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Costa Rica Volunteer and Explore


Image of young female travellers on a suspension bridge in the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica - KILROY

Suggested Itinerary: Costa Rica Volunteer and Explore

Home - San Jose - Manuel Antonio - Monteverde - La Fortuna - Tortuguero - Puerto Viejo - San Jose - Turrialba - Puerto Jimenez - San Jose - Home

This itinerary is just a suggestion and can be customised to suit your unique travel plans. Make it longer, make it shorter. Add in the things you want to do. Get in touch with our travel experts to turn this itinerary into your dream Costa Rica gap year.

San Jose to Monteverde Welcome to Costa Rica

Welcome to San Jose and the start of your gap year adventure in Costa Rica!

Spend your first night in the capital with a chance to meet the group of travellers you'll be joining on this 16-day guided tour of Costa Rica. The next day you'll travel from San Jose to the coast and the city of Quepos, located just outside of Manuel Antonio National Park.

Here you'll have the chance to enjoy the beaches, spot wildlife (including sloth!) and hike through dense forest.

Continue to the cool mountain air of Monteverde for a full-day to explore the famous cloud forest and walk the scenic suspension bridges. Then continue to La Fortuna.

La Fortuna to Puerto Viejo Volcanoes, rainforest and beach

Enjoy two full free days in La Fortuna with the option to participate in loads of activities, including whitewater rafting, mountain biking, caving, horseback riding, or a tour of the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. You can head to Arenal Volcano for a closer look at the large, symmetrical cone and finish the day with a relaxing soak at Baldi Hot Springs. Continue next to the lesser-visited Sarapiqui Rainforest where you will visit a coffee cooperative and enjoy a local lunch. Head further east to Tortuguero National Park where you can visit the nesting grounds of the green and leatherback turtles at night (seasonal). The journey to Tortuguero is half the adventure with a boat trip offering opportunities to spot wildlife. The final stop of...

Turrialba Two weeks of Spanish classes

For the next two weeks you'll be learning Spanish in the cute little town of Turrialba surrounded by volcanoes, raging rivers and lush, green rain forests. The small and welcoming town of Turrialba is an ideal location to study Spanish without the distraction of tourists. You'll be staying with a local family at a homestay for a completely immersive experience. This combined with 20hrs of group Spanish lessons each week covering vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, will have you speaking Spanish in no time! The groups average three students with no more than six in a class. Spanish classes are mostly held outside, in one of the little huts or on the roomy porch, from where you have a beautiful view of the volcano and the lush, green s...

Puerto Jimenez Volunteer with turtles

The Mariposa Azul conservation camp in Playa Carate is right in the heart of the small rural community less than 5km from the entrance of Corcovado National Park. And it's where you'll be staying for the next two weeks to volunteer in turtle conservation. This community-driven conservation project focuses on conserving sea turtle nesting beach habitat on the Osa Peninsula, protecting 8km of beach and registering over 7,000 nests per season. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and make a real difference to the turtles and local community members. You do not need previous experience relating to conservation to be able to participate but plenty of enthusiasm to get involved and learn, as well as the ability to wo...

View the full itinerary as a list

Recommended duration

Around 6 weeks

Start/End

San Jose

Travel Type

Volunteering and Backpacking

Inclusions

Flights, volunteer project and touring

Book this itinerary
Travel around the natural wonders of Costa Rica - from volcanoes to cloud forests - before spending two weeks learning Spanish and another two weeks volunteering with turtle conservation on the Osa Peninsula.

 

Start your gap year adventure in Costa Rica with a tour around some of the best national parks and natural wonders the country has to offer. Enjoy a couple of days in Manuel Antonio National Park with its beautiful white-sand beaches, warm turquoise waters and rich wildlife. 

Continue to Monteverde Cloud Forest to walk the suspension bridges and opt to ride one of the thrilling ziplines. Then it's on to La Fortuna where you can see the impressive Arenal volcano and take part in a range of optional activities, including whitewater rafting and caving. 

Your next stop is Tortuguero National Park where you can join a boat safari or kayak through the canals to spot the resident wildlife. The last stop of your tour is the Caribbean beach town of Puerto Viejo where you can go snorkelling or simply enjoy some R&R. You'll need it, because the next part of your journey requires some brain power!

Spend two weeks in the cute little town of Turrialba learning Spanish in group classes. You'll be studying with language teachers and fellow students for 20hrs a week with lots of fun activities planned. The Spanish you pick up will come in handy when you transfer to Puerto Jimenez to spend two final weeks at the Turtle Conservation Project as an international volunteer. 

