Everything people ask before they come

Fill in the short form on our homepage — six questions, about a minute. We reply the same day, usually within a few hours, with your plan and price. To hold your spot, you pay a deposit of $50 per week you book, by PayPal link. The rest is paid here as your stay goes on — most students pay week by week — by card, cash or wire transfer. The full terms are on our booking and cancellation page.

Up to eight months in advance, depending on space.

Any day of the year. Arrive when it suits you, and your classes start the next business day. If you arrive on a Saturday or Sunday, you start on Monday.

That’s fine, and there’s no extra fee. We simply charge those days for your homestay and meals only, without classes or activities.

Yes, if you tell us at least 48 hours before your start date. Cancel inside that window and the deposit is not returned, because by then we have held a host family and teacher hours and turned other bookings away. You may also move your dates once, free of charge, while the published rates stand. Nothing beyond the deposit is ever at risk — the balance is not paid in advance. Full rules are on our booking and cancellation page.

All levels, from complete beginner to advanced. Before you arrive we set up a short call with your teacher so she knows your level and what you want from the weeks. It is a conversation, not an exam — there is nothing to prepare, you cannot fail it, and there is no test on your first day.

Completely fine — a lot of our students arrive with none at all. We can collect you at the airport, your host family is used to beginners, and you’ll be surprised how quickly the first words come.

Both. Depending on your level and who else is here that week, you study one-to-one or in a small group of up to five people at your level. The price is the same either way — it is per student.

You have 20 hours of class a week. Classes are usually from 8:00 to 12:00, with a short break. On days when an activity is planned for the morning, class moves to the afternoon, usually 1:00 to 5:00. Weekends are free.

Every evening, your teacher writes the next day’s material around you: your interests, and what you actually did that day — the animals you saw, the place you visited, the food you tried. You collect it the next morning from the print shop on the walk to class, usually 10 to 30 pages.

Each week includes 20 hours of class, your homestay (seven nights in a private room, three meals a day) and four language activities with an instructor. You may use the laundry room, but washing is not a service the family provides. Volunteering is optional.

Not included: printing your class material, which is about $25 a week and you pay at the print shop on your walk to class; airport transfers; your own travel and medical insurance; and flights. The full list is on the programs page.

Pretty much everyone who wants a new language or a new culture: retirees, university students, working professionals, and travellers who want more than a holiday.

It depends on who is enrolled that week. Either way, you won’t be alone: your host family and our team plan social time and outings, and the town is friendly.

Yes, and each person pays less when you book together: $50 less per person per week for two people, $75 less for three, and $100 less for four or more. It comes on top of the lower rate for longer stays. If children are travelling, tell us who is coming and we will quote the group. The discount is written into your quote before you pay anything. Book early so we have space for everyone.

No. Please tell us about any medical condition or physical limitation before you book, because we’re in the countryside and may not be equipped for every situation.

Yes, with conditions. If you’re under 16, you need to come with an adult. If you’re 16 or 17, a parent or guardian needs to sign a permission form — ask us for it early, as some airlines and immigration officers want to see it on the way in.

Yes. It depends on your family’s situation, so write to us and we’ll work out the best arrangement.

No.

Very safe. It’s a small rural town with very little crime — things left behind usually find their way back to their owner.

Nothing is strenuous. The hardest part is walking forest trails and uneven ground. Biking and football are there if you want them, and optional.

Most travellers don’t need any vaccine to enter Costa Rica. Travellers coming from some countries need a yellow fever certificate. We recommend visiting your doctor or a travel clinic a few weeks before you come, to check what they advise for you.

Yes — we ask every student to arrange travel and medical insurance before flying, covering treatment, repatriation, cancellation and belongings. Our own policy covers the company’s liability in running the program; it is not personal cover for you.

La Fortuna is in the countryside. The public clinic (CCSS EBAIS) in Bagaces is about 30 minutes away. For anything more serious we take students to Hospital San Rafael Arcángel in Liberia, about an hour away. Both, with phone numbers, are on our what happens next page.

In most cases, yes — avoiding dairy, eggs, gluten, meat, poultry, nuts or shellfish is usually easy. If you have a severe allergy, please tell us before you book: host family kitchens can’t guarantee a completely allergen-free space.

Citizens of the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and most EU countries don’t need a visa for a tourist stay. The number of days you’re allowed is decided by the immigration officer when you land, so check the current rules with Costa Rica’s immigration office before you travel.

With our transfer (easiest). We collect you at the airport:

• Liberia airport (LIR): $100 one way, $200 round trip
• San José airport (SJO): $300 one way, $600 round trip — this one needs a $125 deposit in advance to hold the driver

We recommend flying into Liberia — it’s much closer, about an hour’s drive.

By bus from San José. Pulmitan de Liberia runs direct buses twice a day (WhatsApp +506 6034 2578).

By rental car. You can drive yourself.

A member of our team meets you and takes you to your new home, where your host family is waiting. Everything about getting here, what to pack and your first day is written out on our what happens next page.

Yes, and it’s optional. You can help seniors at the local high school prepare for the English section of their final exam — a good way to meet people and give something back.

Yes, and we encourage it. Nearby you’ll find zip lining, hot springs and mud baths, the Miravalles volcano, forest trails, river tubing, mountain biking, and local dances, rodeos and festivals. Weekends are free, and bikes and cheap transport are easy to find.

Because it was built around the community, not around tourism. Living in a rural town costs less, most of what you pay goes straight to local families and teachers, and we spend it on your Spanish instead of on extras.