Volunteer Programs in Rural Areas, Costa Rica

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8 Volunteer Programs in Rural Areas, Costa Rica
International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]
4.89
9
Join the Turtle Conservation program in Costa Rica with International Volunteer HQ and help protect endangered sea turtles while living on the remote and beautiful Nicoya Peninsula. Volunteers assist with vital conservation tasks including beach patrols, nest monitoring, hatchery construction, reloc
MAXIMO NIVEL
4.36
67
Delve into one of the world's most bio-diverse countries and really get to know Costa Rica. Maximo Nivel's specialized volunteer projects are a great way to enhance your understanding of conservation and the environment. Project types include: - Sea turtle conservation - Eco-agriculture: coffe
Travel For Teens
4.33
3
Did you know that the sea turtle population is declining rapidly? Six out of seven sea turtle species are going extinct, and in Costa Rica, the Pacific Leatherback population has declined 90% since 1980! TFT is committed to making a difference for this ancient species, and we invite you to join us t
See All 2 ProgramsLove Volunteers
0
0
Do you love the outdoors? Want to help protect Costa Rica’s National Parks? Our Environmental Protection programs allow volunteers to take part in vital conservation works in some of the most bio-diverse regions of Costa Rica. This inspiring conservation program works to promote and encourage susta
Global Works
4.7
10
Global Works specializes in teen service trips and educational experiences to Costa Rica for high school and middle school students. These student travel programs have been our most popular over the years for good reason. Incredible biodiversity and a welcoming culture make Costa Rica an awesome cho
Outward Bound Costa Rica
4.96
26
We believe that the best things in life are personalized; so we’ve launched our custom courses for 5 or more people. Tell us your dates, duration, and activities—we’ll do the rest! Step by step, we’ll create an unforgettable adventure to Costa Rica or Panama. Bring 7 others on your custom course and
Globalteer
5
1
Contribute to the Sea Turtle Conservation Project in Costa Rica, which helps preserve the country's incredible biodiversity through the protection of endangered sea turtle nests and the release of turtle hatchlings into the wild. The program was established in 1989 and has more than 20 years of expe
Popular Providers
Latest Program Reviews
So fun!
July 11, 2026by: Juliet Koff - United StatesWe had an amazing time and the Maximo Nivel is really helpful! They answered all our questions and kept in contact throughout our trip! We stayed at Finca Garúa and helped cut down banana trees and construct the garage!
A experience that Will change you!
May 12, 2026by: Guia Von Wunster - ItalyI have a great time and i learned something new. Of course you have to use to go out from your confort zone and be prepare for a remote place where there are not many activities to do around. But if you love animals is an amazing experience to work with them and learn everything about sea turtles
A great Experience!
March 15, 2026by: Hannah Pringle - United StatesI had a really good time here in Costa Rica! Everyone was very friendly and welcoming! Would love to do another program with you guys in the future! Tried amazing food and went to awesome excursions! Pura Vida forever!
It was an unforgettable experience!
March 15, 2026by: Jillia Northern - United StatesI had so much fun and learned so much, even though I was only in Costa Rica for a week. From walking through the Monteverde Cloud Forest, to volunteering at La Finca, I really enjoyed it all. I would 10/10 recommend this program and do it all again!
Save the turtles
November 22, 2025by: Nathan Gilmore - United StatesThe project and orientations went smoothly and met my expectations. The only feedback I have would be that there's a lot of initial confusion when first arriving in San Jose, as to where you'll be volunteering and how you'll be traveling to and from there. It all worked out in the end but having tickets ahead of time instead of making us buy them and figure out taxis would have been much easier. The project itself was a great experience and I met a lot of new great fun people.
It was a experience like any other
September 26, 2025by: Isaiah Kurth - CanadaIt was so cool to meet new people, experience a different culture and feel like I actually made a difference. It was such a fun time, I would definitely do it again. I never thought I would eat so many beans and rice!
Life changing experience
September 20, 2025by: Ashley Ajayi - United StatesBy far the most amazing experience! Traveling by myself was a little nerve racking at first but that was quickly changed once I realized how much fun I was going to have. Maximo made sure all my accommodations were met and I was safe.

