country overview
Costa Rica has something for everybody! The country boasts natural beauty, towering and fiery volcanoes, pristine beaches, raging rivers, virgin rain forests, abundant wildlife, warm and hospitable people and much more! We encourage you to explore Costa Rica during your free time, it is a beautiful country and is small enough to be covered in a short period of time. Most of the below excursions and activities can be reached from all our school locations and many of our schools will offer these as excursions. Public transport by bus is also very popular in Costa Rica, (bumpy but effective), so if you wish to explore by yourself it is easy and pretty cheap.

irazu volcano
This active volcano is located 55 km from San José. The trip, easily done by public bus and you can also stop in Cartago to visit the Basílica de Los Angeles, Patron Saint of Costa Rica. As you climb the slopes to the volcano you'll pass through the most important potato producing area of the country. The view at the volcano is spectacular. On a very clear day it is possible to see both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

arenal volcano & hot springs
Take a trip to the Arenal volcano, the drive to Arenal takes you through the central highlands and past many beautiful Costa Rican villages, into the San Carlos Plains, and finally climbs up to one of Costa Rica's active volcanoes. At night you will have the opportunity to see red-hot lava near the volcano's peak and to hear the frequent eruptions. During the day, you can visit hot springs in the area and take a walk through a nature reserve to see a spectacular waterfall. This trip is very easy to reach from our Monteverde school and most of our other school locations can arrange an excursion.

coffee tour
Costa Rican coffee is well known around the world for its strong flavor and tantalizing aroma. Cafe Britt, widely known for its gourmet coffee, offers visitors a trip through a coffee farm near Barba. You will enjoy a multimedia presentation about the history of coffee, a visit through the factory, and then a delicious trip to the tasting room.

butterfly farm
This farm features thousands of live butterflies in all stages of the life cycle (eggs, larvae, chrysalides, and adults) in an enclosed tropical garden. All visitors will receive an hour-long guided tour and learn about the natural history of the butterfly and the farm's operations.

poas volcano and national park
See the biggest geyser volcano in the world only 90 minutes from San José. The park offers spectacular views and nice trails and is easily reached by public bus. Alternatively, combine a visit to Poas in the mornings with a trip to the La Paz waterfalls in the afternoons.

monteverde cloud forest
In the private Monteverde Reserve, you will see the richest and most abundant displays of epiphytes in the world: ferns, orchids, and bromeliads (where the famous Resplendent Quetzal bird finds protection). There is also a lot of wildlife: monkeys, toucans, bellbirds, etc and a special "Hummingbird Gallery" where numerous hummingbirds come to feed. In addition to the private reserves in the area, you can visit a cheese and ice cream factory, butterfly farm and snake museum, and go horseback riding.

beaches
Costa Rica offers many beautiful beaches including in the North west, Tamarindo, Nosara, Montezuma, South east, Manuel Antonio and its many beautiful beaches all on the Pacific coast. The beaches of Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, and Playa Chiquita are on the Atlantic, however you will always find private beaches and coves along the coastline.

rain forest aerial tram
The Rain Forest Aerial Tram is located in a private reserve an hour away from San José and offers visitors a bird's eye view of the rainforest. The tour includes a 1-1/2 hour guided tour on a modified ski lift through primary and secondary forest, a guided nature hike and a film about the rain forest and the construction of the tram.

white water rafting and kayaking
This is becoming increasingly popular in Costa Rica. The bountiful rivers and their rapids provide more than just exciting recreation; they are a magnificent way to see the country. Many of them snake through the mountains and rainforests, and water travelers get to participate in the environment they witness. No river offers a more prized experience than the Reventazon, which stretches along the Nicaraguan border then down the Colorado delta system to the Caribbean coast. Rafting trips can be arranged in San Jose.

bird watching
Costa Rica is a Bird paradise and you can find many guides and locations to to this.

national parks
Well kept and well guarded national parks and nature reserves cover nearly 26 per cent of the country's territory. When studying we recommend you take some time to visit atleast one of the following parks. Manuel Antonio National Park and the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge are very popular and easy to reach from all our school locations. Many of the tiny islands in the Gulf of Nicoya, near Puntarenas, are 'biological protection areas'and quite stunning.

braulio carrillo national park
Located in the central region of the country just 23km (14 miles) north of San José. It has five kinds of forest,some with characteristic rainforest vegetation. Orchids and ferns, jaguars, ocelots and the Baird tapir may be seen here. There are trails through the park and many lookouts. Easy to reach from our Heredia, San Joaquin de Flores and San Jose schools.

poás volcano national park
As the name suggests, this park contains the smouldering Poás Volcano. It contains the only dwarf cloudforest in Costa Rica. The crater of the volcano is 1.5km (1-mile) wide and contains a hot-water lake which changes colour from turquoise to green to grey. Access is possible by road and our school in Monteverede have excursions.

Tortuguero National Park
This park protects the Atlantic green turtle egg-laying grounds; it is in an area of great ecological diversity. Its network of canals and lagoons serves as waterways for transportation and exploration. There are camping facilities and lodges.

santa rosa national park
The last large stand of tropical dry forest in Central America can be found here. There are ten habitats including extensive savannahs and deciduous and non-deciduous forests. In addition to its abundant wildlife, recreational facilities are provided on some of the beaches.

other popular national parks
Corcovado National Park: The virgin rainforest in this park contains many endangered species. It has the largest tree in Costa Rica, a ceibo which is 70m (230ft) high. Additionally there is Cano Island Biological Reserve, a bird sanctuary. Cahuita National Park: This park protects the only coral reef on Costa Rica's Carribbean coastline. Its other attractions include howler and white-faced monkeys, racoons and 500 species of fish. Chirripó National Park: The centrepiece here is Costa Rica's highest mountain. Most notably the park is home to the quetzal, said to be Latin America's most beautiful bird.