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Volunteer in Portugal, Porto | Programs From 1 to 12 Weeks
Volunteer in Portugal, Porto | Programs From 1 to 12 Weeks
Volunteering Solutions
Volunteering Solutions
3.67 · 3 reviews
Community Choice Award Winner
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Volunteering Solutions

 3.67 · 3 reviews
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Location
  • Portugal
    • Porto
    • Porto
Length
1 to 12 weeks
Project Types
Community Development Building Projects Conservation Environmental Conservation Wildlife Conservation
General grants/scholarships, Payment plans

Program Details

Language
English
Age Min.
18
Timeframe
Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Guesthouse Hostel
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)

Pricing

$399
Price Details
The costs include:
- 24 hrs Assistance and support from VS Staff
- Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
- Airport Pickup
- Orientation
- Accommodation
- Meals
What's Included
Accommodation Airport Transfers
What's Not Included
Airfare Visa
Aug 24, 2021
Wish List
26 travelers are looking at this program

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to help you plan with confidence.

About Program

Volunteering Solutions offers structured, ethical volunteer programmes in Portugal — from around US$1,043, with accommodation and in-country support included. As a certified B Corporation, we run community-led projects chosen with local partners, and every placement is backed by local, on-ground coordinators.

Programmes are based in Porto and include community support, youth-support work, food-waste and sustainability projects, animal care, and our ‘Surf with Purpose’ project combining surf therapy with social inclusion. Placements run flexibly from 1 to 12 weeks. Volunteers can explore Porto’s riverside, port-wine culture and northern Portugal in their free time. Transparent, all-in pricing means no surprise fees — you’ll know exactly what your programme covers before you book.

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Program Highlights

  • Get an opportunity to volunteer in Portugal for a meaningful cause and gain first-hand work experience.
  • Learn more about how the local organizations in Portugal function with the aim to bring a sustainable change.
  • Savor the taste of delicious Portuguese cuisines.
  • A chance to explore Portugal’s popular places as well as hidden gems.
  • Meet like-minded travelers from other parts of the world.

Apply for the $1200 Volunteer Abroad Grant! Bookings now open for 2026-2027!

Learn More

Video and Photos

Building Project Portugal
Building Project Portugal
Building Project Portugal
Food waste management Project Portugal
Food waste management Project Portugal
Marine conservation Portugal
Marine conservation Portugal

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Impact 🌎

As a certified B Corporation, our environmental and social impact is independently measured — and improving it is built into how we operate, not an afterthought. We run conservation-focused programmes, including marine and wildlife projects that help protect fragile ecosystems, and we deliver every project through local partners so the benefits stay in the community long-term. We also encourage longer, lower-impact placements over quick "voluntourism" trips, so the positive impact outlasts the visit.
www.volunteeringsolutions.com
As a certified B Corporation, we run community-led projects chosen with local partners so that our programmes meet genuine local needs rather than replace paid jobs. Every destination is supported by local, on-ground coordinators and clear safeguarding standards, especially for any work involving children. Transparent, all-in pricing keeps the focus on lasting benefit to host communities.
www.volunteeringsolutions.com

Program Reviews

3.67 Rating
based on 3 reviews
Leave a Review
  • 5 rating 66.67%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 33.33%
  • Impact 3.35
  • Support 3.7
  • Fun 3.7
  • Value 3
  • Safety 3.35
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Andrea
Female
Spain
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Marine Conservation Program in Lisbon

Aug 24, 2021

My experience in the Marine Conservation Program was amazing. I loved my time spent getting to know people from all of the world, contributing to preserve the marine ecosystem, and embracing the Portuguese culture. I would like to praise the work done by Ana Matos, the program coordinator of Impactrip. Also, the diving instructors I had, Nuno and Sydney, woke up in me a passion for diving that I hope to continue in the years to come. Without doubts, it has been a experience I will never forget. I highly recommend it!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Green wine with Pastéis de Nata and cinnamon over the top.
199 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Impact
Vivienne
Switzerland
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

2 weeks as a volunteer in Portugal

Oct 30, 2019

In the Hostel of Impact House was such a lovely and good atmosphere that I felt home and safe. Everyone was so nice and I made a lot of friends. One of the Things I liked most was that there were no real groups of people who were always together (of course there were some preferences but everyone talked to everyone). Scuba diving was really exciting and the Team is really fun and lovely. I could even get my open water certification which I'm really proud of.
Apparently I lost my ID and my Phone there but the people from Impact House helped me with every step and were very supportive. I even got my ID back after a couple of days but my phone remains missing somewhere in Portugal.

It's a very unique experience and I loved it so much there. I wish I could turn back time to experience it again.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would stay longer. I was there for 2 weeks but that's really short because you just get to know everyone so well from the diving Team and from Impact House and then you already have to go home. Most of the Volunteers stayed at least 3 weeks when I was there.
213 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Response from Volunteering Solutions

Hey Vivienne,
Thanks for leaving a review for the 2 Weeks Marine Conservation Experience in Portugal. We are glad to know that you loved your time there and the local team provided great support and assistance to you during your time in Lisbon and Cascais.

We look forward to having you in our other program destinations as well soon !
Thanks
Team Volunteering Solutions

By Volunteering Solutions on December 16, 2019
Read my full story
Lori
United States
1/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Problems in Portugal

Oct 7, 2019

Our 18 year-old daughter went to Portugal for the 2-week experience in September 2019. It was one week in Lisbon, then one week in Porto. The week in Lisbon was outstanding, but her experience in Porto was an utter disappointment and potentially dangerous. After two days in Porto, we counseled her to leave the program.

In Lisbon, she stayed at an Impactrip hostel that was sex segregated and safe. In Porto, she stayed at a run-down hostel and was assigned to a room with a middle-aged male tourist—not a program participant. In Lisbon, she was with a cohort of other program participants her age. In Porto, she was alone. In Lisbon, she worked until 6 PM. In Porto, she was expected to work alone until midnight and travel alone back to the hostel. Perhaps you can see why she and her parents were so surprised and disappointed by the Porto experience.

We talked with a VolSol rep in Lisbon and told her that the situation was unacceptable. The rep offered to find another volunteer option, but by this point, all trust had been lost. At our own expense, we put our daughter up in a hotel and she finished out her remaining days in the city as a tourist. The clear reality is that VolSol has a strong program in Lisbon and a terrible, ineffective, and dangerous program in Porto.

What would you improve about this program?
The program in Porto needs a lot of work to bring it up to the level the Lisbon is at.
206 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Response from Volunteering Solutions

Hi Lori,
We appreciate you taking the time to write a review for your daughter's experience in Portugal. We take volunteer reviews and feedback very seriously and have therefore taken the time to get some more information regarding your case.

We are happy to know that your daughter had a wonderful time during the first week in Lisbon as part of her two week experience. In regards to the experience in Porto, the accommodation is in a shared dorm, the meals are not included, the groups of volunteers are smaller and the volunteering schedules can happen until later. However, none of these details were written differently in the Program Booklet provided beforehand. After we received your complaint and dissatisfaction during the second week of the program, the local team immediately took action and offered different alternatives to all the points you found unsatisfying and we feel that we went beyond our possibilities: from assuming the extra cost for her to stay in another hostel (and doing that research for her); to adjusting the volunteering scheduling or even offering your daughter a program change to Lisbon at no extra cost.

Once again, we are very sorry that you were disappointed with the second week of the program. We are however pleased that your daughter had a great time in Lisbon and found it to be outstanding.
Team Volunteering Solutions

By Volunteering Solutions on October 13, 2019

Community Questions

Alumni Interviews

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

Vivienne Fuster

Program
Volunteer in Portugal, Porto | Programs From 1 to 12 Weeks

Why did you choose this program?

I love all kinds of animals and I wanted to help them in away. Picking up trash is an easy task and everyone can do it. With this program, I was able to do something useful for the environment while I met new people and cultures from all over the world. I could also get the open water certification.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

They arranged the pick-up and they helped me find my ID when I lost it. If I had any questions, I always knew who to ask.

The train ride to Lisbon was organized by myself. They stayed in contact with me if anything didn't go as planned.

They did the pick-ups, but they didn't bring me back to the train station when I left.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I wish I stayed longer. I was there for 2 weeks, but it was really short. You just get to know everyone and then you already leave. Most of the other volunteers there stayed at least 3 weeks. You can't really pick up that much trash in 2 weeks because you have to get certified first. Also, you will be very tired coming back from scuba diving and you just want to relax a little bit so for really seeing Lisbon you have just the weekends.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The ones from the marine conservation program had to leave the hostel at first. We got up at like 07:30, put our swimsuits on under the clothes and quickly ate something. We left at like 08:10 and walked down the hill to the train station. There we took the train to Cascais and walked to the dive center.

First, we always put the scuba equipment together and tested if it worked. Then we put our wetsuits and shoes on and went on the boat. If the conditions were good, we did a dive. Then we headed back, had a shower and went back to Lisbon. We were back at the hostel at like 3 pm.

They always saved us something from lunch.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was to not find any friends there. I wasn't afraid of taking a 35h train ride through 3 countries on my own, just of not finding any new friends. Now I can say that my fear was completely "needless" because I was welcomed since the first minute I arrived and I found a lot of new friends. I was always included in every action and was always asked if I wanted to join them on a trip.

This experience changed my view on how people could see me. I'm not stressed about such an issue anymore because if so many people from different cultures liked me since the first day, then there will be some more all around the world.

What is your favorite story from this trip?

My 3 favourite stories:

  1. We went out with the dive center and I really had too much. I fell asleep on the pier for 10 minutes. I'm glad it happened in such a safe country. We arrived back in the hostel around midday the next day. There, I realised that I lost my ID... I went to the Swiss embassy on Monday (we didn't dive on Mondays) and got some documents for getting back. On Tuesday at the dive center, they had a surprise for me: Someone has found my ID! I know you might think that this sounds like pure horror, but I got everything back and had a lot of fun. I wouldn't change anything.
  2. We went dolphin watching! I would highly recommend that - it was amazing. They had dolphin babies!
  3. This adventure was on my trip back to Switzerland. If you're from Europe, I would recommend traveling by train with a global pass from Interrail. You will meet so many people and it's a huge adventure. So a day, before I took the train in Hendaye to Paris, the SNCF company went on protest. Everyone who was affected the day before was now getting on the train I was and we had some huge delay. I missed my second train to Geneva, and because there were so many people in the train station and the staff was so busy, I couldn't get a ticket for the next day. Luckily, I met another girl from Switzerland, so we were able to split the hotel bill. The next day we went again to a train station, but every train was fully booked. We could book one the next day at like 5 pm. So again, we had to take a cheap hotel together. But it was cool: I saw the Eiffel Tower! And I arrived home safely the next night. I know that not everyone will think that this is amazing, but if you're looking for an adventure like I did, that's how you can get one.

About Volunteering Solutions

Volunteering Solutions (VolSol) is a certified B Corporation that has helped more than 25,000 people volunteer abroad since 2007. Across 24 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, we run 100+ affordable, ethical projects — from teaching and childcare to wildlife conservation, healthcare and community development — designed for high...

  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award

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