Costa Rica, Tamarindo Location Our school is situated in the centre of Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica. From the school, everything in the town (even the beach) is only a few minutes walk away.  Classes are held in a brand new custom built facility which is perfectly suited for both group and private language tuition. The top floor of the building also utilizes a student break area and a place to participate in various cultural activities. Around the institute, students can enjoy beautiful and well maintained tropical gardens. We feel that our Spanish language school provides the perfect atmosphere for people who want to study and learn Spanish in Playa Tamarindo. About the school Our School offers quality intensive Spanish language courses in one of the most beautiful beach areas in Costa Rica. Students from many countries come to experience our various Spanish language programs. Studying Spanish at our School will allow you to learn Spanish, and also experience a truly unique immersion experience. If learning Spanish and discovering one of the most beautiful areas in Costa Rica sounds like something you’d like to experience, then Coastal Spanish is a great choice for you! Highlights Our School offers and helps to arrange a variety of cultural activities, afternoon trips and weekend excursions. Activities such as these really help broaden the experience that is Costa Rica, and add a little bit extra to that Spanish Course.  Some of our activities include our very popular Dance Classes, where you can learn Salsa, marcado or cumbia. We also hold interesting lectures covering a range of topics from Costa Rican history, to culture and politics to name a few.  This is a great way to expand your knowledge of Costa Rica. Cooking Classes teach you how to cook some of the favorite local Costa Rican dishes. Meet with locals who are learning English. You will help them practice their English and they will help you learn Spanish! Besides brushing up on your Spanish it is a great way to meet some Ticos! Costa Rica is famous for its beauty. The best place to experience this is to go to one of the country's many national parks. Many of these parks are close to Playa Tamarindo. If you have never seen an active volcano then take advantage of your time in Costa Rica and visit one. Arenal is considered to be one of the most active volcanoes in the world. There are also opportunities to go river rafting, experience a canopy tour, deep sea fishing, or scuba diving or surfing. So much to do wouldn’t you say! There are many more activities and excursions available. The staff at our School will help to make sure that you have a chance to discover the best the Costa Rica has to offer! The Programs Our School offers an excellent Costa Rican welcome program. This program has been set up to help our students have an easy transition into the Costa Rican culture. You can choose from any of the following Spanish course options: All our courses run from 1 week to up to a period of months, it’s your choice Standard/ Intensive Spanish Program 20 Spanish lessons per week. 55 minutes per class. (Max 6 students per class.)  The courses run from beginner to advanced levels. This Spanish language program consists of classes with a maximum of 6 students per teacher. Spanish courses are held from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and are composed of a combination of conversational grammar and practical conversation and/or lectures. (Intensive program participants also receive 2 hours per day of instruction in the afternoon) Private Spanish Program Take private Spanish lessons.  We cater for both beginners and advanced levels of Spanish. If you have little time available or prefer something very intensive, then please consider taking private Spanish language courses. If you are taking a group class and would like to add a few hours per day to your Spanish program this is possible. You can also request full private lessons aswell if you prefer. Add a Surf Portion to your study  Surf board rental is included in the cost of the program. The first 2 weeks you will receive (in addition to the board rental) 6 hours of surf instruction. Surf classes are provided by local surf professionals. On weeks 3 and 4 you will get one surf trip to a location outside of Tamarindo (along with surf board rental). Specialized Courses Our School understands that people have different Spanish language needs. If one of our general Spanish programs is not what you are looking for, then consider setting up a specialized Spanish language program with us. We can set up a generalized private program for you or create a program designed to fit your specific needs. These programs can be created for individuals or groups. Specific topics include, but are not limited to the following: Business Spanish Medical Spanish Spanish for teachers Spanish for social workers Group Spanish programs Spanish for children Etc. Accommodation: Residence Our school has a number of air conditioned student residences on site. This is a perfect choice for those that prefer not to stay with one of our wonderful host families. Each residence has Cable TV and High Speed Wireless. Even if you are not staying in the residence you will still have access to the wireless internet connection (bring your laptop). No other school currently offers this option in Costa Rica that we are aware of. We have a nice residence located right at the school. Overall