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You’ll be matched with your personal volunteer travel expert who’ll guide you every step of the way.
Meet Your Travel Expert
Receive your welcome pack with everything you need: arrival info, contacts, visa and insurance help, packing tips, vaccines, language basics, and so much more.
Get Ready to Go!
Choose your dream project and apply for free—no commitment, just excitement!
Pick Your Destination & Apply
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Once your dates are confirmed, pay your program fee—choose to pay in full or in easy installments.
Secure Your Spot
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Want to volunteer in Costa Rica? Our Travel Roots restoration and community program is the perfect chance to make a difference. As the quaint beach town of Matapalo becomes increasingly popular year after year, this vibrant land and its people are calling for aid. This is your opportunity to join a grassroots establishment in one of the worlds most beautiful regions, where lush jungle meets pristine coastline.
The Restoration and Community Development Program gives you the opportunity to roll up your sleeves and support hands-on reforestation, regenerative agriculture, and meaningful community projects. You'll join a passionate, bilingual team of local leaders and fellow changemakers as you:
- Plant native trees to combat erosion and restore biodiversity
- Design and develop community gardens to grow healthy foods
- Support creative education programs for local youth
- Help construct sustainable infrastructure, from compost systems to eco-builds.
Whether you're building with your hands or sharing ideas in group planning sessions, every action is part of something bigger as you protect the lands, empower the people, and nurture hope.
By volunteering on our Restoration and Community Development project, you will:
✅ Get involved in hands-on environmental action every single day
✅ Help restore degraded ecosystems through reforestation and regenerative gardening
✅ Empower local youth and families through education and sustainable initiatives
✅ Build community alongside inspiring people from around the world
✅ Discover Costa Ricas wild beauty, from its jungles, beaches, rivers, and volcanoes, a true ethical adventure awaits.
What to Expect: A Day in the Life of a Restoration and Community Volunteer
Life here is a happy balance of energising and grounding. Your days will be shaped by the rhythm of nature, the joy
of teamwork, and the satisfaction of visible impact.
Example Day:
7:30 AM Wake up to howler monkeys and a fresh breakfast
8:30 AM Reforestation work: tree planting, nursery care, or trail maintenance
11:00 AM Break and free time to swim, journal, or explore the grounds
12:30 PM Plant-based lunch with the team
2:00 PM Community work: compost building, garden planting, or school support
4:00 PM Group planning session or cultural exchange
5:00 PM Relax, hit the beach, or enjoy a surf
6:30 PM Dinner, games, music, or a guided reflection session
Days Off:
Youll have two days off per week to explore waterfalls, beaches, and national parks or just enjoy a slow day in
a hammock with a smoothie and your journal.
Your Impact as a Volunteer
Choosing to volunteer with Travel Roots is more than just an adventure—it’s a powerful act of compassion that directly changes lives and stems a positive impact on the planet.
Your time here is more than just a good deed, its a commitment to regeneration. Every tree you plant helps rebuild a forest. Every garden you tend helps feed a family. Every conversation you share opens minds and hearts.
This region is facing rising tourism and increased environmental pressure. By volunteering, youre helping ensure that growth benefits the planet and its people not just resorts.
Youll leave knowing you were part of real, grassroots change. Youll also gain new skills in permaculture, community design, cultural exchange, and group leadership, which you can carry with you for a lifetime.
Your Home in Matapalo
Settle into a peaceful lodge nestled between the beach and the jungle—your home base in Matapalo, a coastal town that feels like a step back in time. With unspoiled beaches, laid-back charm, and tropical gardens all around, this is the perfect place to recharge after a rewarding day of teaching.
Our volunteer rooms are designed for comfort and simplicity, blending naturally with the surroundings while offering everything you need for a restful stay.
What’s Included:
Comfortable rooms with double, twin, or bunk beds
Private bathroom in every room
Air conditioning and fans to keep cool
Fresh linens and towels provided
Evenings are spent catching blazing sunsets, relaxing with fellow volunteers, or gathering around a beach bonfire as the moon rises over the ocean. Life here is calm, connected, and close to nature.
Bring light summer clothes, sunscreen, insect repellent, swimwear, and a flashlight or headlamp—this is tropical living, pure and simple.
Meals & Nutrition
You’ll be served three delicious, healthy meals a day, made with locally sourced ingredients. Our kitchen is known for variety, freshness, and flexibility—we cater to all dietary requirements, including vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Sample Menu:
Breakfast: Fresh fruit, toast or cereal, eggs, cheese
Lunch: Chicken or eggplant sandwich with local veggies
Dinner: Pasta salad with ham or garlic mushroomsYou’ll also have access to fruit, tea, coffee, and drinking water throughout the day.
