Language Programs in Samara, Costa Rica

The school was in a great location! My friends and I felt safe the entire time. The teachers were great but some were more strict then others. I was placed in a lower level than my friend although I knew more Spanish than her. It worked out and was still a great experience! Although my class was pretty easy, I still learned a lot and enjoyed my time. My living situation was another story! So many cockroaches everywhere! It was hard for me to sleep at night! I expected bugs but this was unreal! My friends never saw any the whole time they were there so I know my situation wasn't normal.

As a parent, one of the things I appreciated most about Intercultura's Teen Camp was that I was able to experience the school myself while my daughter attended the camp. I was taking adult Spanish classes at the same time, which gave me a unique perspective on the quality of the program and the people behind it. My daughter absolutely loved her experience. She made friends from around the world, improved her Spanish, and came home with a level of confidence and independence that surprised me. Every time we connected, she was excited about a new activity, excursion, or friendship. What impressed me most was the balance between structure and fun. The students were immersed in Spanish and Costa Rican culture, but the program never felt overly academic. They were learning naturally through activities, outings, and daily interactions. The staff created a warm, supportive environment where teens felt safe, included, and encouraged to step outside their comfort zones. Because I was also studying at Intercultura, I got to see firsthand how dedicated the teachers and staff are. The same welcoming atmosphere that I experienced as an adult learner was clearly reflected in the teen program as well. By the end of the program, my daughter wasn't ready to leave. She had formed meaningful friendships, gained confidence in her language abilities, and created memories that she still talks about. As a parent, that's exactly what I hoped for when we signed up. I would wholeheartedly recommend Intercultura's Teen Camp to any family looking for a safe, enriching, and genuinely life-changing international experience for their teenager.

I can't say enough how good an experience I had. It is a simple operation but with the best teachers. I learned a lot. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When we arrived in Costa Rica we had very little spanish. Having moved here, we knew we needed much more facility with the language. The school has been helpful, patient, and they've managed to make the process fun. We have 2 classes a week, for 3 hours each, plus homework. Learning has of course been invaluable, but there's a separate, hidden benefit to the school for ex-pats- when you need help dealing with people and situations here, they volunteer to suggest and explain things. They know the area well and can help you integrate; this has been as valuable as the language skill. Highly recommended.

As a Costa Rican teen, participating in 'Amigos Sin Fronteras' with the foreign students at Intercultura was an amazing experience. We had a great time hanging out and grabbing dinner at the local mall, and I even joined them for a ropes course adventure in the coffee plantations up in the mountains. Both activities were a fantastic way to meet teenagers from the USA, Canada, and Germany. I hope Intercultura invites me to the next event; I love making friends from all over the world, and this program has given me the perfect opportunity to do just that.

I first heard about Intercultura through the agency Prolinguis in Switzerland. They pointed me toward Sámara as one of the best spots in Costa Rica, so I took their word for it and booked a three-week stay. I‘ll admit, I was pretty overwhelmed at first. It was my first time studying abroad and my first time in a country I didn‘t know at all. But looking back, I had a great time. I met so many amazing people from various countries that I still keep in touch with even now. My host family was great - I still find myself craving Costa Rican Food. Solo quiero dar las gracias de nuevo a Alice y a Estefanía por ser unas anfitrionas tan maravillosas y por dejarme vivir en su preciosa casa durante tres semanas :) Also, a huge shout-out to Iris. My final week ended up being my favorite, mostly thanks to her. I learned so much and walked away feeling like I could actually use my Spanish. I‘ve never had a teacher who could make a language feel so simple (especially grammar, which is usually a nightmare for me). She has this amazing skill for making lessons fun while still pushing you to get better. I would definitely not mind doing more lessons with her :-)

I loved my time at Intercultura! I found it on Global Scholarships, where it was named one of the best seven Spanish schools in the world, and the only one in Costa Rica, which I really wanted to visit. I also liked that the school listed their teachers’ qualifications on their website, along with student reviews of the teachers, I think this is really important because you know they’re actual teachers. Anyway, the teachers I had were excellent - they really cared about how much I was learning and what our class was getting out of each lesson. They made the lessons fun and relevant and I got to practice speaking a lot. I also liked that they had a really clear structure - first we’d do pre-conversation vocabulary and grammar point review, and then a topic was chosen that included those points, then you progress from easier to harder activities related to it. We also had freedom to expand upon the topic and go with other subjects that would come up in the class related to our interests. After class we had tons of fun activities (which were free) that exposed us to Costa Rican culture, and I got to continue to practice speaking Spanish. My Spanish improved so much, and my cooking Costa Rica style too! I loved spending time at the beach and also being at the city campus - they were two different, but both great, experiences. The school was very well run and organized and felt personal but not too small at the same time. It was fun to meet people from other countries and local Costa Ricans as well, it really opened my eyes and made me realize how easy it is to get past the differences just by having contact with people from so many different backgrounds, including different religions and sexual orientations, it was a really open and diverse atmosphere, which I loved. It’s part of the school’s philosophy and you can see they really mean it, it’s not just a blurb on a website.

