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TPG - Tortugas de Playa Ganadito is a community-led sea turtle conservation project located in one of the most wild and beautiful areas in Costa Rica. The project has been freshly reorganized and now hosts volunteers in a vibrant homestay network provided by homes and volunteer projects in area. This is a great example of a community working together to save the turtles while also helping families wanting to protect nature.
25 hours of help per week
Painting & Decorating: Help with painting or decorating the property facilities.
Animal Care: Help look after and take care of animals.
Social Work: Help with volunteer work in local projects and communities.
Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens
Amount: US$ 35 Per day
Fee pays for: Benefits for travelers, Materials for volunteer activities, and Donation to project
Description: Volunteers contribute $35 USD per day: $25 goes to the homestay family to cover the cost of food and accommodation. The other $10 goes toward the cost of the volunteer coordinator's stipend, food and accommodation, and to buy materials and consumables for the turtle patrols and hatchery. Thank you for supporting this community-led conservation project!
2 days off per week
Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.
Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.
Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.
Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.
Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.
Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely
Intermediate Spanish or Intermediate English
Over 18 years old
Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers
Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa
Our community welcomes around 200 Olive Ridley sea turtles that come to nest each year on Playa Ganadito. We've protected these turtles from illegal egg poaching since 2006, when the project was operated by the Corcovado Foundation and later ACOTPRO. In 2026, to celebrate 20 years of the conservation effort, we've reorganized the project so that it benefits more families in the area and promotes collaboration between all of the volunteer projects in this regenerative tourism hotspot.
How it works: Worldpackers members can apply here to become a Playa Ganadito Tortugas volunteer and confirm dates. You'll be assigned to a particular house or project in the homestay network, who will provide you with your safe and trusted home and three meals per day. You'll report 5 days a week with the other volunteers to Playa Ganadito Tortugas to work on daytime turtle conservation tasks, and you'll be given the opportunity to join at least two nighttime beach patrols each week. You'll also have some time available to work on projects with your homestay family, enriching your volunteer experience through authentic cultural exchange, while also helping out local rural families too.
Local projects that are involved include: Finca Ganadito, NaturaViva, Camping Ganadito, Ceiba Ganadito, Jungle Drake and up to 10 other local homes offering homestay, so it's a really unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a vibrant rural Costa Rican community.
The daytime turtle conservation tasks include:
Beach cleaning, early morning patrols, relocating nests to the hatchery, releasing baby turtles, nest exhumations and data collection, planting food and native trees, maintaining reference posts and signage, and organizing community facilities such as trails, bridges and recycling areas.
The nighttime turtle conservation tasks include:
Night patrols to looks for nesting sea turtles, relocating nests to the hatchery, and releasing baby turtles.
Additional daytime tasks with your homestay family might include:
Helping to build, maintain or decorate houses, facilities or farm infrastructure, gardening or planting food, feeding farm animals, and helping to improve the organization or impact of the homestay volunteer project.
Additional activities:
The great advantage of working at the Playa Ganadito Tortugas is being part of a network of volunteers and having lots of opportunities to socialize, share free time on the beach, go on tours together, attend organized parties and events, and visit one another's homestay houses.
While the first 48 hours getting settled in a homestay are often a bit nerve wracking, it's sooo worth it! Before you know it you'll slip into the Pura Vida lifestyle of a local Costa Rican, with a community of other like-minded volunteers at your doorstep to share it with.
Always treat your homestay family and the rest of the community with the respect that they deserve.
Please always let them know when you are going out and what time you will return, especially at night, so that they don't worry about you.
Please respect any other house rules they may have.
Always walk in groups of 2 or more at night.
Please never go swimming alone.
Consume alcohol responsibly.
Otherwise just listen to instructions, try your best, be kind and mindful or other people, and come ready to work.
Please also help us with any feedback or suggestions as we grow this project into one of the best in Costa Rica :)
