Arrive To: Arrive in San José's Juan Santamaria International Airport.

Proceed through Immigrations, Baggage Claim and Customs before exiting the secured area of the airport. Please use the exit door on the right. The Road Scholar representative will be waiting outside the exit door with a Road Scholar sign (only applies to Road Scholar group flights).

Transfer to the hotel and check-in, followed by time at leisure.

Please note that this is an international travel day; no meals or program activities are scheduled on this day. Hotel check-in usually begins at 3PM.

Lodging: Hotel Boutique Jade

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Overview and orientation to the program.
Walk to the Costa Rican Language Academy (CRLA).

The CRLA is a privately owned language school with over 19 years of experience teaching Spanish to students from around the globe. The language academy has 35 classrooms, 2 computer rooms with internet access, 2 classrooms for Latin dance classes, a kitchen for cooking classes, a cafeteria, terraces, and gardens with sitting areas. The teaching staff at CRLA is accredited with the Costa Rican Department of Education and all hold degrees either from the University of Costa Rica or the Universidad Nacional.

Begin your first language sessions.

Lunch: Lunch at the CRLA.

Afternoon: Continue with Spanish classes.

Costa Rican cooking class.

Walk back to the hotel.

Dinner: Dinner at hotel.

Lodging: Hotel Boutique Jade

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Walk to the CRLA for morning language classes.

Lunch: Lunch at the CRLA.

Afternoon: Continue with Spanish language lessons.
Session discussing conservation in Costa Rica.
Latin dance lessons.
Walk back to the hotel.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.

Lodging: Hotel Boutique Jade

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Walk to the CRLA for morning language classes.

Lunch: Lunch at the CRLA.

Afternoon: Continue with the language sessions.
Field trip to the Gold Museum.

This unique underground museum showcases a collection of Pre-Colombian gold. The 2,000-piece collection weighs over 20,000 troy ounces, making this one of the wealthiest spots in the nation! Stamp collectors should consider the on-site philatelic museum, while those with an interest in ancient coins should venture into the adjoining numismatic museum.



Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.

Lodging: Hotel Boutique Jade

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Walk to CRLA for morning language classes.


Lunch: Lunch at the CRLA.

Afternoon: Depart for La Fortuna/Arenal.

The community of La Fortuna, in the province of Alajuela, is nearest to the Arenal Volcano. La Fortuna offers the perfect vantage point from which to admire Arenal's perfect cone. The fertile soil in this area produces a variety of crops for local consumption and for export, which are an important source of income for the community. Although increased revenue from tourism has led to improvements in la Fortuna's infrastructure and the emergence of hotels, it has managed to retain its local flavor and overall small town feel.

Late afternoon arrival at the hotel and check-in.
Lecture: The Many Moods of the Arenal Volcano.

Arenal was once Costa Rica's most active volcano and a main draw to the town of La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano National Park. The volcano lords over the countryside with its perfectly conical shape and occasional smoke and gas emissions. While minor activity excites visitors, they are rarely acknowledged by the locals who have learnt to accept the antics of the volcano as part of their daily lives. The thermal waters emanating from the volcano, the clean air and the energy associated with Arenal, makes this a favorite destination for health spa enthusiasts and nature lovers.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Arenal Paraiso

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Arenal -
Spanish Lessons/Opportunity for Independent Exploration/Cultural Interaction and Dining with Locals.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Morning Spanish classes at the hotel.

Lunch: Depart for the town of La Fortuna to dine with some of the local families at their homes.

Afternoon: Enjoy some free time to rest before your afternoon activities, enjoy the hotel's thermal springs, or explore local sites on your own.


Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Arenal Paraiso

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Arenal -
Spanish Classes/Views of Arenal Volcano/Optional Dining in La Fortuna.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Full morning of Spanish classes at the hotel.

Lunch: Lunch at the hotel.

Afternoon: This afternoon visit Arenal Observatory Lodge for a close-up view of the volcano. The lodge has facilitated a small research center that plays an important role in obtaining data about the volcano in an effort to predict its potential for activity. The gardens of the lodge are alive with butterflies and hummingbirds .

Return to the hotel.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Transport will be provided for those who wish to select a restaurant in the town of La Fortuna to satisfy a more adventurous palate. Teachers will be available to accompany participants. Tranport will be available to return participants to the hotel.

