Whether your version of Pura Vida includes surfing or scaling mountains, howler monkeys or hummingbirds, coffee of cocao, camping or canyoning — alright, you get our point — well, you'll find it when you volunteer in Costa Rica. A worldwide leader in ecotourism, Costa Rica is known for its rich biodiversity, myriad ecosystems, and not to mention its warm and welcoming people. Learn more about this vibrant country firsthand with our Costa Rica volunteer program.
...Costa Rica is known for its rich biodiversity...
While this incredible environmental richness is a national treasure, it also brings with it some interesting social and economic challenges, such as an increasing percentage of regional immigration. Costa Rica’s reputation for social stability, along with its free education and universal healthcare, has drawn the attention of international trading partners, as well as immigrants from other Central American countries seeking better lives. As the economy changes, so do traditional social structures, which abandon vulnerable populations and leave them little access to healthcare, education, or social services. As a Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer abroad in Costa Rica, you'll have the opportunity to work alongside local organizations as they work to address these societal issues.
As a volunteer in Costa Rica, you'll assist with the care of infants and children, improve education for children, improve health and the sense of dignity among the elderly, or work to improve the quality of care for people with disabilities. As a CCS Costa Rica volunteer, you'll contribute your time and passion to a local organization working to effect real and lasting change. No matter where you spend your time as a Costa Rica volunteer, your unique energy will offer a refreshing change of pace to under-resourced local organizations.
Each volunteer does their part in small and large ways working side-by-side with community members to contribute to effecting change in the following areas of work…
During your orientation, our CCS staff will take your group on a tour of Cartago, pointing out sites of interest from the famous, like the Basilica, to the practical, like banks, and the just plain zany, like a restaurant known for its cone-shaped pizza. You’ll also learn the path to the market and how to ride the bus; skills you’ll put to use as you begin to explore your new neighborhood on your own.
Whether your knowledge of the Spanish language starts and ends with "hola" or you're a fluent speaker, there’s a twice-weekly Spanish lesson that's right for you! Taught by our CCS staff at the Home-Base, each level targets specific language goals based on your abilities. Whether you're looking for the basics - donde esta el baño? - or local Costa Rican slang to help you connect with the neighborhood kids, we've got you covered.
At weekly cooking classes, choose from a list of mouth-watering Costa Rican recipes to prepare alongside our amazing CCS cooks. Lessons are held in Spanish so that you can practice your new language skills -- and your rice and beans -- while you do a bit of culinary bonding with the CCS cooks. With your new Spanish vocab and a tasty plate of homemade gallo pinto -- traditional Costa Rican rice and black beans -- you'll have plenty to bond over.
Learn all about Costa Rica's past and present with CCS Costa Rica Country Director, Jose. He'll lead you and your fellow volunteers through conversations on history as well as some hot-button topics like immigration, politics, and the tourist industry. These talks provide an open and comfortable forum for all of your questions, and will set the stage for frank discussions about current issues like religion and LGBTQ rights in Costa Rica.
Tour a local coffee plantation and learn about the organic process, from plant to package. Or focus on the importance of “buying local” from co-ops organized to help farmers survive in the increasingly globalized coffee market. After the tour, sample different local brews, and buy a pack or two to take home as a deliciously caffeinated reminder of your time in Costa Rica.
You might not have time to visit all of Costa Rica’s 26 national parks, but be sure to check out Manuel Antonio National Park. Sail through the treetops on a zipline tour or hit the surf at Manuel Antonio’s beach. If you tend to travel with a rash guard, you'll be happy to hear that Manuel Antonio has got some great breaks that are good to surf any time of year. Then, hike the beautiful forest trails or just relax on the shore and snap some photos of the epic neon sunsets.
Ride a horse through the foothills of the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna and explore the Arenal Volcano, one of the most active in all of Costa Rica. Next, get extreme as you rappel down some of La Fortuna’s waterfalls. For a more tranquil experience, wander the sprawling sugar cane fields on horseback, and finish the day in the famous geothermal hot springs. Now doesn't that sound lovely?
photo credit: kradlumHome to one of the world’s premier cloud forests, Monteverde invites you to indulge your inner nature-lover. Hike through clouds on platforms suspended in the treetops. Enjoy a unique glimpse into a rare and diverse ecosystem, including the nearly 500 species of wild orchids housed at a nearby orchid farm.
Visit one of Costa Rica’s world famous turtle reserves in Guanacaste to witness hundreds of adult sea turtles swimming out to nest in the Pacific. Or, time your visit for when the eggs hatch to witness thousands of baby turtles scurrying toward the sea. Yeah, it's as cute as it sounds.
If you’re looking to take a break from city life, head just outside of Cartago to the Orosi Valley to enjoy the rugged beauty of rural Costa Rica. Spend some time wandering the streets of the colonial town of Orosi, and stop into the Church of San Juan, the oldest church in Costa Rica. Then, slip on your swimsuit and let your worries melt away as you soak in one of Orosi’s famous hot springs.
Get your blood pumping and take to the depths of the Pacific Ocean at Cocos Island, an uninhabited island rumored to harbor hidden pirate booty. If you've got shark diving on your bucket list, be sure to visit in July for a chance to dive with endangered hammerheads.
photo credit: barrypetersAt Cartago’s Basilica, you’ll find Costa Ricans flocking to the country’s most famous church. Explore Cartago’s simply divine bakeries or invest in a jersey to show your support for the local fútbol -- soccer -- team, the oldest club in the nation. Take advantage of the chance to mingle with the frenzied crowds packing the stands -- and crowding atop parked buses around the perimeter -- of Cartago’s fútbol stadium. By the end of the day, you might just be mistaken for a Tico -- Costa Rican -- yourself.
Reserve your spot today with a deposit of just $275!
