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Volunteer on the beautiful Pacific beaches of Montezuma to protect sea turtle nesting sites and newborn hatchlings. Live and work with other wildlife volunteers and experience the joy of releasing baby turtles into the ocean.
Your Schedule at a Glance – minimum two weeks commitment (itinerary subject to change):
Arrival Day, Sunday: Arrive at Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO). A representative will transfer you to your new host family in San Jose, followed by an orientation meeting about your schedule, safety, traveling, and volunteering in Costa Rica.
Week 1, Monday – Sunday: Spanish Immersion Week:
Your first week in Costa Rica starts with our Spanish language immersion course at one of the best Schools in the country. Live with a local family and gain essential Spanish skills to travel around easily, interact with staff and other volunteers. This includes:
Week 2, and beyond: Sea Turtle Volunteer program:
Monday to Friday: The transfer day to the program is Monday. Transportation to the program site is approximately 5 hours and involves the following transfers which are included for GoEco volunteers: a private van ride from San Jose to the ferry, followed by a ferry journey to Paquera, and finally, another private van ride from Paquera to Montezuma. On-site orientation is on a Monday or Tuesday depending on your travel day duration, followed by meaningful volunteer work at the sea turtle project through-out the week.
Saturday-Sunday: One day off a week is guaranteed for volunteers on usually a Saturday or Sunday. Taking into account the workload assigned, volunteers have the ability to negotiate their exact days off with the local project coordinator. Transfer back to San Jose is on your last Saturday at the program. You will spend one night in San Jose with our host family, and on Sunday, catch your flight home.
Important Note – Spanish week and Transfers: The Spanish Week and local transfers are included for all volunteers who have registered to join this program after October 1st, 2023. Volunteers who registered before this date, the Spanish week was an optional add on and local transfers to/from Montezuma and San Jose are organized locally with our team.
We highly recommend!
Planning to come for one month or more? Combine this project with our Animal Rescue and Conservation program, for a diverse wildlife experience. We will assist with the transfers.
Location of the Project: Montezuma Beach, Nicoya Peninsula (Pacific Coast)
Project length: Minimum 2 weeks – Maximum 12 weeks
Arrival Airport: Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
Volunteer Work: Beach patrolling, nest relocation, building hatcheries and assisting new hatchlings.
Age:Min 18. Families are welcome with kids from the age of 12 and have to option to book a hostel/hotel room near the program at an additional cost.
What’s Included
Accommodations: A private room while staying with a host family in San Jose and a shared dorm in a volunteer house during the project. Private rooms are available in Montezuma for an extra fee.
Food: Two meals per day during orientation week and three meals per day during project
Airport Transfers: We provide airport pickup upon arrival to San José
Orientation: You will receive an on-site orientation in San Jose before departing to the volunteer location.
Support: Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 GoEco emergency hotline, experienced local field team.
What’s not Included
The volunteer program takes place in the town of Montezuma, on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Once a remote fishing village, Montezuma started attracting many backpackers and tourists since the 1990s. There are several beautiful beaches in the area, scenic waterfalls and the nearby Cabo Blanco Natural Reserve. Montezuma has a laid back vibe and a growing number of wellness and yoga programs and retreats. There are a variety of hotels and hostels for all budgets, as well as restaurants, bars and tour operators.
On the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, on the Pacific coast, Montezuma’s beach is an important nesting ground for endangered hawksbill sea turtles. However, in recent years, it has become a fast-growing tourist destination which affects the nesting cycle of sea turtles, because of costal development and light pollution.
The Sea Turtle Conservation Program at Montezuma Beach is an association and governmental organization that was established with the following goals:
As a volunteer, your tasks will change depending on the season and the duration of your stay. The longer you can commit to the program, your volunteering activities will become more varied and involved. You will be assisting the project staff with some or all of the following tasks:
Seasons: The Montezuma project is open all year long. However, the turtle nesting season is from May to November/December. The peak of the season is August to November, when turtles are still nesting and baby turtles are hatching. Turtle nesting seasons typically remain consistent, but they can be influenced by climatic factors like water temperature, delayed rainfall, and shifts in atmospheric temperatures, which can impact the number of turtles nesting.
A typical day: During turtle nesting season, participants start with breakfast at 7:00 am. Afterwards, there is time for cleaning the facilities, bathrooms and dorms from around 8-10am. The rest of the morning volunteers divide into groups for tasks which include working in the hatchery and beach cleanups. Sometimes volunteers help guide tourists who visit the project or take part in environmental education programs. Lunch time is at noon and in the afternoon volunteers switch activities. After 4:00pm, when the sun’s rays are less strong, volunteers help release baby turtles, if it is hatching time. There is usually some free time in the afternoons when you can relax in the station, go to the beach or town. After dinner, there are several night shifts for patrolling the beach to protect nesting turtles laying their eggs.
During the off season for nesting turtles (Jan-April) there are no night patrols and more work in the hatchery. Volunteers have to make sure all eggs have hatched and conduct an exhumation and data collection process for turtles that didn’t hatch or perished in the nest. After this process, volunteers switch all the sand in the hatchery with new sand for the upcoming turtle season, while making sure there is no plastic or other contamination in the sand. This is physical work and takes about 1 month or more to complete. There is also work cleaning the beach and in the community.
Internship option: For an extra fee, qualified volunteers can join this program as an intern. To ensure a valuable experience, interns must join this internship for a minimum of four weeks (we recommend two to six months). An intermediate level of Spanish is required. Please contact us to discuss this option.
Alternative Placements: This volunteer program fills up quickly! In case your requested date is full, we can also place you with excellent Sea Turtle conservation programs on the Romelia Turtle program (open all year round) or the Caribbean Coast (open from March – August each year).
Internet: Wi-Fi is available on the program (connectivity and speed may vary).
Laundry: There is a laundry service near the program that charges around $2/kilo for washing and drying. A sink and clothes link is also available on site.
Accommodations: During orientation week, you will stay with a host family in San José, which is a short bus ride away from the language school. They will provide you with a comfortable, basic private room in their home. Your accommodations throughout your volunteer placement will be at the program station, which is very simple but has all the necessities. The volunteer house has four dorms with 2 bunk beds in each room, two shared bathrooms, kitchen, dining area, laundry area, and a porch facing the beach. There is capacity for 16 volunteers. Private rooms: couples and families have to option to book accommodation in the town of Montezuma and volunteer on the program. Prices can range from $50 per night in a hostel to $250 per night in a hotel, depending on the season. Following your application, we can provide various accommodation options and assist with the booking.
Food: In San Jose, breakfast and dinner are provided. Throughout your volunteer placement, our friendly local cooks prepare meals 3 times a day, 7 days a week. They can accommodate any dietary restrictions, such as allergies and vegetarian/vegan diets.
Local activities in Montezuma
Volunteers can enjoy various activities during their free time with close access to Montezuma town and stunning beaches. Activities are not included in the program fee and thus volunteers have the freedom to choose to spend their free time as they wish. Activities available in the area: Montezuma waterfall, Cabo Blanco Reserve, El Chorro waterfall, Boat trip to Tortuga island, Horseback riding, Zip lining, Yoga and wellness retreats, Surf lessons.
Tour options
We recommend traveling around Costa Rica before or after your volunteer placement. You can either explore the country on your own or simply join a tour. Here are a few popular options that you can book with us in advance:
© 2022 GOECO | All rights reserved
Develop & Design | Msite
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