In April 2026, VoluntEars ran our first trip to Costa Rica.

The trip lasted two weeks during the Easter holidays, and we had 20 people in our group: 11 deaf and 9 hearing travellers, with an even mix of 11 female and 9 male participants.

Where we visited

Costa Rica has incredibly diverse geography and so much to experience, so we designed this trip as a multi-centre adventure rather than staying in one place. Our four main locations were San Jose (the capital city), Montezuma, Santa Elena and La Fortuna, before returning to San Jose at the end of the trip.

San Jose (the capital city – start and end)

Everyone arrived into San Jose International Airport, where they were met by VoluntEars staff and transferred to our hotel in the city centre. Rooms were shared between two people (with separate beds), and each morning began with a buffet breakfast.

On the first day, we held an orientation session to go through the plans for the next two weeks, look at the route we would be taking, and answer any questions. Afterwards, we enjoyed a guided tour of part of San Jose with a local deaf guide, arranged by VoluntEars.

After lunch, we visited the Costa Rica Deaf Association, where we took part in a Costa Rican Sign Language (LESCO) class with a brilliant teacher called XYZ. It was fascinating to learn some local signs and to see the differences between BSL, ASL and LESCO.

Montezuma (the coast)

Long sandy beaches, turquoise sea, forests, waterfalls and the Pacific Ocean – Montezuma was a stunning place to visit, especially after a long dark winter back home.

We enjoyed a full-day boat trip to Tortuga Island on a private speedboat, leaving directly from Montezuma beach. After a thrilling ride across the water, we stopped at a snorkelling spot where everyone spent time spotting hundreds of brightly coloured fish, some swimming right up to us. Lunch was cooked for us on the beach while we watched a huge iguana, wild boar and vultures in the woodland behind us. Nature really is everywhere in Costa Rica.

A free day gave everyone the chance to choose their own activities. Some hiked alongside a river to a waterfall where you can swim beneath the falls. Others went quad biking or horse riding along beaches and through forests. There was also a lovely swimming pool by the beach for those who wanted to relax afterwards.

Then it was time to head for the hills…

Santa Elena (the hills)

A four-hour drive from the coast brought us up into the hills of Monteverde, an area famous for its cloud forest.

We spent a morning at a butterfly garden, learning about the beautifully coloured butterflies, some with amazing patterns and shapes of snakes heads on their wings to frighten away prey (as well as scorpions and spiders) that live in Costa Rica’s forests. None of them are deadly to humans, but it certainly reminded us of what lives out there!

One evening, we joined a jungle night walk where guides led us along forest paths, shining torches into the trees to spot wildlife. We saw an orange-kneed tarantula, a sleeping toucan, raccoons climbing through the trees and other creatures we’ve never seen before.

Another free day gave people the opportunity to try zip-lining through the forest canopy.

La Fortuna (the volcanoes)

Our next stop was La Fortuna, a small town in central Costa Rica surrounded by beautiful tropical rainforest. It also has the dramatic sight of a huge volcano appearing to rise directly at the end of the high street. It is outside the town itself, of course, but close enough to create an unforgettable backdrop.

After breakfast one morning, we drove into the countryside and then walked down 500 steps to reach the foot of a huge waterfall. Surrounded by forest, the waterfall seems to appear from nowhere before plunging hundreds of feet into a large pool where visitors can bathe.

This afternoon we visited a local mainstream school which also has some deaf students studying technical courses. We were shown around the school by their students and teachers and they performed a beautiful Costa Rican song using LESCO and singing.

We also enjoyed a morning walk through the rainforest, where we spotted some bright red frogs, followed by a relaxing afternoon and evening in natural hot spring pools heated by the nearby volcanoes. It was the perfect place to unwind before heading back to San Jose to meet the local deaf community at the end of our trip.

San Jose

Back in the city, we visited a deaf night school where we met many local deaf adults and spent the evening taking part in fun activities together. Building connections with local deaf communities is always an important part of VoluntEars trips, and this was a real highlight to end our journey.

We also spent a morning at a local deaf school, learning more about how deaf education works in Costa Rica. Before we left, the school gave a lively performance commemorating their independence celebrations, with dramatic scenes recreating moments from the country’s history.

We rounded off the trip with an informal social gathering with more local deaf people at a deaf association in San Jose, before exploring a music and cultural festival taking place in a large park near our hotel.

Two weeks seemed to fly by…we loved the group, the laughter, the shared experiences and making memories together in all the different places we visited together.

Thanks for joining everyone! We hope you all had an amazing time with VoluntEars in Costa Rica and look forward to seeing you on future trips to other countries 😊

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