Volunteer in Costa Rica with Maximo Nivel - Best Rated Projects

I have chose to do three projects in Costa Rica through Maximo Nivel. I did construction and renovation in San Jose, eco agriculture in Monteverde and turtle conservation program in Junquillal. The hardest part about writing this review is that i know im about to head home and leave this beautiful country and its people behind. All of the projects were absolutly amazing! from the host families, making new friends with the locals and the volunteers to the very helpful and friendly staff members of Maximo Nivel. If you are looking to volunteer in a safe country, where the people make you feel like you are home and where your time and effort will be truly needed and appreciate it, this is definitely the place and the organization. I will forever be grateful and lucky that I got to experience all these adventures and challenges that were so rewarding!

Costa Rica is such a beautiful place with such kind, welcoming people. Volunteering through Maximo Nivel immediately eased all my worries about travelling solo! The team at the San Pedro headquarters provided a comprehensive orientation of all the do's and don'ts while here and provided all the support you need. Emmy is super knowledgable and helped me settle in immediately! Going through Maximo was a great way to meet people with their social events while contributing to the community and having an authentic Costa Rican experience. Special shout out to Steve and Andres, they were always so acommodating and happy to help with any issues i had. I could not recommend Maximo enough! I can't wait to visit again.

My time in Costa Rica has been one, if not the most, life-changing and impactful experiences of my life. The program sets to up to challenge yourself in a new community with interesting people from all over the world. Each day you have enough structure and freedom to have a fulfilling experience. Living with a host family provided such valuable insight into the culture here in San Jose, Costa Rica. At the home you are able to practice Spanish, learn the family values and cultural norms as well as get an authentic look at the community and day to day life. I would do this program again without question and recommend it to anyone. While I was here as a volunteer, I feel like I was the one who gained the most value. Everyone has been so welcoming and I could not have imagined a better time. If you are looking for a new opportunity to grow as a person, come to Costa Rica. You will not regret it.

I spent 2 weeks teaching English with the project Vuela. It was one of the most rewarding and eye opening experiences of my life so far. It was definitely not what I was expecting, but I wouldn´t have had it any other way! The staff at Maximo were unbelievably helpful and made sure we were always supported in every way. They would greet us everyday with a smile on their faces which made our experience so welcoming. By the end of the 2 weeks, we felt like locals. Teaching the kids was an honour and when they remembered the things you taught them, it brings you so much joy! You create such a strong bond with the kids and the staff that you will never forget!

I was very nervous about embarking on this journey, visiting a new non english speaking country and being thrown into an environment out of my comfort zone. I am so pleased with the experience I have had. My home stay family was lovely and welcoming and I always felt very much at home.
Teaching the children English was challenging but very rewarding and I feel as though I have gained so much confidence from the experience. The children are so lovely and it was so difficult to say goodbye.

It was such an incredible experience! I took part in the Healthcare project and absolutely loved it. I came to Costa Rica only having studied my first year of nursing and yet was able to partake in everything. The experience is without a doubt worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
As for Maximo Nivel, the assistance all the students received was outstanding. They help you with every aspect of your travels and hold 'event nights' wher eyou can practise salsa and learn to cook typical Costa Rican dishes. Definitely well worth it and I would recommend it to anybody who is ready for a lifechanging experience.

I volunteered in Costa Rica and had a wonderful time sightseeing the country and working with kids, would definitely recommend to anyone looking for volunteer abroad opportunities. I didn't speak any spanish but the volunteerHQ staff were super helpful in getting me around and I was still able to help out a lot at the daycare I was volunteering at. I also got to spend the weekend traveling to Manuel Antonio and the beach was beautiful.

Such a life-changing experience! I loved going to my project and spending time with the cute children, it always made my day and I feel like that with time it got better so I would definitely recommend coming for longer than two weeks (I did it for 8 weeks). My homestay was amazing, they made me feel like a part of their family and I already miss them.
This experience allows you not only to see a new culture but to live it. I cannot stress how much I’d recommend everyone to do this at least once in their life. I feel like I’ve learned so much and feel more grateful for what I have now. I got out of my comfort zone a lot and learned a new language- the more Spanish you know the more you’ll benefit from your experience.
Also, Maximo Nivel was great, I felt supported all the time.