Costa Rica: Puntarenas - Spanish, Ecology, Latin American Studies

Name: Costa Rica: Puntarenas - Spanish, Ecology, Latin American Studies
Brand: USAC
SKU: 19306
Rating: 4.92 (38 reviews)

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4.92 Rating

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Location

Costa Rica

Term

Academic Year, Fall, J-Term, Spring, Summer

Subject Areas

Anthropology Ecology History Latin American Studies Political Science

Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Housing

Apartment Host Family

Language

English

Last Updated: Apr 08, 2024

Last Reviewed: Dec 30, 2019

Wish List

18 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Study abroad with the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) in Puntarenas, Costa Rica next January (short-term), summer, spring/fall semester or academic year! The Spanish, Ecology and Latin American Studies program is held at the USAC Puntarenas Center at the National University of Costa Rica, which overlooks the ocean just a couple blocks from downtown. Puntarenas is a small beach town located right on the pacific and is within reach of attractions such as the Nicoya Peninsula and a variety of national parks and nature reserves.

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Study conservation biology in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, with USAC

Study Abroad in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, with USAC

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Diversity & Inclusion 💙

LGBTQIA+ Support

There are LGBTQIA+ friends, colleagues, and allies throughout the world. However, cultural understanding of gender identity and sexuality does vary from country to country. USAC has compiled a lot of resources to help you through that learning process.

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Accessibility Support

USAC is dedicated to working closely with students with disabilities to ensure the best study abroad experience possible. You may request reasonable accommodations after your initial application is complete. We routinely receive requests for scheduling, material, and environmental accommodations for the classroom setting, which may include assistive technology, scribes and readers, printed material, and interpretation.

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Impact 🌎

Sustainability

Environmentally-conscious students choose USAC because many of our programs are held in some of the most sustainable countries in the world. There are options to take coursework in sustainability and the environment, as well as field trips and studies where students can leave a lasting impact on their host country.

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Program Highlights

Live in a small beach town on the Pacific Ocean with ferry access to the Nicoya Peninsula
Enroll in Spanish courses, and in Ecological Studies courses—which include field experience and the opportunity to participate in independent research, internships, or volunteer activities at field-related institutions.
Savor your proximity to breathtaking national parks, nature reserves and discover interesting and beautiful areas of Costa Rica on field trips
Discover interesting and beautiful destinations on included field trips.

Program Reviews

4.92 Rating

based on 38 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Study

5 rating 92.11%
4 rating 7.89%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Academics 4.15
Support 4.95
Fun 4.8
Housing 4.55
Safety 4.4

Good for Students, Photographers, Adventure travelers

Showing 33 - 38 of 38 reviews

This is one of the best programs. You go to class than right after go to the beach, get ice cream or just hang out with friends. The classes are awesome because they are small and more personal. The trips you get to take with the program are great.

I loved the staff who worked at USAC. They helped me through a lot! Costa Rica was the best experience and it only makes me want to travel more! This was my first time out of the U.S. And it was perfect! The town is located in a great traveling area and has a lot of buses to go all over Costa Rica. Puntarenas isn't considered a beautiful spot if you go there with no expectations or comparing it to the states it is an amazing spot! I would hang out with my friends by the beach everyday! My host family was perfect and made me feel like I was one of their own children!

What would you improve about this program?

A very select few of the teachers I did not like. He or she always had a complaint from a lot of the students. I guess I could say a downfall is that it is super hot there and there is no ac. Also a lot of times the water would shut off at night, but we all got over it and dealt with it

Read my full story

If you want to eat McDonalds and speak English, do not come to Puntarenas. During all my travels around Costa Rica (which Puntarenas's central location makes very convenient) I did not go to one city that was as authentically Costa Rican as Puntarenas. It is one of those little gems that has seemingly escaped the rampant Americanization that has hit the rest of Costa Rica. You will find few English speakers and no McDonalds in the city, but what you will find is a rich local culture and miles and miles of beautiful beach. If you want to guarantee that you'll learn Spanish, I couldn't recommend Puntarenas any more highly. There is no way no not interact with locals and I would say 90% of the program made local friends with whom we all continue to keep in touch with.

If you want to learn Spanish and feel like a local, then choose Puntarenas.

What would you improve about this program?

If I had to change one thing, USAC's semi-strict attendance policy. Most students travel almost every weekend, and extending class Monday-Thursday and then not having class on Friday would cut down on a lot of absences. Obviously we are there for school, but I think no one would complain about a little longer classes in order to get Friday off. Traveling is how you really learn Spanish.

Read my full story

A day in the life of a non-Spanish Speaking American in Puntarenas Costa Rica, was never easy. Think critically about what battles you want to choose living in a foreign country. The first step of thinking about a study abroad program is exciting and romantic. But ask yourself: Do you want to go head-first into a world where every aspect of your life is completely new? Or do you want to ease into an abroad experience by being surrounded by at least some things you are comfortable with? Think about your future-self and what they will want in their abroad experience. I would have benefitted greatly if I chose to ease into living abroad.

What would you improve about this program?

