Intercultura: Spanish Group Classes and/or Private lessons

I spent a week in Samara and a week in Heredia. The school and teachers were all great. The classrooms have electronic white-boards, the number of students in each class is kept small. I was tested when I first arrived and the evaluator put me in the correct level right away. As a school this is a well-run operation where you can easily learn. I studied with students from all over the world.

The campus at Samara is well-kept, right on the beach and the town is small so you can easily walk to shops and nice restaurants. The local beaches are pretty awesome and usually the waves are about right for beginners to learn to surf. The campus in Heredia is a nice oasis in kind of a gritty city. As an older guy I felt relatively safe alone but I would recommend that females keep in pairs or groups. I had to decline offers for drugs twice while just walking around. Just use some street-smarts and don't look for trouble, you should be fine.

I utilized the home-stay program arranged by the school for both weeks. Don't expect luxury, it's not the Four Seasons. It was a great way to be immersed in the culture and learn how people live there. I was greeted warmly and well-fed by both Tica families. I only wish my spanish was better so I could have conversed more.

I went in March and I never saw a drop of rain for two weeks. Samara is quite hot, Heredia is at a higher elevation so is much cooler and plenty windy. If you have never been to Costa Rica I recommend spending time at both to get the beach experience and city experience. Travel from the USA is pretty easy, the San Jose and Liberia airports are modern, clean and have multiple airlines running service.

Taken as a whole this is a worthwhile experience and not particularly expensive. I have recommended it to people I know who are looking for a good way to improve their spanish.

I am an Emergency Room Registered Nurse from Dallas, TX and I have always had an interest in Spanish. My mom's side of the family is Mexican but I was never taught Spanish growing up, however it was always a strength of mine in high school. Since I love to travel, I decided my freshman year of college that when I graduate nursing school and have no other things holding me down (job, family, etc.), I would go somewhere and participate in a Spanish Immersion Program and become fluent in Spanish all by myself. So I did it. I found Intercultura through a friend and I went.
Not going to lie, I was scared to travel alone being a 22 year old woman, but after this experience I 100% recommend it. Something about traveling alone is liberating and exciting. It also forces you to make friends, which is very important at a place like Intercultura. I now have friends from literally world. I went to dance class almost every day (which I never would have done at home) and LOVED it!! I jumped off of waterfalls, ate fruits I had never heard of, watched a volcano erupt walking to school one morning, visited coffee and chocolate plantations, snorkeled, went to a land of stray dogs and so many other fun things. But the best part is, the entire time I got to practice my Spanish.
When I arrived at Intercultura, I had an intermediate level of comprehension, and a beginner level of speaking. When I left two months later, I had an advanced level of comprehension and an intermediate-advanced level of speaking.
My best advice to future participants is don't take this experience for granted. Even if you're just there for one week. Listen in class, do your homework, talk to your familia tica, practice with the locals, try ALL the food, go to dance class, jump off of waterfalls! And most importantly, don't be too hard on yourself. Learning a new language is not easy. Just the fact that you're trying says enough. Keep practicing and with time, you will get it!
Since coming back, I lost some of my Spanish while I was trying to find a job, but since then I have gotten a lot of practice. About half my patient population is Spanish-speaking only, and I am so thankful for all that I learned in Costa Rica. For future participants, if you don't use it, you lose it. Even if it's just going to a local hispanic supermarket, do it! Any kind of immersion helps. I have also kept in touch with most of my friends that I made at Intercultura and have plans to visit some in the near future.
I dream about going back to Heredia all day every day. My experience in Costa Rica would not have been the same without Intercutura. From my amazing teachers, to my amazing host family, I loved every bit of it. 10/10.

p.s. another useful tip for future participants: bring an umbrella. It rains A LOT. :)

We really enjoyed our weeks at both schools. We ended up staying a bit longer in Heredia so we could take advantage of a long weekend and a trip to Nicaragua, which the school planned. We had a great guide who appreciated doing the fun stuff for a reasonable price. Both schools were great. We were able to move into other classes depending upon our ability and progression. Everyone was very kind and our tica family provided everything we needed- except English!- which was exactly what we needed!! We would definitely do this again.

