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Ethical Travel in South America
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Ethical Travel in South America

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South America is one of the most exciting continents to travel in the world, but has experienced great deprivation and the loss of many of its stunning natural environments due to industry and deforestation.

If you are concerned about ethical travel in South America, we have many fun but effective voluntary ethical travel programmes in place. They will enable you to contribute to establishing ethical travel in South America as a viable eco-tourism industry that builds local communities and their traditions rather than destroys them.  

The following South America ethical travel projects include:

Ethical Travel in South America
  • Help Wildlife with Ethical Travel in South America
    Helping at the many animal rescue and conservation centres all over South America.

  • Help Children with Ethical Travel in South America
    Assisting on children's outreach programmes working with deprived or orphaned children in large cities in most countries of South America.

  • Sports based Ethical Travel in South America
    South America is crazy about its football and you have the chance to work at a number of South American football academies for deprived children across the continent.


  • Ethical Travel in South America Language - Spanish is essential for travelling through South America. You will get so much more out of your ethical travel in South America if you know how to speak some of the language.
  • Volunteer Work and Ethical Travel in South America
    If you have the skills and abilities to work with disabled children, there are a number of deserving charities that need human resources and volunteer help that we work in partnership with.

  • Conservation and Ethical Travel in South America
    If marine conservation is your special interest, you will find some satisfying South America ethical travel programmes helping with the protection of dolphin and turtle populations as well as Coral Reef preservation.

Ethical Travel in South America

  • Cultural and Ethical Travel in South America - If you want to see the authentic culture of indigenous tribes of South America, we have one in particular that requires genuine and caring volunteers to help nurture and continue its traditions and customs by assisting them in building sustainable methods of living.

Ethical travel
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What is ethical travel ?
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Below is our full list of South America ethical travel projects.

Amazon Teaching Project
Make a difference from heart of the Amazon Jungle by teaching English and other subjects to local children – vital if they want a job in the future. You’ll help preserve the traditional values of Ecuadorian tribes. From £549

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Amazon Turtle Conservation Peru
A chance to see wildlife and scenery that most people never will. Volunteers will work on a project to protect endangered turtles in the Peruvian rainforest, going back to basics amid breathtaking scenery. From £1499

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Animal Rescue Volunteer Ecuador
Volunteer in the Andes, in the Amazon or on the coast and help with the day-to-day care and rehabilitation of animals that have been abused or injured. These might include monkeys, jaguars, lions, parrots and other native species.
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From £549

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Argentina Experience
Learn the lingo, put it to use in on a project then go and discover some of the country’s most famous landmarks. Total immersion means maximum opportunity to soak up Latin America culture and experience the warmth of the natives. From £1349

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Argentina Spanish Language School
Friendly tutors, small classes and accommodation with a local family help students absorb the basics of Spanish quickly. The perfect way to learn enough to participate in Spanish volunteer projects, and a chance to discover Argentina. From £599

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Bolivia Experience
A trip that combines an incredible variety of sights and experiences: living with an indigenous family, being awed by the world’s biggest salt lake, volunteering on a project, learning to speak Spanish, dancing salsa and much more. From £999

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Bolivia Spanish Language School
A brilliant way to learn enough of the language to take part in a Spanish-speaking project or to travel around South America. Small classes and living as part of a Bolivian family make learning fast and fun. From £549

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Bolivia Youth Volunteer Project
Help abandoned and vulnerable teenagers learn manual skills – their lifeline if they don’t go to university. You’ll be based in Sucre, a vibrant city where the colourful, native traditions are still in evidence. From £799

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Brazil Beginner Rock Climbing Course
Complete novices can learn and test their skills above one of the world’s most spectacular cities, Rio de Janeiro. You’ll have the chance to climb Sugar Mountain and to explore the sights in your free time. From £1199

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Brazil Martial Arts Experience
Learn capoeira, jiu-jitsu and Portuguese while living just minutes from Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Visit a samba school, sunbathe on the beach or admire the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in your free time. From £899

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Brazil Pantanal Research and Conservation
Carry out research to help conserve the lush wetlands of the Pantanal, home to hundreds of species. You’ll track peccaries and other animals, collecting data and observing their behaviour. Meals will include freshly caught fish! From £1299

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Brazil Portuguese Language School

Learn what you need to get around Brazil through small, relaxed classes that encourage conversation. You’ll stay with a family in Rio and extra curricular activities could include sunbathing on Copacabana beach or climbing Sugarloaf Mountain!

