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Volunteer Coffee Farm Costa Rica!
Do you want to dig your hands in rich mountain soil and learn all about sustainable farming practices? Would you like to travel to the tropical country of Costa Rica and immerse in local culture?
Costa Rica is a beautiful and naturally rich country, home to over 70,000 coffee plantations that produce a rich and delicious Arabica bean known all over the world. Visit the cooler highlands where the coffee is grown and experience another side of Costa Rica.
Unfortunately, a lot of local coffee farmers are not using sustainable or organic practices, which leads to soil erosion, habitat destruction, and loss of native species. In a tiny country that is nevertheless home to a large percentage of the world’s biodiversity, unsustainable farming practices can have a major negative impact on the environment.
You can help learn and promote sustainable farming by volunteering at coffee farm in Costa Rica. Work hands-on in the nursery, raising livestock, practicing crop rotation, and planting native species. You’ll contribute to developing ecological models of coffee production that local farmers can use to help preserve the natural environment.
Contact Global Crossroad today to learn more about working on a coffee farm in Costa Rica!
Volunteer Responsibilities & Impacts
You’ll be working hands-on at a small organic coffee farm helping develop a sustainable model for ecological coffee production in Costa Rica. You’ll learn how to use non-synthetic pesticides, practice crop rotation, raise livestock without hormones or antibiotics, work in the nursery, and restore native species on part of the land to keep the balance of nature.
By volunteering at a coffee farm in Costa Rica, you’ll be learning sustainable farming practices and how to revolutionize the food system in an earth-friendly way. You’ll also make a big impact by paving the way for a better ecological future for Costa Rica, since coffee is big business with nearly 30% of the population working in the industry!
Skills and Qualifications
There are no specific qualifications required to join this unique project besides being 18 years of age, and passionate about sustainable farming. You will need to be in good shape as there is a lot of physical labor involved. You’ll be working in the sun, squatting, standing, lifting, and planting. Be ready to get your hands dirty and dig in wherever it’s needed!
You won’t need to speak Spanish to join coffee farm volunteer opportunity in Costa Rica, but it will certainly enrich your time abroad if you can speak a little of the local language. If you’d like to brush up on your skills, contact us about our Spanish language program so you can learn while you travel!
Each day on Coffee farm volunteering opportunity in Costa Rica will be a fun adventure digging your hands into the dirt and growing the seeds of change for a more ecological future for Costa Rica’s coffee farming industry. You’ll learn so much and make a difference at the same time!
You can expect to volunteer an average of 5 hours per day, Monday-Friday. Your actual hours will vary based on what’s going on from day to day at the project, but here’ s a sample schedule to give you an idea of what to expect.
- First Day: On your first day, our in-country coordinator will bring you to the coffee farm and introduce you to the local project staff. You’ll be taken around the farm on a tour and undergo a helpful orientation.
- Orientation: Learn all about the work you’ll be doing on the farm, what the project is all about, your schedule, safety protocol, and quickly go over the customs and culture of Costa Rica.
- Weekdays: A typical day volunteering on a coffee farm in Costa Rica might look something like this:
- 7.00 to 7.30 AM: Start your day with a hearty breakfast shared with your fellow volunteers. Many of the foods will be grown on the farm!
- 7.45 AM: Get ready for an exciting day of hard work and learning on the farm, digging your hands into the dirt and implementing organic farming practices.
- 12.00 PM: Break for lunch and use this time to bond with your fellow Costa Rica coffee farm volunteers. Make like-minded friends from around the world!
- 3.00 PM: When you’re not volunteering, you’ll be free to enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings, relax, and experience more of Costa Rica! A nice snack will also be served to you if you’re hungry after all that hard work!
- 6.45 PM: Enjoy a dinner with your fellow volunteers as the day comes to a close. Once again, you’ll be enjoying the fruits of your labor as many of the foods served are grown right there on the farm!
Volunteer Coffee Farm Costa Rica: Dates and Fees
Dates: Volunteer in Costa Rica
All volunteer programs in Costa Rica start every Monday of each month. However, if there is travel constrains, you can start any project on any day.
Fees: Volunteer In Costa Rica
Global Crossroad is committed to offering the most affordable and highest quality volunteering programs in Costa Rica. We strive to keep our costs low. The humanitarian side of the business is our passion.
Global Crossroad's volunteer program in Costa Rica application and registration fee cost US $299. The application fee covers the cost of advertising, program promotion, and office expenses (rent, utilities, and staff salaries in USA office).
In addition to the application fee, you are required to pay a weekly program fee. You will pay your weekly fee directly to the country coordinator, who in turn will allocate it to your host family, project and other in-country support we offer to our volunteers. This way, the fees that you pay will benefit those who rightfully deserve them, and not for company profit.
| Duration | Coffee Farming |
|---|---|
| 1 Week | $260 |
| 2 Weeks | $445 |
| 3 Weeks | $630 |
| 4 Weeks | $815 |
| 5 Weeks | $1000 |
| 6 Weeks | $1185 |
| 7 Weeks | $1370 |
| 8 Weeks | $1555 |
| 9 Weeks | $1740 |
| 10 Weeks | $1925 |
| 11 Weeks | $2110 |
| 12 Weeks | $2295 |
Mandatory comprehensive travel insurance $3.49 a day »
How your fee is allocated?
