Puntarenas is a popular tourist destination because it has miles of beautiful beaches and a tropical atmosphere. While tourism is great for the local economy, it is not so good for the environment, as many tourists leave trails of trash in their wakes. This Costa Rican city also recently survived a large earthquake which destroyed many buildings and left debris and trash scattered throughout the town. In Puntarenas, IFRE has city improvement volunteer opportunities in place to clean up and beautify the city. As an IFRE volunteer, you will work to clean trash and improve the city and overall morale.

In the IFRE city improvement program, you will help in various cleaning and improvement projects, such as collecting trash in local beaches and parks. In the past, our volunteers have had a positive effect on the community, and the local citizens really appreciate the program.

Another positive side to City Improvement in Costa Rica with IFRE-Costa Rica is that you can make this small city a more beautiful place even if you’re in Puntarenas for only a small amount of time. IFRE-Costa Rica can place you in short-term clean-up projects.

No specific qualifications are required to join the city improvement in Costa Rica project. While beginner to intermediate knowledge of Spanish is preferred, it is not mandatory. If you cannot speak Spanish, we suggest you enroll in our Spanish language course to make your stay more rewarding – both for you and for the community you are helping.

IFRE arranges room, breakfast and supervision for volunteers for the entire duration of the volunteer in Costa Rica program. In Puntarenas, you will have the option to stay with a well-screened host family or in an apartment-style room. Our host families are respected members of the community and are well-versed in the art of hosting international volunteers. Host families offer a safe home with private rooms (occasionally rooms will be shared with other same-gender volunteers), shared bathroom facilities, and a “western” style toilet. You may ask your host family to do laundry for you for a nominal extra fee. You will receive three prepared traditional Costa Rican meals per day. If you will be out of the house during lunch hour, you can request a lunch "to go" that you can take with you or eat out on your own. The city of Puntarenas is located on the Pacific coast, and it boasts miles of beautiful coastline popular with surfers. This area of Costa Rica is known for its nature reserves and islands, many of which are great day trip destinations. Puntarenas also has a wide variety of annual festivals and parks, along with restaurants that specialize in ceviche.

During the volunteer project, our local staff will stay in contact with you either with face-to-face visits or via email/telephone. The volunteer coordinator lives just minutes away if you need anything during your stay. Volunteers are always welcome at the local office, as well. We request that you stop by the office once a week to keep us posted on how you are doing with your home stay and project. If you any advice or have any issues you need to discuss, you can talk to your coordinator.