Sports Programs in Costa Rica

I book a week of Spanish Immersion in San José along with a week of surfing. I had a great time combining the time and found everyone I interacted with to be super pleasant and friendly. The spanish course at Maximo Nivel were very thorough and helpful and the surf camp was a lot of fun with great instructors. Pura Vida, I will return.

My son participated in a program with Rustic Pathways in Costa Rica last year, and it was an incredibly positive experience for both him and our family. The counselors updates, looking at the photos and videos gave me a great sense of comfort and connection. He was able to keep his phone, so we stayed in touch throughout the trip. Hearing how happy and even on days focused on community service validated that I chose the right camp. The program was a wonderful balance between meaningful work and fun. He is super excited to go on a trip this year to Belize My son returned home more independent, and inspired to continue to connect with many cultures and see the world.

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewJune 02, 2026

Thanks so much for your comment, Susie! We're thrilled your son had such a great experience! We love hearing about their transformation post-trip. We hope he joins us for another awesome summer soon :)

Don’t know what I would expect going into the surf school. Everyday I saw myself getting better and becoming more confident in the water and with my swimming skills. Thank you so much for offering this program.

I volunteered at Nakavango in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, as part of the IVHQ Wildlife Conservation Project. It truly was one of the highlights of my life. And I’ve had some pretty remarkable experiences so that says a lot. The staff a Nakavango was incredible and extremely knowledgeable. They create the perfect balance of hard work and joyous moments playing with the children at Masuwe School, observing wildlife in the bush, and taking in the sights of one of the seven wonders of the world. We each had our own room, were provided three yummy meals a day with great care to accommodate those who have special diets. Highlights of my stay included morning and evening game drives, sitting around the fire pit under the stars, camping out in the bush, and completing a work task feeling that we had made progress on a project. Yet, the most outstanding aspect of this experience for me, was bonding with my fellow volunteers. Prior to arriving at Nakavango, I thought I’d be the senior member of the crew so I was a bit apprehensive even though I had worked for weeks to get in shape physically so I could contribute equally. Well, I wasn’t the most senior. In fact, we had a wonderful range of ages, nationalities, and personalities. We became a family, caring for and respectful of all. That truly blew me away. And now, we continue to stay in touch. I am so grateful for the IVHQ program at Nakavango. It changed my life!

When I signed up for this trip, I wanted a chance to get up close to nature, hike and see amazing views, and get to kayak by animals. I was fortunate to get to do all of this and more on the trip! The itinerary was the right amount of urban and outdoors. We stayed in the city to do all the touristy stuff and service work, but still got to see the pacific ocean and pretty rainforests. The leaders, Adam and Sarah, were absolutely fantastic. They gave everyone a sense of support on the trip and made me feel safe and comfortable. Both were just very likable people. During the trip I noticed a lot of the kids here went because they had enough money to blow 6 grand to get community service hours. They were all from upper class and private school backgrounds, and said some very questionable things (Including many slurs, derogatory terms, and LOTS of homophobic, misogynistic, and antisemitic jokes). The group made me feel downright unsafe at some points. The leaders did everything in their power to help, and I appreciate that a lot. Being that almost everyone was like that, I sense it might be a pattern throughout various trips by Global Works. Just proceed with caution, and be prepared to stick to yourself for two weeks!

My Global Works trip was truly inspiring, the leaders were great, and I had an amazing time. When I think of my Global Works trip, it’s my home stay that comes to mind. It was really fun to go through your day with another family from another culture, eat food with them, play with their kids, even go to work with them...it was awesome to be part of a Costa Rican household. I never thought I would learn to catch 20-pound tilapia or harvest star fruit, avocados and mangos on my host family's farm (and, I didn't know that limes could be green on the outside and orange on the inside!). I thought the kids in my group were all really authentic, creative, and open-minded about trying new things and activities. I felt like we really built a community together. I would do this trip again...a thousand times over!

