Accommodation and clothing

Hello Sarah!

That's super exciting to hear! You will have so much fun.

As someone who has volunteered during similar months, you'll be catching Costa Rica nearing the end of its rainy season in the beginning. September and October will be the the wettest, December being pretty hot and dry! For this reason you may be needing a little bit of everything.

In your volunteering confirmation email you should be receiving a packing list to accommodate the weather, it is pretty reliable from my experience so you can definitely go off that.

The main thing to bring for footwear will be rain boots, you'll be needing them to navigate the trails (just to eliminate any risks with snakes and what not). I brought along normal hiking boots the second time around just to walk around base camp, and within the first rainfall they were full of mold and completely unusable. Good news, rain boots are completely immune to mold!! They do have rain boots there that have been left behind by past volunteers to borrow, but you can't guarantee your size and the kind of shape they are in.

For clothing, talking to fellow volunteers we mostly all agreed on packing a couple more sweaters next time, it gets a wee bit drafty (but still refreshing) in the rainy season, and there's nothing that beats the serene feeling of cozy-ing up in a hammock with a comfy sweater listening to the rain fall while reading a nice book!

Next, Quick dry clothing is an absolute must, you can expect to change outfits a couple times a day in the rain, but again, it's refreshing and makes you appreciate the luxury of clean,dry clothes :) . If you are able, an umbrella is amazing to have, but usually there are some to borrow at the Finca, or you can opt for a rain poncho (I believe this is on the packing list).

Housing... okay, this is a humbling experience, but it is all part of the charm of living off-grid in the rain forest! As a volunteer you are sharing a bunkhouse with however many volunteers are present at the time. It is a basic set-up, there is a small room with a queen bed that you and your partner will probably be sharing (somewhat private), the other options are two bunk beds within the next, larger room. Sink, Private toilet, not so private shower (protected by shower curtain), and you can expect cold water throughout all of the finca property. At first, the cold water showers appear unattractive, but don't let this intimidate you! At the heat of the day you will feel like a new person afterwards! For bedding you can choose to use retired sheets and pillows if so inclined, and mosquito nets are also provided. Good news on privacy: There are separate showers and bathrooms for your use just down the path!

TIP: The bunkhouse does not have electricity, so bring some fairy lights or a couple of cool battery operated night lamps if you have the space, it changes the entire experience for the better!

In September/October you may actually only be sharing the bunkhouse with 1-2 people, in December it gets a little more busy (max capacity of 6). But that is what makes it even more special, through this shared experience you build relationships with other volunteers from around the world and you will leave with a life-long bond.

Overall, I think those are the main points to touch on. The Finca is a lovely place to be and you'll never forget your experience. Hopefully that helped answers your questions!