Turtle conservation
August 16, 2025by: Katie Cooper - United KingdomI did 2 weeks here for turtle conservation and I thoroughly enjoyed my time! I made great friends, and had great food, and stayed in Ostional with the nicest, quietest black sand beach! The volunteer work was fun, and I mostly enjoyed the beach clean up, ut was very theraputic, and filled me with self-confidence of doing a good thing. I have also seen the impact plastic has on the world, and i will now try my best to recycle and reduce waste more! The volunteering has definitely impacted me for life.
So cool.
July 12, 2025by: Alyson Jackson - United StatesI was able to see so many sea turtles and an arribada happened while I was there. At first I had some trouble adjusting but got moved to the station where accommodations were very nice. Moving to the station hade my experience so much better.
Fun time in Costa Rica
February 21, 2025by: Emily Wilson - United StatesIt was a great program. It encouraged us to really experience local culture and life. Learning to navigate the bus system during Costa Rican rush hour was an unexpected, but super fun, part of the week. We really are given the opportunity to venture outside the regular tourist experience and see daily activities. Gave me a new appreciation for our similarities and differences.



Great experience!
December 14, 2024by: Vasilena Barakova - BulgariaI thoroughly enjoyed volunteering with the turtle conservation program! It was a rewarding experience to contribute to protecting these amazing creatures while learning so much about conservation. Would love to do it again!
Turtle Conservation - a great trip
December 14, 2024by: Caitlin Brayne - United KingdomI had a fantastic trip from start to finish with the lovely people at SOS Grande. Everyone was so lovely and inviting and I really felt as if we made a difference within the community. The daily activities and amenities were great and I would recommend this trip to anyone!!
Incredible experience I will never forget!
November 30, 2024by: Emily Newton - United KingdomThe sea turtle conservation project was amazing. I felt so humbled to be a part of the project they are doing to save the turtles. I would highly recommend doing it. If you're lucky you may get to see and arribada or baby turtles.
had a great time!
November 30, 2024by: India Corlett-Moore - United KingdomThe activities were really fun and varied, I really feel like I was making a difference to the environment. There was a good combination of work and time to relax, and I’ve met so many new friends whilst I’ve been here.
It was so fun
November 23, 2024by: Hailey Selesky - CanadaI had an amazing time at Verdiazul, I felt like we made a big impact and it was just amazing. Hard work but definitely so rewarding. We felt a part of something and time flew by, Valerie was incredible and so so kind, she really made the experience.
Adventure
November 23, 2024by: Annika Eltschkner - GermanyProgram and stuff from Verdiazul was great - very passionate and inspiring for the participants. Good experience and a lot to learn for the future and the day to day impact for sustainability. Thanks again to Valerie and her team!
Give it all, enjoy it all.
November 22, 2024by: Alex Cuesta - SpainIf I could give you some advice, it would be to not save any of your energy or enthusiasm when you join a project. Give it all and you will feel the reward multiplied by a thousand. I am really grateful for what I lived and I became part of. Loved every minute!


Saving turtles in Costa Rica
November 09, 2024by: Stef de Jong - NetherlandsI went to the pacific coast of Costa Rica to help gather data for studies that help maintain, or are doing research on turtles. I had an amazing time with the turtles and also got to meet wonderful people

Sea turtles ?
November 02, 2024by: Audrey Teats - United StatesI had a really good time at the sea turtles conservation program on the pacific side of costa rica. I met the coolest people and bonded while doing work at the project site. I felt we did make an impact to turtles and to the environment. It was an amazing hands on experience, even though some of the activities we did were very challenging it felt like we made a difference. It was way more hands on than I thought there would be and I loved it so much. Being so close to the mamma turtles and all of the tiny baby turtles was the coolest thing I've ever got to experience. While being there I was forced to be out of my comfort zone but I quickly got used to the different environment and all the wildlife.