I had such an amazing time travelling with Global Works to Costa Rica! In just the short 15 days that I spent there, my language skills grew like crazy, I developed a bunch of relationships that I will never forget, and I ate some of the best food I've ever had. Leading up to the trip, I was pretty nervous. I didn't know if I was bringing the right stuff, I didn't know how my language skills would fare in a community full of native speakers, I didn't know what the people would be like, and most of all I didn't know what it would be like to be away from home for two weeks. However, all my worries melted away once I met my group at the airport! My trip leaders, Camille and Randall, were super cool! They were the perfect mix of instructive yet laid back, and they made the experience flow so smoothly. From all of Randall's jokes and funny noises to Camille's fascinating tidbits about culture and just life in general, there was never a boring moment on the trip. The group that I traveled with became my little family while I was there. It's fun looking back on the trip and realizing how powerful trying new things can be. You make new friends and get to know yourself a lot better. Also, not having our phones really facilitated these friendships because it forced us to get comfortable with the uneasiness that comes with a new environment. I thought I wouldn't be able to last without my phone, but now I'm honestly so glad that we couldn't have them. We had so many cool experiences on the trip. We went ziplining, visited a cheese farm and made cheese, went surfing, taught an English class, helped build a day school, and so much more. My favorite part by far was the homestay. Two other girls and I stayed with a wonderful family at Futuro. We called our host mom Mama Carmen and she had four daughters, one of which who lived with her. Mama Carmen made the most delicious food ever. As a true foodie, I loved cooking with her and gathering recipes. By the end of the trip, we had so many inside jokes and shared memories together. The language barrier that I was so worried about leading up to the trip was not even a problem. We were completely able to communicate, even if I didn't always understand Mama Carmen and she didn't always understand me. I noticed that coming back from the trip, my Spanish-speaking skills had improved immensely. Before the trip, I was afraid to speak Spanish outside of class. Now, I speak it every chance I get - which is very helpful living in Arizona. Overall, I had a blast in Costa Rica. I gained new friendships, language skills, cultural knowledge, and respect for hard work. The connections that I made with the people from my trip still remain, even though we're separated by thousands of miles. This Global Works trip has opened me up to so many new things and given me lots of perspective on the lives of others. I would 100 percent recommend a Global Works trip to anyone who's looking to travel and experience new cultures, all while having loads of fun. It will definitely be a decision that you won't regret!

Going on this trip was easily one of the best decisions I have ever made. Global Works was super easy to work with and made me feel super prepared going into my trip. The leaders were great ( shoutout to Perri, Taylor, and Randall! ) and I felt very well taken care of, while also having fun, the entire time. My Spanish greatly improved this trip and I enjoyed all of the experiences we had! The zipline experience had such great views and it was so cool to able to do something so special with a great group of people. The homestay experience was something unlike anything I had ever done before and was one of my favorite parts of the trip! The homestay community was so welcoming and my family was so sweet and welcoming. I felt so proud at the end of the week when I looked at all of the work that we accomplished on the community center and all of the relationships we had formed, The friends that I made on this trip are some of the best friends I've ever had. I was with such an awesome group and I'm still talking to them nonstop! Our final days were spent surfing and hanging out on the beach, which was a perfect end to such an amazing trip! The beach was beautiful and made me want to stay in Costa Rica with this awesome group for my whole summer. Overall, this was such a wonderful experience and I can't wait for my next Global Works trip!

Starting out practicing digging our own holes and navigating to find our "turtle"(shoe) eggs we got to experience the life of a mama sea turtle. We then maped out diagramed and took measurements of our nest that we digged in the sand to practice locating nests. We then released baby sea turtles on the beach and watched them enter the ocean to begin there new life! Amazing journey not to mention the people team, and staff that made this trip possible(:

I volunteered in Bali- Ubud, through IVHQ. Bali was an incredible experience. I made life long friends, taught a class of 6th graders, and got to experience a beautiful new culture. The staff were amazing, and helped out all the volunteers with whatever needs they had. The location was beautiful, we were situated in a village 20 minutes outside the town of Ubud. This allowed us to integrate in a real Balinese community. The people (the volunteers, locals & staff) were second to none. I volunteered for five weeks- by the end of those 5 weeks I was wishing I had 5 more! The only downside to this programme is missing the children you taught and the friends you made after you leave! A member of the IVHQ team was on hand from the minute I booked the trip. She answered any questions I had, and checked in with m to make sure everything was going well during the volunteer programme. Volunteering with IVHQ in Bali was absolutely the best thing I ever done. I thoroughly recommend anyone interested in volunteering abroad to consider IVHQ Bali. You wont regret it.

Absolutely amazing experience ! Global works is awesome and life changing . Having the opportunity to volunteer my time and meet new people and experience new cultures is always amazing . Costa Rica is a great place , people are warm and welcoming , so much to see and experience , zip Lining through the forest was incredible and teaching the community memebers a little English was a lot of fun , would definitely do it again!

This was the best experience of my life! I have always wanted to travel and volunteer abroad and IVHQ made this so fun and easy. During the week we were able to volunteer and take in the experiences we wanted while leaving plenty of time to explore the country for the weekend. Highly highly recommend this organization if you want a new way to travel and give back.

