14-Day Program | A unique Spanish language immersion experience begins for your student group upon your arrival in San José! A Spanish-speaking, certified naturalist guide leads you and your group through an unforgettable adventure surrounded by the abundant beauty of Costa Rica. From ziplining in the rainforest to lying on the beach, you’ll be amazed and delighted. Keep your eye out for monkeys, sloths and iguanas! Then students meet their host family for six days and nights with a volunteer familia tica where their Spanish language skills learned in the classroom come to life in this in-depth language immersion experience in Latin America. Our unforgettable Family Stay Experience® allows students to become temporary locals and appreciate the pura vida Costa Rican lifestyle.
All travel dates are tentative, pending teacher approval and airline confirmation.
Program Overview
14 Days
Guided
Family Stay: Xperitas Family Stay
From $3,799.00 pp from
Features
Round-Trip Airfare Overnight Accommodations In-Country Transportation Insurance 24/7 Emergency Support While Abroad
Program Itinerary
Day 1Departure
Upon arrival in San José, transfer to your hotel.
Included meals:
None
Day 2Arenal
Start the day off by exploring the local mercado, where you can feast your eyes on all of the colorful fruits and vegetables while practicing your Spanish skills. On your way to Arenal, stop in Sarchí, a town which is home to the largest oxcart in the world! During a workshop, get inspired as you paint a small wheel of a carreta! Later you will have a blast splashing in the warm, thermal waters of the nearby hot springs.
Included meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3Arenal
Begin your day visiting a local waterfall where you’ll hike down to the refreshing pool below. Next, make your way to an organic tropical farm where you will get to meet with local farmers. Learn about tropical crops, squeeze sugar cane juice and more. Afterwards, participate in a reforestation project where you will have a chance to plant a tree in your school’s honor and then enjoy a freshly prepared lunch.
Included meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4Monteverde
Enjoy a morning hike with Arenal Volcano as your backdrop. Cross Laguna de Arenal by boat to Monteverde, famous for its cloud forest.
Included meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5Monteverde
Tour Monteverde Reserve. For an awesome and unforgettable adventure, zipline through the clouds.
Included meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6Manuel Antonio
Head toward the Pacific coast and its gorgeous beaches. Keep your eyes peeled for sloths, crocodiles and colorful parrots along the way!
Included meals:
Breakfast
Day 7Manuel Antonio
Tour Manuel Antonio National Park, and enjoy free time for fun at the beach. You’ll love its unique mix of beaches, tropical forest and abundant wildlife. Here you will have up-close views of white-faced capuchin and squirrel monkeys, sloths and iguanas.
Included meals:
Breakfast
Day 8Family Stay
Now the real adventure begins! Make your way to the family stay community where students will spend the next six days and nights with a Costa Rican family! ¡Pura vida!
Included meals:
Breakfast
Day 9 - 13Family Stay
Immerse yourself in the Costa Rican culture by experiencing everyday life with your host family! It’s your opportunity to use your language skills in real-life situations and make new friends!
Included meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14Return
Bid adiós to your tico host family as you depart for the United States with a lifetime of memories!
Included meals:
Breakfast
The Family Stay Experience®
We believe that spending time with a family, speaking their language and participating in their customs is the best and most authentic way to experience another culture. It’s also what makes our programs different from any other travel experience. After 50 years of arranging family stays, we’re no longer surprised when our participants say that spending time with a family was the best part of their experience!
Non-Profit | Since 1972 | 100 Host Communities & Growing
Xperitas is a community of lifelong intercultural learners who believe in a world built on deeper understanding
between cultures. Our values are reflected by our commitment to increasing accessibility to language immersion
programs. We provide aid and merit-based scholarships to qualified participants. Xperitas also achieves this goal by
providing grants to schools, better helping to promote global communication through language learning.
