Costa Rica Wildlife Volunteer Adventure

Hit the most beautiful parts of Costa Rica in this volunteer adventure.  Start by spending several nights at a leatherback nesting beach conservation project looking for both nesting adult females!  Next you group will visit indigenous reserves in the South Caribbean, hike the rainforest, visit an organic farm, and look for dolphins. 

Price: $1,595 per person which includes all in-country transportation, meals, lodging, activities, guides, and a donation to turtle conservation (does not include airfare).

Conservation Impact: $330 to conservation (20%) (including $100 to SEE Turtles) and $150 to local communities (10%).

Activity Level: Moderate, involves 4 hours of beach walking while volunteering and a 3 hour rainforest hike.  Read more about volunteering here.

Date: May 10 - 18, 2011

Fill out the form to receive registration information.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Spend 3 nights at a leatherback sea turtle conservation project, helping to patrol the beach and release hatchlings;
• Visit a remote indigenous reserve;
• Hike to an organic farm; and
• Spend time at an iguana conservation project and a butterfly farm.

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Costa Rica Wildlife Adventure (468 kb)

FULL ITINERARY

May 10: Arrive to the Central Valley

Our guides and bus will pick you up from the airport and take you our comfortable hotel in a country setting to get acquainted with your guides and get a restful night’s sleep before an early start.  Overnight at La Condesa, outside of San Jose.

May 11 – 13: Las Tortugas Sea Turtle Conservation Project

After breakfast, board your group’s private bus for a three hour ride to the Caribbean coast. After a short boat ride to the research station, enjoy a turtle presentation and training. The group will spend three nights at an important leatherback sea turtle nesting beach.  Your group will help monitor the beach, looking for nesting turtles, helping to collect data on the giant leatherbacks, and transplanting eggs to a protected hatchery.  Learn more about volunteer activities here.

During the day, your group can sleep in, visit the turtle museum, or take a walk on the beach. Organized activities include a boat ride of the Tortuguero canals and a guided rainforest hike.  Overnight for three nights at Las Tortugas Research Station.

May 14: Cahuita

After breakfast, we will head south to the laid back surfing town of Cahuita. We will have a picnic lunch on one of the country’s most beautiful beaches, enjoy the warm water, and explore the park’s trails.

May 15: Yorkin Indigenous Reserve

Today we will be up early for a special treat, a visit to the remote BriBri indigenous community of Yorkin. After an hour long boat ride and then a 20 minute walk, we will meet local leaders and learn about their culture. Our hosts will prepare a traditional lunch served on fresh cut (and clean) banana leaves. On the way back, time allowing, we’ll visit APPTA's organic chocolate processing plant.

May 16: Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge

Today’s adventure begins with a two hour trek along a coastal trail, switching from rock overlooks to isolated beaches to rainforest. We’ll arrive at Punta Mona, an organic farm with hundreds of varieties of plants and fruits. After a delicious lunch, we can kayak (weather permitting) and then look for dolphins on the boat ride to town.

May 17: Return to the Central Valley

This morning, we will visit the Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve to learn how they are working to restore the local iguana population. On our way back to San Jose, we’ll stop for lunch at the Jardin Pierella to see an amazing array of butterflies. Tonight, we’ll enjoy a celebratory dinner.

May 18: Departure

We’ll return home with a new appreciation for the hard work of conservation and to share our experiences with our friends and family.