Location
  • Costa Rica

Program Details

Language
English
Housing
Guesthouse Host Family Hostel Hotel Hostel

Pricing

Starting Price
2000
Oct 17, 2018
Oct 05, 2016
8 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Costa Rica is filled with a colourful array of animals, white beaches, lush rainforests, rivers, volcanoes and smiling communities. The national motto is "Pura Vida," meaning Pure Life, and the volunteer projects offered by International Student Volunteers (ISV) reflect this sentiment in every way. ISV works with grassroots initiatives to address social and environmental issues facing this Central American country, in methods that directly benefit locals. Projects range from wildlife conservation, community development, children's programs and environmental management.

You could be observing the feeding behavior of endangered species, mapping habitats, monitoring dolphin populations, or taking beach patrols to protect turtle nests. Community development projects involve working alongside locals in recycling, reforestation, trail building, organic farming and habitat restoration. For more details on how to preserve Costa Rica’s valuable biodiversity, visit ISV's website today!

This program is no longer offered. View more programs from ISV (International Student Volunteers).

Program Reviews

4.94 Rating
based on 141 reviews
  • 5 rating 94.33%
  • 4 rating 5.67%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.8
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.35
  • Value 4.85
  • Safety 4.85
Showing 25 - 32 of 141 reviews
Default avatar
Shannon
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The trip that'll change your life!

I heard about volunteering abroad through ISV from a student that came into my class and just explained her experience. I love traveling so the second I heard her talk about the opportunities ISV had to offer, I knew my mind was set and I had to go. I have traveled before with groups so I had some experience with traveling like this before I came, but this trip was nothing like my previous ones. Going to Costa Rica and living in a community environment was refreshing. We woke up early, showered with cold water, slept in bunk beds, was drenched in sweat every second of every day and so on, and I would 100% choose to do this again then stay at a 5 star resort that had AC. Not only was volunteering with sea turtles and planting mangroves absolutely rewarding, but there comes an extra appreciation for the Costa Rican culture when you are living among families that live like this on a daily basis.

The first two weeks of volunteering was incredible; it changed my values, how I view the world, made me realize how much I impact the world every day, and allowed me to build friendships with people I would have never met otherwise. I also chose to do the two week adventure tour, and it was nothing less than amazing. You change places every two or three days so you get to experience as much of Costa Rica as you can in only two weeks while doing incredible activities along the way such as: white water rafting, zip lining, rappelling down a waterfall, watching an indigenous tribe give a presentation, surfing, and so much more. This trip was truly a once in a lifetime experience, and I wouldn't change a single thing about it!

48 people found this review helpful.
Alexis
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Summer well spent

This is actually my second ISV program! I went to South Africa in 2013 and now to Costa Rica in 2015. I am in love with this organization and what ISV does. I got to stay with a host family on the beach and help in rainforest ecology research. My host family was fantastic, even if they did not speak too much english the charades were fun! I got very close to everyone and we got to learn a lot about the environment and what we were doing there. The work was hard! But I love using my hands and getting dirty so it was the best experience I could ask for. I would go back to Costa Rica in a heartbeat and actually fueled my desire to travel central and south America. I just got back from Belize a week ago and the ISV trip definitely had a hand in my travel decisions.

51 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sarah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Volunteered (and so much more!) in Costa Rica

The ISV program in Costa Rica was absolutely incredible. I signed up for the whole five week trip. The first week we stayed with host families in Heredia while taking Spanish lessons through Intercultura. This was an awesome immersion experience and a great way to learn about the culture firsthand.

For the next two weeks, we were at various volunteer projects throughout Costa Rica. My group was in the rainforest on the Osa Peninsula, where we helped collect data about the rainforest's health by monitoring seed dispersal. It was a lot of hard work and took tons of energy, but being able to help in this way was inexpressibly rewarding. Our little group bonded so much and we all became so close. And we got to see tons of animals---monkeys, sloths, and toucans, to name just a few!---in their natural habitats!

The final two weeks of the trip were spent taking an adventure tour of Costa Rica. We white-water rafted down the Pacuare River, surfed at Samara Beach, and ziplined through the rainforest---and that's not even half of the activities we did! It was amazingly fun and even though I was super nervous (I had never done any of the activities before) I had a blast with each and every thing we did.

I have nothing but good things to say about ISV's volunteer project/adventure tour in Costa Rica. It truly was the trip of a lifetime.

What would you improve about this program?
I wish we had been given an accurate and comprehensive list of what supplies we should bring---I had to purchase some extra things while in Heredia. Also, I wish we had a good estimation of how much money we would be spending during each part of the trip. I spent a lot more money in the first week than I had been prepared for.
50 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Michelle
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

Great experience, I spent 6 weeks in Costa Rica, firstly taking Spanish lessons, then helping with sea turtle conservation, and ended with a 2 week adventure tour.
Every part was amazing, wish I could relive it.
Met amazing people and challenged myself with many activities I never thought I would do, from abseiling down a waterfall, white water rafting, kayaking and ziplining over the rainforest canopy.
Lovely staff, locals were very friendly, felt very welcomed.

48 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jacque
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life-Changing Experience!!

I had an incredible volunteer experience, conducting sea turtle research in Costa Rica! We conducted research on adult hawksbill turtles, which was unique and incredible.

The accommodations are right on the water and the program leaders are knowledgeable and passionate about their research.

Highly recommend this program for students majoring in marine biology, conservation, animal care, etc. but it will be life-changing no matter your area of study.

48 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Kelsey
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

ISV Costa Rica

I will never forget the bus driver pulling to the side of the road so we could see a sloth that had been helped into a tree on the other side. We were so excited because we didn't get to see one during our nature walk. The sloth was one of the coolest things I got to see and definitely one of my favorite pictures. I loved learning more about the sloth after seeing it. Did you know that sloth's cannot support their body weight unless they are hanging? They also can't reach backwards so the person that helped the sloth into the tree was able to carry it by its back and remained untouched it's sharp claws.

What would you improve about this program?
I would have changed the suggested money amount for food and souvenirs. I ended up having to withdraw a lot more money for food than I was lead to believe I would.
47 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Allyson
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Sea turtles and so much more!

Be ready...its night time, you've traveled all day just waiting for all the excitement. You're exhausted, hot, nervous and so many other undescribable feelings but most of all you're ready. You suit up in your flashlight, dark clothing, closed toed shoes and head off to the beach! Yes, the beach at night, and even better you're setting out to find sea turtles! You get to the beach, see the beautiful night sky, the crabs scurrying amongst your feet and hear the waves crashing ashore. Costa Rica is more beautiful than you could've ever imagined, and then it gets better. You see your first sea turtle! They're huge, and you're working with them hands on! Taking skin/shell samples, tagging them, counting thier eggs and measuring! Helping these beautiful creatures give birth to so many more! At that moment all your money, stress, time and energy is worth it.

What would you improve about this program?
The price, it is volunteer work and even if you were going on the two week trip, it's still over $3,000.
49 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Cara
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Home Stay

The most remarkable part of this trip was the home stay for two weeks during the volunteer portion of the trip. My best friend and I went together and stayed with the same family. They became our family. We immersed ourselves in their daily routines. We visited our Tico father at work milking cows on our day off, and on Saturday evening we helped cook the tamales that they sold in the city for extra money. It was an experience we both will always cherish dearly.

What would you improve about this program?
The volunteer portion could be longer, if participants choose, I think it should be allowed for more than 2 weeks.
47 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

I don't believe you can scuba dive. You can however snorkel, in fact they take you to a small fishing village in which you can snore at with beautiful corals.