New Video - Study Spanish Abroad in Costa Rica

We recently launched our latest video on our YouTube page. Spanish for Success will now be working with a new school in, Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica.



Ready to explore and see what Costa Rica has to offer? Come and travel and learn the language of Spanish with us SpanishforSuccess.com

Costa Rica No Artificial Ingredients

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Spanish for Success
Study Spanish in Costa Rica

The Costa Rican slogan, 'No Artificial Ingredients' has a great representation of the country. Rich in green vegetation, wildlife, adventure, foods, and culture; it's one of the best places to travel in the world.



When you come to the country to travel or study abroad, you will experience an adventure like no other. Depending on the location you choose, you will be enlighten by the various opportunities you can gain.

Studying Spanish abroad in Costa Rica offers not only the language, but also the a chance to be immersed into the culture. Live like the locals, and be one with nature and its beautiful scenery.

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Surfs Up! In the Tropics of Costa Rica

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Spanish for Success
Study Spanish in Costa Rica


Costa Rica has fast become one of the best surfing places around the world, in the last 15 years. Many surfers flock to the beaches, all year round, for the tropical weather and the waves. When scouting for places to surf, you either choose; the Caribbean or pacific side, and both have different personalities.


When traveling or studying abroad, if surfing is one of your to-do-list during your stay in the country, consider a few of the locations Spanish for Success represents; Dominical, Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio, and Samara. Many of the programs do offer Spanish language courses and surf classes.

Tip: Since the sport of surfing has become more common, you'll come across some beach towns that caters to the locals, meaning, if they have been surfing there for years, they have the first privilege riding some of the best waves. This holds true for Hawaii as well, as some of the locals tend to be territorial with their specific spots. But, if you're new to the sport, and is interested in learning, many of the surf schools work with the locals for travelers and students to participate.

Surfing in Costa Rica is one of those adventure experience worth trying out. Just being in the warm water makes it so much more fun. Pura Vida!

Surfer checking out the surf.

Pacific coast

Pacific coast

Sunset in pacific side

Sunset in pacific side

One of the best experiences in Costa Rica is the view. When you experience the gorgeous sunsets, it will make fall in love with the country. Some of the images above are from a beach town called, Dominical. Located in the pacific side, it has one of the most beautiful scenes for sunsets.

Surfer riding the wave as the sun is setting

Surfer riding the wave as the sun is setting.

If you're planning to bring your surf board to the country, do check with the airlines for weight and fee requirements. When you arrive in the country, many of the airport public taxis do offer places for storage, and some public buses have bottom spaces for surf boards. Ask your study abroad agent for more information.

For more resources on Costa Rica surf reports or places to go, we recommend CR Surf.

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Costa Rica Snake Farm

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Spanish for Success
Study Spanish in Costa Rica


Here is one of Costa Rica's unique tours, the snake farm. In the farm, participants are thought about the various snakes in Costa Rica. They help educate the public about safety, population of the snakes, and how they migrate. Due to increased development in the country, the natural habitats of the snakes are vastly being changed; which more and more snake bites have become common in the local plantations.

One of the most deadliest snakes known in the country is called, the Bushmaster.

 

Here is a video from The Jaguar Rescue Center, a different program from the snake farm. 

The students also got a treat by learning about the Red Eye Tree Frog. A colorful frog, which is safe to handle, completely harmless compared to other frogs in the country.

Red-eyed tree frogs, as their name states, have red eyes with vertically narrowed noses, a vibrant green body with yellow and blue striped sides, and orange toes. Read full description.

 

Here's a video

Share with us your study Spanish abroad experience, and be featured on our blog. info[at]spanishforsuccess.com 

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Costa Rica Organic Coffee Farm

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Spanish for Success
Study Spanish in Costa Rica
 
In Costa Rica, depending on the program and location you choose, there is an option to visit an organic coffee farm. Finca organica has been a common trend in the country, considering the resources available.

When you study abroad, not only do you learn to speak Spanish, but also get immersed into the daily lives of the locals. The pictures below are some of the students who participated on a Medical Spanish program, in Turrialba. 

Students where taught the techniques to run the organic farm. All the materials within the farm was used and recycled to generate the final product. At the end of the tour, students where treated to fresh organic coffee samples, included, warm milk from the cow.

 

 

 

  

 

 

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Jazz Cafe - San Jose, Costa Rica

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Spanish for Success
Study Spanish in Costa Rica
 
We dug up old pictures from our vault, and came across this set from 2003. Photos by, Russo Mutuc.

The Jazz Cafe located in Agenda de Espectáculos de Jazz Café Jazz Café San Pedro

If you're a traveler and/or student learning Spanish abroad, venues like these are a great way to experience local culture. The Jazz Cafe hosts a variety of nightly live shows that supports local and international talents. If you have a night to explore the city of San Jose, and not necessarily looking for night clubs or dive bars, we recommend checking out this place.

On this particular night, Aimee, from the USA, was asked to perform belly dancing with local musicians. A great fusion of dance and beats.

 

 

 

 

  

 

In general, the Costa Rican people love to dance. The rhythm, or, 'ritmo,' in Spanish, is in their blood.

On this particular event, even belly dancing is accepted into the community. You can find several places to go and dance within the city or small towns. Explore the salsa, cumbia, and the merengue scenes.  

Share your Costa Rica experience with us, and be featured on our blog. Contact us: info[at]spanishforsuccess.com 

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Valentine's Day Walk for the Earth

Evolution of the Walk...

