Pre-Program
Our partner organization has put together a Pre-Institute Orientation Program so that our students have the easiest possible transition into the Costa Rican culture. Instead of flying into Costa Rica the day before your language program is to start, you fly in three days earlier. Also, instead of being picked up by your host family at the airport, we pick you up and take you to our Guest House in San Jose or to a local B&B.
The four days you spend with us will be filled with different tours, activities and experiences designed to show you the Costa Rican people and culture. We want to limit the amount of culture shock that can occur when first traveling to another country. We have found that students who have arrived early for their programs have had an easier time adjusting to their host families and make better use of their first few days of classes.
Our program actsas a buffer for our students and is intended to make their first few days in Costa Rica enjoyable. These are days where they can relax and have fun in a comfortable environment. We recommend this program to all travelers, experienced and non-experienced alike. It is a fun and inexpensive way to get to know the country and its people.
The cost of the program with lodging at the Student Guest House is $275 for a shared room and $305 for private. If you would like to stay in one of the very nice local B&Bs that we work with, the cost of the program is $305 for a shared room and $350 for a private one. These prices include all meals, transportation, tours and admissions to museums, theaters and parks and bilingual guide.
Program Itinerary
Thursday
- Airport Pickup
- Transportation to the Student Guest House
or B&B with time to settle in and relax.
- Welcome to Costa Rica dinner at a typical
restaurant with traditional Costa Rican food.
Many times other students that are in the country
join the dinner and talk about their experience
at the different schools.
- After dinner there is an opportunity to
visit local nightspots.
Friday
- Continental breakfast
- Bus and walking tour of San Jose, in which
you will learn how to change money, take cabs
and learn how to negotiate the local bus system.
During the day you will visit the following:
- National Theater
- Jade Museum
- National Zoo
- Central Market
- Cultural Plaza
- National Cathedral and numerous artisan shops
We stop at a local diner for lunch and then students have the choice of staying in San Jose or returning to the hotel Dinner will be at a local restaurant with live entertainment.
Saturday
- River Rafting on the Rio Pacuare
- Students are picked up at about 6:20 am
and transported by minibus to the Rio Pacuare.
- Along the way there is a stop for breakfast
at a country restaurant. At the river, students
receive a half an hour of training in how to raft,
along with safety tips and emergency procedures.
- Once on the river, students will experience
some of the best rafting in Costa Rica over class
two and three rapids. This is the perfect trip
for both beginners and seasoned rafters alike.
The countryside and deep gorges are awesome. The
total time on the river is about five hours with
a stop in the middle for a picnic lunch.
- After the ride is finished, there will
be an opportunities for students to purchase photos
of the days rafting. Students will return to San
Jose around 5 p.m.
OR for students that do not want to go river rafting, we also have the option of the Calypso Island tour to Isla Tortuga. This one day cruise to the island of Tortuga is one of the most popular tours in Costa Rica.
- Students will be picked up at 6:00am and
transported in a luxury bus down to the Pacific
coast town of Puntarenas where they will board
an 80 foot catamaran. The Manta Ray is equipped
with a full bar, two small Jacuzzis, Calypso band
and plenty of room for over 100 passengers.
- After cruising around a number of different
islands in the Gulfo Nicoya for two hours they
arrive at Isla Tortuga, which is a National Preservation
Area.
- On the island students will be able to
swim, snorkel, kayak, play beach volleyball or
just lounge around for five hours. During which
time you will have a gourmet lunch along with
a delicious ceviche appetizer.
- At around 3 in the afternoon passage re-board
the catamaran and return to Puntarenas and then
back by bus to San Jose, arriving around 7 p.m.
- Dinner is at a local entertainment center with a number of discos and salsa bars.
Sunday
- Sunday Brunch is served with a wide assortment
of native Costa Rican dishes and fruits
- Program wrap-up with hints and suggestions
to help students maximize their time in a language
program
- Those students going to the San Jose schools
or the country schools will be picked up and taken
to their host families
- Those students attending classes at our beach locations and at Monteverde will be taken to their respective bus stations and sent on their way.
