The schedule order may be subject to change according to tide, weather and volunteer work specifics

Each day Monday to Friday there will be 2 x 45 minute Spanish lessons (usually between 09:00-11:00). Tuition is delivered by accredited and licensed teachers and on day one you will receive a short test to establish your level and objectives. These lessons will be tailored to suit all levels from beginner to intermediate and are designed to help you interact and immerse with the local community and enjoy being in a Spanish speaking country.

During weeks 1, 2 & 4 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (2-3 hours per day), you participate in volunteer projects designed to conserve and respect local natural resources. Project work is varied and priorities are seasonal and weather dependent. However, most of our efforts are focused on the following areas:

Beach Conservation - Here we work alongside the ‘Santa Teresa Lifeguards’. Having seen the amazing beaches of Santa Teresa, and adjoining Playa Hermosa and Playa Carmen, the recreational opportunities are clear. However, beaches need to be maintained to keep them clear of debris that not only looks unsightly but can cause harm to people and wildlife. Work includes promoting Lifeguard issues with regard to beach safety and etiquette (through signage, presentations and speaking to visitors), organizing clean ups with focus on recycling.

Blue Flag Initiative - Formed in response to water and beach pollution, this government-backed initiative aims to reward communities that adhere to their guidelines on conservation practice. By awarding the Blue Flag, the communities gain international recognition for their beach and can attract more tourists and investment.

Recycling - We are leading the charge in our local community to create as many recycle stations and collection points for plastic waste in particular so that Bionics can easily collect it all once a week from main road. We have built two recycle stations on our street and this has reduced the normal garbage by 30 % or more. As a result on our street alone we collect a huge amount of plastic for Bionics each month.
We clean the beaches of plastic once a week at least and participate in community clean ups on a monthly bases and this month collected close to a ton of recyclable rubbish in one day with the help of about 100 volunteers. We go once a week to the Bionics Depo 30 mins away in Cobano to help them clean, organise and package the plastic for shipment to the USA where they turn it into shoes, T-shirts, building blocks and a whole variety of consumer goods, hence giving real value to this recycled material. This is the future and this is what may just save the planet or make a difference at least. Once this "rubbish" has value people will start to take notice and collect it and turn it into something useful. This way we show our students the full cycle of events, how plastic gets into the eco system, how hard it is to take it out once it's in there, and finally the light at the end of the tunnel, what we can do with it once we collect it.

Tropical Forest - Our main focus is the forests most important resource - water! You help with the maintenance and supply of our tree nursery; planting carefully selected saplings, gathered seeds and ongoing support of recently planted trees to ensure their success. We support the local ‘Waterkeepers’ who patrol the river systems of Santa Teresa and neighboring tropical forest resources by helping to report any contamination, clear forest debris and litter from streams before it is washed out to sea and can cause further damage to wildlife, and by maintaining walking/hiking trails that allow visitors to access this beautiful area. It is also a great opportunity to learn about the biodiversity of flora and fauna in this special part of the world.

Jakera Club - Community work with the kids of Santa Teresa local community. Here we team up and work hand in hand with kids from our immediate vicinity hosting extra curriculum activities for them. Our activities are run by student and local volunteers, and activities include Sports, Arts & Crafts, English classes, environmental awareness activities and social awareness activities. We also organise and run out of school activities (including Saturday afternoons - which are open to all our clients to get involved), for the kids to appreciate entirely new experiences and adventures, including; organised sea safety, beach and kids surf classes, nature and turtle conservation activities, sports games and arts and crafts.

Turtle conservation volunteer placement at either CIRENAS Playa Ario OR ASVO Montezuma (each location being about a one hour drive from Santa Teresa) depending on seasonal requirements and where our Volunteers are needed most.

You’ll be protecting the eggs and hatchlings of Olive Ridley, Black Turtle, Hawksbill and Leatherback species who visit nesting beaches at night to nest. Our principle objectives are to protect adult female turtles that frequent nesting beaches and their nests from human predators and wildlife, natural events such as beach erosion and flooding due to high amounts of rainfall in nesting season. This is achieved by monitoring of nesting sites and the construction of ‘hatcheries’. Specifically, volunteer duties will include; maintenance of infrastructure and surroundings, beach cleaning, night patrols to look for nesting female turtles (in season), transport of food and water, collection of data and releasing baby turtles into the ocean (in season).

Seasonal support
It is important to note that although turtles nest frequently in peak nesting season (July to November), there will be times where turtle activity is very low. We still need help during most of the year for the construction and maintenance of the hatchery; critical for the upcoming season. However, during April to June Turtle Conservation volunteering is only available to 4 week students at AVSO Montezuma or CIRENAS Playa Ario (week 3).

We would like you to enjoy Nicoya Peninsula - an area of outstanding natural beauty - so each Wednesday we will explore our surroundings on foot. The first is a 2 hour ‘jungle river trek’ along a river that runs by Jakera Jungle Surf Camp and into the lush tropical forest that surrounds us. You will quickly find yourself ‘lost’ and wondering which direction the seemingly nearby beach is. The second Wednesday we hike from ‘beach to waterfall’ to discover a multitude of waterfalls and rivers that tumble and twist through the rainforest and out into the Pacific Ocean. This hike helps us to understand how the whole eco system works. There is a huge range of flora including trees with specific medicinal applications. We begin to understand the beauty of this truly diverse location.The last hike in Week 4 is a bit flexible and depends on the weather and how much of the area the volunteers have already explored.

During the weekends, there are a lot of opportunuties to expore the area and try out different activities.
Beach Yoga - Every Sunday morning, getting up a little earlier than usual to enjoy a pre breakfast yoga session on the beach. Yoga is very popular in this part of the world and 45 mins costs around $15.
You can also try white water rafting, horse riding, surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, whale watching, a jungle canopy tour, there is always something to do and if it all sounds to active, you can just enjoy the beach or pool.

Please note
Travel at the weekend, or any of these extra activities, is at your own expense and risk. We cannot be responsible but, if anything happens, we will of course be there to assist.
Please ensure that you have adequate medical insurance before you carry out any activity.

Police Clearance Certificate

Volunteers need to be flexible and keep an open mind concerning their placements as situations can arise beyond our control which could require you to be placed at a different project than the one you have initially chosen. We will of course always do our utmost to fulfill your initial wishes but do remember that where you are going is quite different from where you are coming and as such one should be prepared for things not always going according to plan.

Volunteering and intercultural travel share a common trait: the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. This program is designed for proactive individuals and groups that are prepared to adapt to the local environment and its current needs. Naturally, the scheduling and activities of our program are subject to change. Alterations in activities are mainly due to changes in local conditions, which we believe is part of what makes overseas programs the interesting adventure and incredible learning experience that they are.

Our projects range from 1 week up to approx. 30 weeks. Projects have a specified minimum stay, then it’s up to you how long you can commit. In our experience the longer you stay the more you will gain, as your understanding of the project broadens and you take on more responsibilities.