Walk for the Earth is a sacred journey that started with my precious boxer boy Yoda who taught me, to Walk with intention and prayer, as the many Elders of the Lakota tribe shared with me in the Unipi Ceremony (sweat logdes), as well. Yoda was only six weeks old when we first started walking together. I heard the call from my Ancestors, the very first day we walked together, to allow Yoda to teach me the power in Walking in rhythm with the Rainforest. For close to three years, every day, I wondered how, why, where and when would be the right time to share all that I was learning from this precious four-legged creature and our Mother Earth.

Valentine's Day 2010 became the day that I would humbly share all my experiences, while my boy Yoda, who crossed over 44 days previous, would guide me from the heavens to story tell our sacred Walk for the Earth with the World. What appeared to be strangers of the walk became Yoda's disciples. From the heavens, the tribe of ten beautiful souls, two dogs and a jungle of various creatures seen and unseen, wrote poems and told stories that they been long forgotten, until Valentines Day on the Sacred Mountain of Manuel Antonio, CR.

Today, I am clear that love and devotion to hear the Call of the Wild in Animals and Nature will heal our Human Family; One step at a time... One person at a time... One tribe at a time... The time has come that we must all step into the Tribe called the Human Family and life among the primal forces that bring us home to the Sacred Laws of Nature.

((( aho )))
V-day Walk
Healing Mother Earth

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Costa Rican Casado

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Spanish for Success
Study Spanish in Costa Rica

A typical dish served during lunch, and at times can be served for dinner. The Casado, or “marriage in the dish,” is a combination of various types of food into one plate.

Casados consist of rice, beans, vegetables (salads), and your choice of chicken, beef, fish, or pork.

When visiting Costa Rica and looking for something authentic from the country, Casado would be one of those experiences one should not miss. Many of family owned small diners, or “Sodas,” as they call it, will normally serve the dish.

Here is video made by one of the students who participated in program.

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Visit the Local Markets and be Immersed in Spanish Culture

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Spanish for Success
Study Spanish in Costa Rica



When visiting a new country, one of the best ways to learn about the culture is visiting the local markets.

The markets are usually held once a week, and in certain countries it might be more. Local farmers bring in their fresh cropped, fished, and butchered goods.

At first, it can be a little intimidating, but once you get use to the loud and busy atmosphere, it can be quite an exploration. If you're a person who loves to take pictures or videos, this would be an ideal place to capture some of the most intriguing images. A variety of colors, stories, and personalities just seem to come up.

If you love to learn languages, such as Spanish, here is a great way to practice and get immersed.

In the video above, we take a walking tour of a local market in, Turrialba, Costa Rica. The markets are usually held on Fridays. Rain or shine the buyers and sellers are trading away. Since Costa Rica is known for producing plentiful fruits and vegetables, here you will see some of the freshest and most colorful crops. The farmers seem very happy, as this is also a good way to catch up with friends and their regular customers.

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Adventure Tours in Costa Rica

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Spanish for Success
Study Spanish in Costa Rica 
 
Explornatura
The adventure company, Explornatura is a close associate of Spanish for Success. Many of the past students who attended programs in Turrialba, Dominical, and Arenal had used the services of the company.

The company has been operating since early 2000 and they’ve had a great track record on safety. The owners Massi and Ronald had taken the proper steps in order to keep the adventure tours running smoothly and safely for adventurist participating. They are one of the premier services that operate from the town of Turrialba.

Explornatura operates several tours, the two most popular ones are white water rafting, and canyoneering. They also offer other tours operating within other parts of the country. For more information, hop on the website www.explornatura.com

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While participating in one of the tours, our blog contributor, Russo Mutuc, had interviewed Massi and the raft guide. See video below.

Russo Mutuc – “Participating in one of these tours is definitely a highlight when you come to Costa Rica. I have known most of the owners of Explornatura for almost 9 years, and every time I come back to the country, I try and participate in one of the tours. When I first came to Costa Rica in 2002, it was the first time I had ever rafted and ziplined. I thought this was such an amazing experience, and it definitely got me talking about it within my social media friends in Friendster and Myspace. Living and participating in the tours, the excitement was flowing, and I was constantly posting videos and pictures. With the incoming travelers visiting Costa Rica, often times, these tours are a must in their itinerary. From the customers I had spoken with after, many had commented on the high adrenaline fun and excitement. Though some of the tours are not meant for everybody, I definitely would recommend checking with your doctor prior to arriving in the country and participating in any adventure sports. Keep in mind, these tours are in nature’s environment, and often times, nature or the environment is unpredictable. “

How to Use the Costa Rica Public Phone System

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Spanish for Success
Study Spanish in Costa Rica

When you arrive to Costa Rica, and would like to use the public phone system, keep an eye out for phones that look like the one below. These blue public phones are the newer versions they have around the country. In order to use this phone, you would need to buy pre-paid phone cards, which you can purchase at the airport, markets, and small convenient stores.

The national telecommunications company is called ICE, and places that sell the phone cards, will have signs on the entrance or near the cash register. The phone cards which you can buy are $5, $6, $10, or $20. Aside from the airport, you will most likely pay with Colones, the Costa Rican currency.

These phone cards are very easy to use, and they have two types of phone cards with different directions to key in the digits. The normal key in is 197 and 199. For travelers that don’t speak Spanish, make sure to purchase the 199, this has the English option for instructions. 199 are ideal for using when you would like to call outside of the country. If you plan to make longer calls or multiple ones, make sure to purchase phone cards that are $10 or more.

Sample instructions on how to use the phone
•Pick up the handset and wait for the tone
•Dial 199
•Listen to the instructions and key in for English option
•In the back of the phone card is the code numbers which you will also need to key in.
•Once you have keyed in the code, you will then key in the phone number you are trying to call. (Please be advised on the new additional number they had added. For land lines you have to key in additional 2 + the seven digit number. When dialing cell phones, 8 + the seven digit number.)
•Finally, the automated system will inform you of how many minutes you can talk for.



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