Study Abroad Programs in Atenas, Costa Rica

We were thrilled with the Arcos Costa Rica trip for our son! It was his first trip abroad without us and he had a wonderful experience! The itinerary was full of exciting excursions and cultural activities and he really enjoyed his homestay. We'd highly recommend the program and can't wait for him to go on new adventures with Arcos for his last two years of high school!

This was the first time we had sent our 15-year-old out of the country by herself, and it was a wonderful experience. The team in Austin was helpful and easy to get in touch with. They walked us through the whole process and provided plenty of support. She enjoyed meeting students from different places, still keeps in touch with her homestay family, and found her new favorite foods in Oaxaca! Thank you Arcos!

My 16 year old daughter went on this program. It was excellently run and managed. This was her first solo international travel experience, and we all felt some initial trepidation. However, all the staff and individuals involved in the program were extremely knowledgeable, supportive, and welcoming. This created an excellent experience and learning opportunity for my daughter; who came back with a renewed confidence and increased appreciation of the greater world around her.

To study abroad for my kids was a great experience. They learn a new culture, try new food and practiced a new language. With Arcos Journey my kids have been in Costa Rica, Argentina and Spain. Both kids loved the whole program.

The Spanish classes were thorough, hands on, and very entertaining! We greatly improved our Spanish over the course of only four days. I built a great relationship with my host family and felt super comfortable right off the bat. We saw amazing views, plants, animals, and places and could not get enough of the amazing food!

I had a great time getting to live with my host family and my Spanish really improved. I loved how we had time to explore on our own, but also had structured cultural time. School was fun and the activities were engaging.

Paloma gained a sense of independence and came away feeling very proud of herself for completing the program. It was her first time traveling alone. She made a lot of nice friends. Expect that your child may be very homesick the first several days until they settle in.

Elizabeth's self-confidence and independence grew dramatically after the two weeks. She was also extremely happy while she was in Costa Rica. She enjoyed the cultural activities and made close friendships. For my daughter, it made a big difference to meet with other participants before starting the trip. This eliminated her primary anxiety driven by feelings of "What if they don't like me, or I don't like them?"

She had a wonderful experience. It was worth the money for sure. As a parent, I wish that I would have had more communication from the program, I would have felt she was safer in the beginning. It turned out fine but I was nervous the day she travelled and the first few days she was there. Otherwise, it was a great program and life changing for her.

Arcos Study Abroad Program supplied clear and thoughtful instructions that first time travelers could follow to a T along with caring host families to follow. The lessons are taught by caring teachers that truly broaden your language capabilities and experiences that allow you to practice these skills while also being extremely fun. The program feels like family and I would recommend it to anyone.

This Arcos Journey program is just what they say it is. Super fun. The staff is great. My daugther's host mother was an amazing cook and made her delicious meals. She loved all of the activities and outings and Spanish classes. She made nice friends that she enjoyed hanging out with. The program is super well organized and down to earth. We highly recommend it.

My daughter had a wonderful time and learned so much about the culture while improving her Spanish. They took care to match her with other students her age. We would definitely use this program again!