rcangel

I am considering a trip to this school in December. I have seen one person on the boards who went and says they really liked it. I'm wondering if anyone else has any information about the school or the area. I am a woman and will be traveling alone. Will it be easy for me to get around the area. Is this a safe area for me to walk around alone?
Thanks in advance.

rcangel

Oh and any input on how to get there from the San Jose airport is much appreciated.

qwovadis

www.elparaisoschool.com

is in Quepos not as nice as MA

web site is sort of deceptive about location

www.edcostarica.com actually in MA

gets better reviews on the boards

might check on that...

Directo Bus or www.flysansa.com 2 good ways

to get there...

Have fun,

hopefulist

I've studied half a dozen times at schools in Honduras and Guatemala and have had remarkable experiences every time. Let me know if you're interested in other countries or check out my photos and blogs below. Good luck and please keep us posted - I haven't decided where I'll be studying next summer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

rcangel

I looked at Escuela d'amore but the minimum stay is two weeks. Because of family and school obligations I can only do one week. I am having a hard time figuring out where to study. I want to be in Costa Rica, and I would like to be out of the big city. Any ideas? Anymore input on Quepos or El Paraiso school?

hopefulist

Here are links to 3 places in Costa Rica I've looked into, all in small towns. I don't have personal experience with them, though. Besides not having the cultural highlights that draw me to Guatemala and Honduras, it's difficult to find 1-on-1 instruction in CR (especially in summer when I travel) and the cost is usually double or more. The schools themselves sound appealing though. Why don't you pick one and then tell us all about it!

http://www.montanalinda.com/
http://www.orosivalleyschool.net/
http://www.spanishbytheriver.com/

aktravel

we are looking into the Spanish language program with my two teens for Spirng Break 2010 (April) and found this in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.
http://www.spanishabroad.com/tamarindo.htm

hopefulist, this same site has Family Spanish language programs in Guatemala (Antigua) with a 1 week minimum. Do you know any of these as well? We're hoping to do a week in April and one month in Peru next Summer with some sightseeing on the weekends? Any suggestions is appreciated as well...

hopefulist

Hi - I couldn't find a place where they actually named what schools they use (suspicious). It's easy to book directly through the schools. I can recommend Academia Antigüeña personally; it's also highly rated on the www.guatemala365.com site (though that site hasn't added schools for years and one of my very favorite places in the whole world, the Cooperativa School on Lake Atitlán, isn't listed: www.cooperativeschoolsanpedro.com

If you have more specifics I'm not finding on the studyabroad site let me know and I'll tell you if I've researched the school. Happy trails!

hopefulist

Also, if you book a school, WAY better to go through the school itself than a mega clearing house that will either cost you more or require the school to take a discount from profit - especially important in Guatemala where it's typical for schools to charge only $150-200/week (and sometimes less!) for 20 hours of 1-on-1 tutoring plus homestay with meals. Same with the guatemala365 link - use it for reviews and info but google and find the school's website and book directly through them (imo). Here's the link to the Academia Antigüeña:
http://www.spanishacademyantiguena.com/
Keep us posted!

nwy

If you're not stuck on going to CR, I highly recommend Spanish School Catarina (http://spanishschoolcatarina.com/)in Nicaragua. The school was recently started up in Catarina (one of the pueblos blancos above Laguna de Apoyo - an absolutely beautiful location). It is run by two very experienced Nicaraguan spanish teachers.

I have been to two spanish schools in Guatemala, one in Mexico, and one in Nicaragua. The teachers at Spanish School Catarina are without a doubt the best I have ever had, and are humble, friendly, and all around amazing people. The prices are great, they offer an above average variety of activities, and are 100% committed to ensuring every student has a great experience.

I could go on for hours about how great I think the school is, but I think you get the point! Have a great trip!
N

hopefulist

Same link problem as your previous post:
http://spanishschoolcatarina.com/