Family & Kids Spanish Program

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!

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.