's unique nature and biodiversity since the beginning of the environmental conservation movement. Costa Rica is known for its extensive eco-tourism industry, making the country's national parks world-famous travel destinations. The parks are dispersed throughout the country and offer a huge range of attractions, such as beautiful beaches, volcanoes, mountain ranges, rain and cloud forests, lagoons, rivers, waterfalls, and many different exotic animals. Most parks have a very diverse eco-system and unique flora and fauna. They are important refuges for endangered species. The species that make up Costa Rica's wildlife include a variety of mammals, beautiful birds, fish, and reptiles. Among the wild animals there are howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, tapirs, jaguars, pumas, deer, squirrels, coati, peccary, marvellous butterflies, frogs, iguanas, toucans, and parrots. Furthermore, you can find a vast variety of water birds and about 70 different types of reptiles, like snakes and lizards. Sea turtles are the main attraction of many of the coastal national parks. In the areas that are open for day visitors, the parks offer outdoor activities like hiking, horseback riding, rafting, kayaking, canopying, and more.

The Placement

The volunteer project is carried out in one of the first nature reserves created in Costa Rica back in 1963. It is a true symbol of environmental conservation. It is located in Puntarenas province, right on the edge of the Nicoya Peninsula. The project is dedicated to protecting and preserving Costa Rican wildlife, native forest, and the marine ecosystem. It consists of 1,373 hectares of wild and marine conservation areas. The Reserve only has the 5% of the total territory open for tourists. Their contributions represent the main way to sustain the Park financially. This reserve protects semi dry tropical forest. About 140 different species of trees have been identified inside the park. There is also a considerable variety of mammals in the park. Predominant among these and very easily spotted by visitors are the howler monkey and the white-face monkeys. Very abundant and easily seen are the white-nosed coati and the white-tailed deer. Also present, but harder to spot are the margay and the coyote. The greatest wealth in fauna is in the abundant marine birds, marine mammals including orcas, different kinds of fish, crabs and mollusks found in the shore waters of the offshore islands. Worth mentioning is the healthy population of brown boobies and pelicans found in the island, and the plentiful conch found on the park's waters.

Note: If you are looking for a Sea Turtle project (protecting sea turtles), please reach out to us, so that we can orientate you on the best project. Although in this project you might be able to see sea turtles in their natural habitat, this is not a pure sea turtle project.

The Location

The National Park where you will be doing your Eco Volunteering is located at the southern tip of the beautiful Nicoya peninsula. This is one of the most fascinating areas of Costa Rica. Dense forests with lush vegetation, a rich flora & fauna, dream beaches and small, idyllic fishing villages characterize the landscape. 

San José, the country's capital is about 300 km, but due to the road conditions this will take at least a 5-hour drive. In any case, the long drive it worth it! Within the park itself, you will have plenty of possibilities to walk and hike. It is a rewarding feeling to see and hear the wildlife, be it different kinds of monkeys, exotic birds or other animals. Not only is the park is a real paradise but also the nearby beaches. Some of the beaches include Montezuma, Mal Pais, or even Santa Teresa. All three attract tourists from all over the world for their great surfing spots or just relaxing. In Montezuma and Santa Teresa, you can find restaurants, bars, as well as tour operators offering different kinds of outdoor activities. 

The people in Costa Rica are friendly and relaxed, and live according to the motto "Pura Vida" - "pure life". In Costa Rica you can learn to enjoy life to the fullest! In addition, the "Ticos" speak a clear and slow Spanish, so that it is easy to understand them.

What we expect

  • Be tolerant 

Please do not put prejudices of the foreign culture and other people into your luggage. You do not need that during your stay abroad! On the contrary, tolerance is a very important feature if you want to be successful and have fun while volunteering abroad. Respect the foreign culture, the other habits and the different mentality with great respect. While the other way of working may not always make much sense in your eyes, the goal of volunteering abroad is not to criticize or smile at people for acting and doing, but to work with them for a good cause.

  • Be adaptable 

On a trip abroad, especially in developing countries, you leave your home comfort zone. It is very important that you are ready to adapt to a different life situation. In Latin America, you certainly will not find the usual standards of home again. Especially volunteer projects in developing countries are often located in very secluded areas in the middle of beautiful nature or you live with a local host family, who belongs to a foreign culture. But that's the exciting thing about volunteering abroad! Immerse yourself in a foreign land, experience culture, traditions and people up close, learn from them, just let go and adapt to the other life circumstances. A unique experience that will mature and grow you as a person!

  • Team spirit

In a voluntary work, the team idea is always over self-interest. Working in a team is fun and brings good mood and variety! So, for your volunteer work abroad, you should bring along a great deal of team spirit, because you always work together with other people, be it volunteers from other countries or local project staff. However, when so many foreign and diverse cultures meet, teamwork can become a whole new challenge. Even more important, that you have the ability to communicate in a group, work constructively and fairly and do not want to punch through your will at all costs.

  • Be helpful and responsible 

For most projects, volunteers who "do a good job" are most appreciated. By participating in a voluntary service abroad, you are consciously choosing to work in another country. You are not on a vacation trip. So, you have choosen to offer your help and valuable time to other people, nature protection or animals welfare. What really matters is your helpfulness! A really very important and unavoidable trait is the sense of responsibility. The volunteer project is counting on your support and your cooperation has been tightly scheduled. A high level of responsibility is the alpha and omega. During your volunteer work in Latin America, you are assigned to certain areas of activity that you must do on your own. Please take your role as a volunteer very seriously and carry out your tasks in the project conscientiously and carefully.

  • Be flexible 

Be prepared for the fact that volunteering in Latin America is much different from what you know or are used to at home. The Latin Americans have a completely different order, time and work understanding. Even their logic of approaching certain things may not always make much sense in your eyes. The different language and culture can quickly lead to misunderstandings or communication problems. An important principle for you: always be flexible and spontaneous! You will soon realize that there is a solution for all situations and that you can quickly develop a plan B from a problem.

  • Be proactive and take initiative

During your voluntary work abroad, do not expect someone to explain to you in a big way what needs to be done, where and when. Often there is only a brief introduction and then your proactivity and initiative are asked. Get actively involved, offer your help and see where you can best apply your skills and strengths. It is always great when volunteers constructively and friendly affix ideas and suggest their own small projects.


Dagelijkse activiteiten

The weekly schedule will be posted each week so the volunteers are notified ahead of time. Activities vary each week. The following schedule is general.

  • 6.30 am: Breakfast
  • 8.00 - 11.45 am: Morning shift 
  • 12.00 pm: Lunch
  • 1.30 - 3.45 pm: Afternoon shift 
  • 3.45 pm: Afternoon tea
  • 6.30 pm: Dinner


The weekends ...

Dagelijkse activiteiten

The weekly schedule will be posted each week so the volunteers are notified ahead of time. Activities vary each week. The following schedule is general.

  • 6.30 am: Breakfast
  • 8.00 - 11.45 am: Morning shift 
  • 12.00 pm: Lunch
  • 1.30 - 3.45 pm: Afternoon shift 
  • 3.45 pm: Afternoon tea
  • 6.30 pm: Dinner


The weekends are off for volunteers to enjoy the beaches, explore the breathtaking nature and rich culture of Costa Rica, visit Montezuma or Santa Teresa, go surfing or just chill with a book. 


The main interest of the volunteer program is to involve volunteers in conservation and protection of natural resources, carrying out maintenance work, eco tourism, monitoring, environmental education, labeling, and the like to ensure perpetuity for future generations. Among the work areas are:

Beach clean-up and Recycling
Two of the most important activities are the “Beach Clean-up and recycling" because of the positive impact that these have on our oceans. To protect the oceans and its animals from plastic, it is critical to at least contribute to maintaining the reserve as clean as possible. The activities are focused on recovering both the beaches from the reserve and also the ones in the surrounding areas. After collecting the trash, volunteers head to the recycle Station where they learn about the classification of solid waste. This represents a key contribution to the local town.

Environmental education and community
There is an environmental and community program, where volunteers have the opportunity to teach sustainability at the community school to co-create awareness with the local population of the nearest towns. Moreover, the program involves other activities like workshops, research, and community activities.

Construction and Maintenance
These activities are related to the necessities of the park, trails, and public areas, as well as the volunteer house. This kind of work is one of the most important within the reserve. Its objective is to repair those places on the trail that are in poor condition due to erosion, landslides, fallen trees, branches, etc. It includes working in all green areas such as the tourism office, the ranger’s house, the volunteer house, workshops, and main roads. 

