Take part in an exciting volunteer experience in Costa Rica. Assist sloths and other native animals at a renowned wildlife rescue and rehabilitation sanctuary. Begin your program with a fun week of Spanish language and culture in San Jose.
Program Highlights:
Your Schedule at a Glance – minimum two-week commitment (itinerary subject to change):
Week 1, Sun – Sat: Spanish Immersion Week
Kick off your Costa Rica experience with a week of Spanish language immersion in one of the most well-regarded Schools in the country. Experience living with a local family and build Spanish skills to converse with employees and other volunteers. This includes:
Spanish classes take place between 9am and 12 noon, with a break for lunch in between, and then start up again from 1pm to 3pm (for 5 hours a day, Monday to Thursday). During your free time on evenings and weekends, you can explore the city or travel around Costa Rica. Look at the tour options below.
Week 2 and beyond: Wildlife Volunteer Program
Sunday: Transfer by bus to the wild animal sanctuary and settle in your new home.
Mon – Fri: On-site orientation on Monday, followed by meaningful volunteer work with the animals. Volunteers usually get one day off a week.
Sat-Sun: Transfer back to San Jose is on your last Saturday at the program. You will spend one night in San Jose with a host family, and on Sunday, catch your flight home.
What’s Included
What’s not Included
Eco-tourists from all around the world flock to Costa Rica because of its abundant biodiversity. Despite its relatively small size, the country is home to over 5% of the world’s plant and animal species. Costa Rica is the Spanish term for a wealthy coast. This tropical paradise offers a variety of landscapes, flora, and fauna. From forests to volcanoes, mountains to beaches, this country has much to explore.
The Spanish Immersion Week takes place in central San Jose. The wildlife sanctuary sits on the Alto de Las Palomas mountain, only 5 minutes’ drive from the center of Santa Ana and the fashionable Escazu suburb of San Jose.
The rescue and rehabilitation sanctuary in Las Palomas receives up to 1.500 cases of wild animals annually. Many animals arrive after being kept illegally as pets or electrocuted on public electric lines. The sanctuary is urban based and relatively small, yet quite active for its size. It is home to around 75 species of animals, including sloths, ocelots, macaws, toucans, crocodiles, and more. The primary aim is to help the animals recover and set them free in their natural habitat. Unfortunately, this isn’t achievable with all animals.
The sanctuary offers different animal habitats, for example aviaries, sloth gardens, monkey cages, manigordo (wildcats) cages, deer gardens, and a pond for turtles, crocodiles, alligators, and fish. The staff and volunteers have planted over a thousand trees and vegetation to create a green lung in the city for the recovering animals.
Volunteering at the sanctuary offers a chance to work with professionals and learn about animal care. With over 12 years of experience and 10,000 animals released into the wild since its inception, it is a leader in the field. The staff strives to ensure animals get a good diet, housing and fun activities through enrichment projects.
Volunteer tasks
Example of daily volunteer schedule:
7:00am-8:30am–breakfast
8:30am-10:30am–Morning feeding of animals under supervision
10:30am-12:00md–Daily tasks
12:00md-1:00pm–Lunch and relax time
1:00pm-3:00pm-Afternoon feeding of animals under supervision
Afterwards, volunteers are free for the rest of the day! Dinner is usually ready by 6:00pm.
During the weekends, we can arrange tours for an additional cost and help you experience Costa Rica like a local!
Important notes: schedule and tasks may vary depending on the amount of volunteers and tasks required. Volunteers staying on site must follow an 08:00 pm curfew set by the program. Following this time, the volunteer coordinator may grant permission for later arrival, if requested in advance.
Families are welcome!
Families with kids aged 8+ are welcome to join the volunteer program. The local team will provide suitable training and volunteer tasks. As a family, you need to upgrade to a hotel nearby. Hotel costs can range from $60-$200 for a private room per night, depending on the hotel level. We will provide suitable options following the application interview.
Tour options
Exploring Costa Rica is optional both before and after your volunteer placement, as well as on weekends. You can go sightseeing alone or join a tour. These are some of the popular activities you can reserve early with us:
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