Programs Abroad

COSTA RICA - Spanish Course & Volunteer in a National Park

	Project: Wildlife and Nature \| Spanish Course Booking Nº: CR106 Country: Costa Rica + Location: Costa Rica Minimum Stay: 4 weeks Start dates: All year round Price: from 4 weeks, 1,325 USD
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Task

The volunteer work at a National Park in Costa Rica is a full-day position. The tasks will depend on the park you chose to work in and will be defined once you get to Costa Rica. The working hours and responsibilities depend on the total work load, the total number of volunteers and will be set according to your skills and knowledge. Usually you will be working from 8 am to 5 pm at 5 to 6 days per week, considering 1 hour for lunch per day. You will have at least one day off per week where you can explore the area around you, catch up with other volunteers, or hang out and relax. Costa Rica’s nature is really amazing and we are sure you will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the country!

The tasks volunteers usually carry out in different National Parks are:

Supporting service for visitors
Clearing and maintaining hiking paths
Cleaning beaches
Maintaining park’s installations and facilities
Protecting local environment
Taking care of animals
Supervising populations of animals
Working in administration at the park’s office
Organizing projects with local communities
Educating on environmental issuesn

Two weeks of Spanish courses in San Jose are required to participate in the volunteer projects in Costa Rican National Parks. This ensures an optimal linguistic preparation and allows you to adapt to your host country.

During your stay at the language school we will arrange a personal meeting for you with the National Park’s main office in San Jose. This serves to show you different possibilities of volunteer projects in each of the many National Parks in Costa Rica. Each park, its infrastructure, and volunteer tasks will be explained to you by means of photos, maps and detailed explanations. You will get to know each park’s characteristics, flora and fauna and locations. Afterwards, it’s up to you to choose one of the parks for your volunteer experience in Costa Rica (subject to availability).

Remember that traveling with us gives you the unique opportunity to work in different National Parks with no additional fee. If you stay longer than 6 weeks you can switch between National Parks and hence you are able to explore not only one park but two or even more. The minimum stay at each park is 2 weeks.

Accommodation

During Spanish course in San Jose:

Host Family
Half-board provided
Single room

During volunteer work at a National Park in Costa Rica:

Volunteer house or in administrative house of National Park
Full-board provided
Shared bedrooms

While studying Spanish at the school in San Jose you will live with a Costa Rican host family. That gives you the best chance to discover the Costa Rican way of life as you will immediately become a member of the family. The families live either within walking distance to the Spanish school or a few minutes away by bus. You will have your own room (single room) and laundry services as well as two meals per day (breakfast and lunch or dinner).

You will be accommodated at the National Park itself during your volunteer work program. In most of the cases the administrative building of the park is big enough to offer bedrooms for the local staff and volunteers. The larger parks usually have separate volunteer houses. Whatever the case may be, you will share a bedroom with other volunteers divided by gender. Sometimes you might be given a private bedroom, especially in low season when there are not as many volunteers on-site. The parks have to your disposal other facilities like a kitchen, bathrooms, common rooms and often hammocks where you can perfectly relax after a hard working day. During your whole stay at the National Park you will be provided with full-board with the exception of personal cravings for sweets, chocolate or other things.

Requirements

Language:
Spanish

Skills:
No special skills are required. However, depending on each National Park you might be asked to have special knowledge or experience (e.g. biology, veterinary, carpentry, conservation, education).

Age:
18+ years

Vaccination:
May vary according to each project. Please ask for medical advice in your home country.

Insurance:
Full travel & medical insurance for Costa Rica.

Visa:
Usually, tourist visa is fine for a stay up to 90 days. However, we recommend consulting the Costa Rican Embassy of your home country.

Details

Our volunteer work projects in Costa Rica take place in National Parks which are spread throughout the country. Although Costa Rica is a very small country the vegetation and wildlife is very diverse. National Parks have been established to protect the country’s unique nature and biodiversity and to respond to environmental conservation. Costa Rica is known for its wide eco-tourism industry and the country’s National Parks are world famous travel destinations. The parks attractions range from beautiful beaches, volcanoes, mountains, rain and cloud forests, lagoons, rivers, waterfalls and very active wildlife.

