Profile information
Host rating
Not yet rated
Last replied
16 Mar 2026
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
-
ID verified
Email verified
Badges (2)
Details
Description
We are a family of four based in Switzerland / Panama who was sailing the oceans and decided to start a new adventure in Panama creating a large marine reserve in one of the most beautiful and untouched corners of Bocas del Toro. We are looking for volunteers helping to build the dream with us. We will need help four building infrastructure, scientific research, restorative aquaculture, coral restoration, fundraising and much more.
We are setting up a co-management structure with the local indigenous community which fully supports the project and are backed by the Panamanian ministry of environment. While the reserve is non profit, we will try to create as many jobs as possible for the indigenous community and to make the reserve financially self-sustained within 10 years. So far we are fully self-financed from our private assets.
Get in touch if you feel that you have any skills which could be helpful to get things going and create a real impact on evironmental protection. If you are a scientist specialized in sharks, invertrebrates/gastropods, crustaceans, coral or finfish this might be your place!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Sustainability
Carpentry
Music
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Nature
Sailing / Boating
Beach
Water sports
Outdoor activities
Adventure sports
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are a multicultural family from switzerland, living our dream creating a place where nature shall be preserved for future generations. You will be living in plain nature with little comfort (for western standards) at the beginning, far away from any crowds, DJ's, pub crawls and all that noisy tourist stuff. Only pure and beautiful nature, where your next neighbors are miles away.
Our house is built on the water and is currently being modernized. Only a settlement of the indigenous Ngäbe community is living in the greater area, and a few small eco resorts can be found nearby as well. We are mostly visited only by indigenous people in their dugout canoes. You will meet locals of the Ngäbe comunity and can learn their language if you want. Spanish is the common language.
A large reef only visited by these same locals is right in front of our house. We regularly see the resident dolphins swimming nearby, as well as eagle rays and two other species of rays living in the area together with two species of sharks, one of which, a small and endangered species of hammerhead shark, which will be one of the key species of our project.
Our marine reserve is just starting - and we have big plans ahead!
You can talk to us in italian, german, spanish, english and french.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Carpenter for building Infrastructure:
build a new hardwood boat house for the project boat and help with small tasks renovating the main building (Solid carpentry / timber framer skills mandatory). You will lead the project with our help and local workers. Either english, spanish, french, italian or german is fine. You should be able to read the (professionally made) architectural map of the project, to translate it into a real hardwood construction and assist workers which are not trained carpenters but have experience. We have a good source for the wood and all required material.
If time allows you can help us building more simple fun structures like a traditional Ngäbe palm-covered hut on the adjacent island.
We need the infrastructure first, while we are working hard on scientific pre-projects in the background, we do not do any physical science work on site yet, as we are waiting for the legal status being accepted by the government.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
Accommodation
A dream hardwood house built over the water in a breathtaking location: you will live with us and share our daily family life. You have your own separate room with a comfortable brand new queen size bed. All the rest is shared. We will work, but also cook together, so you are part of everyday life. We are used to (and used to be) backpackers: had a fun time crossing the atlantic with backpackers on board of our sailboat!
As sourcing food is not very simple and limited in selection we have to be creative at times. At the moment the house is being gently renovated and will have some drawbacks especially in electricity and running water, until the new electrical structure is built. Be prepared to shower with buckets and to use a composting toilet until the new solar system and distribution both of electricity and fresh / waste water is in place. The house is simple (for western standards) but functional, safe and comfortable. We are moskito free and only have no see-ums (chitra) for 2 short times a day and only when the wind is not blowing: making it less of a deal. We almost always have a fresh sea breeze and you'd rather ask for a blanket than aircon (which we don't have anyway) at night. The sunrise over the open caribbean sea and the view of Zapatilla islands with a fresh brewed coffee in your hands on our veranda over the water is someting which is hard to beat in Bocas del Toro!
What else ...
Living the dream in paradise includes some comfort drawbacks. We are living off the beaten track in a place only reachable by boat. We do not have electricity and internet 24/7 yet and cell phone reception is limited, depending on phone type and provider. We are working on it though! You can enjoy the beautiful nature around us and wake up with the sunset over the water. You will have to be fine with sharing spaces and life with us and 2 (well educated) kids and a few chicken which live in their own house on the island. There are no bars, no parties, no fancy restaurants or anything similar anywhere around. Literally all you can do is enjoying pure nature, having a game of beach volleyball on our island, play with our kid's lovely Brahma chicken and kayaking/snorkeling our own coral reef and mangroves no tourist ever comes to!
We have been living on a boat off grid for 4 years and are pretty good at solving medical issues. Still please tell us about any health issues or food limitations /allergies beforehand: the next hospital is 1hr+ away mainly by boat and the trip can be very demanding or impossible at times if the weather is bad. Groceries availability is limited and quite basic at times: so this is not the best place for special diets.
besides that: you will have a hard time finding a more beautiful place in all bocas!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We cannot guarantee constant internet availability but are working on that. We have Starlink, but no power at times, mainly during the night we turn it off.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
chicken
