Great experience for young teens (HS program) hoping to learn a language and live somewhat independently yet have the support of a host family. Responsive great staff at Arcos. Highly recommend. Atenas is a great town to learn Spanish. Pretty and manageable. Not too much English spoken. Kind people willing to speak Spanish. The overall director, Brent, is great, honest and accessible. The on the ground director, Cata, is warm, friendly and caring. It's obvious how much they like doing what they do. And that shows in the attention to detail in providing a good experience for two NYC teenagers.

We found this program on the Internet without any friend's recommendations so were nervous. But the second we met with Brent and learned about all of his experience and his program team we were excited and at ease. He also connected us with other families who had sent their kids on various programs and we heard great things. He explained that once our daughter got to Costa Rica our primary contact would be Catalina which it was and she was GREAT. So we felt comfortable.
From our daughter's point of view, she loved Catalina, her family, made friends. The mother's cooking was delicious. The outings were fantastic and the opportunity to speak Spanish all the time was great. This program is exactly what they say it is. Excellent. Down to earth. Great people running it.

My daughter had a wonderful time and her Spanish improved significantly. The host family and the instructors were warm, welcoming and approachable. She felt safe and comfortable. The students had the independence to walk into town and explore. She enjoyed the wildlife, especially seeing baby sloths, and the weekend excursions. Due to covid and a delay in getting her passport renewed, we planned the trip last minute. Brent took the time to explain the details and choices over the phone. Arcos made everything easy. We felt comfortable as parents sending her overseas on her own for the first time. I wholeheartedly recommend Arcos and the Cost Rica Spanish immersion trip.

I spent 21 days in Atenas, Costa Rica on a Spanish immersion trip this summer. Overall it was an incredible experience from beginning to end. The owner (Brent) was terrific about providing information, addressing questions and getting to know me. Information was timely and very clear. Upon arrival, the program director (Cata) was amazing. The accommodations were safe and clean and my family was great. The agenda was a great mix of learning, fun activities and excursions and they were flexible based on the interests of the group. I would 100% book another Arcos trip!

My 15 year old son spent three weeks in Costa Rica through Arcos. He had the time of his life- between Spanish school, excursions and the family stay. Highly recommend- Brent and Catalina were very communicative and helpful. My son was taken to the dr for a minor issue, and I was given daily updates on his progress by the program leader in CR (Catalina). Brent was able to walk me through getting an expedited passport, and nothing about the program felt big or impersonal. It was a great experience and my son will definitely be doing another program with Arcos.