Internet Access
Wi-Fi is available at the volunteer lodge, with good access for planning lessons, connecting with loved ones, or sharing your experience online.
History
This project is hosted by one of the most dynamic grassroots initiatives on Costa Ricas Pacific coast. The team was born from local passion and international support, aiming to bring sustainability into daily lifenot just for tourists, but for the community that calls Matapalo home.
By combining ecological goals with long-term social change, they've launched reforestation zones, organic gardens, and community education that truly lasts. The organisation is known for welcoming volunteers as family and giving them tools to contribute in lasting ways.
Mission & Vision
Their mission is simple: to regenerate ecosystems while uplifting communities through shared action, environmental education, and sustainable practices. The long-term vision is a self-sustaining, resilient village where nature thrives and every resident feels
proud to call it home.
Program Fees
Duration Fee (EUR)
1 week €421
2 weeks €843
3 weeks €1,264
4 weeks €1,662
5 weeks €2,083
6 weeks €2,505
7 weeks €2,926
8 weeks €3,324
Important Things To Note: All programs include a Travel Roots Service & Support Fee in addition to the listed program fee. This helps cover the support we provide before, during, and after your placement, including application guidance, partner coordination, pre-departure preparation, welcome pack support, and ongoing assistance throughout your journey.
Payment Terms
• Program fees are due 60 days before your start date
• If applying within 60 days of arrival, full payment is due within 48 hours of confirmation
Where You’ll Be – The Lush Coastal Haven of Matapalo
Tucked along the untouched Pacific coast of southern Costa Rica, Matapalo is a tiny beachside village where the jungle meets the sea, and nature sets the rhythm of the day. With howler monkeys in the trees and sunsets that paint the sky in orange, this is a place that feels both grounded and magical.
Your volunteer base is nestled just steps from the black-sand beach and surrounded by dense tropical forest—one of the most biologically rich environments in the world. The lodge is simple, welcoming, and perfectly placed for early morning beach walks, wildlife spotting, or winding down after a rewarding day of hands-on work.
Although peaceful and remote, Matapalo is just a short drive from the lively surf town of Dominical and within reach of waterfalls, national parks, and local markets. Whether you want adventure, reflection, or connection—you’ll find it here.
Costa Rica – A Beacon of Biodiversity and Balance
Costa Rica is globally renowned for its commitment to conservation, peace, and sustainable living. Though small in size, it holds more than 5% of the world’s biodiversity—making it one of the most ecologically diverse places on Earth.
This is a country that actively protects over a quarter of its land, with national parks, marine reserves, and rewilding zones inviting you to explore and learn. As a volunteer, you’re not just visiting—you’re contributing to the very systems that keep this paradise thriving.
But Costa Rica’s heart lies in its people. Warm, community-oriented, and deeply connected to nature, the Tico way of life is simple, kind, and refreshingly real. Expect friendly smiles, delicious plant-based meals, and cultural richness that flows through everything—from music to storytelling, from farming to fiestas.
The climate is tropical and inviting year-round. Think sun-soaked mornings, the occasional afternoon downpour to keep things green, and cooler evenings filled with the sounds of frogs, waves, and forest creatures.
Whether you come for the wildlife, the people, the mission—or all three—you’ll find Costa Rica gets under your skin in all the best ways.
Free time Activities
& Tours
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Your downtime in Matapalo is an adventure in itself—explore the best of Costa Rica’s coast and jungle, all within easy reach.
Surfing in Dominical – 15 mins away
Catch waves at one of Costa Rica’s top surf spots, perfect for beginners and pros alike.
Nauyaca Waterfalls – 40 mins away
Hike through rainforest trails to reach dramatic twin waterfalls with natural pools for swimming.
Marino Ballena National Park – 30 mins away
Discover beaches, rainforest trails, and the famous Whale’s Tail sandbar, with regular wildlife sightings.
Kayaking at Hacienda Barú – 20 mins away
Paddle through serene mangrove ecosystems while spotting birds, monkeys, and reptiles.
Playa Ventanas Snorkelling – 35 mins away
Explore sea caves and tide pools at this quiet beach known for its unique rock formations.
Cooking & Spanish in Uvita – 25 mins away
Join a local cooking class or brush up on your Spanish with fun, interactive lessons.
Manuel Antonio National Park – 1 hour away
Spend the day hiking lush jungle paths and relaxing on postcard-worthy beaches.
Bonfires & Cultural Nights – Onsite
Evenings bring beach bonfires, music, and connection under Matapalo’s star-filled skies.
