Costa Rica Gap Year Programmes
Join a team of Leap volunteers heading off to Costa Rica and find yourself hopping from the Pacific to the Caribbean and seeing all in between while getting stuck into a mix of conservation + community + ecotourism projects.
Why so good?
Because we don't want you to choose from using your mind or muscles doing the same thing day in day out and in all honesty Costa Rica is close to paradise and you'll want to see it all...
The country has a huge cast of exotic creatures – ranging from howler monkeys to toucans, the surf breaks are infamous, the natural beauty staggering and the national catchphrase 'Pura Vida' (Pure Life in English) hits the nail on the head!
Costa Rica plough more resources into conservation than any other country in Central America, with a higher number of National Parks per square meter than anywhere in the world.
Volunteering here is incredibly rewarding as you feel everyone is in it together and traveling off the beaten track is relatively easy; as the country is small, organized and friendly.
Surfing, quad biking, hiking, horse riding, zipping through the canopy of the rainforest on high-wires, scuba diving and snorkeling are all for the taking and the varied environments means you can cruise the cloud forest one day, visit an active volcano the next, and finish relaxing on a hot sandy beach - what's not too like!?
Travel as part of a Leap team
Volunteering for us is all about all about team work - we find that our leapers have more fun and are more effective when they travel as a group, who rally each other along and tackle the projects head on to complete in the time available.
We have 4 different teams departing to Costa Rica each year: Jan, Apr, July + Sept, for 6 or 10 weeks. We put together the teams and hook you all up via Facebook before hand. All you have to do is apply and book your place!
Average team size is 12, mix girls + boys, from all walks of life, ages 18 - 25.
Travel + Contribute in 3 Locations
Rainforest - El Silencio Village
First few weeks of the placement will be spent in a co-operative community perched on the edge of pristine rainforest about 1 hours drive from the Pacific coast.
+ Pacific Coast - Matapalo Beach
Second phase will be spent on the picturesque beaches and tropical forest of Matapalo, close to the Manuel Antonio National Park, working on a range of turtle conservation and teaching projects.
+ Caribbean Coast - Quelonios del Caribe Conservation Station
Third phase spent on the other side of the country, sampling the Caribbean, African influenced culture close to Tortuguero on the mouth of the famous Pacuare River.
Costa Rica Gap Year Programmes
Costa Rica: volunteering
The first half of your time will be spent helping to protect turtles on the Pacific and Caribbean beaches: tracking nesting turtles, rescuing eggs and caring for babies in the hatchery.
The second half is spent living inland, in a rainforest community: teaching English, helping farmers and rehabilitating injured wildlife. Here you will stay with a local family for a real taste of Pura Vida!
Time Out Whitewater raft, fish, beach life, horse ride, explore National Parks, learn Spanish, visit live volcanoes, fly through the jungle canopy on a zip wire, quad bike.
Costa Rica: summer volunteering
3 weeks spent helping to protect turtles on the Pacific coast: tracking nesting turtles, rescuing eggs and caring for babies in the beach-side hatchery.
+ 3 weeks in a rainforest community: teaching English, helping farmers and rehabilitating injured wildlife. Here you will stay with a local family for a real taste of Pura Vida!
Time Out Whitewater raft, fish, beach life, horse ride, explore National Parks, learn Spanish, visit live volcanoes, fly through the jungle canopy on a zip wire, quad bike.
- Team Gap Year:
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- Site map
The Leap is a member of the Year Out Group an association of leading UK organisations formed to promote the concept and benefits of well-structured Year Out programmes
The Leap Overseas Ltd, 121 High Street, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 1LZ Tel 01672 519922 Fax 01672 519944 Email info@theleap.co.uk
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