Volunteering on a Coffee Farm!
Volunteering on a coffee farm in southern Costa Rica is easily one of my best travel experiences of 2017. From being in a small town & getting to know everyone (& I mean ~ everyone, including all the local dogs), to climbing the hills every morning at 6AM, to sharing mating calls with nearby farmers, to sleeping in a log cabin with other volunteers & sharing meals together with our host family….I pretty much LOVED every aspect of this experience.
I loved waking up every morning to this view.
To give people an idea of what it’s like to volunteer on a coffee farm ~ I put together the video below which shows my experience: from the dusty ride up to the hills where the coffee beans are, to the entire coffee-picking process ~ start to finish. I knew absolutely nothing about how my morning cup of “joe” was produced prior to volunteering on a coffee farm.
Now I know a little bit more ; )
Little by little, I began to learn about the coffee-making process…
If you’ve ever had the desire to travel internationally, or simply a desire to volunteer, & you love coffee: volunteering on a coffee farm may be the perfect answer for your next international adventure.
But don’t take my word for it ~ watch the video!
Video of Volunteering on a Coffee Farm
Follow my adventures on YouTube HERE!
How to Volunteer on a Coffee Farm
- Contact IVHQ (International Volunteer Headquarters) & ask about the “Coffee Projects” in Costa Rica. My project was based in San Jeronimo, near San Isidro.
- Contact Maximo Nivel (a Costa Rica volunteer organization) directly, & ask to speak with Andrea DeLuz about the Eco-Agriculture/Coffee Project. IVHQ partners with Maximo in Costa Rica ~ so you can volunteer through either organization.
- If you want to visit coffee country & stay with a host family, but don’t want to volunteer ~ I’d highly recommend it! You can chase waterfalls, horseback ride, learn about coffee-making, or hike to Costa Rica’s highest peak ~ all for about $28/night (including meals). In this way, you can help local farmers by bringing tourist dollars into their small communities, particularly during non-coffee season. Contact Aturena for more information.
Read Next: A Day in the Life of a Coffee Farmer!
What a gorgeous and inspiring experience! I will definitely look into volunteering for my next travel adventure.
Let’s do it together, Anya!! : ) xoxox
I truly appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thx again
Thank you, Angla ~ I’m so glad you found what you were looking for…on Bing, no less! Ha xoxo Noelia
What a cool experience! I love coffee, & I think volunteering could add a lot to my next trip. Do you know of any other places or volunteer organizations besides IVHQ & Maximo Nivel that offer the chance to volunteer on a coffee farm? Thanks!
Hi Mark! I know that Maximo Nivel has programs both in Costa Rica as well as Guatemala (based out of Antigua), & that a group that former Bachelor Ben works with in Honduras is called Generous Coffee ~ & I’m quite sure that they offer volunteer trips as well. Other than that, I’d just try running a Google search & see what you come up with, but I think it’s really hard to go wrong volunteering on a coffee farm! Enjoy : ) xoxo