Cultural Immersion & Volunteering Abroad in Costa Rica

Name: Cultural Immersion & Volunteering Abroad in Costa Rica
Brand: Amigos de las Americas
SKU: 266600
Rating: 4.88 (42 reviews)

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4.88 Rating

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Location

Costa Rica

Length

2 to 4 weeks

Project Types

Agriculture Climate Change Community Development Service Learning Youth Conservation Marine Conservation Sea Turtle Conservation Environmental Conservation Reforestation Wildlife Conservation +1

Need-based funding, 529 Plan eligibility

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Language

Spanish

Age Min.

Age Max

Timeframe

Summer

Housing

Host Family Hostel Hotel Lodge

Groups

Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30)

Pricing

Starting Price

4700

Price Details

Fees include all in-country expenses. Flight costs are not included. Fundraising Support Available - visit our website to learn more!

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation

What's Not Included

Airfare

Last Updated: Sep 17, 2024

Last Reviewed: Sep 30, 2024

Wish List

19 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Since 1965, AMIGOS has offered volunteers aged 15 to 19 exciting opportunities to immerse themselves in Latin American culture through local service projects and community engagement.

Living and working in a new community within Costa Rica gives you the chance to improve your Spanish, make an impact, gain confidence, and build your leadership skills. You'll get to see the world in a truly unique way!

AMIGOS has worked in Costa Rica for more than three decades.

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Video and Photos

Environmental Volunteering in Costa Rica

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Program Highlights

Explore a critical issue and meet local activists, business owners, and community members
Service - Earn 12 service hours per week while you complete hands-on projects with local organizations
Live with a host family and experience authentic cultural immersion
Excursions - Explore Costa Rica's natural beauty!
Improve your Spanish by using it in everyday conversation

Program Impact

Focus on the AMIGOS pillars of ethical service, leadership, and cultural humility in Costa Rica! Explore an issue you're passionate about and learn how local communities are responding to the impacts of that issue.

Popular Programs

Costa Rica: Highlands Biodiversity

Explore how local communities in southern Costa Rica practice sustainable development, from farming and coffee growing to conservation and wildlife corridors. Volunteer with women-led community organizations that are working to protect wildlife in the region! Stay at a nature reserve and a lodge in the rolling hills of the Brunca region! Immerse yourself by living with a host family and learning how farmers support conservation efforts.

Costa Rica: Marine & Mountain Exploration

Explore community efforts to adapt to climate change in Costa Rica! From visiting one of the biggest archaeological sites in the country to supporting with a sea turtle protection project in the Caribbean region, you will get hands-on experience with local conservation projects. Learn about the root causes of climate change and international and local efforts to address it. Get to know Costa Rican culture by living with a host family in two different communities!

Costa Rica: Eco-Tourism & Environmental Protection

Experience the incredible biodiversity that Costa Rica has to offer on the Eco-Tourism and Environmental Protection project! Spend your time abroad getting to know your host family in a rural community surrounded by lush green plants and the chatter of tropical birds. You’ll volunteer at an environmental conservation reserve and visit community entrepreneurship initiatives to learn how they approach conservation efforts.

Program Reviews

4.88 Rating

based on 42 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Volunteer

5 rating 90.48%
4 rating 7.14%
3 rating 2.38%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 4.75
Support 4.85
Fun 4.75
Value 4.65
Safety 4.9

Good for Students, Under 18, Adventure travelers

Showing 1 - 8 of 42 reviews

I entered this project with an array of cheerleaders: Krista, Charlotte, Dorothy, and Mateo ('23 alumni). Their support was the reason why I continued with the application process, and I must say, it was worth it. The nine weeks I spent in Costa Rica were the most liberating and life-changing experiences. Not only did I learn more about Costa Rican culture, but also the meaning of how to love and live in the moment—pura vida. These lessons are some that I will forever cherish, and aim to use in my everyday life as a form of inspiration.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

During the second youth encuentro, I was walking with my friend, Luke, and the Project Director, Steven. I suppose I was a bit unaware, considering the fact that I almost walked into moving cars. It was at this moment when Luke goes, "What are you doing? Are you trying to be unique or something?" and I was like, "I am unique! Steven, am I unique?" and he goes, "Sure." Not once did I think that small interaction would become our inside joke. From that moment on, anytime I would complain about doing tasks, Steven would say, "It's because you're unique!"

One thing everyone should note is that that AMIGOS is always full of surprises. On the second to last night, after dinner, my friends pulled me aside and asked if I wanted to play four square with them. This was a weird request, but so was everything on the trip, so I gave in and played a few rounds with them. Five minutes later, two of my other friends told us that we had to complete another group survey and that we were late. In stress, I felt bad and walked at a quicker pace. When I got to the room, I watched everyone's head face towards me, as they all sang 'Happy Birthday.' Moments later, Steven walks out, carrying a cake that said, "Unique," with unicorn candles on it. The amount of joy and love I felt from the organization and my peers were indescribable.

Not to mention, my birthday is on 08/19 and the project ended on 08/13. When I thanked Steven for this kind gesture, he told me, "Of course! I still wanted to find a way to celebrate your birthday."

I loved going to Costa Rica over the summer through the La Pezeta program with AMIGOS. Although I was apprehensive of staying with a host family when I don't speak any Spanish and have never taken a Spanish class before, it worked out great and my host mom was super accomodating. I would just recommend doing some lessons on Duolingo before you leave. Additionally, not having a phone provided a great break from normal life and helped me immerse myself in the community. It truly is unique in providing a local experience rather than the typical tourist experience. It was one of the most fun times of my life, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's considering going.

The Amigos program gave me a social and cultural experience I couldn’t find anywhere else and I am still infinitely grateful I had the opportunity to go. On this trip I got to meet a bunch of new and amazing people, from other volunteers and supervisors to host families and locals. I am still in contact with the other volunteers and my host family and message them daily! Every day on our trip was an amazing time getting to participate in volunteering and exploration activities and creating a tightly knit group of volunteers. The experience was also a great chance to actively speak Spanish in a real life situation and be able to communicate with people in my second language. I am so glad I chose to go on this trip and I would recommend it to every young student looking to broaden their world view and have an experience like no other!

I had an amazing experience with Amigos this summer. I took part in a 3 week program called Olas y Cerros, which was focused on environmental sustainability, conservation work, and youth leadership. We traveled to 3 main locations and stayed in a homestay with local "parents" for a large portion of the project, and my homestay experience was great. My "parents" were very understanding of anything I needed and our conversations every meal definitely helped my Spanish. I loved the projects we participated in with partner agencies, especially our work with ASTOP in Parismina, where we helped clean up beaches and watched turtle eggs hatch. I had very few, if any, negative experiences on my program and I came out of it with a better grasp of Spanish language, knowledge of Costa Rican culture, and self-awareness.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?

I had the awesome opportunity to try termites (live!) on a walking tour of the rainforest in Parismina.

My group in Parismina after a soccer game

My experience on the Amigos de las Americas La Brunca project was extremely valuable and transformative. I met so many people from all over Costa Rica and the United States that became my family for three weeks. My time with my host family in community was so special, as I was able to connect and bond with my host siblings and improve my Spanish skills. I learned so much about sustainability and agriculture in Costa Rica and was able to become close with the other volunteers. It was an overall amazing experience and I will cherish it for the rest of my life.

Pros

Improved Spanish skills
Learned about sustainability
Met so many new people

Our fifteen year-old son participated in AMIGOS de las Americas Cartigo Y Caribe service program this summer and as my title states, it was a transformative experience. He was immersed in the culture, experienced multiple cities in Costa Rica and was able to provide service. AMIGOS did an amazing job of preparing him and us for his three week experience. He came home with such an appreciation for Costa Rica and learned invaluable skills. Safety is of the utmost importance in AMIGOS and we knew that we could trust the organization with him.

Pros

Training and Spanish brush up provided
Safety first
Complete on-boarding experience

The amount that I gained from this program went way beyond my expectations. My spanish improved to the point where I was much more confident in speaking spanish to others. But perhaps the largest gain was the ability for me to open up a lot more, and become so much less introverted. By living with 20 other members for 3 weeks, I was able to become more social and create close bonds with my fellow AMIGOS members. Finally, I was also able to deeply appreciate the community of Costa Rica-- their fun and loving culture, amazing food, and large commitment to sustainable development.