I would change the diversity of students. It would have been nice to have more international students, whereas my program was mostly Americans.

I took 2 classes abroad. Spanish composition and Spanish Dance. My Spanish Composition teacher was amazing! She worked through our language barrier and for my birthday she surprised me with a homemade cake. We had movie nights sometimes and the excusrsions were well planned and executed.

What would you improve about this program?

I wish we had more interaction with the program directors. The main person I think we only met him once. Carolina was AWESOME though. She was really down to earth and spoke great English.

This was my first study abroad experience and it went incredibly well! I loved the city, the school, and my family! I learned so much studying in Puntarenas. My Spanish improved immensely. By living in Puntarenas we had access to the ferry. Traveling throughout Costa Rica was very easy and cheap. Overall the program is very affordable and of great quality. My only regret is not going sooner. I wish I could have stayed for a whole year!

Questions & Answers

How were the surfing opportunities? How realistic is it to take independent trips on the weekends?

Hi Eli, thanks for asking about Puntarenas! There are plenty of surfing opportunities when you attend this program. You should know that there is not surfing directly in Puntarenas but there is surfing at beaches that are a short bus ride away from the city. If you take the USAC surfing class it will be hosted at Jaco Beach which is about an hour bus ride away. It's very common for students to...

By USAC Study Abroad on December 10, 2018

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Which campus is the most fun?

I'll answer this question now, even though Daniela has already done her semester! In fact, we both attended USAC on the Puntarenas campus. We really enjoyed it - school is LITERALLY across the street from the beach, there is a USAC-only pool on campus, and the town is a good size for getting to know all of it. Puntarenas is also the only campus where USAC students are the only students, rather...

By Laurel Smith on October 25, 2017

Is it difficult to get A's in the USAC classes?

Awesome! Thanks for your insights.

By spillchampion on January 27, 2016

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because I was looking for an affordable, yet full study abroad experience. I also needed a few more Spanish credits to graduate college with a Spanish endorsement, so going to Costa Rica definitely filled that requirement. Studying abroad through USAC provided me with a memorable experience that didn't break my wallet!

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I did most of the planning and organizing on my own because I studied through a program that was not affiliated with my university. The study abroad office at my university helped me find USAC and that was about all. Researching, and applying for the program I wanted to study through was up to me, as was staying in contact with the people who were in charge of my program specifically.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Be open, flexible, and don't let the mishaps of traveling spoil your trip. On the way to my new home, I had a few minor travel mishaps (like my suitcase breaking open and stuff being scattered everywhere), this experience tested my patience after a long day of flying and waiting around, but in the end, it led me to meet some of the other people on my trip quite quickly!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The average day in Puntarenas, Costa Rica is HOT! I typically would wake up around 8 am, my host mom would make me a delicious traditional breakfast, and then I would walk to school (about 5 minutes away). At school, I would socialize with the other participants of the program, have a few classes with native teachers, and then in the afternoon, I would walk back home for lunch.

After lunch, I would walk back to school for my afternoon classes, and then hang out on the beach or do a bit of homework in our small university building. The nights were pretty open, sometimes I would hang out with native friends, or other program affiliated friends, and some nights, just with my host family.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was that I wasn't going to make any new friends while abroad. Even though I am generally a very outgoing and social person, for some reason I was terrified that I would not make a single friend on my trip because we were from all over the world. Of course, this fear was broken quite quickly. I was a bit shy the first week or so, but once our classes started I was able to get to know the other study abroad members right away.

It was more difficult for me to make native friends because most of them my age went to a different university a few miles away. My views on this fear changed once I realized that everyone was kind of in the same shoes. No one really knew anyone else before coming here, so we all adapted to one another and helped each other out when needed.

What was your host family like?

My host family was amazing, and I loved staying with them. For one, they were Buddhist (which I have never experienced Buddhism so this was new for me), and two I ended up basically having two host moms by the end of my trip and they both loved me so much (and I loved them both equally as much). They would always call me "princesa" which means princess and never failed to give me good motherly advice before I left the house! I still talk to both of them today (a year later), and hope to see them again one day!

Brock Becker

2014 Alum

John Schmidt

2014 Alum

Madeline Hill

2014 Alum

Location

Location:

Costa Rica

Currency:

Costa Rican Colón

Weather:

Jan-Mar

83 F / 67 F

Apr-Jun

85 F / 69 F

Jul-Sep

85 F / 69 F

Oct-Dec

83 F / 67 F

Airports:

Juan Santamaría International Airport

( SJO )

Limón International Airport

( LIO )

Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport

( LIR )

A pioneer of ecotourism, Costa Rica draws many tourists to its extensive series of national parks and other protected areas. Costa Rica began reversing deforestation in the 1990s, and they are moving towards using only renewable energy. Head to the cloud forest, relax on the beautiful beaches, or visit a coffee farm.

About USAC

USAC is a non-profit consortium of U.S. universities that collaborates to offer affordable, academic and authentic study abroad programs. There are abundant opportunities to immerse in the culture, history, and academics of other countries providing an unforgettable experience. Each program is designed to help you grow into an engaged citizen of...