An awesome tropical summer of Spanish classes, culture, adventure travel and language immersion in Costa Rica’s mountains, beaches, and cities.
$3,388.00
One CPR and First Aid certified AAVE leader, one local Costa Rican guide and one local Costa Rican driver; all ground costs, all ground transportation including airport pickup and drop-off; all camping and camping gear (except sleeping bags, sleep mats and mess kits); all activities and gear listed in the above itinerary; all meals; local gratuities to wait-staff and all hotels or hostels.
Flights to/from San Jose, Costa Rica; optional gratuities, extra snacks and souvenirs.
TICO FAMILIES, SPANISH CLASSES & WHITEWATER RAFTING
We waste no time immersing ourselves in authentic Costa Rican life as we meet our first host family and start Spanish classes in Heredia, a lovely suburb of Costa Rica’s capital. Daily adventure escapes such as whitewater rafting on the Reventezon River and floating the Sarapiqui River happen daily. Forget your typical Spanish class, daily conversation is enhanced with culture, cooking, dancing and games.
MONTEVERDE CLOUD FOREST & WILDLIFE
Next we head to the magical Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve for more classes, adventures and a new host family! The remote town of Santa Elena is perched high in the clouds amongst one of the most amazing wildlife sanctuaries in the world. Keep your eyes open for hummingbirds, toucans, sloths and monkeys. We enjoy an opportunity to give back with community service.
BEACHES, SNORKELING, SURFING, MUD SPAS & SAILING
We wrap up our amazing journey on the pristine beaches of Flamingo with our final week of spanish classes. There is time to relax on secluded beaches, snorkel clear waters and surf the waves at Tamarindo. We complete our trip with more adventure: mountain biking, visiting an active volcano, mud spas, and sailing. “Pura Vida!”
You will be met upon arrival at the San Jose airport by your experienced Bold Earth trip leaders. After a complete gear check to assure that you are prepared for the diverse regions we explore, we load up our custom vehicles and head off to our bed & breakfast near Heredia. During orientation we get to know each other and learn what to expect in the days ahead. Our daily routine, jobs and safety rules are explained, and the process of growing together as a group begins.
We live and study Spanish in San Joaquin de Flores, a suburb of Heredia. This is in the central valley of Costa Rica near the capital city of San Jose. San Joaquin offers insight into typical “tico” (native Costa Rican) lifestyle. We’ll experience what it is like to live in the more urban, but less touristy part of Costa Rica. For morning excursions, we check out the market and central plaza of Heredia, volunteer with the Humanitarian Foundation to assist low-income families and hike to the crater of the Poas Volcano. We finish this week with whitewater rafting on the Reventezon River in Braulio Carrillo National Park.
We take a break from language classes and host families over the weekend for a trip to the Arenal Volcano. This active volcano is famous for its nearby hot springs. We’ll swim in the hot springs, witness the glowing orange lava, hike to a waterfall and have dinner out on the town.
From Arenal, we travel to Monteverde, a small town located in the mountains and famous for its Cloud Forest Reserve. Our tico families here have a much different lifestyle than the families in San Joaquin de Flores. Monteverde is a popular tourist destination. For morning activities we hike in the Santa Elena reserve, trek beneath the high jungle canopy, visit a local coffee plantation, assist with a volunteer project, take Latin cooking classes and play Costa Rica’s favorite sport, soccer.
All good things must come to an end. For our last night, we check into a bed and breakfast and celebrate our adventure with a farewell dinner. After a final night to savor our new friendships and memories, we travel to the airport in the morning to say our goodbyes after an incredible Costa Rican summer!
This itinerary is a sample outline of the program highlights. It is not a precise description. Changes made before or during the trip will only be made in the interest of safety or a more successful trip. This diverse itinerary is our framework for a summer of exhilaration and adventure. Get your mind and body set. Activities are planned using years of experience with your highest expectations in mind.
BOLD EARTH LANGUAGE ADVENTURE FORMULA:
Minimum of one year Spanish study required.
We create the optimal situation to jump from learning to using!
11 days of formal classroom language instruction (3-4 hours a day).
Language tasks are planned for each day: games, cooking, speaking with locals, etc.
Language writing in your trip journal every day.
All local outfitters speak Spanish exclusively.
The home stay is designed for language immersion and fun.
Trip Leaders encourage students to speak Spanish as much as possible.
Trip Leaders are fluent in Spanish.
Every meal, activity and conversation involves Espanol!