*From price per person based on shared accommodation

What's included
  • Return flights from the UK to Costa Rica
  • 16-day small-group tour around Costa Rica including Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, Arenal, Tortuguero and Puerto Viejo
  • Transfer from San Jose to Turrialba for language school
  • 14-day Spanish language course in Turrialba with group classes
  • 14-day turtle conservation volunteer project in Puerto Jimenez
  • 32 breakfasts, 18 lunches, 14 dinners
  • Booking fees
  • Services of your own travel advisor
What's not included
  • Travel insurance (but we can help you with that)
  • Vaccinations (ask us about our discount with Nomad Travel)
  • Meals (unless otherwise specified)
  • Optional activities
  • Transfer from Turrialba to Puerto Jimenez
  • Final transfer from Puerto Jimenez to San Jose airport

Suggested Itinerary: Costa Rica Volunteer and Explore

Home - San Jose - Manuel Antonio - Monteverde - La Fortuna - Tortuguero - Puerto Viejo - San Jose - Turrialba - Puerto Jimenez - San Jose - Home

This itinerary is just a suggestion and can be customised to suit your unique travel plans. Make it longer, make it shorter. Add in the things you want to do. Get in touch with our travel experts to turn this itinerary into your dream Costa Rica gap year.

San Jose to Monteverde Welcome to Costa Rica

Welcome to San Jose and the start of your gap year adventure in Costa Rica!

Spend your first night in the capital with a chance to meet the group of travellers you'll be joining on this 16-day guided tour of Costa Rica. The next day you'll travel from San Jose to the coast and the city of Quepos, located just outside of Manuel Antonio National Park.

Here you'll have the chance to enjoy the beaches, spot wildlife (including sloth!) and hike through dense forest.

Continue to the cool mountain air of Monteverde for a full-day to explore the famous cloud forest and walk the scenic suspension bridges. Then continue to La Fortuna.

La Fortuna to Puerto Viejo Volcanoes, rainforest and beach

Enjoy two full free days in La Fortuna with the option to participate in loads of activities, including whitewater rafting, mountain biking, caving, horseback riding, or a tour of the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. You can head to Arenal Volcano for a closer look at the large, symmetrical cone and finish the day with a relaxing soak at Baldi Hot Springs.

Continue next to the lesser-visited Sarapiqui Rainforest where you will visit a coffee cooperative and enjoy a local lunch.

Head further east to Tortuguero National Park where you can visit the nesting grounds of the green and leatherback turtles at night (seasonal). The journey to Tortuguero is half the adventure with a boat trip offering opportunities to spot wildlife.

The final stop of your group tour is Puerto Viejo - a colourful beach town on the Caribbean coast. Opt to go snorkelling or simply relax on the sandy beaches.

Return back to San Jose for one final night before the next chapter of your gap year adventure begins.

Turrialba Two weeks of Spanish classes

For the next two weeks you'll be learning Spanish in the cute little town of Turrialba surrounded by volcanoes, raging rivers and lush, green rain forests. The small and welcoming town of Turrialba is an ideal location to study Spanish without the distraction of tourists.

You'll be staying with a local family at a homestay for a completely immersive experience. This combined with 20hrs of group Spanish lessons each week covering vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, will have you speaking Spanish in no time! The groups average three students with no more than six in a class.

Spanish classes are mostly held outside, in one of the little huts or on the roomy porch, from where you have a beautiful view of the volcano and the lush, green surroundings.

If you prefer to stay at a hostel, this is also an option - either a dorm or a double room. Just let us know you wish to upgrade your accommodation. We've included two weeks of Spanish classes, but you can spend up to four weeks at this language school.

At the end of your course, it's time to make your own way by bus from Turrialba to Puerto Jimenez for the final leg of your gap year adventure. With your newly acquired Spanish skills, it should be easy to organise getting around on local buses!

Puerto Jimenez Volunteer with turtles

The Mariposa Azul conservation camp in Playa Carate is right in the heart of the small rural community less than 5km from the entrance of Corcovado National Park. And it's where you'll be staying for the next two weeks to volunteer in turtle conservation.

This community-driven conservation project focuses on conserving sea turtle nesting beach habitat on the Osa Peninsula, protecting 8km of beach and registering over 7,000 nests per season. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and make a real difference to the turtles and local community members.

You do not need previous experience relating to conservation to be able to participate but plenty of enthusiasm to get involved and learn, as well as the ability to work hard without constant supervision.

As a volunteer, you will participate in daily turtle patrols - protecting new nests, recording data on the nesting females, excavating hatched nests, assisting in the tourism element and releasing hatchlings. There will also be beach clean-ups, plastic classification, English lessons for local people, presentations at local schools, and tree planting and other maintenance projects around the camp.

It's a hands-on and rewarding experience with accommodation (dorm-style cabins with 8-10 other volunteers) and meals (three a day, mostly vegetarian) included.

If you wish to volunteer for longer in Costa Rica, you can spend up to four weeks at the Turtle Conservation Project - just let us know your preference and we'll organise your program accordingly.

Once your volunteer project has come to an end, make your own way back to San Jose for your return flight home to the UK.

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