When it came time to send my son to a Spanish language program in a Spanish- speaking country, I started by reconnecting with Intercultura. I studied at Intercultura in 1994, and it was an experience that has stayed with me for life. I loved the school, the teachers, my host family, the leap I made in speaking Spanish, and the beautiful country. After reading the recent student reviews and the biographies of the qualified teachers on their website, I was happy to see that Intercultura continued to thrive for over 30 years. I felt very comfortable sending him there - some of the wonderful administrators I had 30 years ago were still there! My son studied at Intercultura for two weeks in 2025. He spent one week at the beach campus in Samara and one week at the campus in Heredia. The class sizes were small - he was one of 4 students at the beach and one of 3 in Heredia. The classes were very interactive and he had plenty of focused conversation time. He said the school also offered lots of activities outside of class time and he was never bored. One of the things he loved the most was making friends with Costa Rican kids that were at the school studying ESL. He is still in touch with with a few kids there. His confidence speaking Spanish greatly improved and he had a lot of fun and a great experience at the same time.

I signed up for a homestay at the beach for the second week without really thinking about it bc I wanted to contribute to the community, and I have tto admit it was a little awkward for me at first. It was so different there and the houses are extremely basic, which I wasn't prepared for even tho i saw all the pictures, and I'm shy anyway so when I first got there it was just kind of a shock and embarrassing bc i couldn't really remember anything from class the week before haha But my homestay mom was SO nice, and when i saw here the next day after class it was way less weird (or probably i was) and long story short, that ended up being an AMAZING week for so many reasons and living with Abril (homestay mom) helped my Spanish get so much better! No exaggeration like 3x better. I didn't want to leave!

The teen immersion program is a fun way for kids to gain confidence, and increase proficiency. My son learned so much and excelled when he was in class this year. He made friends easily and learned so much about the culture of Costa Rica. All the teachers were great un his experience.

My experience with the teaching staff of Intercultura has left me impressed, time and again, with their dedication, passion, creativity, and knowledge. Intercultura hires not only native speakers, but vetted and experienced teachers who are committed to connecting with their students and helping them to advance individually.

A couple of years ago, my son Mason spent six weeks in the teen program at Intercultura’s Sámara campus. It was truly one of the most rewarding experiences he’s ever had. It went far beyond just learning a language, he lived with a local family and fully immersed himself in the culture. This experience helped him grow tremendously as a teenager. He made new friends, learned to surf, and came home not only feeling more confident in his Spanish, but feeling more confident as young man.

The staff was very professional and knowledgeable. The campus was not too big and my daughter and I felt very safe and comfortable there. It is the perfect blend of homey and scholarly. We were both placed in classes that were exactly where we needed to be placed. My classes were just as perfect for me as my daughter's 8 year old classes were for her. Age appropriate! The school offers tours and excursions which make experiencing the town and surrounding areas convenient. We recommend the horse back riding and zip lining. I cannot emphasize enough how perfect the beach in Samara is. The sand is soft and clean. The waves are gentle but big enough for surfing. The water is the same idyllic temperature as the air and so clear! We spent many days luxuriating on the beach. The only draw back is that Samara attracts an international community so getting a "true" Costa Rican meal takes some searching. But that is also a bonus because the food options are so diverse!

I took a leap from the usual laying-around vacation and signed up for the Spanish Immersion class at Samara Beach. What a wonderful experience and still plenty of time to enjoy the slower, more relaxed pace of life in Samara. The facility was clean and laid back, right on the beach and the staff and teachers were great. We were broken into groups dependent on our level of understanding and alternated morning or afternoon start times. Although I did not have a home stay, which would have given me a deeper level of understand and immersion, I really enjoyed the week of learning and enjoying my vacation to the fullest.

Fantastic program! Our girls, ages 13 and 16, attended Intercultura for 2 weeks. Intercultura did a terrific job matching them with groups with similar skill levels as well as considering their ages and schedules. Our 16 year old elected to do a class by herself the first week (early June when few other families are on vacation yet). Even though the one-on-one was hard, she felt like her Spanish improved tremendously and it was very rewarding. The second week, she was able to be with a high school study abroad group and so had a totally different experience that week, also very positive. The 13 year old had many different aged kids in her class and had a terrific time with them--lots of fun games and interaction. I will be honest--learning a language is always challenging, but the concentrated period of learning is something regular high school classes just cannot provide in terms of having enough hours to really get the brain to switch over to Spanish. We really appreciate Intercultura's commitment to Spanish only on campus--again, hard but key for true learning. The surfing was also fantastic. Mumford was a patient and inspiring instructor, and both girls went from non-surfers to up on the board on their own. The Samara beach is beautiful and the town is relaxed and not too aggressively touristy. Overall, a very good experience.

