Volunteer in Brazil: find amazing programs in hostels, home stays, NGOs, farms, ecovillages and more

The ultimate Brazil travel guide

Read the Worldpackers travel guide to Brazil with tips on what to do, how to get around, safety, ways to save money, and more.

How to volunteer in Brazil

Bursting with natural beauty and full of exotic wonders, Brazil is a dream destination on every traveler's radar. Globetrotters marvel at its sun-kissed beaches, lush rainforests, scenic mountains, bustling cities, and rich culture.

 As the world's fifth-largest nation, there is never a shortage of awe-inspiring things to see and do here. This Portuguese-speaking country is home to seven natural and fourteen cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites to check off your bucket list! It's also home to two of the world's largest cities: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

•  Volunteer in São Paulo 
• Volunteer in Rio de Janeiro

One trip to Brazil doesn't even scratch the surface! Volunteering is the perfect way to see more of this beautiful country on a budget. There are many areas in that are thriving in Brazil's growing economy, but there are also many cities and neighborhoods that remain impoverished and are in need of help. 

What skills do you have that could make a difference? 

As a volunteer, you can choose what work exchange program in Brazil that you want to be a part of. Whether you decide to volunteer in NGOs, teaching English in schools, learn the art of permaculture through an eco program, or work at a hostel in exchange for accommodation, Worldpackers offers many experiences where you can shine.

Your volunteer opportunity will list how many hours are required of you daily. Sometimes your host will only need you to put in a few hours of work each day. This is perfect for travelers who want to spend their afternoons and evenings fully immersing themselves in the city they're volunteering in. 

If your host asks you to dedicate most of your weekdays to helping them, you'll most likely have your weekends off to satisfy your wanderlust. To give you a few ideas, some great weekend adventures in Brazil are seeing the magnificent Iguazu Falls, taking the cable car up to the enormous Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio, or having fun in the sun on the beaches of Copacabana or Ipanema.

The best places to volunteer in Brazil

Becoming a volunteer in South America is a beautiful experience. You're surrounded by rich heritage, fascinating cultural traditions, and friendly people that want nothing more than to share their lifestyle with foreigners. If these are some of the experiences you'd like to have, working in Brazil in exchange for free meals and accommodation is the perfect solution. 

Volunteering opportunities give you a direct means of connecting with Brazil natives who you will learn a lot from during your time there. A bit of good news for travelers from the US, Canada, Japan, and Australia— as of June 2019, you no longer need a visa to travel to Brazil.

If you're looking to see the sights that Brazil's biggest cities have to offer, you're sure to find a work exchange program in cities like São Paulo, Brasilia, Fortaleza, or Rio de Janeiro that are packed with fun things to do. These cities need volunteers in areas like: 

• Social work
• Content creation
• Bartending
• Cooking
• Gardening
• Cleaning

One of the best parts about volunteering are the perks. Hosts will throw in added benefits like free hiking tours, rides across town, discounts on parties, free events, language lessons, pub crawls, and more to make your volunteer experience in Brazil that much more rewarding. These are a welcome bonus when you're exploring big cities with lots to see and do!

In Brazil, even the larger cities have nearby forests, gardens, jungles, mountains, or beaches where outdoor enthusiasts and nature-lovers can go to escape the hustle and bustle. If nature's your thing, consider finding work in Brazil in a more rural area where you can help out in an eco village as you practice sustainable travel. 

Rolante, Barretos, and Paraty are all beautiful areas to connect with nature as you exchange your skills for free accommodation in Brazil.

How to connect with local culture in Brazil

There's a lot to love in Brazil, and volunteering with Worldpackers will only make you love it more! If you looking for ways to connect with local culture in Brazil, there are lots of events held throughout the year that you can get involved with. The national soccer team in Brazil is one of the most decorated in the world, winning a grand total of five World Cup championships. 

That being said, soccer (or futbol) is the most popular sport in Brazil, and there are lots of exchange programs that need volunteers to teach sports! This is a great opportunity for active people who have a passion for soccer to impart some of their knowledge onto the skilled youth of Brazil.

If you can travel to Brazil in February, you're in for a treat. Many countries around the world celebrate Carnaval, which is an annual festival held a week before Ash Wednesday. The festival hosted in Rio is the biggest, flashiest, and most exciting version of Carnaval the world has to offer.

It involves delicious food, singing and dancing in the streets, elaborate costumes, and colorful parades all week long. If you're lucky, you can find work as a party planner in Brazil during this dazzling festival. This way you are on the front lines of this spectacular experience and can learn about the festival's origins with the perspective of a true insider.

How to volunteer in Brazil and help in the Amazon Rainforest

Cities like Manaus and Belem are near the world's largest rainforest and most diverse ecosystem, the Amazon. These cities are looking for volunteers to work at hostels through housekeeping, working at reception, and cooking. You can take a guided tour of parts of the rainforest on your days off to experience the millions of species of flora and fauna that exist there.

Hosts of many eco projects near the Amazon do a stellar job of educating their volunteers on how to bolster the environment to keep the rainforest healthy and flourishing. 

More than twenty percent of the world's oxygen is supplied by the Amazon, so it is an incredibly important resource to protect and learn from. Wherever you decide to volunteer in Brazil, you're sure to find a life-changing opportunity where your efforts will make a real difference in the community you've chosen to live in.