Volunteer in Costa Rica Additional Information

Arrival Information

Our airport pick-up service means we meet and greet all volunteers at San Jose's International Airport (Juan Santa Maria) in Costa Rica. Arrival dates are strict deadlines and you should plan to arrive before the time specified in your program summary. One of our staff members will be holding a place card with a uVolunteer logo and your name on it. Depending on your project location and arrival time, you will either stay one night in San Jose (uVolunteer covers this cost) or be transferred straight to the appropriate terminal to catch your bus to your project location. We will give you in-depth instructions about your journey and a member of staff or local representative will be waiting for you at the other end.
Once you arrive in your project location you will be introduced to your accommodation and orientated.

Scheduled uVolunteer Program Arrival Dates for 2009

• January: 9 & 23
• February: 6 & 20
• March: 6 & 20
• April: 3 & 17
• May: 1, 15 & 29
• June: 12 & 26
• July: 10 & 24
• August: 7 & 21
• September: 4 & 18
• October: 16 & 30
• November: 13 & 27
• December: 11 & 25

Accommodation

Volunteer house: In Samara we have a small volunteer house that sleeps up to 6 - 8 volunteers. Volunteers share rooms with other uVolunteer volunteers. Breakfast and dinner is provided Monday to Friday for volunteers who stay in the volunteer dorm as part of their program fee. The dorm has excellent facilities, a fridge, microwave and a bathroom. The dorm is situated in the neighboring suburb of Cantarana, just a 25 min walk from the town centre. Volunteer are expected to help with meals and assist in the cleaning of the volunteer house. Volunteers sleep in bunk bed up to 4 people per room. If there is space available, the volunteer house is also available to be used on the weekends by volunteers placed in other locations around Costa Rica who visit Samara.

Home stays: We only have a volunteer dorm in Samara; all other locations (Matapalo, Montezuma, San Ramon, Monteverde) have home stay accommodation. 3 meals daily are included in your home stay accommodation. Food will be standard Costa Rican cuisine. All food and drinks served by your host family will be safe to eat and vegetarians can be accommodated. Washing facilities will be shared with your host family.

Alternative Housing: If you prefer to have your own private accommodation, we will gladly arrange accommodation for you (apartments, hostels, hotels etc). But be aware that you will be responsible for all of this cost and any other costs incurred in arranging this option.

Specialist projects: Such as Turtle Conservation, Ecological Farming, Tropical Reforestation, National Parks and Reserves etc. will all have different accommodation types as volunteers on these project are accommodated on site. Each project's fact sheet, which will be supplied, will outline the projects accommodation type.

Transportation

Volunteers are responsible for all their in country transportation cost apart from airport pick-up. Transportation options and costs vary from project to project, these costs will be outlined in each project's fact sheet.

Mandatory Spanish Language Course for beginners

If you are participating in one of our projects that require Spanish language, you MUST demonstrate at a minimum, an intermediate level of Spanish language proficiency. If you have little or no Spanish language skills, you must enroll in our Spanish language program before you start your volunteer project. You can not take the language program and volunteer at the same time.

Read More: Volunteer and Study Spanish in Costa Rica