Food, Lodging & Travel
The programme provides three meals per day for families, plus snacks for night patrols. We are experts in producing yummy and wholesome vegan and veggie food, freshly prepared from ingredients produced in the local area, including from our own farm. Rebe who is the chef has also created her own cook book testament to the quality of her cooking! Cooking is often a collaborative process and families are encouraged to produce the evening meal together.
The meals that we provide at the programme are vegetarian, which includes eggs and/or cheese most days. If you aren’t veggie, you’ll have the opportunity to select a non-vegetarian meal on the full-day tours to the Corcovado National Park and Cano Island if you wish if you add those on in your free time. As a principle, the community does not support unsustainable industries such as cow-dairy, long-lining or trawling, or intensive animal agriculture.
Lodging for Families
Families can book out their own private Jungle Bungalow, Jungle Cabin or Jungle Studio with hot showers/private bathroom and your own private decking with hammock.
The Jungle Bungalow can hold up to 6 people, the Cabin 4-5 people, and the Studio 2-3 people. All of them are close to each other, whilst maintaining privacy for families. These are ideal so that if kids are tired and want to opt out of an activity on the farm, they can chill out in their own private space. For the bungalow and cabin, there is one bedroom and then in the main lounge area, couch beds open up to make extra beds. Photos of the Jungle bungalow and Jungle cabin are available on Airbnb too. The Jungle Studio has a similar style, but is smaller in size.
How to get here
Multiple airlines fly to San José (SJO), Costa Rica, via the United States, including United, American Airlines and Delta. From Europe, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Iberia and Condor all fly to San José either directly or with one stopover. Once in Costa Rica, we recommend either taking a domestic flight to Drake Bay (DRK) with Sansa Air or taking the ‘bus and boat’ option which takes longer, but is an adventure! Or you can rent a car too. We can help advise on all travel and accommodations in Costa Rica, such as a lovely guest house surrounded by tropical gardens serving delicious breakfast and a swimming pool for the first and last night in San Jose, airport pick-up and drop-off, and transfers to the project. Usually families spend a night in San Jose on arrival to recover from the flight and jet lag and then travel the next day.
Any questions, please email: Victoria.McNeil@workingabroad.com
Useful Information
About the Osa Peninsula
The Osa Peninsula is located in southwestern Costa Rica, on the Pacific Ocean. The main feature of the peninsula is the Corcovado National Park. This is famously referred to by National Geographic as ‘the most biologically intense place on Earth’. The park is home to all four Costa Rican monkey species, jaguars, pumas and ocelots, Baird’s tapir, crocodiles, spectacled caimans, bull sharks, two-toed and three-toed sloths and lots more! Four species of sea turtle (Olive Ridley, Pacific Green, Hawksbill, and Leatherback) also nest on the beaches of the park.
About Drake Bay
The Drake Bay area consists of the main tourist town, known as Agujitas (where the boat taxi from Sierpe lands and from where the main tours depart), plus several smaller villages. The volunteer programme is based in a tiny beach village called Ganadito which has no store, although there are a couple of bar restaurants. The nearest village, El Progreso, is a pleasant 30-minute walk away and has stores where snacks, drinks and materials can be bought. The main tourist town of Agujitas is an hour’s walk away, but there are often opportunities to visit the town by taxi as part of tours or planned excursions. There are no ATM machines anywhere in Drake Bay, and no post office or large supermarket. While most purchases can be made by card, it’s recommended to bring some cash in USD or CRC for local purchases and rural tours and excursions.
Free Time
Families have 2 days off a week to plan free time activities. Drake Bay is one of Costa Rica’s most famous eco-tourism destinations. There are many activities that families can do on your days off.
The programme can organise many tours, such as Caño Island snorkelling ($95) or diving ($155), visiting the Corcovado National Park ($95-$110), whale and dolphin watching tours ($120), mangrove tour ($100) or a tour floating down a river ($80).
There are also cheaper local or rural tours, such as kayaking ($65), quad-biking, birdwatching and horse-riding ($50). There is also an opportunity to get a full body massage ($65), do a tour in the jungle at night ($50), visit a local farm ($50) or watch the sunset on a catamaran ($50 + taxi transfer).
Please let us know if you would like to book anything in advance before your arrival.
Free things to do
There are many free activities that families can do during your stay too, including trekking, swimming in rivers and waterfalls and playing beach volleyball, for example.
The programme also offers free yoga and Spanish classes, and tours or free excursions can be arranged for the two full free days (Wednesday and Saturday), and also free afternoons or evenings, if requested.