Volunteer Work in Ecotourism in a Nature Park
- Quick facts
- Program details
- costs and services
- Photos
Booking Number
CL-WN107
Program Place
Nature park with a small tourist operation
Location
Rio Puelo, Cochamó, Patagonia.
The Cochamó region is located more than 1,000 km south of Santiago de Chile and is one of the most beautiful and unspoilt areas in Chile.
Tasks
- Helping in the Visitor Center
- Recieving and informing park visitors
- Assisting in guiding tours
- Extending and maintaining hiking trails
- Cleaning the mountain huts
- Working in the forests
- Chopping wood
- Supporting the park rangers in everyday tasks
- Other tasks related to nature and species protection
- Cleaning and maintaining the lodge
(We would like to point out that the tasks may vary and depend on factors such as the number of volunteers, weather, season, current needs of the project, and self-motivation. Volunteers may not be fully involved in all the tasks mentioned above.)
Working Hours
About 30 - 40 hours / week
Start Date
Start and end dates are flexible. In the winter months between end of April and the end of September, the weather is very cold, rainy, sometimes with snowfall, so there are often no tourists on site. For non-weather-resistant participants, the best tieme to participe is between the beginning of October and the end of April.
Duration
Minimum 4 weeks, maximum 12 weeks
Minimum Age
18 years
Language
Intermediate Spanish (book your language course in Chile with us!)
Accommodation
Shared rooms in the park (mountain hut)
Food
Full-board (3 meals/day)
Internet
Internet is only available via the mobile phone. Internet connection (Wifi) is only available in the lodge, but not always stable.
In-Country Support
Our English-speaking team in the Chile Inside office in Santiago de Chile is always there for you.
24/7 Emergency Number
With the booking confirmation you will receive our 24-hour emergency number, under which you can reach us 24/7 in case of emergency.
Application
Please send us your detailed CV with photo and the completed registration form. For more information on the registration process, please see the instructions on the first page of the registration form or contact one of our experienced staff members.
Application Deadline
There are no application deadlines. We recommend submitting the documents as early as possible, at least 12 weeks before the desired start of the program, so that there is sufficient time to assure a smooth placement process. For short-term applications please contact us.
Insurance
You need to have a travel health insurance for Chile. You can buy your travel insurance, tailored to the needs of our participants, online with us, at convenient rates. See: Travel health insurance
Program Highlights
- Volunteering in untouched nature
- Cultural exchange with local people
- No application deadlines
- Flexible start and end dates
- Participation possible even without prior knowledge
- English-speaking support through our local office
This is the perfect project for adventurers and nature lovers! The volunteer project takes place in a 3000-hectare nature park in a fairytale-like, almost untouched landscape of jungle, lakes, clear rivers and mountains, right at the foot of the Chilean Andes.
Inside the park, there are ecosystems that are typical for southern Chile, temperate rainforests overgrown by thousand-year-old trees (such as larch, mañío, and coihue), providing a green habitat to a rich variety of wildlife. The only way to make this magical piece of land accessible to the public without causing damage is through controlled ecotourism: tourists are welcome, but nature is paramount.
Only a limited number of guests can stay there at the same time, so that capacity is never exceeded, and the natural course of things is not disturbed. Tourists are informed in an information center about the biodiversity of the park and how visitors leave as few footprints as possible.
Hikers can explore the park on a total of 18 km of hiking trails and choose between accommodation in simple mountain cabins in the middle of the park or a more comfortable lodge on the edge of the park. Another great way to explore this little paradise is by kayaking, as the area borders Tagua-Tagua Lake, which is connected to the Reloncaví Fjord by a river.
Volunteers who like to work hard can get involved in a variety of tasks: as a tour guide, in the maintenance of hiking trails and mountain huts, at the information center, forest work and much more. As is usual for work in the mountains, you cannot divide the working week into traditional working hours.
In Patagonia it is the weather that dictates the working days and schedule. When the weather is good, people tend to work more and in bad weather, the days are easier-going, and work is less. Another factor that influenced volunteering here is the workload; sometimes there are periods, with a lot of work and something less is going on.
You should be prepared for the fact that the project is so unique because it is very remote, so it can sometimes be unusually quiet and lonely. The nearest cities Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt are each about a three-hour drive away and can therefore only be visited on days off. The nearest village is 11 km away.
The program includes:
- Shared room
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Advice from our experienced staff
- On-going support via WhatsApp, phone or mail
- Elaboration of your application profile in Spanish
- Your Volunteer Work placement
- Pre-departure information
- Packing list
- Country handbook
- Intercultural guide
- On-site volunteer coordinator
- 24/7 emergency number
- Advice on travel insurance
- Certificate of participation
Costs
RegistraTION FEE
US$ 150
Program costs
US$ 460
minumum duration 4 week
each additional week
US$ 50
As add-on you can book:
- Spanish course in Chile: Choose your favorite Spanish school among 4 different loations
Do not forget!
Get your travel insurance here:
