Located in a rural region about a 4.5 hour bus ride from San José, Monteverde is a small village community located on the Tilaran mountain range (5,600 feet) and is one of Costa Rica's most popular destinations.

Monteverde's biggest attraction is the Cloud Forest, which is a private reserve spanning the Continental Divide. The Cloud Forest has over 400 bird species, 420 species of orchids and more than 100 species of mammals including 5 species of cats. It also offers the opportunity to visit Sky Trek which is a system of trails, suspension bridges, and zip lines that offers visitors the opportunity to observe and appreciate tropical vegetation from different vantage points, above the canopy. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve of Costa Rica is acclaimed as one of the most outstanding wildlife refuges in the New World Tropics.

The village of Monteverde also has a strong Quaker influence. In the early 1950s, a group of Alabama Quakers fleeing the U.S. draft, chose Costa Rica because the country has no army and Monteverde because it was so remote. Despite the number of tourists, Monteverde and the adjoining town of Santa Elena (only 3 kilometers away), still maintain a small community and a life that goes on outside the busy tourism industry.

Another must see, is the Volcán Arenal which is located just to the west of La Fortuna, in San Carlos and also belongs to the Tilarán Mountain Range. This volcano with its perfect conical shape allows breathtaking views of volcanic action going on at the summit. The last eruption occurred in 1968, when incandescent rocks, lava and ash columns were spewed into the sky killing a total of 78 people. Today, activity is less damaging but it continues to occur. Daily ash columns, underground rumbling, glowing red lava flows and sudden explosions are some of the most impressive signs produced by the most active volcano in Costa Rica.

Other activities could include horseback riding, hiking some of the 24 kilometers of well-maintained trails, bird watching, Butterfly Garden, a visit to the coffee producing cooperatives or one of the many Monteverde art and craft galleries. Monteverde is a great location for those students who have a strong appreciation of nature and wildlife.

It is the participant's responsibility to have a valid passport and any necessary visas and permits to study abroad. Visit G3Visas for comprehensive information on visa, passport, permit and general country entry requirements.

Students should plan to fly into San Jose international airport on the Saturday and spend a night at a hotel (included). The following day (Sunday) they will be placed on a public bus to Monteverde (bus fare not included) and this bus trip will take between 5-6 hours in length on decent roads.
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Monteverde Cloud Forest
Rincon de la Vieja Volcano
Santa Rosa National Park
Palo Verde National Park
Santa Elena and Excellent eco tours
Experience walking and sliding through the canopy of the forest
Out door activities and hiking
Academic credit available
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Our school, which is located outside of the center, is a newly-renovated modern building with 10 bright classrooms, located within its own gardens. It also provides a kitchen and social area with snacks for the students. The school offers students access to its e-mail account for a one time fee of $10; you may send and receive unlimited e-mail. The school organizes several cultural activities per week, afternoon and weekend excursions are organized by the staff tours coordinator and can also help the students with other travel arrangements.

The schools teaching staff consists of professionals with university training and experience in teaching Spanish as a second language. The teaching staff is accredited with the Costa Rica Ministry of Education. The teaching method emphasizes conversation and provides the students the opportunity to speak Spanish from their first moment in class. We tailor our programs to the academic goals of the student. The professors are open to teaching survival skills and grammatical structures which are most important to students.
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Standard: 4 Lessons daily (20 lessons per week) Max. 4 students per class.

Our programs cater for all language levels from absolute beginners to the more advanced, include the use of course materials and provide a variety of options to enhance your program. For more information please see Prices and Start Dates.

Each student will be expected to take a short placement test on the first Monday morning of the course (unless a complete beginner), to determine the students language level and ensure placement in the correct class. Lessons are usually held in the mornings, starting at 9 am, which leave the afternoons free for social or cultural activities, trips, workshops, short excursions or free time to relax or explore on your own.

Teachers are native speakers and many are University educated with years of teaching experience. They will help enhance your speaking, listening, grammar and general comprehension skills. They will also use interactive techniques such as role-play, games and perhaps videos to support lesson content. Current political, social and cultural materials are integrated to add interest and increase knowledge of the host country and culture. Homework assignments are given and students will be tested. For more information please see Course Outline.

After classes are over for the day, our program allows you plenty of time to discover your new country, culture, traditions, customs and everyday life. Our optional cultural and social activities allow you to make new friends among your new international classmates, experience cultural and social activities together, and also practice your new language skills in real life situations. In some cases, a small additional fee will be charged to cover local transport and entrance costs.

In Monteverde, students can hike the trails of the various cloud forest reserves and the Children's Rain forest. There are natural thermal waters to bathe in, horseback riding to see lava shooting from Arenal Volcano,and weekend trips to the beaches of Guanacaste. Afternoon tours range in price from $15 to $30 and include: guide, transportation, and entrance fees. Our school also has volunteer opportunities for students looking to support the local community after classes.

At the weekend many students can arrange to take optional excursions to local cities or local places of interest. These excursions are slightly more expensive than the daily activities ($10-$40), as they are normally full day or full weekend excursions and could include (transport, meals entrance fees and even accommodation). If you are interested in sight-seeing by yourself or with other class mates, our school staff are more than willing to assist you with any questions you may have and help you book local travel or excursions.

NOTES: School is closed on all public holidays, private lessons and options can be added to any program, lessons normally last 50 minutes, you will be studying with students from around the world, lessons run from Monday - Friday , you will be expected to arrive early on the first Monday morning to take the placement test, a language proficiency certificate is available at the end of the program. Please see the program info and resource links, for additional information or please contact us.
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Host Family: (private room) 2 meals daily.

Living with a host family is probably the best and most effective way to become fully immersed into the language and culture of your chosen country. All families are chosen after a careful selection procedure and are visited regularly by the school to ensure that high living standards are maintained. As many of our host families live in the surrounding neighborhoods, the trip to school, is usually not more than 20 minutes away. Only one student per family.

Students have access to all living areas in the house and in most cases, will be expected to share the bathroom. All bed linens and pillows will be provided, however we suggest you bring your own towels. Your family will provide a laundry service.

Staying in a family is a truly wonderful experience and many students make lifetime friends with their host family. However, you should also have realistic expectations and recognize that an element of flexibility is required to adjust to the local customs and way of life. Your host family may not have the same comforts as your own home but you will always be treated as a guest and free to come and go as you wish.

NOTES: Airport transfers to the accommodation may be included or available (at an additional cost, please check price page), the Sunday night accommodation before your course begins on Monday, is included. All meals will be local custom and meal times may be different to what you are used to, however you are not obligated to eat all your meals with the family, just notify them when you will not be returning to eat at home. Our families are diverse with young couples without children, couples with children (of all age groups) and older couples with grown children who are no longer at home. Extra nights are available at extra cost. Please see the Accommodation link for additional information.
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"I had a great experience in Monteverde. Although there were more American tourists there than I expected, I was still able to practice my Spanish and enjoy all the scenic parts of the mountain. My host family was very welcoming and involved me in the daily conversations, which really helped my Spanish. The location in Santa Elena was good because it was a bit of a distance but gave me the chance to explore more on my way to and from class. Language Learning Abroad - everything was very well organized. All my questions were answered and I found the staff to be extremely competent and helpful."
Jen Corliss (age 21)

"It was amazing, would not have traded it for the world. I have already referred several people to the program, I not only learned the language and about the culture but most importantly about myself."
Christina Gonzales (age 21) studied at all 3 locations: Flamingo Beach, San Joaquin and Monteverde
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