Pros

Spanish improved
Greater knowledge and appreciation of Costa Rican culture
Long lasting friendships with amigos members

Cons

pretty unorganized due to this being the first year of launch
miscommunication from upper AMIGOS management

I enjoyed our volunteer experiences (cleaning up a beach, painting benches at a park, and creating a garden). I also met great people from Costa Rica and different states in the US. I lived with a host family and loved eating all of the typical Costa Rican food. We went to a local middle school and interacted with the young students. We made cheese on a dairy farm, which was fascinating. I wrote in my journal every day. It was a good experience not having my phone. I learned a lot of card games and became really good friends with my roommates.

Pros

went to cool places
met nice people
volunteering opportunities

Cons

woke up early
had a false-positive COVID test (my PCR test was negative!)
tropical storm

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with Amigos de las Americas in Costa Rica?

Carolyn: I chose to travel abroad with Amigos de las Americas because of incredible reviews and references from friends and family who had prior done the projects that Amigos offers.

I chose Costa Rica as my top choice for the country that I wanted to go to because of the program offered there, as it is different than other Amigos projects, as well as the stark contrast between the lifestyle, culture, and food that volunteers would receive there, as compared to that from not only the United States but also the other projects.

Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

Carolyn: Each day, I would wake up around 6:30 in the morning, eat breakfast and chat with my host family, and then walk to my community partner's house to meet up and make our plans for the day.

After that, we would walk to where we ate lunch that day, talk, and then go off to do day camps with the community youth. Then we would head back to our houses and eat, then rest and repeat.

When we were in the forests, we would get up around 6AM, eat, and then work for about 5 hours with a 1/2 hour break. We would then have lunch and rest and relax with other US and Costa Rican volunteers, make plans for the next day, eat, and go to sleep.

What made this volunteer abroad experience unique and special?

Carolyn: Because I was able to not only do an incredible trip with Amigos, I learned how to be flexible in scheduling and plans and to enjoy peace and quiet. Also unique was the day-to-day chaos that comes with a language barrier, and also the amazing forests and communities that we visited.

Over the summer, I became more accustomed to change and a new environment, as well as speaking in Spanish all day every day. I worked harder than ever before in my life, not only through the physical labor while in the national forests, but also with children and in making my ideas clear in a foreign language. I consider myself lucky every day to have been a part of such a life-changing experience.

Tell me about one person you met.

Carolyn: My host mother, while more reserved initially than I had been prepared for, became an instrumental part of my experience. She was always there to help me in whatever way I needed, especially if it involved talking to the rest of the community.

She was so connected to everyone and such a wonderful, open person that I was so overjoyed to have had the opportunity to have lived with her, even just for 2 months.

She was always conscientious of the food that I liked and disliked, and was able to offer me knowledge in topics new to me that I would never have been able to obtain otherwise.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Carolyn: I feel that I have become more responsible, better able to speak in public, more open to change, and more culturally aware. My Costa Rican travels also gave me a chance to explore a part of the world that I most likely would never have been able to otherwise.

The fact that I was even given the opportunity to experience a new culture gave me a recognition of the fact that I can do so much and that the world is out there, just waiting to be ventured into.

Location

Location:

Costa Rica

Currency:

Costa Rican Colón

Weather:

Jan-Mar

83 F / 67 F

Apr-Jun

85 F / 69 F

Jul-Sep

85 F / 69 F

Oct-Dec

83 F / 67 F

Airports:

Juan Santamaría International Airport

( SJO )

Limón International Airport

( LIO )

Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport

( LIR )

A pioneer of ecotourism, Costa Rica draws many tourists to its extensive series of national parks and other protected areas. Costa Rica began reversing deforestation in the 1990s, and they are moving towards using only renewable energy. Head to the cloud forest, relax on the beautiful beaches, or visit a coffee farm.

About Amigos de las Americas

Founded in 1965, AMIGOS is the safest, most authentic volunteer and immersion program in Latin America for young people ages 13 to 22. Volunteers get the opportunity to explore a new country, learn Spanish, and make a positive impact by working on a community service project side by side with local peers and community partners. Our relationships...