Arcos Journeys: Spanish Language & Costa Rican Culture Recently Updated

Reviews (12)

• I have studied abroad with...

  

  Reviewed on Aug/03/2024 by bejafusco09

  I have studied abroad with arcos for 2 years in a row and they are amazing! Both years I have learned so much and made memories I will never forget. Living in another country is the best way to learn about the culture. The food, people, nature, views, and experiences will be unforgettable.

• A very fun and enriching...

  

  Reviewed on Aug/06/2023 by Vander Garr

  A very fun and enriching program with a great family and group to spend it with.

• Great program for learning Spanish...

  

  Reviewed on Aug/06/2023 by Addie B

  Great program for learning Spanish and for learning about Costa Rican culture through the home-stays and evening actives. I made so many friends here and would recommend to anyone looking to experience 2 weeks of being abroad to use Arcos.

• Amazing experience!!!

  

  Reviewed on Aug/24/2022 by dana-russ

  I had so much fun and I am SO glad I went!!! At first I wasn't sure I wanted to go. I was super nervous because I didn't know anyone and I've never traveled alone. But I felt very safe and well taken of the whole time I was away. I met so many awesome new friends who I hope to keep in touch with. I stayed with a super nice host family and had a great experience even though it was awkward at first. My host mom was very welcoming and cooked yummy food. I loved being in Costa Rica, even though it was a bit rainy. It's so pretty and everything is so lush. Atenas was a perfect size town to be in. I loved the open air language school. I was glad the classes were low key. We had some fun and creative assignments. There were cool cultural activities and also fun adventures. 2 weeks was a perfect amount of time for my 1st experience being away like this. I was really happy I did it.

• Fantastic Program

  

  Reviewed on Aug/16/2022 by anne-robertson-wi

  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

• Great Experience

  

  Reviewed on Aug/08/2022 by kdilday

  My daughter and her friend from NYC spent two weeks in Atenas with Arcos in summer 2022. From the first moment we made contact with the Arcos director, Brent, we felt in good hands. We had a reassuring conversation; as our girls were just entering 9th grade he helped us find the right program and when they did get to Atenas, the director on the ground, Cata, was equally amazing. The girls had a great experience, learned a lot of Spanish, made nice friends and had just the right balance of structure, support and independence. Highly recommend. They came back with much improved Spanish and having had a great life experience living with their host family and getting to know Atenas

• 10/10 very fun trip, good experience!

  

  Reviewed on Aug/02/2022 by latte-coffee11233

  This trip was amazing and a really cool opportunity to make friends from around the US, interact with people from different backgrounds, and learn spanish. The idea of immersion is very cool because you learn so much spanish without even realizing it; seriously, I can speak spanish so much faster and easier, it's like magic. The excursions throughout the trip are AMAZING especially if you love adventures, and it's really fun to just explore the town on days off. My favorite trip was surfing at Jaco Beach, but ziplining in La Fortuna is a close second (bring a raincoat!!). My host family was very nice, and it was very easy and fun to talk to them. The only bad part of the experience was the noise in the morning so BRING EARPLUGS AND A SLEEP MASK!!! There are things outside like cars and dogs that start making noise very early in the morning (depending on where your house is), so just come prepared for that. All in all the trip was amazing and I was so sad to leave, and I would highly recommend this trip to anyone interested.

• Spanish Immersion in Atenas, Costa Rica

  

  Reviewed on Jul/31/2022 by docs

  My 15 year-old daughter completed an immersion program in July, 2022. She had a fantastic experience. The activities were well-rounded, including several hours of Spanish in the morning, cultural activities in the afternoon, and adventures on the weekends. The kids also had time to explore the town on their own, which helped develop her self-confidence and independence.

  She found the country director, teachers and homestay "mom" to be very friendly, kind and helpful. She made many friends, and reported that everyone got along great. In fact, she and six other participants met each other again after returning to the US!

  She reported that several classmates had older siblings who were also also participants, which speaks well of the program.

  Brent was extremely responsive and helpful, even after hours and on weekend. We are very pleased with the experience, would recommend it to others, and are considering another session next summer.

• Wonderful Experience for my High School Junior

  

  Reviewed on Jul/31/2022 by jogadeke

  Wow, what an amazing experience. My son signed up for 2 weeks and ended up extending to a third. He was placed with an amazing local family, studied at the Spanish School in the morning and had exciting adventures in the afternoons/evening. The staff at ARCOS handled everything with ease and professionalism. I never worried about my son once while he was away. They were communicative every step of the way. We will be coming back to ARCOS for more adventures. Thanks you for making this such a memorable experience.

• Fabulous Costa Rican Spanish Immersion Summer Program

  

  Reviewed on Nov/07/2021 by joannedykes

  Our daughter did the Arcos three-week Spanish immersion program in Atenas, Costa Rica this past summer. She had a wonderful experience and her Spanish improved significantly. I would highly recommend Arcos. Brent was wonderful about answering my many questions. The host family, the program director and the instructors were warm, welcoming and approachable. Our daughter loved walking into town with friends to explore and the weekend excursions to the beach and animal sanctuary. She had a blast in a safe and comfortable environment.

• SPECTACULAR!

  

  Reviewed on Nov/05/2021 by Rafi@FORM-DesignStudio.com

  We are so grateful to Brent and the Arcos team for affording our daughter the extraordinary opportunity that was the Spanish Language

• Great trip

  

  Reviewed on Oct/28/2021 by trudys

  My 15 y/o son spent three weeks in Costa Rico through ARCOS. It was an amazing trip- the program was communicative, responsive, and had planned out everything seamlessly. Highly recommend!