Program fees cover:
- Accommodation (volunteer house or host family)
- Food (local food 3 times a day)
- In-country support
- Personalized project
- Pre-departure information
- Certificate of completion
- Fundraising ideas and letters
- Discount for returning volunteers
Program fees exclude:
- Visas
- Airfare
- Personal expenses on soft drinks and foods
- Daily transportation
- Airport return transfer
Airport Pickup /Transfer Packages for Puntarenas and –Ciudad Cortes, please click here to find the details
We will manage the following airport transfer services for you:
Option one: If you arrive in international Airport of Juan Santa Maria -SJO, Alajuela early in the morning (before 12 PM), you will be able to come to Ciudad Cortes in the same day by bus. In this case, it is possible to purchase the following pick up service package:
Osa/Pick Up (same day service- for one person): $50
Includes: airport picks up, transfer to the bus station, orientation and assistance and again to the bus station. The last time we recommend leaving from San Jose to Ciudad Cortes is on the bus at 2:30 PM (volunteer should land before 12:00 PM for this option)
Option two: If you arrive after 12 PM in Alajuela, you will stay one night in Hostel Dorm Room in San Jose, before transferring to Ciudad Cortes the next day.
Osa/Overnight Hostel Dorm Room with Transfer (for one person): $70
Includes: Transfer to a hostel from the airport, where you will spend the night. Dinner will be provided. Overnight stay will be in 10 people mixed gender hostel dorm room, and transfer to a bus station in the morning. The orientation and assistance will be at the bus station.
Option Three:If you arrive after 12 PM in Alajuela, you will stay one night in the family home (private room) in San Jose before transferring to Ciudad Cortes the next day.
Osa/Overnight Family Home with Transfer (for one person): $90
Includes: Picks up from the airport and transfer to a private family home to spend the night. Dinner will be provided. Transfer to the bus station in the morning, and orientation and assistance at the bus station.
The volunteering overseas in Costa Rica program fees will cover expenses that will begin on the first day of the program (usually the first or third Monday of the month) to the last day of the program. If you arrive before the first day of the program or you decide you stay beyond your program’s last day, you will be responsible for the additional expenses, which would typically be around $30 a day for room and meals at a hostel.
Accommodation and Meal
While volunteering at a coffee farm in Costa Rica, you will be staying in safe, clean and comfortable accommodations at the project site. You’ll share a room with fellow volunteers and be served three healthy meals per day along with a nice snack. You’ll have Wi-Fi and other amenities provided.
Free Time and Weekend Exploration
You’ll be volunteering an average of 5 hours per day, so that leaves plenty of time free to enjoy the beautiful setting and bond with your fellow volunteers. On the weekends, you can head out and explore more of Costa Rica. The farm is located on the Southern Pacific Coast, not a far drive from many beautiful beaches and rainforest.
Discover what to do in your free time and weekends in Costa Rica.
Safety and In Country Support
Your safety is our top priority while you are volunteering at an organic coffee farm in Costa Rica. We plan every aspect of your trip, carefully vet all of our partners, provide airport pick-up, and more. You will also have the guidance and support of our talented in-country team.
Volunteer Coffee Farm Costa Rica: FAQs
You’re probably asking yourself a few questions, so we’ve taken the time to put together this list of helpful information to give you the answers you need:
Arrival and Departure
You’ll fly into Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose, Costa Rica. Your airport pickup is included in your volunteer fee, and we’ll have someone waiting for you when you land who will take you safely to your accommodations.
When you complete your project, you will need to arrange your own departure transportation as it is not included in your volunteer fee. Just speak to the local project staff if you need advice on booking a taxi to the airport.
Visa
You may be eligible to simply ask for a visa stamp after your arrival at the airport in San Jose. However, do your research to learn the requirements for your home country before heading out on your Costa Rica coffee farming volunteer experience.
Most volunteers will be eligible for a 90-day tourist visa. You should know you will need to provide proof of onward travel. If you have a round trip ticket, this will serve as all the proof you need. Research the visa requirements at the official Immigration site of Costa Rica:
Vaccination
No one wants to get sick while they travel abroad, so protect yourself by getting vaccinated before you go. Make an appointment with your doctor a few weeks before traveling to get up to date.
You should be up to date on your routine vaccines, as well as Hepatitis A & B and Typhoid. You can also find information on CDC website.
Why volunteer at a coffee farm in Costa Rica?
Dig your hands into the rich mountain soil
If gardening or farming are your passions, this is the perfect project for you! This is a very hands-on experience, and you’ll be getting down and dirty digging your hands right into the soil to help make things grow. Grab a shovel and dig in!
Learn sustainable farming practices
If you’re looking to learn how to farm or garden without pesticides and using sustainable and ecological practices, volunteering at a coffee farm in Costa Rica is your chance! Gain hands-on experience with organic practices you can take back home and use throughout the rest of your life!
Promote a more sustainable coffee industry
Coffee is king in Costa Rica, with the government calendar still following the harvest season. A lot of beans are produced each year, and it is incredibly important that future production starts moving to a more ecological model in order to stay sustainable and not damage the ecosystem. Be part of the change that brings this about!
Travel and make a difference
Travel to the beautiful country of Costa Rica and experience this exciting destination while doing your part to make the world a better place. This year take a vacation that makes a difference.
Contact Global Crossroad today to learn more volunteering at an organic coffee farm!
Other Volunteer Opportunities Available in Costa Rica:
No matter your passion or interests, we offer a variety of life-changing, volunteer programs in Costa Rica such as
childcare,
medical,
teaching,
veterinary,
indigenous tribe and much more.
For more information on our exciting programs in Costa Rica, contact us today.