Costa Rica's Pacific coast

Just as some of the largest countries on earth contain vast expanses of empty, barren land, some of the smallest countries on earth contain what could be considered an unfairly large and spectacular proportion of the world’s bio-diversity.

You could easily miss Costa Rica on a map – it’s hemmed in between North and South America and its land mass is not even half the size of the U.S. state of Kentucky. But the “Rich Coast” of Central America is an adventure playground of tropical rainforests, active volcanoes, cascading rivers, deep blue lakes, exotic beaches, incredible surf and much, much more.

Given this incredible natural diversity within such a small space it’s hard to see how any trip to Costa Rica can be anything less than one fantastic eco-venture. But the real question is, how best to make the most of everything?

One way to really get below the surface of a place is to stay put longer than the average traveler. Imagine spending each day in Costa Rica living with locals, speaking with them in Spanish and working each day alongside them. You’d soon feel assured that you’d come away with a knowledge and experience of the country far more extensive and rewarding than that of a casual tourist.

“Easy for you to say,” you might think. “But I don’t speak the language and I don’t have a job to go to in Costa Rica.” Well, my answer is that there are language-learning and volunteer programs that can open the door to opportunities you never thought possible. They’ll allow you to gain a deep understanding of this beautiful little country.

The world is your oyster

All you need to do is spend a few weeks learning the language (usually four weeks) and then the whole of this big outdoor playground is at your fingertips: You could soon be patrolling a beach for turtle eggs by night, running guided tours of a butterfly or orchid garden by day, working on the maintenance of cloud forest trails, or even syringe-feeding baby macaws before their release into the wild.

Hannah Meir holds a butterfly

The list is almost endless and the opportunities impressive. More importantly, you’ll be in nature up close, and there’s no feeling quite like it. Adrenaline junkies are also well catered to in Costa Rica: There’s white water rafting, volcano climbing, jungle trekking, swinging through the rainforest canopy Tarzan-style and crocodile watching are just some of the eco-adventure activities literally on your doorstep/jungle path/beach track.

We’ve been running Spanish language and volunteer programs for several years, and it’s always a delight to hear how well our volunteers got on and how incredibly effusive they sound in their feedback afterwards. Being such believers in language learning ourselves, it’s extremely rewarding to see how we have been able to change people’s lives by sending them away to improve their language skills while giving a little something to the local community (animal or human).

You can be any age over 18 and any nationality to take part. One exciting trend we’ve noticed is how many people are now quitting their 9-to-5 jobs back home to take time out to do something completely different. Swapping phones, car horns and traffic jams for the singing, chirping and laissez-faire attitudes of a cloud forest’s denizens really does appear to be the remedy for their hectic daily lives.

Hannah, an Englishwoman, is one client who can vouch for this. She previously took language courses in Barcelona and San Sebastián, Spain, then ventured last year to Costa Rica to work in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. So for all those of you who need one last motivational push, read on.

Hannah’s Testimonial:

My motivation for taking all these Spanish courses was mainly personal. I love speaking languages and wanted to broaden my horizons. Spanish itself is a really important language, useful all over the world. I'm hoping to continue with it, and maybe even go back to sharpen up the Italian or French that I studied at GCSE level.

My placement as a volunteer at Monteverde Butterfly Garden was so much fun! I really enjoyed the chance to learn new things – it was like being an excited schoolgirl again. I read up on Monteverde before I went, but once I was there, there was so much more to see and do than I could have ever dreamed.

The facilities at my placement were pretty basic – I often needed a flashlight because there were so few street lights, and it was hard to wash and dry clothes quickly or easily. But balanced against those minor inconveniences was the amazing experience of being in nature day and night; being completely immersed in it. It's hard to describe the feeling, but I just  loved the sense of being surrounded by such abundant life.

The work itself was really varied: One day I could be taking just one person around the garden and really getting to know them, while the next day I could be guiding a group of 20 kids who were all staring up at me and asking questions.

Back home I find that I'm so much more interested in bugs and nature. I love art and my trip to Costa Rica really inspired me. I paint with oils and pastels on big and small canvases, and one day it would be great to have my own exhibition. My paintings are simple and stylised – one in particular that came from my trip to Costa Rica is a painting of the butterflies being released into the wild – a truly wonderful scene.

On the Spanish front, my skills have improved no end. I've gone from only being able to say “Hola” and “sí” in Barcelona to having full conversations. I found the best way to learn the language was to just get out there and chat with the locals – a great excuse to go out if ever there was one! Now that I'm back, I find myself meeting more Spanish people and am able to talk to them. I really believe that if you're serious about seeing a country and learning about it and the people, you really need to learn the language. It makes traveling so much easier and you make loads more friends.

On a personal level I definitely feel more confident after having learned Spanish. It's always a boost when you learn anything new, and I enjoy an extra confidence in meeting new people.  Career-wise, I’d really like to do something related to travel and languages, and it would be even better if I could combine it with art.

You can see how much of a difference learning and volunteering made in Hannah’s life. Perhaps her experience will give you an incentive to take that break from routine you’ve always dreamed about. Immerse yourself in another environment, challenge yourself with new tasks and chat to people you wouldn’t ordinarily meet. . . taste new foods, see new things and hear new sounds. For many people, a language and volunteer placement is one of the most rewarding personal achievement they will ever experience. Why not take the plunge and join them? One thing’s for sure: You’ll come back having learned a lot more than just the language.