Costa Rica, or the "Switzerland
of Latin America", has over 5% of the world’s biodiversity.
With 25% of the country protected national parks, ecotourism
is a flourishing industry.
The home of the three toed sloth, the iguana and the jaguar,
Costa Rica is a haven for some of the world's most beautiful
and unusual creatures. The country is mountainous and volcanic
with two active volcanoes and 200 dormant or extinct. Costa
Rica has a tropical climate with flooding during the rainy
season.
Volunteer Costa Rica placements range from teaching
English at rural schools located at the tropical Nicoya Pennisula
or teaching in the mountains in the Central Valley. Volunteers
can also teach in the suburbs of San Jose. We even have volunteer
placements surfing along the Pacific coast!
:: Volunteer & Learn Spanish
Heredia
Heredia (population 50,000) is located 6 miles north of San
José. The city and its surrounding areas provide all
the conveniences of a medium-sized city in an environment
which has escaped, to a large extent, the normal urban problems
affecting the capital.
The city is mostly new, apart from an attractive colonial
main square and has a surprisingly youthful feel despite its
small size. This is due to the presence of the many young
Costa Ricans attending the local university. Many of Costa
Rica’s famous coffee plantations surround Heredia where
one can still see ox-carts loaded with beans from the plantations.
If you have a practical approach to life, why not try one
of our Volunteer Costa Rica building projects, helping
families to build weather proof and sanitised homes in poor
rural areas. If you are planning a degree in engineering,
surveying, or architecture this could be the placement for
you. Get the basic understanding of structural engineering
from laying floors to roofing.
Gap year students can make a start TEFL teaching in rural
schools in Costa Rica. Teaching at schools that do not have
the money to employ full time teachers can provide gap year
students with valuable life experience for the classroom.
Alternatively if you feel like throwing yourself into the
cut and thrust of TEFL teaching in the city, we have Volunteer
Costa Rica placements, teaching in areas like San Jose
and provincial capitals Alajuela and Heredia.
:: Volunteer Feedback
"I cried when I had to leave the
kids. On my last day they each made me little cards..." More
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