this is probably the most popular accommodation choice for our students. Important Note: It is important to register early due to the fact that space in the residence is limited and so it fills up fast! The Residence at our School consists of 4 large apartments. Each apartment has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, a kitchen, small eating area and a large living room. Our students at the residence will share a bedroom with other students and also the common areas. Each residence has: - Air conditioning - Cable TV - High Speed Wireless Internet (bring your laptop) The Homestay Option Living with a Costa Rican host family is a great way to learn more about the culture while also having another place where you can practice your Spanish. Our School has carefully selected a number of families to help make your stay enjoyable. Typical families will host one to two students at a time. Each student will receive his/her own room and will get two meals per day (breakfast and dinner). Additionally each student will get a key to allow them to come and go as they please. The homestays can be considered relatively small and basic. However do not let this deter you. Costa Ricans’ are well known for their hospitality! The vast majority of our host families are located in the towns of Santa Rose and Villa Real. These towns are approximately 3-5 miles from Playa Tamarindo. There is regular and cheap public transportation between these towns and Playa Tamarindo, so getting back and forth will not present any difficulty. Buses run from early in the morning to early evening. Taxis are available at virtually any hour. All prices listed below are effective as of January 1, 2007 Standard Program (20 lessons per week) This program consists of classes with a maximum of 6 students per teacher. Courses are held from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and are composed of a combination of conversational grammar and practical conversation and/or lectures. The prices below show the cost of the Spanish course along with either staying with a host family or staying in our popular student residence. Standard Group With Residence Option Prices are listed in US Dollars 1 week: $390 2 weeks: $790 3 weeks: $1,150 4 weeks: $1,430 Each Extra Week: $340 Note: No meals are included with the residence option. However we do have an arrangement where students can get breakfast every day at a local restaurant. If you want this option, please add $25 per week to the above listed prices. Standard Group With Homestay Option Prices are listed in US Dollars 1 week: $370 2 weeks: $750 3 weeks: $1,090 4 weeks: $1,350 Each Extra Week: $320 Spanish & Surf Program (20 lessons per week) Description: This program consists of classes with a maximum of 6 students per teacher. Courses are held from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and are composed of a combination of conversational grammar and practical conversation and/or lectures. Surf Portion: Surf board rental is included in the cost of the program. The first 2 weeks you will receive (in addition to the board rental) 6 hours of surf instruction. Surf classes are provided by local surf professionals. On weeks 3 and 4 you will get one surf trip to a location outside of Tamarindo (along with surf board rental). The prices below show the cost of the course along with either staying with a host family or staying in our popular student residence. Spanish & Surf Program With Residence Option Prices are listed in US Dollars 2 weeks: $1,140 3 weeks: $1,680 4 weeks: $2,130 Note: No meals are included with the residence option. However we do have an arrangement where students can get breakfast every day at a local restaurant. If you want this option, please add $25 per week to the above listed prices. Spanish & Surf Program With Homestay Option Prices are listed in US Dollars 2 weeks: $1,100 3 weeks: $1,620 4 weeks: $2,050  Intensive Program (30 lessons per week) The perfect Spanish program for someone who prefers a more intensive course. The format is the same as the Standard Program. The difference is that under this option you will receive an additional 2 hours per day of instruction in the afternoon. Courses are held from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Intensive Group With Residence Option Prices are listed in US Dollars 1 week: $510 2 weeks: $1,030 3 weeks: $1,510 4 weeks: $1,910 Each Extra Week: $460 Note: No meals are included with the residence option. However we do have an arrangement where students can get breakfast every day at a local restaurant. If you want this option, please add $25 per week to the above listed prices. Intensive Group With Homestay Option Prices are listed in US Dollars 1 week: $490 2 weeks: $990 3 weeks: $1,450 4 weeks: $1,830 Each Extra Week: $440  Private Program If you have little time available or prefer something very intensive, then please consider taking private courses. If you are taking a group class and would like to add a few hours per day to your class this is possible. If you prefer to have your entire course utilizing private instruction that is possible as well. You can choose from 4-7 hours per day of private instructions. Private instruction can be utilized to cover general or specialized Spanish language topics. Cost Per Hour Of Private Instruction: $18 Airport Pickup From Liberia: $35 per person Transport From The Airport In San Jose to Playa Tamarindo: $30 All prices are in US$