Monitoring and Research
The park has a monitoring and research area where the volunteers have the opportunity to watch wildlife in the forest and learn about their behavior and specificities. Volunteers will have the chance to visit the second station that is of great interest for researching species that are at risk of extinction.

Note: The tasks may vary. They depend on factors such as number of volunteers, weather, season, current needs of the project, as well as self-motivation. Not every volunteer may be fully involved in all these tasks.


Vrijetijdsactiviteiten

Volunteers can enjoy various activities during their free time. The beaches in Cabuya, Montezuma, Santa Teresa, Manzanillo are all different and absolutely beautiful. 

Activities such as surfing, canopying, zip lining, ATV rides,  horseback riding, mangrove tours, fishing, diving, boating, and so ...

Vrijetijdsactiviteiten

Volunteers can enjoy various activities during their free time. The beaches in Cabuya, Montezuma, Santa Teresa, Manzanillo are all different and absolutely beautiful. 

Activities such as surfing, canopying, zip lining, ATV rides,  horseback riding, mangrove tours, fishing, diving, boating, and so much more are all available for the volunteer’s enjoyment in the towns close by during days off. In addition, you can explore the amazing nature of Costa Rica and take in its breathtaking views.

Weekends are the perfect time to enjoy an exciting hike through Costa Rican nature since the main attractions of Costa Rica is its system of national parks and protected areas, which cover around 25% of the national territory, in order to protect the rich variety of flora and fauna, which is estimated to contain 5% of the world's biodiversity in less than 0.1% of the planet's land mass. In addition, Costa Rica has countless amazing beaches on both the Pacific and the Caribbean Ocean. 

Costa Rica is the perfect place to combine volunteer work with tourism, enjoy activities like:

  • Adventure sport
  • Dream beaches
  • Ecotourism
  • Local culture
  • Bird / wildlife watching
  • Visits to unique National Parks
  • Rural tourism
  • Sightseeing and history in San José


Voorwaarden

Voorwaarden

Minimum leeftijd: 18 jaar

Om deel te nemen aan het programma dien je tenminste 18 jaar oud te zijn op de startdatum van het programma. Er kunnen uitzonderingen gemaakt worden indien je een bewijs van toestemming kan aantonen van uw wettelijke voogd(en) of samen met je ouders deelneemt.

Taalkennis

Je dient over volgende taalkennis te beschikken Spaans (basis niveau) ou Engels (basis niveau)

Opleidingsvereisten

op High School niveau

Vereiste documenten

volunteer questionnaire

Nationaliteitsbeperkingen

Geen beperkingen. Helpende handen van over de hele wereld zijn welkom.

Tijdsinzet

Uw helpende hand wordt verwacht op maandag, dinsdag, woensdag, donderdag, vrijdag en zaterdag

Diensten ingesloten

Diensten ingesloten

Diensten door South America Inside

  • Shared room in Volunteer House
  • Breakfast, lunch, dinner
  • Airport pick-up in San José with 2 overnight stays in San José (single room, breakfast & dinner)
  • Transfer from San José accommodation to bus terminal for journey to project site *
  • Advice from our experienced staff
  • On-going support via WhatsApp, phone or mail
  • Elaboration of your application profile in Spanish
  • Your placement in the volunteer project
  • Pre-departure information
  • Packing list
  • Country handbook
  • Intercultural guide
  • Welcome meeting in San José
  • On-site volunteer coordinator
  • 24/7 emergency number
  • Advice on travel insurance
  • Certificate of participation

*the costs for the bus from San José to the project site are not included.

Afhaal aan de luchthaven op Juan Santamaria International Airport

There is an airport pick-up service that will take you to the place of your overnight stay in San José, typically a local host family. The following day you will have program introduction with our friendly team in San José. On the next day, you will be brought to the bus station where you start your journey to the volunteer project (bus ticket not included).

Accomodatie

The accommodation in the national parks in Costa Rica is set in shared dormitories in the so-called volunteer house. The volunteer house is also the place where volunteers get to know each other, can chill and relax together and just spend a good time. 

  • There are shared bathrooms available and a kitchen and common area. 
  • Each of the rooms has bunk beds.
  • There are showers and toilets with running water. It is important to mention that volunteers are asked to keep showers short and use water sparingly.
  • The library has books in various languages and there is a take-a-book leave-abook system. 
  • A lookout treehouse is available for the volunteer’s relaxation. 
  • The project site has WIFI Internet.

