Costa Rica
Favourited 514 times
*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Looking for volunteers +20 yrs that would like to experience running a hostel while getting to know this beautiful area in the Turrialba valley. Minimum commitment of 2 months.
We are a small hostel in Turrialba, with 10 rooms in total, positive vibes and most of our guests are people who enjoy the outdoors. Turrialba is a bustling little city and not touristy which makes it more authentic and you get a taste of real Costarican life. It is located in a valley near the beautiful Pacuare river (at 40 minutes) which is famous for white water rafting and kayaking.
The hostel is in the center of the city close to restaurants, bars, supermarkets and bakeries. The rooms are shared dorms but also we offer private hotel style rooms with private bathroom. We are a team of 5 and we all multitask, help out where necessary to maintain our reputation and keep the hostel one of the best in CR. :)
We have one permanent resident which is Pepper, our adorable house cat. We don't have a restaurant service, but there is a fully equipped kitchen available for everyone to use and we offer free tea and coffee in the mornings. People love to hang out on our rooftop terrace which has a view of the Turrialba volcano.
General Maintenance
Help around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Art Projects
In all my travels around Costa Rica I haven't found a place to learn more about Costarican culture as in Turrialba. The city is not built on tourism like many other places. Here you will still feel as the only foreigner in town. A great place to pick-up on your Spanish as not many people speak English. If you want to become more fluent, this is the place to be. People are very welcoming and friendly and are easy to talk to. Every Friday and Saturday there is a fruit and veggie market where all farmers from the surrounding area sell their produce and you get to taste fruits and veggies you have maybe never seen before. Also Turrialba is famous for the Turrialba cheese which is made on the slopes of the volcano. La 'ruta de queso' (the cheese route) is called because of that and besides is a beautiful area to hike as it has beautiful views of the valley and the village. In the Talamanca mountains, a 2 hour busride from Turrialba you can find the indigenous villages of the Cabecar people.
You will have plenty of time to explore as your shift is either at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day and mostly you will have 2 whole days off per week. We will try to plan this in a way you can benefit the most of your free time.
Benefits:
FREE white water rafting tour and Canyoning tour, rappelling down waterfalls into hot springs
Our hostel is a home for many solo backpackers, couples travelling and even families from all over the world. As a team we produce many positive vibes so the most important quality for a volunteer is to have positive energy and commitment to contribute to the friendly atmosphere. Our main goal is to let guests feel at home. Here the saying goes "mi casa es su casa!"
You can help us with the day to day running of the hostel, or contribute with any other skills you have you would love to share. Could be your creativity, gardening skills, marketing knowledge, graphic design skills, anything you enjoy doing. If you are a self-motivated, sociable and responsible person that likes to interact with travelers from all over the world, send us a message.
The day to day running of the hostel includes checking in and out guests, taking reservations by phone, providing information on all the activities in the area and making sure guests are having a good time. A basic level of Spanish is required as we also get many Spanish speaking guests. We ask a minimum stay of (at least) 2 months and will give priority to volunteers that can stay longer. The advantage of staying longer is also that you will experience more of the culture, become part of our team and will start feeling as a local.
It is a great opportunity if you would like to know what it's like to run a hostel and if you like to experience Costarican culture and experience the day to day Costarican life.
If interested please add your current location, date of availability, main skills, age and intended length of stay.
If you have a Whatsapp number please include that in your message.
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
German: Beginner
French: Beginner
Dutch: Beginner
Depends on availability.
Either a bed in a shared dorm or (if available) a little private room with bunkbed with a small bathroom ensuite. And you get to enjoy all the communal areas, the fully equipped kitchen, the chill garden and the rooftop terrace with hammocks
Turrialba is easy to reach as public buses go hourly either to San Jose (2 hours) as to the Caribbean coast (3 hours).
In your free time you can do tours in the area, enjoy the mountain scenery, hike, bike, horseback riding, visit one of the waterfalls or the Guayabo archaeological park, volunteer at an orphanage or elderly home, take a Spanish language course at one of the Spanish schools or you could even travel to the beach on your free days.
You will get the chance to take part in all the activities the hostel organizes, to go white water rafting on the famous Pacuare River, learn how organic coffee is grown and produced at a local farmer, rappel down warm waterfalls into hot springs, visit the tropical botanical gardens where you get to learn about different tropical fruits, just to name a few.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
More than two
25 hours a week
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.8)
Communication:
(5.0)
