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WEBPAGE Me Encanta Costa Rica

WEBPAGE Me Encanta Costa Rica image

14-Day Guided Spanish Language and Cultural Immersion in Costa Rica

9-Day Program | A unique Spanish language immersion experience begins for your student group upon your arrival in San José! A Spanish-speaking, certified naturalist guide leads you and your group through an unforgettable adventure surrounded by the abundant beauty of Costa Rica. From ziplining in the rainforest to lying on the beach, you’ll be amazed and delighted. Keep your eye out for monkeys, sloths and iguanas! Spanish language skills learned in the classroom come to life for students in this in-depth language immersion experience in Latin America.

Program Price: $3,199

Please note that the base price does not include the cost of international flights* Prices are based on a minimum group size of 24 students. When the minimum group size is not reached, a small-group supplement will apply. Final prices are determined by dates, air arrangements, family stay communities and other program components as confirmed by Xperitas, as well as the total size of the group and number of leaders at the time of final billing. Prices are subject to change due to fluctuations in fuel prices, exchange rates, and airfare costs beyond the control of Xperitas.

Email Lucia@xperitas.org with your departure city for an estimated international flight cost.

🐦Save $200 when you enroll before June 15, 2026 (discount applied to final payment)

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Travel Dates

All travel dates are tentative, pending teacher approval and airline confirmation.

OVERVIEW

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DAY 1

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San José

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Arrival in San José & transfer to hotel

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Meals Included: None

DAY 2

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Arenal

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Transfer to Arenal

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Start the day off by exploring the local mercado: Alajuela market. Here you can feast your eyes on all of the colorful fruits and vegetables while practicing your Spanish skills.

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On your way to Arenal, stop in Sarchí, a town which is home to the largest oxcart in the world!

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During a Sarchí Workshop, get inspired as you paint a small wheel of a carreta!

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Later you will have a blast splashing in the warm, thermal waters of the nearby hot springs.

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Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 3

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Arenal

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Begin your day visiting La Fortuna Waterfall where you’ll hike down to the refreshing pool below.

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Next, make your way to an organic tropical farm where you will get to meet with local farmers. Learn about tropical crops, squeeze sugar cane juice and more.

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Afterwards, participate in a reforestation project. You will have a chance to plant a tree in your school’s honor and then enjoy a freshly prepared lunch.

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Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 4

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Monteverde

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Enjoy a morning hike with Arenal Volcano as your backdrop.

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Cross Laguna de Arenal by boat to Monteverde, famous for its cloud forest.

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Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 5

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Monteverde

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Tour Monteverde Reserve for an awesome and unforgettable adventure, zipline through the clouds.

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Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 6

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Manuel Antonio

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Head toward the Pacific coast and its gorgeous beaches. Keep your eyes peeled for sloths, crocodiles and colorful parrots along the way!

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Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 7

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Manuel Antonio

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Tour Manuel Antonio National Park and enjoy free time for fun at the beach. You’ll love its unique mix of beaches, tropical forest and abundant wildlife. Here you will have up-close views of white-faced capuchin and squirrel monkeys, sloths and iguanas.

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Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 8

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Family Stay

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Now the real adventure begins! Make your way to the family stay community where students will spend the next six nights with a Costa Rican family! ¡Pura vida!

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Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAYS 9 - 13

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Family Stay

Immerse yourself in the Costa Rican culture by experiencing everyday life with your host family! It’s your opportunity to use your language skills in real-life situations and make new friends!

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Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 14

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Return

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Transfer to the airport

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Bid adiós to your tico host family as you depart for the United States with a lifetime of memories!

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Meals Included: Breakfast

The order of this itinerary and all itinerary items are subject to change based on unforeseen circumstances that may arise prior to or during the program.

INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS

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What's Included

  • Round-trip airfare from city listed (and any airline fuel surcharges at time of booking)

  • In-country transportation (air, motorcoach, van, as applicable)

  • All overnight accommodations

  • Insurance for accidents or illness and trip cancellation coverage due to medical reasons only

  • International phone allowance $10 per day for one leader while in country

  • Local Spanish speaking guide during tour portion of itinerary

  • Xperitas Family Stay with all meals included

  • Local Family Stay Coordinator on call during family stay

  • 24/7 Xperitas emergency support while abroad

  • Meals as indicated on the itinerary

  • Tipping allowance of $70 per student

Activities Included

  • Market visit

  • Sarchí painting workshop

  • Hot springs

  • La Fortuna Waterfall

  • Reforestation Project

  • Organic farm visit

  • Arenal Volcano hike

  • Ziplining

  • Monteverde Reserve hike

  • Manuel Antonio National Park

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What's not Included

  • Airline baggage fees

  • Variance in air cost due to changes in group contract after booking or if the group size prevents using the booked air contract.

  • Costs incurred due to late or missed flights

  • Passport, visa or other document costs

  • Transportation to/from departure city

  • Any meals not indicated on itineraries

  • Spending money and gifts

  • Any fees associated with advanced seating assignments

  • Small-group supplement when group has fewer than 24 participants

PAYMENT AND CANCELLATION SCHEDULE

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Important Deadlines

Payment reminders will be sent 1 week and 1 day before each payment is due.

Accepted Payment Methods

Payments may be made by credit card, debit card, ACH transfer, or check. A 2.9% processing fee applies to all credit and debit card transactions.

Checks must be made payable to Xperitas and include the participant’s full name and destination country. Postdated checks are not accepted and will be returned.

Family Stay Application

  • Family Stay applications are due on November 1, 2026.

Passport Submission

  • Passport information and copy of passport due on December 1, 2026/February 1, 2027

XPERITAS FINANCIAL AID

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Bringing Equity to Student Immersion Travel

Xperitas is a nonprofit educational organization committed to making our short-term immersion travel programs accessible to as many students as possible. We provide meaningful financial aid on a “needs based” sliding scale to create equitable access. Over the past decade we have dedicated over a million dollars to financial aid, scholarship and classroom grant programs.

Financial Aid Applications Due October 15!

THE FAMILY STAY EXPERIENCE®

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Authentic Language Immersion

At Xperitas, we work with teachers to provide their students with outstanding language and cultural immersion experiences. We believe that when students have an authentic experience outside of the classroom, using their language skills in a different culture, they make a deeper cultural connection. Our programs are designed to inspire students to make personal connections with communities worldwide and gain greater cultural awareness. Benefits reported to us by teachers, parents and the students themselves are as follows: 

  • A better understanding of language and the nuance of dialect 

  • An understanding of language within the context of the culture 

  • A greater awareness of different perspectives  

  • A sense of increased independence, self-sufficiency, and cultural competence 

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How are Host Families chosen?

Since 1972, we have carefully selected families who volunteer to share their home, language, and culture with our student travelers. Students live with a local host family while abroad on their language immersion program, creating an authentic language and cultural immersion experience, unmatched by other cross-cultural programs. No Family Stay Experience is “typical”; every one is as unique as the families that host.

  • Families are volunteer, not a paid service

  • Students share meals and family routines in the target language

  • Families and students explore differences and similarities in culture and tradition

These connections can last a lifetime! Many students and host families stay in touch for years afterward.

The success of our Family Stay Experience® is due to our network of of dedicated Family Stay Coordinators around the world, who work tirelessly to ensure a safe and enjoyable hosting experience.

  • Xperitas Family Stay Coordinators are local to the host communities

  • Recruit and screen families in their own networks and match them to Xperitas participants

  • Are on call 24/7 during the program to address any issues that arise