Eten & Drank

Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner per day) is provided. Meals are prepared by our friendly local cooks. Any dietary restrictions such as allergies and vegetarian/vegan diets can be accommodated for.

Internet toegang

Makkelijke toegang op de project site

Wat is er NIET inbegrepen?

Wat is er NIET inbegrepen?

Vlucht tickets

De dichtste luchthaven is Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose. We assisteren u met het vinden van goedkope vluchten naar Costa Rica. VIND GOEDKOPE VLUCHTEN

Reisverzekering

Naar het buitenland reizen is een avontuur en het is best om goed voorbereid te zijn. Plots ziek worden of gewond raken, annulaties of diefstal - een reisverzekering voor Costa Rica biedt zekerheid en is een meerwaarde. KRIJG EEN OFFERTE

Vaccinaties

Als je de intentie hebt om als vrijwilliger aan de slag te gaan in Costa Rica dien je eerst medisch advies in te winnen alvorens je eropuit trekt. Kijk de benodigde vaccinaties na voor Costa Rica. VACCINATIE CHECKER

Gegevens over jouw aankomst

The volunteer work can be joined throughout the year. The start and end date can be set flexible, according to your availability and travel plans. Ask our experienced staff to coordinate your participation in this meaningful volunteer project.

Beschikbaarheid
jan. feb. mrt. apr. mei. jun. jul. aug. sep. okt. nov. dec.

Programmakosten

2 weken (min. verblijf) 1.062€
3 weken 1.334€
4 weken 1.605€
5 weken 1.877€
6 weken 2.149€
7 weken 2.420€
8 weken 2.692€
9 weken 2.963€
10 weken 3.235€
11 weken 3.507€
12 weken 3.778€
24 weken (max. verblijf) 7.037€
Gemiddelde kosten 411€/week

Programmakosten

411€ per week 2 - 24 weken Leeftijd 18 - 50+

Betaalmethodes

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

GEEN CREDITCARDKOSTEN


Duurtijd

2 - 24 weken

Waarborg

De waarborg dient om je plek als vrijwilliger te verzekeren. Betalingen worden door PayPal behandeld, onze betrouwbare betalingsprovider. Indien je niet over een PayPal account beschikt, kan je ook met een credit kaart betalen.


Finale betaling

Uw finale betaling zal worden goedgekeurd door South America Inside gedurende de aanmeld procedure. Veel voorkomende oplossingen zijn een banktransfer of contante betaling op de projectsite.


Ontmoet je organisatie

South America Inside

Super goed 4.4 rating (78 beoordelingen)

Agentschap - opgericht in 2003

Geverifieerd door Volunteer World

  Goed Responsgraad

Gepresenteerd door

Marion

Gesproken talen: Duits, Spaans, Engels

Over de organisatie

South America Inside promotes intercultural, linguistic and educational exchanges. Its volunteer programs are addressed to students, professionals and retirees.

Ontmoet je organisatie

South America Inside is an intercultural management agency, founded back in 2003, which specializes in the promotion of programs abroad, language travel and educational programs throughout Latin America.

Since 2007, to enrich the experience of our global-minded clients and to provide them with even more possibilities, South America Inside has been expanding their program offerings throughout South and Central America.

Working together with some of the best language schools in Latin America, South America Inside provides high quality language courses in almost every Latin American country.

Thanks to a professional team of motivated and friendly staff, South America Inside has been very successful over the past several years and have been able to establish an outstanding network of what we call "Insider Contacts." To enrich the experience of their clients and to provide them with more possibilities, South America Inside has been expanding our program offerings throughout Central and South America, in addition to our well-established Chilean programs.

Volunteer Work

Do you dream of staying abroad while doing something positive? Are you looking for a unique experience that will leave a mark on your life? Then a Volunteer Work program in South America or Central America is perfect for you!

With South America Inside you can combine an adventure abroad with social commitment, and create lasting memories in Latin America. Support the protection of endangered species; help a local community construct new homes; give new hope to impoverished children.

The possibilities to lend a hand are diverse, as there are the many places where help is needed. We have classified our volunteer projects in different areas so you can easily find the one (or more!) projects that best match your needs and interests.