Great school. Classes were interesting and challenging. Lots of variety in methods of teaching. Lots of social things to do during the day- tours/picnic/dance lessons/yoga on the beach/cooking classes. would be nice if this school and others schools would have evening activities. Sometimes homestay can feel somewhat isolating. A welcome dinner would be nice the first night. Also, for students coming on the weekend, there is no one at the school and if you get there too late to go on weekend tour, you are basically in the town not knowing any other students or what there is to do. Would have been nice to be able to contact other students prior to arrival. Should have day trips on weekends. They do have weekend trips, but they are expensive and you have to be there by Friday morning to go on them. If you get there Friday night or Saturday, you are on your own for activities.
I feel much more confident in all aspects of my life, having travelled alone and been in a foreign country speaking a foreign language. You have to be alert and pay attention and that is so stimulating!
My favorite memory is all the new friends from all walks of life. Still keep in touch!

I was 38 yrs old when I had the good fortune of joining InterCultura in Costa Rica in January of 2016 as a complete beginner student. The school is clean and organized and the staff and hosts were warm and patient with my lack of Spanish. Classes were challenging and effective - I learned quickly - and professors were direct, kind, fun, and encouraging. My first housing match was adequate with a beautiful location. Though after three weeks, was clear it was not ultimately a good fit (noise, bugs, more well suited to younger students, etc.). School managers were understanding and open to relocating me to a calmer host-home environment. Most importantly, this change of location proved to me critical for me as during my fourth week I received very sad and tragic news of the unexpected death of a family member. The home-host, school staff, and my student peers supported me with equal amounts of love, respect and professionalism as experienced the initial shock of deep loss in a forgein country. The InterCultura community helped me communicate with family, airlines and arranged my ride to the airport so I could be back in the US as soon as possible (with in 24-hrs) to be with my family. I will forever remember the kindness, joy, and openness of the Tico/school families I met, the beauty of the location, the excitement and challenge of learning Spanish, and I hope to return one day to continue to develop my Spanish language skills and cultural appreciation. I highly recommend this school.

Best experience of my life. Great people, great staff. Best locaton samara is the most beautiful place i’ve ever been. I just fell in love with Samara and Costa Rica. The best place to learn spanish. I ve started with almost no spanish skills and after 6 weeks i was able to have some conversations. after a few weeks of travelling and home coming to samara for 4 more weeks I realt felt like at home. And almost like a Tica! The surf school is an important extra.

I had so much fun on this trip and it’s probably one of the best experience of my life! I would totaly do it again. I learned spanish quickly, the building is nice and has good installations. The location is perfect. I was in Samara and it’s nice for people who like small towns. The classes are interactive and fun. You also learn in small group, witch is nice to meet new people and to make friends! You learn a lot in class and at the end of the course, you will really feel like your spanish is better than before and you will feel way more confident.

I attended Intercultura in Heredia, Costa Rica to help improve my Spanish. It wasn't a requirement and something I did on my own volition--like the majority of students I met there. I thoroughly enjoyed the program. The classes and professors were great, the extra cultural class options were fantastic. I didn't love Heredia though. We were advised not to be out after dark on the street and to take a cab home if we were out late. I prefer walking around so this wasn't great to hear. I was home every night by sunset at 6pm to avoid roaming the streets after dark. My host family was pretty nice. They hosted a ton of kids. One of the family members wasn't as nice, but she was around the least, so I didn't have to interact with her a ton. The house was nice, too and the cooking was fabulous.

I wanted a spot to refresh my Spanish and also spend time in a beach community with swimming and outdoor activities. Intercultura exceeded my expectations. The teachers were excellent (I did the private lessons) and were flexible in covering my deficits and making quick progress on the review. The staff, especially Darihana at the front desk were very friendly and helpful taking care of my questions, not only about the program and school but the local community. My husband (not interested in the school) and I rented our own place, and did not do the home stay and she was helpful regarding were to shop, local customs, etc.
The school also offered extracurricular classes in yoga, done in an outdoor covered platform overlooking the beautiful beach with an experienced helpful instructor (Lindsay). We also attended dance and cooking classes, which were fun. The group classes would have worked well had I been visiting on my own, and who knows? Maybe I will return, Samara is a fun, friendly and picturesque small coast town.

I was in an advanced group class in the Samara campus for a week. The campus is beautiful with excellent facilities and is right on the beach. The teacher was very organized and professional, and taught us fine points in grammar that were very helpful. The main drawback was that the other students were almost entirely Swiss, predominantly teenagers on a gap year after completing high school. My class was entirely Swiss and the language around the school outside of class, and within class when the teacher wasn't present was the Swiss dialect of German... It was hard to practice speaking Spanish under these circumstances. If you are an adult who does not speak the Swiss dialect of German, you may find the school is not a comfortable place to study.

We had five children study at Intercultura in the summer of 2015, ages 10-17. The school is well run and professional, and the staff is helpful, down to earth and friendly. The school has cooking, dance and language classes, and they take students on optional field trips. We had the girls go to school at the Heredia school, which we thought was a more authentic Tico experience. The school is located in a small city with all that a small city brings, and we wanted more focus on language than on beach activities. We rented our own house, so we can't speak to the housing or family arrangements, but we heard positive reviews from others. The Ticos in Heredia are friendly people, and they are not out to take advantage of tourists. We would consider sending our daughters back to the school. Pura vida!

I studied at Intercultura for 5 weeks in the Spring of 2016. I attended class at both the Heredia and Samara locations. The facilities at both schools were nicer than I would have expected. The school in Heredia has a beautiful courtyard that will make you want to spend all day on campus. There is complimentary coffee and tea all day, a clean kitchen to use, a dance studio, and plenty of good study areas for after class. The staff was competent, pleasant, and always eager to help in any way they could. They even helped me find a reputable physical therapist. Even the door man will brighten your day with his good humor. I learned more Spanish in the 5 weeks of classes than I ever could have imagined was possible. Although I'd like to take all the credit, I would have never had the opportunity to learn as much as I did without the clear instruction and patience of the professors. Class sizes were always small and there was lots of personal attention. Now that I am back in the United States, I still review my work books and pick up new vocabulary. Marcelo, the director, was very accommodating and always approachable to talk about any issues. Aside from being an excellent teacher, he keeps the school running like a well oiled machine. I always felt like both the students and professors were happy to be on campus and eager to learn or teach.

Heredia is a perfect setting for a language school. It is safe enough to walk around, there are excellent restaurants(and a central market), and plenty of opportunities to make friends with Costa Rican university students. Also, because Intercultura is an English and Spanish school, there are opportunities to do extremely helpful intercambios every day.

Samara is a different world than Heredia. In my opinion, it is one of the best beach towns in Costa Rica. It is still preserved from tourists and all of the negative externalities they bring to a small beach town. Everyone knows everyone, and the community is diverse in Samara. Intercultura quite literally could not be any closer to the beach. The campus is gorgeous with hammocks, outdoor showers, and lots of wildlife. The classrooms are the same as you will find in Heredia.

I did not have a host family in Heredia, but Intercultura provided me with a family in Samara. As if I didn't already feel at home on campus, my mama and papa tica went beyond the call of duty to open up their home to me. I ate a balanced breakfast and dinner everyday which was nourishing and healthy. The house was always clean. My mama tica did laundry everyday and changed the sheets often which is very important in Samara's hot and humid climate. Never once, did my family get frustrated at me for trying to speak Spanish. They supported me, corrected me, and were always willing to practice for as long as I wanted.

I wrote this thorough review for Intercultura because I want to give back something for all I learned at their schools. Furthermore, I hope others will choose Intercultura instead of making the mistake I did by registering for a different program; which cost me more and ultimately turned me over to Intercultura once I arrived because they couldn't place me at their school. Intercultura will accomodate their students, even if they have to run a group class with only one student. Pura vida!

