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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 experience frontline sea turtle conservation while living in a vibrant coastal community? Our Travel Roots Turtle Ranger Program in Mexico offers you the chance to contribute to vital turtle protection efforts in Chacahua — a small fishing village within a protected national park on Oaxaca’s Pacific coast.
As a Turtle Ranger volunteer, you will join night patrols on nesting beaches to protect olive ridley, green, and leatherback sea turtles. Your work helps prevent poaching, protect nests, and safely relocate eggs to the community-run hatchery.
This program offers a truly immersive experience. You’ll live alongside and work with local families who have led turtle conservation efforts for generations. Daytime activities include hatchery care, beach clean-ups, community outreach, and helping with eco-tourism initiatives that provide sustainable livelihoods for local people.
Key activities:
• Night beach patrols with community rangers to protect nesting turtles
• Egg relocation to a community-managed hatchery
• Hatchery monitoring and hatchling releases
• Beach clean-ups to maintain healthy nesting habitats
• Support for environmental education and community conservation initiativesBy volunteering on our Turtle Ranger Program in Mexico, you will:
• Protect endangered sea turtles through hands-on conservation work
• Patrol nesting beaches alongside local community rangers
• Support a community-led hatchery that gives eggs and hatchlings the best chance of survival
• Help strengthen sustainable eco-tourism and conservation livelihoods in Chacahua
• Build valuable skills in wildlife monitoring, data collection, and teamwork
• Immerse yourself in a unique coastal culture within a protected national parkWhat to Expect: A Day in the Life of a Turtle Ranger Volunteer in Mexico
Every day as a Turtle Ranger volunteer in Chacahua brings unique tasks and meaningful moments. While your schedule will vary depending on the season and turtle activity, a typical day may look like this:
7:00 AM – Hatchery check: monitor nests, record data, and assist with hatchling releases
8:00 AM – Breakfast at the camp, shared with fellow volunteers and local coordinators
9:00 AM – Hatchery maintenance, beach clean-ups, or helping with community eco-tourism projects
12:00 PM – Lunch and rest during the heat of the day
3:00 PM – Environmental education activities or assisting with local community initiatives
6:00 PM – Dinner at camp, time to relax and connect
10:00 PM – Night patrols begin: walk the beach with local rangers, protect nesting turtles, and relocate eggs to the hatchery
Days off give you the chance to explore Chacahua National Park, visit local villages, or simply enjoy the natural beauty of this coastal paradise.
Your Impact as a Volunteer
By volunteering on our Travel Roots Turtle Ranger Program in Mexico, you become an essential part of a community-led conservation effort that directly protects endangered sea turtles. Every nest you help safeguard, every egg you relocate, and every hatchling you release increases the survival chances of these threatened species.
Your work helps reduce the devastating impacts of poaching, habitat loss, and natural predation. Beyond your hands-on role in turtle conservation, you’ll also help strengthen sustainable livelihoods for local families through eco-tourism and conservation-based income.
Your presence inspires local youth, supports environmental education, and demonstrates how collaboration between communities and international volunteers can make a lasting difference.
Your home on the beach at Chacahua
Volunteers stay at a rustic, beachfront eco-camp located within Chacahua National Park. Just steps from the sand and surf, this simple but welcoming camp offers an authentic experience of coastal living in harmony with nature.
Sleeping arrangements
Accommodation is in shared wooden cabins or large tents, equipped with basic bedding (mattress, sheet, and pillow). The camp is designed for low-impact living and blends naturally into its surroundings.What’s provided
• Shared bathroom facilities with showers and toilets
• Fresh drinking water
• Three local-style meals per day (vegetarian options available)
• Shaded communal spaces with hammocks and seating areas
• Solar-powered lighting and minimal electricityThe camp’s beachfront setting makes it ideal for surfing enthusiasts. The waves at Chacahua are popular with both locals and visitors, and volunteers often enjoy the chance to surf or relax on the sand during their free time. Evenings bring beautiful sunsets, ocean breezes, and the peaceful sounds of the sea.
History
Our trusted partner for this program works with grassroots conservation groups along Mexico’s Pacific coast, protecting sea turtles through community-led initiatives. For over a decade, they have partnered with local families, indigenous communities, and conservation cooperatives to protect nesting beaches, operate hatcheries, and promote sustainable eco-tourism.
