Two weeks for experience Mexican life as a local travelling as a volunteer along Oaxaca coast & protecting turtles, crocodiles, deers, jungle wildlife, educating children, and more!
The mission of the volunteer trip is to strengthen the conservation work of local groups by supporting their activities, such as patrolling the beach, protecting sea turtle nests from poachers, monitoring wildlife, doing ecotourism tours, raising awareness with children in the communities about different topics such as species conservation, plastic pollution, etc.
Wait for the most impressive spectacle during your volunteer trip!
That’s not all! You may live one of the most beautiful things during your volunteer experience in Mexico: the Arribada, a mass nesting phenomenon of olive ridley sea turtle.
This volunteering trip for the conservation of wildlife covers the most important beaches for olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) worldwide, since they have a synchronous mass-nesting behaviour, which occurs just in twelve beaches over the planet, termed arribada. This beach is also relevant for the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea).
MORRO AYUTA AND ESCOBILLA BEACHES
Indigenous, wild and full of turtles
Our volunteering activities during the trip in Oaxaca, Mexico, depending on the season, will be:
- Night patrols in the beach to protect sea turtles and their eggs, collecting eggs to protect them in the hatchery.
- Ecotourism experiences that funds local conservation projects (boat trips, hiking tours)
- Environmental workshops with children of the communities environmental brigades.
- Planting of medicinal, fruit and native trees.
- Placing/removing photo-trap cameras to monitor fauna
- Maintentance of the white-tailed deers rescued by the environmental police
- Baby crocodiles maintenance during their first year of life
- Camping in nature, as well as some ecotourism activities that fund conservation (observing arribada phenomenon, boat trip in the lagoon, hikking)
- Accompaniment in rural entrepreneurship projects such as traditional bread baking in a wood-fired oven
- And many more activities needed depending on the needs.
Travel and volunteer in Mexico
and live an unforgettable experience
Communities where you will live during the volunteering experience
The best airport to arrive for the volunteering trip is Puerto Escondido (PXM) and the best to departure will be Huatulco (HUX). We will accompany you from the airport to the local project in public transport, so you won’t be alone!
Our itinerary depends of the seasons, social and environmental needs. Is it complicated to work in all the projects in 15 days, but we will visit at least 4 projects, being able to visit up to 7 communities along Oaxaca coast during our volunteering trip: Escobilla, Morro Ayuta beach, El Gavilán jungle, La Ventanilla, Puerto Ángel, Chacahua and Manialtepec.
Our volunteering trip intinerary in Mexico
These activities are a sample of what activities we usually do, but our itinerary will depend on natural and social circumstances:
Explore Manialtepec’s Natural Hot Springs
Get ready to discover the hot springs, an ancient place for the Chatina indigenous communities, serving as a source of natural healing. We will walk for an hour and a half along the river trail, occasionally crossing its currents. On this day, you’ll be able to relax your body by soaking in these waters, leaving you completely renewed, just as the locals have experienced for years.
Release of Newly Hatched Turtles into the Sea
On the same day that the sea turtles hatch from their eggs, they must be released into the ocean to ensure they retain maximum energy and can sustain it for as long as possible.
The odds are not in their favor, as it is estimated that only 1 in every 1000 will survive and reach adulthood. As part of our care, we can only ensure that nothing attacks them during their growth in the nest and their journey across the beach to the sea. Once they reach the ocean, their fate is in their hands.
Night Patrols to Protect Females and Their Nests
To protect the turtles and their nests, local groups must work through the night, patrolling the beach and collecting the nests to transfer them to the incubation pen—a safe place where the eggs will stay until the hatchlings emerge.
We will accompany them in this process, assisting with data collection and expanding the area covered to protect the nests from illegal trafficking, all while ensuring complete safety. This collaborative effort helps ensure that the eggs have the best chance of hatching and the young turtles are given a safe start.
Oaxacan Cuisine
While living with our local cooks, we’ll have the opportunity to join them for a morning of “making tortillas,” as the Oaxacans say, or preparing a special dish together. They will teach us about plants and ingredients that only they use, giving us a true taste of their culinary traditions 🙂
Free Days in Puerto Escondido, Mazunte, or Huatulco
You’ll have three free days, and we’ll provide our best recommendations for the must-visit spots along the coast.
There are plenty of activities you can enjoy: surfing, yoga, diving, snorkeling, birdwatching… Or, you can simply relax on the beach and try something new at restaurants offering cuisine from around the world (Thai, Japanese, Italian, American, and more).
Environmental Education Workshops
Children are the future, and they are the ones who will make a difference. Let’s show them the importance of nature, teamwork, and enjoying life in their beautiful communities by engaging in various activities focused on biodiversity, recycling, and the connection between humanity and the environment. These workshops will help inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
English Workshops
People from all over the world visit the coast, and the children are eager to understand them. Additionally, parents know that speaking English will open many opportunities for their children in the future. Let’s teach them some words they may not know yet, helping them expand their language skills and connect with people from different cultures.
Wildlife Monitoring Expeditions
We will actively contribute to conservation efforts by setting up camera traps to monitor wildlife. Currently, our research phase focuses on listing wildlife species. Multiple projects are developing this idea from Huatulco to Manialtepec, allowing us to compare biodiversity indices across different areas and ecosystems within the same region. This data is essential for understanding and preserving the rich biodiversity of the area.
Tree Planting with Local Communities
From July to October, we have the opportunity to plant trees with local groups or by involving children, giving them a sense of responsibility and making them proactive in caring for nature.
Cleanups of Natural Areas
Unfortunately, not everything is green and beautiful—plastic is everywhere. We will dedicate some of our time on the coast to cleaning and involving the community in the cleanup of natural areas or collecting trash on the beaches, whether at sunset or early in the morning.
