Program Reviews

This trip was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. My tour guide Kevin, was very kind, polite and helpful.‎‎‏‏‎
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I went to Argentina for 4 weeks through the Arcos journey abroad program. For two of the weeks, I attended a school, and for the other two weeks, I volunteered at a retirement home. Some of the activities I do include attending a tango show, going to various museums, and of course, doing all the most common popular activities. All of these activities were done with a group of other students my age. I also stayed in an apartment with another family, the housing experience was very comfortable and accomidating

This program was a unique experience. I don’t think most people in North America are aware of the beauty of Argentina. I’d recommend taking the Spanish immersion program in Buenos Aires. The architecture is beautiful and the food is delicious. The Spanish classes are really interesting and personal. We were only 4 in our class which makes for a fast learning process. My only issue with this trip was how I was treated by my house mom. It felt like she didn’t want us there and that she was hosting only to make money. Other people in my group lived a similar experience.

Argentina was a great learning experience for Spanish and a lot of fun. Being able to speak Spanish with everyone there accelerated my learning speed. Skiing was also very fun, and all the activities we did during both programs were fun and valuable. The guide was knowledgeable and fun to be around. The activities could have been better fitted to our age group, as some were boring. The flight arrangements were good and worked out well. The guide was very good at helping us navigate and get through the airport and at arranging travel.

The trip leader was incredible. Kevin Williams was the man. The skiing was fun. Overall fun trip. I made a lot of good memories with my friends and met some new ones. Good cultural immersion.

Fun crew, at first was a little weird getting to know the people cause I haven’t met people from these specific areas but we all fell right into place thanks to Kevin! I don’t think I would do anything differently besides maybe helping with chores a little more I was kinda lazy most the time, I really how nice Kevin was and how much he could relate and fit in with such a rowdy teenage crew, and Kevin if your reading this, mi español es mejor día por día, aprendo mucho slang y otras cosas, suerte con vida amigooooo!

I had a great time on this trip. The skiing was fun but the scenery almost overshadows it. We had a powder day in the middle of the trip which was so much fun, but otherwise it was mainly groomer skiing. It’s very possible to participate in this trip without having prior experience with skiing since you can take lessons with an instructor, but I would recommend having some ski days under your belt to make the experience more enjoyable.

Kevin, our trip instructor, was very friendly and responsible. He made sure everybody got what they needed and got where they needed to be. He also made some tasty dinners (but if you don’t help to prepare food you must clean up after!). He was also flexible and willing to adjust the schedule according to the mood of the group. That being said, the schedule was still pretty rigid and there weren’t too many options for activities during downtime.

The housing was very comfortable aside from a few heating problems and had a very nice yard with access to the beach where we all jumped in the freezing water on the last day. The owner of the house let us use their guitar which was very fun. We ate at some great restaurants and the rest of the meals came from groceries. We be mistake we made when grocery shopping was we didn’t buy enough fresh produce and ended up eating lots of processed foods during the following days.

Also, be prepared to meet and live with all varieties of people.

This was the first time our 15 yr old daughter traveled anywhere by herself, much less to a foreign country with no one she knew. She was so nervous- hardly speaking the language; living with a family she didn’t know; making new friends; facing the unknown! But she took on the challenge and was SO happy she did. She had a wonderful experience and came home a very happy camper, feeling so confident and accomplished. No doubt Arcos had everything to do with it. From beginning to end Arcos was on it. Our questions & concerns were promptly addressed; the whole process was well organized and uncomplicated; information was clear & thoughtful; safety of kids always seemed to be their first priority. The program offered a perfect mix of cultural and language immersion with adventure sprinkled in. We recommend Arcos without hesitation! Our daughter has no regrets and would do it again.

My 16 year old son loved this program in Granada. The staff did a great job from the application prcess through to the return. Arcos has two programs in Granada, Spain--one that is a traditional language immersion program and one focused on outdoor exploration. My son chose the outdoor program ad he loved learning about Granada by hiking and biking in the Sierra Nevada, swimming in waterfalls and exploring caves. Granada is a safe city that allows teens to feel independent in a fun enviornment. I highly recommend this program!

My daughter, 14, went on the Arcos Journeys program to Costa Rica last summer 2022 (3 week option) and I would highly recommend it! From the beginning when she was picked up at the airport, to the end when she was assisted through the check-in process to fly home - it all went smoothly (note I would definitely recommend purchasing the unaccompanied minor fee through the airline - it was well worth it).

Everyone I dealt with during the initial paperwork process was efficient and thorough, any questions I had were immediately addressed. I had a last minute paperwork concern before she left for the airport and it was handled/resolved within 5 minutes of sending the email! I was initially hesitant about letting her go since she had never traveled alone, let alone to another country! But looking back on how smoothly it all went, this program is clearly run by a team of people who know what they're doing. And, most importantly, know how to manage a group of teens & structure a program in a foreign country so they're always safe! The program allowed her to fully immerse in another culture, have a ton of fun and improve her Spanish. She had the time of her life and already wants to go again next year!

Her homestay family was amazing - they were so kind, her accommodations were beautiful, and the food she was provided was exceptional (mangos, papaya, traditional Costa Rican cuisine, etc...). She made great friends, even the simple experience of walking into town together to have dessert at a cafe was really memorable for her! The Spanish classes were in this open air classroom that was just stunningly beautiful - her favorite part of the trip was her Spanish teacher - she learned a lot but really had a lot of fun at the same time. The excursions they planned for her group were really beyond what I expected - zip lining in the rainforest (her favorite), learning to surf, going to the beach, cooking/dancing classes, volunteering at a local school etc....All in all, everything was structured/planned really well - the director Cata was so personable and made her feel at home from day 1 - it was an experience I'm sure she'll remember her entire life!

If you're on the fence re letting your teen go through this program - go for it! It's a solid program - I 100% recommend it!