Lodging: Arenal Paraiso

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Sarapiqui -
Spanish Classes/Transfer to Sarapiqui/Independent Time/Pre-dinner Chat on the Patio.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Morning Spanish lessons at the hotel.


Lunch: Lunch at the hotel.

Afternoon: After lunch, drive to Sarapiqui (approx. 2.5 hours), in the country's Caribbean lowlands.

Sarapiqui is an area known for its natural beauty and biological diversity, nestled in the lush Caribbean lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica. Nature reserves such as those at La Selva Biological Station, Braulio Carrillo, Tirimbina, and Selva Verde have greatly contributed to the preservation of the region's rich plant and animal life by safeguarding large tracts of primary forest.

Arrive at the lodge and check-in.

Orientation to Selva Verde with a brief history of the lodge.

Time at leisure to enjoy the pool, explore the lodge's gardens or relax in your hammock, surrounded by the sounds of the rainforest.

Celebrate the end of a busy day with a get-together on the lodge's patio with your CRLA instructors. Enjoy some casual conversation in Spanish before heading to dinner.

Dinner: Dinner at the lodge.

Lodging: Selva Verde Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sarapiqui -
Optional Birding/Spanish Lessons/Tirimbina Chocolate Tour/Biological Corridor Project/Pre-dinner Chat on the Patio/Karaoke...in Spanish!

Breakfast: Optional birdwatching around the lodge.

Breakfast at the lodge.

Morning: Full morning of Spanish classes at the lodge.

Lunch: Lunch at the lodge.

Afternoon: Field trip to Tirimbina Rainforest Center to learn about traditional methods for cultivating and harvesting cacao and the process of turning it into chocolate. The 2.5 hour tour will include a site lecture on the pre- and post-colonial history of chocolate.

Tirimbina is a nature center located in the La Tirimbina community, in the northeastern lowlands of Costa Rica. Their primary mission is to provide environmental education and promote research opportunities that will eventually lead to conservation. The organization works closely with schools in the region (4th and 6th grades), offering inquiry-based learning activities that help to raise environmental awareness and appreciation within the local communities.

Return to the lodge.

Presentation: Selva Verde and the Biological Corridor Project.

Before dinner, meet on the lodge's patio with your CRLA instructors, for some casual conversation in Spanish.

Dinner: Dinner at the lodge.

Evening: Depart for a local bar/restaurant for an evening of Spanish karaoke with members of the community. Drinks are not included.

Lodging: Selva Verde Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sarapiqui -
Spanish Lessons/Sarapiqui River Nature Boat Ride/Walking Exploration of Puerto Viejo/Independent Time.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the lodge.

Morning: After breakfast, embark on a nature boat ride on the Sarapiqui River to learn about this ecosystem and its resident wildlife. There will also be an opportunity to interact with a local family that lives on the banks of the river. Learn how the river plays a significant role in their daily lives.

Visit the frontier town of Puerto Viejo accompanied by a group of residents from the town. Learn about their favorite shops, cafés, and restaurants and discover what type of medical facilities and social services are available in this small community.

Return to the lodge.

Lunch: Lunch at the lodge.

Afternoon: After lunch, enjoy some free time to rest and prepare for your afternoon lessons with CRLA instructors.

Spanish classes at the lodge.
Time at leisure.

Dinner: Dinner at the lodge.

Lodging: Selva Verde Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

San Jose -
Exploring Downtown San José and a Local Supermarket/Independent Time/Farewell Dinner.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the lodge.

Morning: Transfer back to San José (approximately 2.5 hours).

Lunch: Join your instructors in a farewell lunch celebration at the Costa Rica Language Academy.

Afternoon: Enjoy a visit to a local supermarket with your guide.

Arrive at your hotel and check-in.

Free time to relax or work on your packing.

Dinner: Farewell dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Lodging: Wyndham San José Herradura Hotel & Convention Center (formerly a Ramada property)

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart From: Transfer to the Juan Santamaria International Airport for flight to U.S.

Note: Participants with independent travel arrangements and/or scheduled on later flights can keep their hotel rooms until check-out time on this day. Except for breakfast, all other meals are on your own on this day.

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel (depending on flight time).



Meals Included: Breakfast