I recently attended the Intercultura Spanish language school in Heredia, Costa Rica. I chose to stay at a local hotel (Hotel Hojarascas) with a friend rather than choosing the homestay option. A brief interview with the school's director assessed my level of Spanish (basic intermediate) and I was assigned to a small class with two other students. The teacher was great, very professional, personable, and had a great sense of humor. There was plenty of opportunity to interact in the class with the other two students and the teacher, all in Spanish. There is an emphasis on learning correct grammar and much time was spent on conjugating verbs in the past and imperative tenses. And homework was assigned every night! And an exam at the end of the week. I will say that my Spanish did improve.
The school facility itself is attractive and comfortable and all staff are friendly and helpful. The school also offers extracurricular activities, and I did participate in a few. There was an enjoyable cooking class with a very interesting woman teaching the class. There are also salsa dance classes, yoga classes, and various tour opportunities. I especially liked the pretty courtyard settings where students could gather during breaks.
All in all, it was a good combination of learning and relaxation. I would recommend this program to anyone interested in learning Spanish.

Habiendo pertenecido a Intercultural de Samara durante tres años consecutivos, me gustaría usted aporta mis comentarios y sugerencias que conciernen al conjunto de mis estancias.

La acogida del conjunto del personal durante todas mis estancias, la calidad de los cursos, la competencia de los profesores, todo es verdaderamente impecable y muy profesional. Discutiendo con otros estudiantes que siguieron cursos en otras escuelas de Costa Rica o en otros paises, comprobé que Intercultural de Samara verdaderamente era la escuela la más apreciada por la mayoría de los estudiantes.

El "homestay" fue para mí a cada una de mis visitas una experiencia muy agradable y verdaderamente estuve muy satisfecho. Comprobé no obstante discutiendo con otros estudiantes que la calidad del "homestay" era muy variable de un lugar a otra y en ciertos casos el lugar no era verdaderamente adecuado.

Las actividades propuestas durante los fines de semana y durante semanas son muy adecuadas y pertinentes.

Según el mejoramiento importante que podría ser aportado conciérnele a la adaptación a una clientela más de edad. ¡ A mi parecer, con envejecimiento de la población, la gente como mí (pues un poco más de edad!) les interesan de seguir a cursos de español en un país como Costa Rica. Habría que no obstante adaptarle los cursos y las actividades a esta clientela que es diferente de la clientela actual compuesta de jóvenes. ¡ Puede ser interesante mezclar todas las edades pero se vuelve evidente que la vivacidad intelectual de los más de edad es menos rápida!

El "homestay" podría también sido mejor adaptado lo mismo que las actividades de fin de semana. Pensé decir que ciertas escuelas en país hispanohablante había decidido tomar esta curva …

What a great way to improve my Spanish, to live with and really get to know a local family and to see some of the natural beauty of Costa Rica! As an older women (in my early 60’s), I was a little nervous about traveling alone to Central America. Through Intercultura, I was assigned a homestay with an incredible family who picked me at the airport, introduced me to neighbors, showed me the sights in Heredia and fed me delicious meals. Intercultura set me up with a tour of the city, amazing teachers, great extracurricular activities during the week (dancing and cooking) and some fantastic adventures on the weekends. All that, for a very reasonable price!

I found everyone, from the office staff, to the teachers, to the dance instructor and tour guide to be delightful, patient and helpful. The teachers were extremely well prepared, well organized and professional in their teaching techniques. One of the best parts was my homestay. I was made to feel like part of the family – who gathered around the television in the evening to watch telenovelas and bullfights, and had big Sunday dinners, with cousins and relatives joining in. I was even introduced to the neighbors, one of whom had me over for a typical afternoon meal of homemade tortillas and agua dulce! I was taken to the local mercado in Heredia, later by bus into San Jose, and even to another town to visit an old cathedral. Because their English was very limited, I was forced to practice my Spanish speaking and listening skills, which really helped to reinforce what I was learning each day. I am still in touch via WhatsApp with my host mother, and via Skype with an employee of the neighbor. By arranging to be in Costa Rica for 3 weekends and 2 weeks of classes, I was able to learn Spanish (and come home with lots of notes to study), make new friends, see the countryside and get a little respite from the long, and cold New England winter. I’m looking forward to another visit in the future!