My teenage sons and I are studying to become fluent in Spanish. My husband loves to fish. I'm thinking a trip to Costa Rica could address all interests. I would like to rent a house for a week in a beach side town with the ability to study Spanish, fish, and live among the locals. Any recommendations for destination, accomodations, Spanish instruction???

You can search for schools by country and city using this site:
www.123teachme.com

I'm afraid you'll find that beachy areas in CA aren't great immersion environments since they attract so many English speakers and the tourist infrastructure accommodates that. You'll also find that you're going to want to stay longer. ;-)

I study in immersion programs every summer, usually 2 or 3 weeks in a highland area (I prefer springlike weather for comfort and concentration), then hit the beach for diving and snorkeling and flyfishing at the end of the trip. Let me know if you'd like ideas for places to study in Honduras or Guatemala where it's cheap and 1-on-1 instruction is the norm - sorry I can't help more with CR.

Have a great trip, whatever you decide!

www.tamarindospanishschool.org

www.tamarindosportsfishing.com

www.hotelcapitansuizo.com or www.tamarindodiria.com

best places to stay...

Have fun,

I think CPI may offer language classes in Flamingo Beach. If not, CPI then it's another school.

As Hopeful noted, the northern Guanacaste beach area is where the majority of the all-inclusive large resorts have been built. Last time I was in Flamingo it was still mainly local, but it could have changed in the last three years.

You might enjoy Boquete, Panama where there is Habla Ya Spanish School and also Spanish by the River. Boquete, while not Costa Rica is a nice town in the hills of North Western Panama. The (pacific) beach is a drive away, as are volcanos, Bocas Del Toro (Caribbean beach). The spanish classes are usually 4 hours per day.

Pura Vida,
Ballardo

We haven't been there for a while, but Playa Samara had some language immersion programs and the beach there is beautiful. we stayed at Villas Kalimba, which has small and larger houses you can rent- the owners are the best.