General Impression
Overall Rating: / 10
Overall, I had a wonderful time volunteering in Costa Rica! :) I learned so much about Costa Rican culture, the people, and of course, sea turtles and sloths, as well as other wildlife. I had plenty of time to explore Costa Rica during my free time - I was able to have a lot of fun kayaking, surfing, visiting national parks, and watching the beautiful beach sunsets at Playa Matapalo. Roberto and Yami, the staff at the sea turtle center, are very friendly and great cooks. The food tasted delicious! I already miss Costa Rica. Pura vida! :)Country
Costa Rica's "pura vida" lifestyle and friendly, helpful community of people were as warm as the country itself. I really enjoyed working hard but also taking time to relax and soak in the culture and the people. I am bringing a "pura vida" mindset back with me to the USA so that I can work hard, but also learn to enjoy life and not stress out over everything. I am really grateful for this experience! :)
Project & Staff
Roberto and Yami, as well as Ricardo and Natalia, were all very friendly and kind. It was obvious to me that they were clearly experienced with running a volunteer house and are passionate about the environment and wildlife. I loved that volunteers had the independence to do whatever we wanted during our free time, but if we had any questions or needed anything, they always had an answer. The food was delicious and Roberto even gave me some of his recipes and taught me how to cook a few local dishes. :)
Tips
Roberto, the lead biologist at the sea turtle center, said to me "This experience is what you make of it. What you do, how much you get out of being here and in Costa Rica - that is all up to you." These words were so true - I repeated them to myself and tried things I was nervous about and had a great time and made a lot of fun memories! Roberto was always a short WhatsApp message away if I needed anything, so I always felt safe even when exploring away from the turtle volunteer house. Make sure to save Roberto and Yami's contact information on day 1! :)