About the City
The Costa Rica Program allows students to study and travel in the different eco-systems of the country. Students arrive into San José Airport and travel to Heredia (a suburb of San Jose) for first day orientation before heading off to the cloud forest of Monteverde.

Monteverde is located in the heart of the Costa Rican rainforest and is the home of canopy zip-line tours, incredible nature walks, and relaxing hot-spring baths. Flamingo Beach, located in the town of Guanacaste along the Pacific Coast, is the final week-long study site. The province of Guanacaste is renowned for its breathtakingly beautiful white sand beaches and crystal clear water. Flamingo Beach is a perfect locale for practicing your Spanish in the mornings and swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, sailing, and just relaxing on the beach in the afternoon. 

VIEW MAP OF COSTA RICA! 

What Students Say
"The classes at CPI were so intimate. My teachers did a good job of making us all feel comfortable to speak and learn. They introduced us to new literature and made learning fun with games and songs, it was easy to speak Spanish in that environment."

"Costa Rica is such a beautiful country! When I stepped out of my house, I felt as if I was stepping into a National Geographic magazine!"

"My favorite part was the service projects within the community. It was a wonderful way to feel connected to the culture and improve my Spanish while talking to the locals. It was an experience I'll remember for a lifetime."

Prerequisites: Must be completing grades 9-12 and have at least 1 year of a high school Spanish or equivalent. Academic Information: School: Centro PanAmericano de Idiomas Curriculum: Spanish Grammar, Conversation and Culture. Classes are taught 4 hours per day by teachers who hold advanced degrees in teaching Spanish to foreigners.  Classes are held with other SPI participants and are broken up by skill level. Academic Credit:Students receive 40 contact hours on their transcript that they may petition for up to 2 hours of college credit.   Centro PanAmericano de Idiomas This language school is used by several U.S. universities such as Texas A&M and University of New Mexico. They have 3 locations in the most pristine yet distinct natural areas of Costa Rica; Monteverde (rainforest), Flamingo (beach), and Heredia (San Jose). Students will attend classes in the afternoon 1-5pm M-F in small intimate classes with no more than 5 students per class broken down by level. The methodology is conversation/grammar based, meaning that instruction includes Spanish grammar but emphasis rests upon student participation. Homestay Family: The host families are carefully selected by the housing coordinator at CPI as well as screened by SPI.  The families are well experienced in housing foreign students and are committed to help in learning the language, serving you great food, and adopting you into their way of life. Costa Rican families "ticos" as they call themselves are very warm and open people who will treat you like one of their own on your stay.  Please keep in mind though that Costa Rica is often characterized as being a little more rustic compared to European or U.S. standards so it is important to keep an open mind and try new things.

Day 1 Students will arrive on Saturday at San Jose Int’l Airport. They will then be escorted to a neighboring bed and breakfast hotel for orientation in Costa Rica. Day 2 On Sunday students visit Cafe Britt for a coffee plantation tour followed by lunch. In the afternoon students will travel to CPI Monteverde for testing and orientation before meeting their host families. Days 3 - 7 Regular Classes 1-5pm M-F and morning activities. This week's activities include: Trapichi Tour, Hike in Santa Elena Reserve, Latin Cooking Class and a Canopy Tour. Days 8-9 Saturday river excursion for White Water Rafting. Sunday, say goodbye to your host family and depart for an over-night excursion to Arenal Volcano. Stop by the artisan town of Sarchi, hike around Arenal and spend the evening enjoying the natural hot springs. Stay the night at a magnificent hotel overlooking the national park and enjoy a relaxing mud bath. Travel on Sunday to Flamingo Beach to check into your Bed & Breakfast and have dinner with the group. Days 10-14 Regular Classes 1-5pm M-F and morning activities. This week's activities include: Free time on Flamingo Beach, Snorkel Cruise, visit to typical Costa Rican town of Santa Cruz and Guaitil Pottery Center, Volunteer Service Project and Surf Lessons at Tamarindo Beach. Day 14 Enjoy a Fiesta Final with your group and don’t forget to pack your bags and finish buying souvenirs. Day 15 Students will be transported to the Liberia Airport to catch their flight home. Fly back with wonderful memories of Costa Rica!  *Costa Rica charges a $30 departure tax when flying out of an airport. Students will be provided an envelope in their orientation materials in which we ask you to place $30 USD cash for this expense. Program Directors will hold the money until it is needed at the airport.

Lesley Heurkins - Head Director Bowie HS, Austin, TX