Teen Spanish Summer Camp in Costa Rica

Teen Spanish Summer Camp in Costa Rica

Location
  • Costa Rica
    • Heredia
Length
1 - 2 weeks
Payment plans

Program Details

Program Type
Direct Enrollment
Timeframe
Summer
Housing
Host Family
Language
Spanish
Age Min.
13
Age Max
17

Pricing

Price Details
From arrival to departure, meals, lodging, transportation, classes, activities, tours, and supervision are fully covered.

What is included
• 40 hours of small group Spanish classes
• 10 hours of guided community service
• Homestay accommodation with two daily meals, laundry, and WiFi
• Daily cultural activities like cooking, dance, art, and soccer
• Daily lunch with Costa Rican and international cuisine
• Adventure tours including rafting and zip lining
• Airport pickup and drop off from SJO
• 24/7 supervision with a 7 to 1 ratio
• Daily photo updates and parent communication
• Graduation ceremony and certificate of program completion
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals SIM cards Transportation Wifi
What's Included (Extra)

This 15-Day program includes a lot.
All meals, classes, tours, transportation, class materials, and activities are included in the camp. We provide 24/7 communication with parents and upload photos of the camp daily to parent Whatsapp group chats.

What's Not Included
Airfare Domestic Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
What's Not Included (Extra)

Not Included in the Camp:
— Airfare & Travel Insurance
—Spending money for umbrellas, snacks, ice-cream, souvenirs, etc. (we recommend $50/week)

Jan 12, 2026
Aug 20, 2025
29 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Our Teen Spanish Summer Camp in Costa Rica is a fun, immersive experience that combines Spanish language learning, cultural immersion, adventure travel, and community service. Teens build real world Spanish skills through small group classes and daily interaction while living with a welcoming Costa Rican host family in Heredia. Each afternoon brings hands on cultural activities like cooking, dance, art, and sports that make learning Spanish feel natural and exciting. Students also complete 10 hours of local community service, giving them the chance to connect with the community while using Spanish in meaningful ways. On weekends, the group explores Costa Rica’s rainforests, waterfalls, beaches, and national parks. With 24/7 supervision and a supportive international environment, students head home with stronger Spanish, new friendships, and unforgettable memories!

COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

This program offers immersive Spanish classes with supportive teachers and welcoming host families in a safe, friendly community.

Program Highlights

  • Live with a Costa Rican host family and practice Spanish every day in a real life setting
  • Learn Spanish in small groups with experienced instructors and other teens from around the world
  • Give back through 10 hours of hands on community service with local organizations
  • Tap into your adventurous side with white water rafting, zip lining, and hikes through the rainforest
  • Enjoy daily activities like cooking and dance class, pick-up soccer games, and visits to museums, animal rescue centers, and coffee farms

Teen Spanish Camp Update | Camp #2 and #3 | Still Open!

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

Tico Lingo is a diverse and welcoming space committed to creating respectful and inclusive environments where BIPOC students feel seen, safe, and supported. We encourage open dialogue around cultural identity and social equity, and we work with local partners who share our values of diversity and inclusion. Our community includes students from all over the world, representing a wide range of races, religions, and economic backgrounds, and our team is always available to listen, support, and empower every learner.
Tico Lingo is proud to be an inclusive and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ students. We work with homestay families and staff who value respect, safety, and open-mindedness, and we are happy to accommodate housing and classroom preferences whenever possible. Our team is here to support each student’s identity and ensure a comfortable, affirming immersion experience in Costa Rica.
Tico Lingo is committed to supporting neurodivergent students by fostering a flexible, patient, and understanding learning environment. Our small class sizes, personalized instruction, and calm school atmosphere allow us to adapt to a variety of learning styles and sensory needs. We encourage open communication before and during the program so we can work together to create a positive and supportive experience for every student.
Tico Lingo welcomes students of all abilities and is happy to accommodate participants with physical disabilities or chronic conditions whenever possible. While our historic building in Heredia has some physical limitations, we work closely with students in advance to assess individual needs and make personalized arrangements for housing, transportation, and classroom access. Our team is committed to creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for every learner.

Impact 🌎

At Tico Lingo, we strive to minimize our environmental footprint while maximizing our positive contribution to Costa Rica’s ecosystems. We’ve eliminated single-use plastics across all programs, provide students with reusable drinkware and eatware, and promote low-impact travel throughout Heredia and beyond. In partnership with local animal rescue centers like Rescate and Toucan Rescue Ranch, we support wildlife conservation through financial donations, student engagement, and education.
Tico Lingo builds its programs around fairness, respect, and responsible community engagement. We work exclusively with local Costa Rican families, tours guides, and activity instructors, and Spanish teachers to ensure ethical pay and direct economic benefit to our local community. Students are encouraged to engage with Costa Rican cultural traditions thoughtfully and respectfully, using their Spanish to connect with the local community with openness and curiosity. The goal is to foster meaningful, positive experiences for both the student and the people of Heredia.

Program Reviews

4.97 Rating
based on 91 reviews
  • 5 rating 96.7%
  • 4 rating 3.3%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.95
  • Support 5
  • Fun 4.95
  • Housing 4.95
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 57 - 64 of 91 reviews
Olivia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

If you’re thinking about it even a little bit, do it!!!

I loved my experience in Costa Rica. Tico lingo was such a fun program and I met some people I think will be my life long friends, my host family was excellent and it even made me realize how much I love the Costa Rican culture. It was very safe and fun and overall just an awesome experience. I truly think everyone should get to go to Costa Rica with Tico lingo. I also feel a lot more cultured now, and it’s been a really good refresher when coming back to school and taking Spanish, it felt like I was a step ahead of everyone.

What was your funniest moment?
Well when me and my friend were swimming out on the rocks and we both got cut from the rocks(lesson learned) but we could not stop laughing about how stupid we were. I did learn a VERY valuable lesson though.
Pros
  • Learned ALOT more Spanish from an authentic Spanish teacher
  • I met really fun friends
  • And I feel a lot more cultured from trying new things and pushing myself to speak with the locals
Cons
  • The mall did not have very good shops
  • I wasn’t a big fan of the scavenger hunt, and maybe some more time at the beach would be good
  • I think I wish we spent more time at the beach.
95 people found this review helpful.
Grace
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I loved this program!

Tico Lingo gave me such a unique opportunity to learn Spanish while in an immersive environment while also exploring Costa Rica! We went on trips around the country as a group in order to learn more about the culture, but the best part for me was the Spanish classes and the homestay. Tico Lingo matched me with a Spanish class for my level, so I always felt comfortable speaking up in class and talking in Spanish with my teacher, who was a native speaker. I also loved my host family and homestay, and I thought Tico Lingo did an amazing job not only matching me with a host family, but also matching me with a roommate. Thanks to Tico Lingo, I'm still in touch with both my roommate and my host family. I always felt safe and welcomed in my homestay, and Tico Lingo also made sure to find host families who were so kind and helpful; I got to meet their family and go out to dinner with them, and my host mom made sure to take great care of my roommate and me when we were sick!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Tico Lingo made a huge effort to get us to try new foods and expand our horizons! Across the street there was a store with Costa Rican snacks, some that I'd never seen before like aloe water. Whenever we got lunch, we would get what are called casado, a traditional Costa Rican dish with some type of meat (usually), rice, beans, plantains, and sometimes vegetables. I think the most unfamiliar thing was some of the fruit they have there, specifically the granadilla. It's a sort of sour fruit with a weird texture that you can eat right out of the shell when you buy it at the market!
Pros
  • Great learning experience
  • Fun way to meet new people from around the world
  • Amazing summer adventure
Cons
  • Flying alone was a little scary (especially when my flight got cancelled)
110 people found this review helpful.
Hazel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Love this program!

While in Costa Rica with Tico Lingo I learned so much Spanish through classes but also through immersion as well. I loved my host family and still occasionally text with them. Even though I was nervous at first, I quickly realized it was going to be an amazing 2 weeks. Sometimes during class we would go into a nearby market to use our Spanish to buy different fruits and other things. Then when we would go home we could keep practicing our Spanish with our host parents. During the weekends we went and had so much fun white water rafting, going to the beach, and canoeing near a volcano!I had so a wonderful and beneficial experience with tico lingo and I highly recommend this program for anyone who is looking!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
A granadilla!!! Is the strangest fruit among many crazy fruits there. Me and my friends went and bought a bunch of different fruits to try and the granadilla was definitely the most unforgettable.
Pros
  • Learning Spanish through immersion
  • Meet friends from all over the world
  • The town was awesome
Cons
  • Hard to settle in at first
  • Missed my family and friends
  • 2 weeks is too short
102 people found this review helpful.
Jonathah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Awesome teachers, people, and city!

The Tico Lingo teen program is awesome! I took small classes with classmates and instructors tailored to my proficiency (shoutout Freddy!), all of which taught be new skills and useful phrases. I met awesome new friends, many of whom I'm still in contact with today. Doing the program with people I'd just met but quickly knew so well gave us lots to talk about in Spanish without any of the usual awkwardness. My homestay "mama tica," Damaris, was super caring, very good at improving my housemate's and my conversational styles, and made amazing food. And Heredia was super fun to explore and easy to get around.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Spend lots of time talking in Spanish with your host family. The classes are great, but casual conversations about your life and your hosts' lives really help with learning the nuances of conversational Spanish. Also, the conversations can be super fun!
Pros
  • Great host family
  • Funny, caring, helpful teacher
  • Fun city/excursions
95 people found this review helpful.
Daniel
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Tico Lingo summer trip

The experience was great, it showed me how I could really use my Spanish but also taught me some good lessons personally inside when I did certain things and saw certain things. I do believe people should stick in groups, especially after dark. I had to handle a situation with an aggressive homeless native mid day in a park in order to protect my group. But I strongly recommend tico lingo. I honestly think it’s a great experienced not just for Spanish but for life. I also really enjoyed the people who housed me and my housemates. Amazing people who deserve the best. The staff is great as well. They can all relate to us younger and older people.

What was your funniest moment?
Me and my housemates, all gym rats went to a gym to go lift. I left and came back with 5 pieces of fried chicken and just sat on my butt and ate while all the natives who push steroids watched me eat.
Pros
  • Good lessons
  • Shows how you can really use Spanish
  • You can really bond if you’re willing to do things differently
Cons
  • Certain native Tico’s
100 people found this review helpful.
Elliot
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Tico Lingo Teen Summer Camp

Oh my god where to I start!? If you are looking for a safe, fun, out of the ordinary, bilingual, program to send your kid to this summer Tico Lingo is the one you want to send them to. Not only is the bilingual aspect fantastic thanks to their incredible staff and tour guides but the friendships you form overseas are one of a kind. The location is safe and not once did I feel unsafe. The Homestay families are fantastic, and the places they take you too are unforgettable. This is the best program out there and you should definitely consider it if your looking.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
The most nerve racking moment for me was making the decision to go on my own and fly/travel by myself. I clearly remember bording the plane and having this rush of panic thinking, “What am I doing? This is a mistake.” Obviously at that point it was too late to turn back and the way I overcame it was making close connections with my housemates and just letting myself be in the moment and enjoy the wild ride. 10/10 would recommend
Pros
  • Friends/ host family
  • Improved my spanish
  • Food
Cons
  • The boys in my group were lame
  • It is a long way from home
  • N/A
101 people found this review helpful.
Maya
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Experience of a lifetime!

I did the two week teen summer camp and loved it! Everyone was super welcoming and kind. I had a wonderful homestay family and stayed with two other girls in the Tico Lingo program that were my age. I feel like my Spanish really improved, not only from the daily classes but also from getting to be immersed in the language during everyday situations. The group dynamic was great and the wonderful staff looked out for us and made sure that we felt safe. From swimming in the crystal blue water at Manuel Antonio to kayaking through lake Arenal, the weekend excursions were breathtaking and unforgettable. Tico Lingo summer camp is the perfect opportunity for your teen to grow their Spanish, experience new cultures, and see the world.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
On one of our weekend excursions, we went into the local produce market and were tasked with buying Costa Rican ingredients with the challenge of getting them for the best price compared to the other students. I got to experience wonderfully fresh Costa Rican produce like granadilla, and mamón chino. Overall, the program does a great job at melding together Spanish-learning experiences with fun, enriching opportunities.
117 people found this review helpful.
Deniz
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Tico lingo

Tico Lingo camp exceeded my expectations in every way. From the immersive language sessions to the cultural activities, every aspect was meticulously planned and executed. The instructors were not only fluent in Spanish but also incredibly passionate about teaching. The small class sizes allowed for personalized attention, ensuring rapid progress in language proficiency. Moreover, the camp fostered a supportive and inclusive environment where students felt comfortable practicing their Spanish skills without fear of judgment. The cultural excursions were a highlight, offering hands-on experiences that deepened our understanding of Costa Rican history, art, and cuisine. Overall, this camp was a transformative experience that not only improved my Spanish but also left me with unforgettable memories and lasting friendships. Highly recommended for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice would be to go out in Heredia and converse with the locals after class.
Pros
  • Spanish building
  • New experience
  • Life long memory
Cons
  • Budget
89 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

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