From £799

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Brazil Tennis Coaching
If you like tennis, this is an opportunity to teach it to deprived children in Belo Horizonte. You’ll also learn Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro, with time to explore some of the most beautiful parts of Brazil. From £799

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Brazil Youth Outreach
Help brighten up the lives of underprivileged children in Rio. Whether you teach them English, play games with them or run arts and crafts sessions, you’ll improve their self-confidence and social skills. From £649

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Brighter Future in Cordoba Argentina
A varied project that combines language lessons with volunteer work at a children’s centre. Your help with craft workshops, teaching English and general classroom duties will be invaluable to the already over-stretched teachers. From £349

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Coach Football Ecuador
A fantastic way to combine a love of football with time in Ecuador. You’ll work at children’s football schools, helping with training sessions and competitions, refereeing games and teaching English. You can combine it with Spanish lessons if necessary. From £799

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Community and Youth Development Venezuela

Organising activities, visiting children in hospital or helping decorate classrooms will make a huge difference to one of Venezuela’s friendliest but most deprived communities. The project is based in the stunning Gran Sabana national park.

From £899

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Community Support in Rio Brazil
Help out a city with exceptional levels of poverty by teaching English and organising fun activities. Your work will keep children off the streets, contribute to their social wellbeing and show them how to enjoy their childhood. From £649

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Costa Rica Animal Rescue Volunteer
Help undo the damage done to wildlife by hunting and damage to their habitats. You can expect to work with up to 80 species, helping with daily tasks and contributing to their release back into the wild.  From £499

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Costa Rica Experience
A four-week trip of a lifetime, during which you’ll learn Spanish, volunteer in an orphanage or school, live with a Costa Rican family, sail along the Tárcoles River, bathe in volcanic hot springs and learn about the local fauna.  From £1299

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Costa Rica Kite Surfing Programme
Do something completely different in stunning surroundings – kite surfing! You’ll learn to glide across the waves of the Pacific Ocean and if you wish, you can take language lessons and discover the culture in San José. From £1249

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Costa Rica Orphanages and Homes
You’ll be invaluable to the over-worked leaders of orphanages and homes. Finger-printing, hopscotch or baking cakes will encourage abused, neglected and orphan children to smile again, while you’ll get a rare insight into Costa Rican life.  From £699

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Costa Rica Schools and Day Care Centres
Teach English or computer skills or organise fun activities such as plays, arts and crafts and sport in schools or centres around Costa Rica. Living with a family will give you an excellent opportunity to practise your Spanish. From £599

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Costa Rica Sea Turtle Conservation
Escort baby turtles to the sea, take part in patrols to protect the eggs and observe turtle behaviour. Working next to the Pacific Ocean or the Caribbean Sea, you’ll be part of a highly successful conservation project. From £499

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Costa Rica Sloth Rescue
Give orphaned and injured sloths the TLC they need to survive. You’ll help out at a centre dedicated to the protection of these endangered creatures, feeding them, potty-training them and helping them return to the wild. From £499

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Costa Rica Spanish and Salsa
Learn the lingo in the mornings with small classes that focus on speaking and understanding. Dance the afternoons away with lessons in Salsa and Chachacha and take part in cultural activities in between. From £599

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Costa Rica Spanish Language School

Put yourself at an immediate advantage in South America and take Spanish lessons at whatever level suits you. Cultural activities such as cooking and dancing are included and staying with a family means you can practise at home.

From £599

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Costa Rica Sports and Teaching Programme

Football – Basketball – Volleyball – General Sports  
Help with PE lessons in local schools and organise games of football and other sports. Your skills and enthusiasm will inspire underprivileged children who often have to make do with little or no equipment.

From £799

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Costa Rica Surfing Programme

Ride some of the warmest waves in the world, against a backdrop of beautiful sand and a deep blue sky. Suitable for beginners and amateurs, the course includes intensive coaching and unlimited use of a board.

From £899

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Costa Rica Water Sports Adventure
An action-packed, adrenaline-pumping holiday that will have you kite surfing, learning Spanish, white water rafting, cooking traditional dishes, surfing, dancing the Latino way and more – all amid seriously spectacular scenery! From £1099

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Disabled Children Volunteer Project Peru

A massively rewarding project that involves helping wash, feed and look after mentally and physically handicapped children, and, if you wish, getting involved in their lessons. Great whether you have care experience or just want to make them smile. 

From £499

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Dominican Republic Disabled Adults and Children
Help with adults’ workshops, children’s classes and after-school clubs. Loving homes and centres have been set up to give them the chance to develop but volunteers are desperately needed to keep the facilities going. From £859

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Ecuador Experience
Experience Ecuador through Spanish lessons, cooking classes, trips around Quito, community and conservation projects in the Andes and the Amazon, horseback rides, sunbathing on the beaches, surfing, scuba diving, a night forest walk and lots more! From £1499

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Ecuador Marine Conservation