I had the good fortune of traveling in Costa Rica during the green season and was able to spend one week with a host family while studying at Intercultura in Heredia and two weeks with a host family while studying at Intercultura in Samara. I had very little Spanish prior to starting the immersion program and felt comfortable, by the end of the first week, having a simple conversation with my host family (with the help of a Spanish dictionary and their endless patience). By the end of the three weeks, I felt more at ease attempting conversations with the locals while out and about. Both Heredia and Samara are great locations...Heredia offers the feel of a bigger city while still being small enough to explore mostly on foot, while Samara offers the quintessential beach and surf experience. If you have the opportunity to do an immersion program, I would highly recommend Intercultura!

I spent two weeks in the Spanish immersion program this summer. I brought my mother-in-law, my 10-year-old daughter, and a 16-year-old friend of the family. We all stayed together in a house with a lovely, welcoming hostess. The classes were very informative on both language and cultural aspects, and the teachers sharp, well prepared, and helpful. The administration was exceptionally helpful and friendly. The price for the schooling and the home-stay were very reasonable. The town is small but with good restaurants and enough fun things to do. The school offers weekend excursions which are outstanding - our group of 12 people from 6 countries, ranging in age from 10 to 70, went on unforgettable adventures one weekend to hot springs, a waterfall, a cloud forest night walk, zip-lining through the canopy, and more! I have previously done a Spanish immersion program in Guatemala, which was also excellent, but this was more social and better organized. One of the students did have a backpack stolen at a beach while I was there, so do follow the common sense guidelines for protecting yourself, which of course you must do everywhere in the world. I did not feel unsafe, even with my daughter. I didn't visit the Heredia campus at all, so I can't comment. I highly recommend Intercultura for learning Spanish and a bit of Tican culture. If you go, book an excursion early in your trip to make friends with other students quickly, and definitely do the homestay to have a more complete experience.

My time with Intercultura was amazing. I not only had the amazing opportunity to live with a family, and to be fully immersed in my housing, but also to be fully immersed through class and our many service programs. We went to class for about 3-4 hours a day, and for the rest of the day we did service, surfed, visited different attractions around the city and the beach town, and had so much fun. It was honestly one of the best things I've ever done, and I met people there that were amazing and wonderful. I would HIGHLY recommend this program to people who want to learn Spanish, yes, but also to people who want to be immersed culturally in the Costa Rican culture. Yo amo este programa, y si yo tendría la opportunidad a ir al este tambien, yo iría en un latido de corizon. (I loved this program, and if I had the chance to go to it again, I would go in a heartbeat.)

Since three years I spent fews weeks in Samara school . This place is look like a family for me ! All the staff (professors, administration, etc.) are always cheerful , friendly and above all always available to assist our stay. Moreover , the teachers are very nice but demanding at the courses, which is essential. I noticed that for three years the obligation to speak only Spanish on the school's site is better monitored and frequent reminders are made by the school staff . This attitude, and in my opinion is essential. The residence in families is in my opinion the avenue to focus and really complete training at school. However, in discussion with several students , the quality of living in families can be very variable. Some were very disappointed but against others ( like me!) were delighted . I think there should be a little tighter as the exigeances given to families hosting students. It would also be appropriate in my opinion than older students (like me !!) have access to families where comfort is a bit higher . The standards are a bit different for a person of 18 years for a person 55 years ! It might be interesting that the school plans to offer one or more courses focused primarily on the needs of travelers in countries where Spanish is used. Less focus on grammar and verb tenses , these courses allow participants to better manage in Spanish while traveling . Would focus on vocabulary words and common expressions used in travel. I think there will be in the coming years more and more older people who want to learn Spanish in a school like Intercultura and believe that offering really focused on the Spanish language to use during a trip, would an asset for school. Another point that deserves to be analyzed by the school and that my opinion is shared concerns having in the same class young students and much older students. At first glance I would say it is very interesting to mix the age levels in the same way but also I realize that older students do not necessarily have the same ease and even learning speed. I have no solution to propose but I consider that it is a reality that I lived through my three visits to Samara. Finally, consider the experience to Intercultura is really very positive. In my case , it's not easy, however to practice the Spanish language throughout the year but possibly it will give me the opportunity to return more often at Intercultura in Samara !!! Paquito