Volunteer & holiday in Costa Rica
| country: | Costa Rica |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2009: 1 Nov |
| price: | From £419 (13 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $200 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
San Jose, Playa Matapalo, Monteverde Cloud Forest, La Fortuna.
This tour includes volunteering with a Sea Turtle Project, optional activities in Monteverde Cloud Forest including a thrilling canopy zip line and a journey from Monteverde to La Fortuna on horseback.
Sea Turtle Project
Matapalo beach, famous for its beautiful sunsets, is a 10 kilometer stretch of grey sandy beach that lies between the Hatillo and Portalón rivers on the central pacific side of Costa Rica.
The station facilities are located 2 kilometers from the town´s main road and 200 meters away from the beach. Behind the house is a lagoon which is surrounded by 3 kilometers in both directions of mangrove stands with a rich diversity of birds, mammals and reptiles.
Volunteer duties may include:Evening/night beach patrol Hatchery surveillance to watch for hatching turtles General infrastructure maintenance Hatchery building Counting baby turtles and releasing them Making information signs Beach clean-up
The tasks described above will vary and depend on what stage the turtle eggs and hatchlings are at when each volunteer group arrives.
This tour includes volunteering with a Sea Turtle Project, optional activities in Monteverde Cloud Forest including a thrilling canopy zip line and a journey from Monteverde to La Fortuna on horseback.
Sea Turtle Project
Matapalo beach, famous for its beautiful sunsets, is a 10 kilometer stretch of grey sandy beach that lies between the Hatillo and Portalón rivers on the central pacific side of Costa Rica.
The station facilities are located 2 kilometers from the town´s main road and 200 meters away from the beach. Behind the house is a lagoon which is surrounded by 3 kilometers in both directions of mangrove stands with a rich diversity of birds, mammals and reptiles.
Volunteer duties may include:
The tasks described above will vary and depend on what stage the turtle eggs and hatchlings are at when each volunteer group arrives.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive San José. Arrive in San José at any time. |
| Day 2-7: | Playa Matapalo Sea Turtle Project. Travel to Playa Matapalo, a small beach town located on the central Pacific coast. Here we spend five days working along side local and international volunteers to help protect endangered sea turtles. Volunteer activities include night patrols along the beach, data collection, monitoring of the baby turtle hatchery, counting baby turtles and releasing them. |
| Day 8-9: | Monteverde. Visit the misty mountain air of the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Here we spend a couple of days exploring the town and Cloud Forest Reserve, truly a nature lover’s paradise. Optional activities include a trail of suspended bridges through the canopy, a butterfly garden and a thrilling canopy zip line. |
| Day 10-11: | La Fortuna. Travel by horseback to La Fortuna, a town located at base of the Arenal Volcano, an excellent base for area explorations. Take a night hike around the base of the Arenal Volcano, accompanied by the sounds of monkeys and the distant rumbling of the volcano. Other optional activities include white water rafting, horseback riding a tour of the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, or a relaxing soak in the hot springs of Tabacon Resort. |
| Day 12: | San José. Return to San José for some last minute shopping and a final night on the town. |
| Day 13: | Depart San José. |
travellers' tales
I enjoyed the tour, had a great tour leader and was with a good bunch of people. (more)
a taste of volunteering trip - what's it all about?
This type of trip is ideal for people who are unable to take very long periods off work but who are interested in volunteering to work with communities in need, or in wildlife conservation. These shorter trips combine volunteering with an opportunity to see the main sights in destinations. Find out more about 'taste of volunteering'how this holiday makes a difference
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Through our commitment to responsible tourism, we ensure minimal social and environmental impact in the places we visit by travelling in small groups, using local transportation and staying in locally-owned hotels. We also work with experienced local guides who are knowledgeable of local culture, history, flora and fauna.
The Playa Matapalo Sea Turtle project is a science based conservation program which was created with the purpose of protecting female sea turtles, their nests and hatchlings laid on Matapalo beach against poachers and natural and introduced predators. Using a man-made shelter called a "vivero" to protect the eggs of this endangered species, the program has ensured the survival of the sea turtles and increased number of sea turtle hatchlings in the area. Local staff and volunteers also collect information about nesting activity which is shared with the community and local and regional authorities. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |