Volunteer Programs in Tortuguero, Costa Rica

i had an absolutely wonderful time traveling to costa rica with travel for teens in 2024! i was the youngest one in my group but they welcomed me with open arms and i had a truly transformative experience

My Costa Rica service trip was an amazing and meaningful experience that I will never forget. It gave me the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone, work as part of a team, and make a positive impact on the community. I learned the importance of teamwork, communication, and helping others, while also getting to experience a new culture and meet amazing people. This trip helped me grow as a person and gave me a greater appreciation for the opportunities I have. I would highly recommend this experience to any other travelers considering it!

Overall, turtle conservation was a great experience. I got to see many, many turtles throughout the Aribada. Though, much of the day was boring due to a lack of work and activities to do during the day.

Participating in the volunteer program for the sea turtle conservation program in Costa Rica with MÁXIMO NIVEL was an absolutely amazing experience. To be completely honest, you definitely need an adaptable mindset. You will be immersing yourself in authentic local contexts, adjusting to a different lifestyle, and stepping out of your comfort zone every single day.However, getting hands-on with marine conservation and taking part in night beach patrols, protecting nesting sites in the hatchery, collecting vital scientific data, and releasing hatchlings into the ocean makes every challenge completely worth it. That being said, Máximo Nivel's organization was fantastic from day one. The local team is incredibly professional, supportive, and always available to assist with anything you need—from orientation to daily project management. You feel safe, well-guided, and genuinely valued throughout the entire journey.

We 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!

I 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

I 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!

I 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!

The 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.

I had an amazing time in Costa Rica! This was my first trip with TFT, and I went by myself. We were busy constantly, and had multiple interesting adventures every day. My favorite day was probably kayaking in the ocean to an island, where we went snorkeling with tons of tropical fish the food was amazing, and it was cool meeting new people would totally recommend! A

This past summer I had the opportunity to go on Costa Rica Adventure and Service through TFT! I had the best time, it’s truly hard to put into words. I had the pleasure to participate in a number of unique activities such as white water rafting, snorkeling, surfing and more. I was able to try new foods and learn about new cultures, while helping the community I was visiting. Throughout all of this, I was able to make 11 new best friends. I highly recommend this program and I cannot wait for my next trip with TFT this summer!

It 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!

By 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.

I 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.

I 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.

It 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.

I 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!

I 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!!

My trip to Costa Rica was easily the highlight of my summer, and an experience I will never forget! During my ten days there, I was able to experience so many amazing opportunities to learn about culture and explore the unreal nature. We went on a two day river rafting excursion, zip lined through the jungle, learned to surf, and visited natural hot springs. Despite all of the thrilling adventures we went on, my favorite part of the trip was volunteering with a local children's school. During our time there, we were able to meet an amazing group of kids and help organize their school. My highlight of volunteering here was definitely playing soccer with the whole group. It started off as a small game, but more and more people joined in to create a huge game with everyone. It was so much fun and a memory I look back on frequently. Overall, this trip was filled with unforgettable experiences that I'm truly grateful I got to have.

The 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.