Sea turtle program
November 02, 2024by: Elia Sarah Aktag - GermanyI went to the Sea turtle project for three weeks, on the pacific side of costa rica. I learned so much about turtles, and how important they actually are for the ecosystem. Every day was really structured and we had a routine. You still have to consider, that it’s not only about the turtles. If you decide to do the project, you will also have to clean the beach for example, or clean the hatchery area, where the seat turtle eggs can hatch. Everything was really new to me but it was a great experience. I would totally do it again if I could. I met the coolest people and overcame a lot of challenges, like carrying heavy equipment and stuff like that. I really recommend doing this project, because you’re on the beach, having a great time, helping the ecosystem and saving the turtles all in once. :))


Latest Interviews

Josh Clement
International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]
We were inspired to go abroad because we wanted to combine travel with something more meaningful. Instead of just visiting a new place, we were lookin...

Gilberth Johan Pérez Monge
Greentalist Costa Rica
I wanted to experience something new, to observe and feel what it is like to be in a different place, with different people doing different things. I ...

Jenna Patton
Global Citizen Adventure Corps
Traveling abroad has been a dream of mine since I visited Spain my junior year of college. Immersing myself in a different culture is incredibly appea...

Sian Berkley
(DEAD URL) AMPED Abroad
I have travelled quite a few countries, but following university I wanted more than just to travel, hence why I searched for a volunteer opportunity. ...

Carla Jiménez
Kaya Responsible Travel
I had always wanted to participate in a volunteering program and I have always enjoyed traveling, so when I was old enough I started looking for proje...

Mia Morris
Outward Bound Costa Rica
What inspired me to go abroad was the idea of getting to experience a new culture, meeting new friends, and seeing the sea turtles especially (they've...

Amy Lovegrove
(CLOSED) Frontier
Having completed a marine conservation project in the Bahamas last year, I wanted to do a land based internship so that I could gain more experience i...

Carly Mellon
GoEco - Top Volunteer Organization
I was really craving adventure. I felt like I was so stuck in my city and needed to go away and experience something else. I wasn't quite sure if I co...

Lizette Guzman-Zaragoza
The Science Exchange
Besides traveling to my parent’s native land in Mexico I hadn't had an opportunity to travel outside of the United States. Growing up I always enjoyed...

Heather Carter
International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]
I had the opportunity to study abroad in England during my third year of university, and that opened my eyes to the incredible world of international ...

Casandra Fountain
MAXIMO NIVEL
The purpose for this trip was to "find" myself.

Teresa Ortega
International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]
There were two things that inspired me to go abroad; the first was my excursive heart and the small ways I believe I can help make a difference in the...

Christina Giordano
International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]
I decided to apply for an international program because I was inspired to go back to the beautiful country of Costa Rica and continue to engage in ser...

Christine Rominski
Projects Abroad
As an avid traveler, I was itching to go abroad again. I've traveled several times to Central America, and each time thoroughly enjoyed myself, so I w...

Claire Ayers
International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]
I have always been intrigued by the world outside of the United States. My first exposure to the world was when I was in the first grade. My elementar...

Michael Simms
International Student Volunteers
When I started my university education, I had a strong urge to explore the world beyond my familiar daily surroundings. I also wanted to travel with a...

Tiana Prince
Performing Arts Abroad
I was a student in the Artist in Community Education program at Queen’s University when I decided to volunteer abroad. A blossoming arts educator, I k...

Philip Northington
Performing Arts Abroad
I had the desire to share my dance talents and experience with others who did not have the exposure and experience I’ve been privileged to have.

Chloe Greer
Performing Arts Abroad
For me, there were two main reasons I chose to volunteer abroad. First was to travel, and the second was to share my passion for dance, enthusiasm for...

Jane Marino
International Student Volunteers
I first found out about ISV from a recruiter who made an announcement in my Biology class in 2008. I love volunteering and traveling, so it seemed lik...
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