The species that make up Costa Rican wildlife include a variety of mammals, beautiful birds as well as fish and reptiles. Among them are howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, tapirs, jaguars, pumas, deer, squirrel, coati, peccari and plenty of marvelous butterflies, frogs, iguanas, toucans and parrots. Furthermore you can find a huge array of water birds and about 70 different types of snakes.

The main attractions of many parks are the sea turtles. A lot of parks focus on the protection of these amazing reptiles that are in danger of extinction. The beaches of Costa Rica on both the Caribbean and the Pacific coast rank among the most important areas for sea turtles to nest their eggs. Thousands of sea turtles, amazingly reaching a weight of up to 900 kg, come every year for reproduction. Still there are a lot of unexplainable myths about this species. Most parks have a very diverse eco-system and a unique flora and fauna. They are important refuges for endangered species while others offer outdoor activities like hiking, horseback riding, rafting, kayaking, canopying and much more.

Prices

Prices in USD	incl. Lodging and Meals*
2 weeks Spanish & 2 weeks Volunteer	1,325.-
2 weeks Spanish & 3 weeks Volunteer	1,520.-
2 weeks Spanish & 4 weeks Volunteer	1,710.-
3 weeks Spanish & 2 weeks Volunteer	1,705.-
3 weeks Spanish & 3 weeks Volunteer	1,895.-
3 weeks Spanish & 4 weeks Volunteer	2,090.-
4 weeks Spanish & 2 weeks Volunteer	1,960.-
4 weeks Spanish & 3 weeks Volunteer	2,155.-
4 weeks Spanish & 4 weeks Volunteer	2,345.-
Additional week Spanish Course	380.-
Additional week Volunteer + Lodging	175.-

*2 meals included during Spanish course, while 3 meals are included during volunteer program.

One time registration fee 75 USD.

What’s included:

Accommodation
3 meals / day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Orientation kit
Local support
24h-Emergency Number
Laundry service (Homestay)
Free internet access at school
Airport pick-up
Quality Spanish Course
Homestay with 2 meals per day
Teaching material
Evaluation test
Refreshments, coffee and tea at school
Activity calendar
Language Certificate
Volunteer Work Placement
Certificate of participation

What’s not included:

Flight
Medical Insurance
Visa (if necesary)
Local Travels

Country

Country information Costa Rica

Costa Rica stands as one of the smallest countries in Central America with approximately 19,000 square miles and a coastline of 810 miles. The country borders Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south and the Pacific and Caribbean Sea on either side. Costa Rica is home to 4.5 million people with upwards of 350,000 people living in the capital city of San Jose.

The Costa Rican climate is commonly humid and warm year round, although temperatures in the highlands are typically colder and cloudier. Incredibly, 23% of an already small amount of densely populated land remains protected territory by National Parks and/or private reserves. This protected land is home and host to a wide variety of exotic plants, animals, and social and environmental projects to ensure the protection and conservation of the tropical habitat. When walking the streets of Costa Rica, make sure to ask Costa Ricans, who typically know heaps, about their national treasures.

Further, Costa Rica is the most politically stable country in Central America, with a disbanded army for more than sixty years and a relatively high standard of education. Tourism is one of the main economic income sources for Costa Rica. With over 2 million tourists exploring Costa Rica each year, the country stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region. Through eco-tourism programs, (which CR was one of the first countries offering this type of tourism), a variety of activities, and year round tropical weather, the country attracts tourists from all over the world.

Aside from protected land, the true jewels of Costa Rica are the surrounding islands with serene beaches and breath-taking nature. This country offers beautiful landscapes for dream vacations of beach lounging, surfing, snorkeling, hiking volcanoes, zip-lining, rafting, bird watching, fishing, and exploring rain forests.

The dry season of Costa Rica is between December and April, though like most Latin countries, schools are closed, beaches full and finding last minute hotels may be tricky. A second peak season arrives with the Europeans and North Americans during June and July. As the off-season arrives in May, so does the lush green vegetation with the rainy season. Lastly, Costa Rica encompasses year round possibilities for surfers, fishing enthusiasts and wildlife lovers alike. Depending on what coast you want to surf, what fish you want to catch and what bird you hope to see, there are variations on ideal months to further research.

Finally, Costa Rica is a perfect place to learn Spanish, as the Spanish spoken here is typically slow without strong accents and layers of slang. The Costa Ricans are very friendly, energetic and always with a smile!