International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ] responded to this reviewJuly 03, 2018

Hi Deanna. Thanks for such an awesome review! It's fantastic to hear our program offered you one of the best experiences in your life and that we made the process of volunteering easy and fun for you. Thanks for being a great volunteer and please join us on another program soon. ^Claire - IVHQ South Africa Program Manager

I went to Cusco in June-July, for 5 weeks! I volunteered 3 weeks in a school with kids and 2 weeks in the zoo of the University. Both of programs was so much fun ! Just a little warning : don't accept the food at the school , the kid and the teacher can put some pression but it's important to say NO! I said yes and i've made an indigestion 2 hours after, for 5 days... nice ! Additionally, the staff is really amazing and always there if you need help! My host-family was really cool and we were 13 volunteers in the same house , so its easy to make activity with them during the evening! In perou, I've discover some wonderful people, amazing places, good food and a different culture! My best memories was to visit Plaza del Armas, the Macchu Picchu, rainbow mountain, moray, salt mines and the lake Titicaca during the weekend. The organisation American Inca Trail is a great staff to organize your tour! Finally, Just do it !

International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ] responded to this reviewMay 21, 2018

Hi Florence, It's nice to hear from you! It sounds like you had a wonderful experience across your projects and exploring the wonders of Peru. Thanks for your feedback and for being a wonderful volunteer. We hope you'll join us again in the future. ^Andrea - IVHQ Peru - Cusco Program Manager

I was able to volunteer at a special needs orphanage in Lima, Peru. I helped the Physical Therapist do range-of-motion with the children. It was wonderful to get the kids out of their wheelchairs and help them loosen up and relax. The best was seeing smiles on their faces from just having more stimulation. I traveled on the weekends with the other volunteers. Such an awesome experience making memories with new friends. We went sand boarding in Huacachina, hiking in Huaraz, and exploring in Cusco and Machu Picchu.

My time in Madagascar was amazing! Could not have asked for a better 3 months. All the staff are all open and welcoming and the people are just the coolest! Im glad i did the 3 months because i cant imagine doing anything shorter. The huts on camp are really nice along with the living area and the beach right below. But yea either way would highly recommend!

International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ] responded to this reviewDecember 04, 2017

Hi Nathan, We are stoked to hear that you had an amazing 3 months in Madagascar! Thanks for sharing and for recommending IVHQ.<br/>Claire - IVHQ Madagascar Program Manager

This was the second trip our son has gone on with Rustic Pathways. We were afraid the second time around wouldn't be as fun or exciting. But we were wrong. He said it was better! We love that he not only had a great time, did community service work, met new friends, but also had a chance to be independent. His two trips have given me the confidence that he will be just fine on his own when he goes off to college!

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewSeptember 12, 2017

Hi Worriedmom! Thanks for sharing your experience and helping our global community to continue to grow. Be sure to check out our alumni opportunities (https://rusticpathways.com/alumni-association/), and do not hesitate to reach out to me at alumni@rusticpathways with any additional comments or questions! Hope to see you on a program in 2018. Best, Rachel Levin | RP Alumni Association Director

Even if I dont speak their language the time I spent with the kids in Rio de janeiro was amazing. The smiles on their faces showed how much they apreciated what we did. I truly enjoyed the time playing soccer/football with them. Before I volunteered in Brazil I went to Colombia (Cartagena and Bogota) with IVHQ. I wanted to help these kids, but I didnt expect that they have an impact on me. I learned that there is always a reason to be happy no matter how hard life is. This time gave me so much that I took the chance to volunteer with IVHQ for the third time. If you are open minded, volunteering is the best way to travel. Living in the volunteer house felt like beeing part of a family. The work with the kids gives more experiences about culture and life than sightseeing can ever give. Brazil and also Colombia were amazing. Thank you IVHQ, I had the time of my life!

International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ] responded to this reviewNovember 22, 2016

Hi Leon, What a wonderful review! Smiles are universal and we are thrilled to hear that you had an amazing time connecting with the children at your placements in Colombia and Brazil. Thanks for being an awesome volunteer and we would love to have you join us again in the future.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was how much exposure we got with the Costa Rican culture. Living with host families and working with the locals gave each individual first hand experience and built an understanding of different ways of life. The locals welcomed us with open arms and really made the experience unforgettable. I would recommend this program to anyone interested in working on their Spanish abilities and channeling their inner adventurous spirit.

Earlier in the summer, I happily attended Global Work's Surf and Service program in the beautiful Costa Rica for a week. This was the best week of my life and one of the most life changing experiences I've ever had. I got to learn so much about the culture and the people there, and made so many friends from around the country who had such similar interests as I do. I also had the privilege of helping out the locals with community projects and everyone was so thankful for everything and anything we did, it felt so good to even help out a little. I also learned so much great life advice and more from my trip leaders, who felt more like friends to me which made everything that much more comfortable and fun. I am forever thankful and grateful I was able to experience something as amazing as this trip was at the young age I'm at and learn as much as I did. Global Works provides once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and I would 100% recommend any trip for anyone who loves or wants to travel, learn, or have fun.