Their work arose from the need to reduce poaching and habitat destruction, while providing local communities with sustainable alternatives through ethical conservation tourism.
Mission & Vision
The mission is to protect sea turtle populations through effective nest protection, habitat conservation, and community education. By combining conservation action with responsible eco-tourism, their projects aim to ensure that both wildlife and coastal communities can thrive together.
The vision is a future where marine wildlife is safeguarded by the very communities that share its habitat, creating lasting benefits for both people and nature along Mexico’s biodiverse Pacific coastline.
Program Fees & What’s Included
Program Fee Schedule
Duration Fee (EUR)
1 week €769
2 weeks €1,528
3 weeks €2,292
4 weeks €3,056
8 weeks €6,112
15 weeks €11,460
Payment Terms
• Program fees are due in full 30 days prior to your start date.
• If booking within 30 days of your start date, full payment is required at the time of confirmation.What’s included
✅ Shared accommodation in eco-camp (cabin or tent)
✅ Three local-style meals daily
✅ Drinking water supply
✅ Airport or bus station transfer on arrival
✅ All training and guidance from experienced local coordinators
✅ Project materials and equipment
✅ Welcome pack full of necessary and useful information
✅ Flexible start dates and free date changes (subject to availability)
✅ Full support before, during, and after your placement✅ Certificate of Completion
✅ 100% Cancellation Money-Back Guarantee
✅ So much moreYour Investment in Conservation and Yourself
When you join our Travel Roots Turtle Conservation Program in Mexico, you’re not just funding a trip — you’re making a meaningful investment in the future of our planet and your own growth. Your program fees directly support essential conservation activities: protecting turtle nests, running hatchery operations, restoring habitats, delivering community education, and providing fair wages to local conservation workers.
But this investment goes beyond the beaches. You’ll gain lifelong skills — in teamwork, wildlife monitoring, ecological awareness, and cross-cultural collaboration — that you can take into your personal and professional future. You’ll become part of a global network of people working for positive change, and your experience will leave a lasting imprint on both the environment and yourself.
Every euro you contribute helps build a world where sea turtles can thrive and coastal communities can prosper, hand-in-hand with nature.
Where you’ll be – Mexico’s Pacific coast
Your volunteer placement is set along the unspoiled beaches of Oaxaca’s Pacific coastline, close to the small community of San Pedro Huamelula. This region is famous for its important sea turtle nesting sites, pristine mangrove ecosystems, and rich biodiversity.
You’ll be surrounded by dramatic coastal scenery, with golden sand beaches, gentle waves, and vibrant sunsets. The area enjoys a tropical climate — warm and sunny for most of the year, with refreshing ocean breezes and occasional tropical showers.
The region is home to olive ridley, green, and leatherback turtles, as well as a wide variety of marine life and bird species. Local communities are deeply connected to these ecosystems, with many working in eco-tourism and conservation.
Mexico – A land of culture and natural wonder
Mexico offers a fascinating mix of vibrant traditions, stunning landscapes, and world-famous cuisine. Oaxaca, in particular, is celebrated for its indigenous heritage, colourful festivals, and artisan crafts. During your time off, you’ll have opportunities to explore lively markets, sample delicious regional dishes, or simply relax by the sea, soaking up the unique spirit of coastal Mexico.
Free Time Activities
When you’re not on patrol or helping in the hatchery, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to explore and enjoy the beauty of Mexico’s Pacific coast. Your free time is yours to relax, connect with fellow volunteers, or join in optional activities and tours.
• Relax on the beach — Unwind on golden sands just steps from camp, with warm waters perfect for swimming.
• Join a mangrove boat tour — Explore nearby mangrove forests and spot native birds and wildlife.
• Visit local villages and markets — Discover Oaxacan crafts, traditional foods, and vibrant cultural life in nearby communities.
• Take surf lessons or rent a board — The region’s gentle waves are ideal for beginners and fun for more experienced surfers.
• Explore waterfalls and forest trails — Enjoy hikes to hidden waterfalls and jungle paths with breathtaking views.
• Join a yoga or wellness session — Some nearby towns offer classes by the sea — perfect for stretching after night patrols.
• Attend local festivals (seasonal) — If your trip aligns, you may experience colourful celebrations that reflect the area’s rich culture.
Free time is flexible, giving you the chance to recharge, explore, and make the most of your stay in this stunning coastal setting.
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