Marine Conservation Volunteering Program in Portugal

• In this program, you will have not only the opportunity to learn and share insights about the importance of the marine ecosystem, but you can also actively participate in its protection!
• During your stay, you will learn how to dive and how to collect trash from the Atlantic Ocean to be recycled outside. You will understand how to sort it and how to record every step of the process, so a report can be created over time to create awareness for this problem.
• Over the last one year alone, our divers collected 588 kgs of trash and started the report that will be more and more complete as more divers join the project.
• Our main aim is to clean as much trash as possible and to raise awareness of this issue so we don't have anything to collect in the future!
• You can also contribute to educating children from local schools about environmental issues, conservation, and protection of the local biodiversity and marine resources.

The day to day itinerary depends on the diving experience of the participants and weather conditions. A general overview would be:

Day 1: Transfer from the airport to the accommodation.

Day 2: Introduction presentation about the Portuguese culture and program specifics + Guided tour in Lisbon.

Remaining days: According to the table attached below:

Weekdays: After the initial orientation in Lisbon, you will spend the rest of your program in Cascais with other volunteers.

8:00 AM - Breakfast at the volunteer house

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM - First dive of the day. You will start by learning the fundamentals and after a couple days you will start diving in the Atlantic Ocean

1:30 PM - Take the train back to the volunteer house

2:00 - 2:30 PM - Lunchtime

2:30 - 5:00 PM - Relaxing & Travel time Usually, the afternoons are free to travel around the city, learning Portuguese or to relax. Sometimes you can also dive during the afternoons depending on the specialties or certification you are doing but the instructor will tell you on the first day.

7:30-9:00 PM - Dinner at the volunteer accommodation together with the other volunteers.

Volunteers in Lisbon are accommodated at a sustainable hostel accommodation. Located in one of the oldest Lisbon neighborhood, Restelo, the hostel is just 20 minutes away from the best custard tart in the country ! You can find local shops, traditional restaurants, the stunning Belém area, supermarkets, ATMs and most utilities you will need just around the corner.

The Hostel is surrounded by several connecting options to the city center, such as a big option of buses (20 minutes away from the center), and the Algés train station that leads you to Lisbon or Cascais (25 walking distance from the hostel). The airport is just 8.2 km away from the hostel.

The hostel runs on the unique sustainability concept through which they have developed innovative projects based on circular economy and in partnership with local non-profit partners. These projects are integrated into the very basis of the way the hostel works. Some examples are the compensation of 100% of its CO2 emissions; the upcycling and wooden waste usage as furniture of the room; the social and sustainable shop; the ecologic and biodegradable cleaning projects and the vegetable garden. 

Breakfast is generally self-made at the hostel with different supplies provided at the accommodation. Lunch and Dinner are also provided either at the placement or in the form of a packed meal.