Location
  • Costa Rica
Length
2 to 52 weeks
Language
Spanish

Program Details

Immersion Level
Intensive
Certifications
DELE (Spanish)
Specialized Courses
Specific Purposes
Weekly Classroom Hours
21
Housing
Apartment Host Family Hotel
Age Min.
16

Pricing

Starting Price
970
Price Details
Accommodations with a screened local host family and a meal plan are included in the course price. Upgrades to the EF Residence are available. Contact the US Based Admissions Team for a personalized price quote.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Travel Insurance Visa Wifi
What's Not Included
Transportation
Jan 30, 2023
Jan 11, 2021
17 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Learn Spanish in Costa Rica's favorite surf town! Located on the Nicoya Peninsula on the Northern Pacific coast you will truly both learn and live the language in this intimate town. You'll make guaranteed progress in your language learning goals with EF's interactive and immersive courses. After class lets out for the day relax on the beach, go zip-lining through the rainforest, or volunteer at a local school.

At EF, you can decide when you want to study, how long you'll stay, and what you'd like to focus on. You can personalize your course with Special Interest Classes like Current Affairs, Hispanic History, Spanish for Tourism, and exam prep (DELE). Earn transferable college credit for any course 4 weeks or longer, allowing you to make the most of your time abroad.

EF's Spanish schools are accredited by Instituto Cervantes, the world's leading organization promoting Spanish language education as well as the University of Montana, our partner in education.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Study from 2 weeks up to a full year, start any Monday.
  • Unique surf town on the West Coast of Costa Rica
  • Top activities include a volcano hike, zip-lining, volunteering with sea turtles, or a weekend trip to Panama or Nicaragua.
  • Choose to reside with a local host family or in the EF Residence, an international dorm.
  • EF students hail from over 100 countries around the world.

Program Reviews

4.82 Rating
based on 11 reviews
  • 5 rating 81.82%
  • 4 rating 18.18%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Instruction 4.75
  • Support 4.85
  • Fun 4.75
  • Housing 4.9
  • Value 4.65
Showing 1 - 8 of 11 reviews
Default avatar
Katlyn
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

One week in EF Costa Rica

I had a great week in Costa Rica! Due to travel restrictions, I had to change my original plan and only stayed for a week. While it was hard to get support from the staff at first, Alexis from the EF team reached out and was a huge help! And, everything at the school was excellent. I had a wonderful homestay and Miquel was an awesome Spanish teacher. The city was beautiful and it was great to meet people from all wound the world. Plus, for those with more time to stay, the school arranges many fun activities in Tamarindo and around Costa Rica.

95 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ed
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Our Son Attended

The scores I posted are based on our sons response. EF was very helpful in the pre trip arrangements from registration to numerous questions we had and making sure he was met at the Liberia airport. The host family was very nice and the food was good. The content of the actual class was good as he had minimum knowledge of Spanish and he came away with more vocabulary and was able to make himself understood in conversation with his Mother. Overall we are are happy with his experience and we think he had fun while there.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Remember you are in an emerging country and your creature comforts will be slightly tested
97 people found this review helpful.
Iris
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

One week in Costa Rica with EF

I decided last minute to take a language trip to Costa Rica with EF. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Even though it was only for one week I felt my Spanish improved and it was a wonderful experience. In addition, some friends and I signed up for horse back riding and surfing. The dance class with Abraham was truly a lot of fun as well. Some of the other students took trips to Nicaragua. There is so much to do in Costa Rica and I wished I could have stayed longer. I can definitely recommend EF, the school and the location (Tamarindo).

94 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Elyse
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

3 awesome months

Where should I start? I have so many awesome things to say about my trip to Costa Rica.

I stayed there for 3 months and it was for sure one of the 3 best months in my life! First of all, my host family was awesome, it was a mom whose kids were only there in the weekends, but everything was perfect! She cleaned every day, cooked delicious food and she was so so so friendly ( I do miss her!!). The school was awesome as well, there is a clean pool, all the classrooms have airco (which you really need haha) and the teachers and the staff are all super nice.

Tamarindo itself is a small beach town. It's perfect if you want to learn how to surf or go tanning at the beach! There are enough options to have a great night out there as well (I think 2 of my 3 best nights in my life were in Tamarindo).
In the weekends EF always plans an activity to go somewhere cool.

If you have the opportunity to go abroad to Costa Rica, but you are not sure, just go, you will not regret it!!!
It's going to be the time of your life and you will meet so many friends from all around the world!!!

99 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Amandine
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Pura Vida lifestyle

Hola amigos ! Do you want to spend nice time in a multicultural country ? Make new friends from all over the world ? Learn how to surf on beautiful pristine water ? Hike volcano and pet monkeys ? Well good because Tamarindo is the right place for you !

I encourage you staying in a host family, they will help you to feel comfy in your new country and your spanish will improve very fast.
The campus is nice and staff is very friendly. Tamarindo is a nice small town where you can enjoy a drink with your friends everyday.
You can book shuttles and go for a weekend trip in costa rica or book a trip to Nica & Panama with EF too.

Anything you do, I swear you'll like it !

What would you improve about this program?
More activities throughout the week in playa tamarindo maybe. Free activities as well. Lets compare to others EF school all over the world.
92 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Svenja
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

EF Tamarindo - worth visiting!

What can I say? Costa Rica is a beautiful country, Tamarindo a gorgeous village with a marvelous beach. The people are very friendly and humorous and Pura Vida is a lifestyle. My family treated me like a member from the first day, and even though rize was daily served, the dishes were still varied and so delicious. The teachers at school are very keen and professional, they could be a little bit stricter in my opinion. The facilities at school are modern, there's a swimming pool on the school area which is pretty cool. As there are numerous things to do, you won't run out of adventurous activities. For me it felt like holidays, I met innumerable new people from all around the world, learned for life, became more mature and learned spanish. To conclude, EF Tamarindo is a life time experience which can easily turn out to be your best time ever!

What would you improve about this program?
A free room to study would have been nice. Studying outside with 38 degrees or more can be very difficult to stay focused..
96 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sébastien
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

EF Costa Rica 2016

It was one of the best time I ever had in my life, really ! I met great friends from all over the world and I had so much fun during this experience ! My host family was perfect, no joke ! They were super nice, their house and my room were great and the meals the host mother cooked were awesome ! If you wanna learn Spanish with a great surrounding then you should definitely go there ! All the people are really nice.

What would you improve about this program?
The teachers should be more strict, they should make us speak Spanish the whole time during the lessons. And they should correct us when we make mistakes.
92 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Hananja
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Costa Rica Pura Vida!

Costa Rica is an amazing and beautiful country! Made so many new friends i will carry in my heart forever, learned a lot of spanish and grew personally.

I stayed in a host family close to Tamarindo and they're so nice and caring. The school is beautiful, the teachers and staff are such nice people. Tamarindo is a small beach town but there is lots to do and from here you can go anywhere you want to go so you can visit all the beautiful places and beaches.

I had an amazing experience here and i will never forget my time here and i know i will return one day!

90 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers