Arcos: Programs for Teens in Costa Rica

My son traveled to Costa Rica with this program in July. He loved being there and especially living with a host family and practicin Spanish daily. As a parent, I found the program staff to be very helpful and readily available by phone to answer my questions. My son said he would love to travel again with this program and highly recommends it to all teens who might be interested. This program was a great balance between doing community service hours in the local village and getting to experience eco-adventure/fun as a group of teens.

When I first arrived at my homestay at 6 in the morning, I was greeted by a lovely sweet old couple. Throughout my two weeks staying with them, Carlos and Genia proved that they were the perfect host family. They made an effort to connect with us and challenged us to improve our Spanish speaking skills. They would make jokes and make the most delicious home-cooked meals. They washed our clothes when we asked and it was overall a great experience. As for the schooling, I loved the outdoor learning environment and the teachers were outstanding and very fun. Though it was challenging at some times, having a teacher that only spoke Spanish really helped me. Throughout the program, I made so many close friends that I have continued to stay in touch with and they all helped make the program more fun. On weekends, we went on excursions to different parts of the area. We would take a bus to go zip lining, visit a waterfall, or go surfing at one of the beaches. I loved learning new skills while also having fun and goofing around with my friends. One night we even stayed at a hotel where we each had separate rooms with our roommates. One thing I noticed throughout the Arcos experience was that everyone was so kind and fun to be around. I felt safe in the Atenas community and I loved the freedom/independence we were given. We had to navigate the taxis and speak almost all in Spanish, but I could tell that everyone was having such a fun time. By the last day, I never wanted to leave.

I loved my trip to Costa Rica with Arcos, I found the activities such as zip lining, cooking, dancing, etc. super fun and helpful to appreciate the culture. The family I stayed with for the majority of the trip was super sweet and accommodating to me even though communication was a challenge(I don’t speak Spanish). The trip was very well organized, with the group leaders Catalina and Laura always being on top of everything and perfectly timing activities. The volunteer work was rewarding in itself and felt productive.

Our daughter attended the Arcos trip in Costa Rica for 4 weeks, doing two homestay programs focused on language and culture. We did not know anything about the company, but were provided with endless contacts to call and all our questions were followed up with by the company so we decided to give them a try after overwhelmingly positive feedback. Our daughter had a wonderful time. I do think much of it was because of her first host family; they were a wonderful match. She stayed with a family and several kids from the program as it was a small session. They embraced our daughter and made her feel truly at home so much so that months later they still talk on a regular basis. The second home stay in a different area was not a good fit, but Brent and his team swiftly took action and the rest was wonderful as well. I really valued how accessible the team was especially on this and one other item that came up. Things happen, but how a company deals with it matters. My daughter had real opportunities to work on her Spanish with the teachers, but we stressed to Brent that that was a priority. I think the excursion trips and travel timing could be spaced a bit better, but I love that in each session the kids went somewhere else. My daughter had plenty of food and chances to shop and eat out with other students. It was a great program and good value for the cost, but it is really what the right child makes of it.

This trip was the best decision I’ve made, and one I will always remember! It was the perfect mix of fun adventure and rewarding community service. There was never a moment I was bored, yet I was also never tired of being on the go. The coordinators were there to answer questions and provide support throughout the whole trip, and they instilled a lot of trust in the whole group of kids. The experiences I had, the people I met, and the independence I gained will be carried with me for the rest of my life.

My homestay family was so kind and welcoming I feel like I gained an extended family on this trip. From conversations around the table to excursions out and about town, the family made an effort to involve us in everyday life in Costa Rica. The adventures--rafting, surfing, horseback riding, etc.--were amazing, but nothing compares to the authentic experience of building relationships with such wonderful people. I will definitely go back and visit on my own one day. I truly love my homestay family.

I have made such great memories on the trips that I have taken through this program, and Arcos Journeys Abroad made all of that possible by using great communication, fun activities, and made sure we felt safe and good about everything! From the first trip that I went on, Arcos Journeys Abroad has made everything from the plane ride, to the home stay, to the activities a breeze and made sure that I felt safe and comfortable with everything. I cannot wait to see what the next trip I take with Arcos Journeys Abroad will bring me!

This was a great experience because I got to be enriched with Costa Rican culture and the Spanish language. I learned multiple things in my classes and learned very valuable lessons. My teachers also expanded my vocabulary and used many different tactics of teaching to help us grow in the language. We worked on group projects, gave presentations, played games, practiced with native speakers in the community, and sat through traditional teaching as well. Each of these challenged us to learn more every day.