Welcome to our Volunteering in Costa Rica page. Search for free and low cost volunteering in Costa Rica below.
How to find free volunteering opportunities abroad
You can access these opportunities in two ways.
Your first option is to buy our Directory of Volunteering opportunities which lists these opportunities in a PDF. This gives you a document that is easy to search, and which you can use even when you’re not connected to the internet.
More importantly with the directory, you will also get a list of questions to ask to make sure you get the most out of your volunteering experience. We know how important it is to clarify expectations and to get a clear idea of what you’re signing up for before you volunteer. I know that there are opportunities we signed up for that didn’t end up being what we expected. A conversation with the hosts before we turned up would have helped us avoid a few uncomfortable situations. You can find our Directory of Volunteering opportunities abroad here.
The second option is to click on the continent you’re interested in volunteering in and you will find all the opportunities organised by country.
We consistently add new volunteering opportunities abroad so do check in regularly to find some great responsible volunteering opportunities abroad. We would also love your help in keeping this list up to date and useful. If you know of any other places that should be featured, or maybe you’ve visited a place and would like to share your story, please get in touch.
We really hope this information helps you volunteer abroad in a way that makes your travels feel meaningful and memorable.
Please read this article by the wonderful People and Places before volunteering: Key questions and answers before you volunteer
Organisation: La Tortuga Feliz
Location: 4 hours from San Jose on the Caribbean Coast
Website: http://www.latortugafeliz.com/
La Tortuga Feliz offers a turtle conservation program based in Costa Rica, whose aim is the protection of sea turtles with the help of volunteers. The participation of volunteers contribute to the improvement of the living conditions and education of the local inhabitants.
Organisation: Cloudbridge Nature Reserve
Location: Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica
Website: http://www.cloudbridge.org/
Situated in a beautiful and remote cloud forest on one of the highest mountains in Central America, is a private nature reserve in Costa Rica. Cloudbridge adjoins the primary forest of Chirripo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Reserve has three purposes:
- To preserve a precious part of the tropical world forever.
- To help reforest those areas which had been converted to cattle pasture.
- To Educate visitors to Protect the biodiversity for which the neotropical forests, and those in Costa Rica in particular, are so famous.
We are always looking for volunteers to help with our various projects. Please contact us from the link above.
Organisation: Gaia Vista
Location: Manuel Antonio National Park
Website: Gaia Vista
Organic Farming / Permaculture Adventure in the Rainforest and on the Beach
We are looking for Volunteers Worldwide to help with various aspects of the Creation of The Gaia Vista Eco Resort & Sustainability Center.We are presently looking for people interested in organic farming, aquaculture, general office & computer assistance, green writers, grant writers, video production and editing help, marketing people, and anyone who would like to help and contribute in some way. To contact us please click the link above.
Organisation: Monteverde Butterfly Gardens
Location: Santa Elena Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Website: Monteverde Butterfly Gardens
Want to spend 2 months learning more about insects and arachnids while hanging out in Costa Rica for free?
The Monteverde Butterfly Gardens has been teaching people about insects and arachnids for 20 years! Volunteers from all over the world are trained to guide people through 4 butterfly habitats, a leaf cutter ant colony and a collection of live insects and arachnids from Costa Rica. The Monteverde Butterfly Gardens works hard every day to develop understanding and tolerance towards the many different arthropods we have living on the planet. To find out more about our volunteering program please visit our website above.
Organisation: The Monkey Farm
Location: Ocotal, Costa Rica
Website: The Monkey Farm
The Monkey Farm is non-profit organization run by a group of international volunteers who are turning an old farm into a monkey and wildlife rescue center. In addition, we are creating an organic sustainable farm using permaculture methods while living and learning on site.
Volunteers from all over the world come and live at the farm and are just now planting food to feed themselves, care for the farm animals and care for the wildlife that we rescue.
There is no charge for the volunteers to come and stay at the farm, however since we are just starting out, there is very little food growing so far. Until we are growing food, the volunteers are required to provide their own food. A volunteer should plan to contribute between $5 and $20 per week toward communal food and personal items. Another $30 should be budgeted for eating out, drinks, activities and any other extra things that you would like to buy for yourself. This is a total budget of $50 per week. To get more info, please visit our site.
Organisation: La Flor de Para
Location: La Flor, Costa Rica
Website: Volunteer on an eco farm in Costa Rica
We have been working with volunteers who make contributions to the project. Volunteers are welcome all year round. Whether you come to develop a special skill or simply to experience living with nature, you will always find the enthusiasm here to accommodate your wishes.
Volunteers are welcome for a short or long period of time. All ages are welcome to volunteer. Although spanish knowledge is not required, it is to the volunteers advantage to study Spanish to communicate with the local people who work at the farm. The farm runs an Alternative Spanish Language Institute where classes are offered.
We work from Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m to 12:00 noon. Fees include guided work on the farm, discussions of environmental problems and possible solutions, cross-cultural interaction, accommodation and meals. To find out more please contact us.
Organisation: Sustainable Costa Rica
Location: Monteverde, Costa Rica
Website: sustainablecostarica.org
Volunteer at the Sustainability centre in Monteverde Costa Rica. We are looking for volunteers for our centre, garden, and development offices. People who are passionate about sustainability, community-based projects, animal welfare and/or the environment! We want mature volunteers who are eager to make a difference and come with the intention to give of their skills and talents to make a better world. We need someone to really get involved and become part of the community.
To find out more please visit our website. *
Organisation: Pacuare Reserve
Location: Matina, Limon, Costa Rica
Website: Pacuare Reserve
Volunteers needed for our nature reserve in Costa Rica. We are a working reserve in Matina, Limon, Costa Rica, established in 1989 with almost 2000 acres of tropical forest. Pacuare Reserve’s 6Kms of coastline are one of the most important nesting sites for endangered leatherback sea turtles in the country.
As a nonprofit organization with limited resources, research assistants and volunteers are a vital part of our existence. They help us to run our long-term monitoring projects as well as helping to take care of the Reserve itself. From March to September, they provide us with the critical manpower required to populate multiple teams on the beach at night to collect data and safeguard the nesting turtles.
Many of our volunteers visit as individuals with a passion for conservation. Most have a biology or conservation background, but regardless of their background or education, all share two key traits – a desire to make a difference, and a strong work ethic! To find out more please contact us.