Playa Manuel Antonio

Program Outline

Our Manuel Antonio campus has one basic, 4 hours a day, course which is taught either in the morning from 8:30am to 12:30pm or in the afternoon from 1:30pm to 5:30pm. The director will make the decision as to which time a student will attend class, taking into consideration the students personal preferences, whenever possible. The maximum number of students per class during the high season (May through August and January) is 6, the rest of the year the normal number is closer to 3. The school sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Oceans and coastline. All classrooms have gorgeous views and all texts and materials are included in the tuition price. Even though there are a great deal of distractions, the school is still a very serious Spanish language institute. Private lessons are not available.

Homestay

You will stay with a typical Costa Rican family in the town of Quepos. Included in the home stay option is a private room, breakfast and dinner with the family. Laundry is included once a week. There is no hot water in the showers and there are no private baths. Houses are clean but simple. Extra nights are not available and the Sunday before your program begins is not included.

Cultural

The school holds Latin dance classes during the high season and has fruit tasting classes year round. Classes are sometimes held at the beach and in the rain forest and every student does a community analysis of the town of Quepos. A percentage of the tuition is donated in the student's name to the World Wildlife Fund. There is a forest trail on the campus of the school.

Location

The school is located in the central Pacific coast town of Manuel Antonio, just south of the fishing port of Quepos. Long considered one of the gems of Costa Rica, this area is famous for its National Park and gorgeous beaches with plenty of wildlife. A four-hour bus ride from San Jose, it can also be reached by airplane in 15 minutes.

Local Color

The town of Manuel Antonio isn't really a town at all, it is an area of houses, restaurants, cabinas and hotels that straddle the road from Quepos to the National Park. Rico Tico, the pool side restaurant in the Si Como No Hotel is really a very special place to visit and have dinner. The view is spectacular, the food is good and fresh and the swimming pool has a swim up bar and water slide.

Start Dates

The school is closed on all Costa Rican holidays: Jan 1st, April 5th, April 6th, April 13th, May 1st, July 27th, Aug. 3rd, August 17th, September 15th, Oct. 12th and Dec. 24th & 25th. The school suggests that the students begin at the school on the following Mondays: January 2nd, 15th, 29th, February 12th, 26th, March, 12th, 26th, April 9th, 23rd, May 7th, 21st, June 4th, 18th, July 2nd, 16th, 30th, August 13th, 27th, September 10th, 24th, October 8th, 22nd, November 5th, 19th, December 3rd, 17th & 31st. No refund is made for missed classes caused by these holidays.

Main points about the Playa Manuel Antonio campus:

• Location: The school, in a resort town on the Pacific coast, is on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
• All classes have wonderful views of the ocean.
• The bus to the beaches passes the school every half hour and takes 10 minutes.
• Very professional staff and classroom environment.
• Near the National Park and world class beaches.
• Quepos and Manuel Antonio have active night lives and there are some great seafood restaurants.
• Special classes, including: Fruit tasting classes, classes not only about the rain forest but also in the rain forest itself.
• A percent of every student's tuition goes to the World Wildlife Fund.
• Rain forest trail on the school's campus.
• A number of beautiful resorts in the area offer students incredible places to visit and study.
• The local town's people are very friendly and are willing to practice Spanish with you.