Marine Wildlife and Whale Listing
In the morning, we will board a boat to observe and document various species. We’ll also take time to go snorkeling in the beautiful bay of Puerto Ángel.
During whale migration season (from November to March), we’ll head to Mazunte to continue our monitoring from land. We’ll end the day at Punta Cometa, the most stunning cliff in Mexico, where you’ll have the opportunity to witness both the sunrise and sunset.
Manialtepec, The Community of Horses
Manialtepec is a small community with a strong connection to horses and its typical Mexican rural environment, surrounded by lowland jungles, the river, the vast Puerto Suelo beach, and rolling hills. We will be guided by Ecoturismo Manialtepec to learn how to care for the horses and enjoy getting to know each one of them.
The Community Project of La Ventanilla
La Ventanilla is a prime example of conservation and ecotourism developed by local communities. It is the only community along the coast where tourism and conservation are the main sources of income for families, which means the entire community is organized to protect nature. Any form of exploitation of the lagoon is prohibited, making it a special place of biodiversity, home to many crocodiles. The community also runs a Managed Wildlife Area (UMA), which has become a rescue center for deer and other species to a lesser extent.
Depending on the season, you may assist in the deer area by feeding them, work in the crocodile area maintaining the facilities for crocodiles during their first year of life before they are released, or enjoy a boat tour through the lagoon.
Chacahua Lagoons National Park
This place is a natural paradise, with lush mangrove forests, tranquil lagoons, and a diverse variety of wildlife. We will join the local group ‘Ecoturismo y Aventura Lagunas de Chacahua’ to assist in conservation tasks such as tree planting or crocodile monitoring.
As part of our nature experience, we will take a boat tour through the expansive lagoon, passing through beautiful mangrove tunnels. Upon reaching Chacahua, we will participate in a night patrol to protect adult sea turtles at the Chacahua Bay Sanctuary during their nesting season from November to March.
Tour of the El Gavilán Jungle
El Gavilán Jungle is a vast evergreen forest covering 1,130 hectares, protected by 70 people born in this very land. Their commitment to conservation has led them to dedicate themselves to preserving this unique habitat.
During our visit, we will actively contribute to these efforts by using camera traps to monitor wildlife, planting fruit trees to support the local fauna, and participating in ecotourism tours. After a full afternoon of hiking, we’ll have the chance to camp surrounded by the sounds of the jungle.
This night could also provide an opportunity for wildlife monitoring, with the possibility of spotting armadillos, deer, and other species during a night patrol in the forest.
Escobilla Beach Sanctuary
Escobilla is the most important beach for Olive Ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), boasting the highest nesting rates in the world. It is also one of the 12 beaches globally where you can witness the arribada: a mass nesting phenomenon, where up to 10,000 turtles may nest within a few kilometers in a matter of hours, or more than 100,000 in a single day.
This phenomenon is linked to the waning moon, but it is very difficult to predict the exact day. The longer you stay, the more likely you are to witness this incredible natural event!
A typical day on our volunteering trip in Mexico
Every day is different.
We are aware that many of you don’t have many time to know what actually Mexico is. For that, we choose different activities to try to show you how amazing the coast of Oaxaca is, as well as choosing different traditional food, mostly vegetarian.
During 15 days, you will visit different places, working with different people to protect different animals and natural habitats. We made this program to be able to involve you making an impact to local projects that share our values of protecting nature and wildlife, at the same time that you experience Mexico as they live it. You will live the authentic Mexico as if you were a local.
Volunteering experiences dates, 2025
We have calls for volunteering groups in Mexico to be involved in the conservation experiences every month to support local groups! These dates are set when there is the effect of the waning moon, so we have more chances to see the mass nesting phenomenon, but it is never sure.
And more experiences during our volunteer trip!
We cannot forget to explain how beautiful is to educate children. They are environmental brigades that aim to protect their community, nature and the species. They are full of energy and good will to make their community better, so we will help them to be prepared to be changemakers!
Experiences don’t stop there, patrolling at night is an amazing adventure, where the stars bright enough to show you the way to protect turtles!
Mexico is well known for their amazing sunsets, which we will enjoy while cleaning the beach from plastics, having the best landscape knowing that you are helping to keep the place wild and amazing as it should be.
We are improving and using opportunities during each call for volunteers, every month, new activities show up: birds monitoring, supporting traditional building for the conservation groups, sewing the netting of the hatchery for baby turtles, …
WHAT IS IT INCLUDED?
- Shared rooms within the communities where we work (Manialtepec, Escobilla, Ventanilla)
- 3 meals per day during working days. Lunch and dinner elaborated by oaxacan cook to whom we will help when possible (there are options for vegetarians and vegans).
- Bottled water
- Local guides who will teach you to understand nature in a completely different way.
- Activities coordinador to unlock your full potential
- Basic material to work and for common using.
- Volunteering certificate.
- Liability insurance, although you will need a travel insurance
- Accompaniment in public transport between the conservation projects.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
- National or international flights
- Travel insurance (required)
- Transport and meals during 3 free days
- Special drinks or snacks food
- Visa (if needed)
- Drop off. It will ve very easy as we travel in public transport!
14 days VOLUNTEER TRIP
1,598 €
DURATION: 14 DAYS | 13 NIGHTS
You may visit from 4-7 conservation projects along the entire Oaxaca coast
ONE WEEK (part of the trip)
899 €
DURATION: 7 DAYS | 6 NIGHT
If you want to join us for part of the trip. it is possible!
Book your spot for the volunteering trip with the coordinator!