Why with us

There are many persuasive reasons that speak in favor of South America Inside when it comes to selecting your perfect provider of language, study and volunteer travel abroad. Following, we have prepared a short summary so that you can get us to know a little better.

Our Insider benefits at a glance:

  Regional Experience
Over one decade (established in 2003) of dedication to language, work and study travel programs in Latin America. Thanks to our long standing work and life experience in the South American continent, we know this region really well. Therefore, we can help and inform you in a professional and competent way.

  Multifaceted Offers
Over time we have developed new programs to offer a wide array of work abroad opportunities to our clients. We have been pioneers in launching new exchange programs, as we have been the first in offering Work & Travel/Working Holiday and Farm Stays in Chile and successfully introduced these programs into the market back in 2005. Since 2012, we are the only agency to offer this type of program in Costa Rica.

  Insider Advice
Despite living in the modern era of the internet, we know that reliable and competent advice is still an important criterion for most of us. At South America Inside, you will find the benefits of an internet provider and an independent travel agency. We will be glad to pass on our extensive knowledge and regional experience.!

  Location
It is difficult to run programs when there is nobody “on the ground” to evaluate existing options and search for new opportunities. So, we are located in Chile, on location, and we know everything that is going on first hand. We know what it is like to live as a foreigner in South America and will be happy to assist you in making your stay unforgettable!

  Independence
South America Inside is an independent provider of language courses, internships, volunteer work, Farm Stays and Work & Travel programs in Latin America. We neither depend financially nor structurally on any other company, language school, association or organization. Therefore, we are able to give personalized information in accordance to your needs and availability.

•  Multilingual Team

Our team is multilingual and international! We speak fluent English, Spanish and German, as well as some French and Portuguese. With our customers, we can communicate in their native language and we avoid misunderstandings with local partners by communicating in Spanish with them. You can be sure that there will be an English-speaking contact person for you before, during, and after your stay.

  Customer Service
Excellent customer service is one of the most important goals for South America Inside, and this is evident with the positive feedback we regularly receive from our many happy clients. Emails are answered within 48 business hours and every client is treated with the same friendliness and expertise.

  Gapless and Accurate Information flow
With South America Inside you will have one and the same contact person before, during and after your trip. With that said, we guarantee a gapless and accurate information flow and you will always be very well informed.

  Approved Program Places
Many of our program places, especially in the area of internships and volunteer work, are designed in the way that they will be recognized by most universities, colleges or academies.

78 beoordelingen · rating4.4

GERALDINE QUIRKE rating3.2

2024 at Work in a National Park

When I scheduled volunteer time the indication was that there was a limited number of volunteers based on the projects/work to be done. As more and more volunteers arrived i realized that we were more valued for the money we paid than for the limited amount of work to be done. Also, I felt that ...
Malo A. rating5

2023 at Work in a National Park

I just arrived to Cabo Blanco. The trip was quite hard (I left early, a lot of bus and still jet lagged) But the surroundings are splendid! I liked San José too, nice museums, nice parks, people are cool even if we do not speak Spanish well. My homestay host Sonia was wonderful with us and very ...
Juliette Elbers rating4.8

2023 at Work in a National Park

I arrived at the park and was very well welcomed! I look forward to spending my next weeks here in this natural paradise. That being said I have little internet connection but it will be a good reset which I ...
Angelika Thanhofer rating3.6

2023 at Work in a National Park

Cabo Blanco ist sehr abgelegen mit wenig Freizeitmöglichkeiten und schlechter Busanbindung. Der Nationalpark beherbergt viele Tiere von nur wenigen Spezies. Die Freiwilligenarbeit bestand in erster Linie aus Wanderungen zur Limonenernte oder zum 6 km entfernten Strand mit beach cleaning. Bis auf ...
Sabrina Morici rating5

2023 at Work in a National Park

Hello! We both absolutely love Montezuma and The Wildlife Refuge. The work does not feel like work and the people are lovely. It already feels like home after only 4 days. We are so grateful to be here! Pura Vida, ...
Sam rating5

2023 at Work in a National Park

My journey and arrival in Costa Rica went well. Costa Rica is beautiful, and the people are so friendly. It is only my 3rd day at the project, but I already feel at home and have made friends. So everything is ok with me! :) Best ...

Plaats

Amerika > Midden-Amerika > Costa Rica > Nicoya Peninsula

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