Welcome to the tropical paradise of Costa Rica, Central America.
This is a country with lush jungles,
dramatic mountains,
blue waterfalls,
and an incredible wildlife to discover.
These lands have been inhabited for over 10,000 years,
but it was Christopher Columbus who gave them the name Costa Rica, the 'Rich Coast',
when he visited in 1502.
The people from Costa Rica, lovingly called "ticos",
really know how to enjoy the good life.
Costa Rica has beautiful coastlines, on the Carribean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
The EF school is located on the Pacific coast, in the famous beach town of Playa Tamarindo.
The atmosphere is young and friendly - and there are great waves to surf!
The EF school building is a renovated, colonial style hacienda,
located in the center of town.
The classrooms open out to the surrounding tropical garden.
The building has all the facilities of a modern language school.
There is an interactive language lab,
and free wireless Wi-Fi Internet access in the lounges and the garden.
The school's own swimming pool is a great place to hang out
with new friends after class.
The Spanish spoken in Costa Rica is very clear, with a neutral accent
that is easily understood in all Spanish-speaking countries.
EF's courses cover all elements of language learning,
with the greatest emphasis on quickly becoming fluent in everyday Spanish.
My name is Edwin Villegas Castro.
I'm the School Director at the EF school in Costa Rica.
Besides the general Spanish classes we also offer Special Interest classes,
for example a preparation course for the DELE exam,
classes about Spanish slang vocabulary, “Famous People from Latin America”
and our most fun class: “Latin American Music” with salsa and merengue.
Staying with a "tico" host family is a wonderful way
to learn more about Costa Rica.
Students who want more independence can choose to live in the EF residence,
located just steps away from the school.
The rooms are spacious with large balconies overlooking
the gardens or the swimming pool.
At lunchtime everybody eats together at the school's own "soda",
or Costa Rican style cafeteria, with tables in the garden.
You can eat very well in Costa Rica; traditional dishes such as rice and beans,
fish, meat and tropical fruits. - Enjoy your meal!
The beaches along the coastline are world-famous for surfing.
EF even arranges surfing courses just a few minutes' walk from school.
The EF activities team organizes sports, excursions and fun adventures
every day, as well as on the weekends.
This weekend, for example, we will do a canopy tour, rafting,
we're going to ride horses, and we're going to a beautiful place
with a waterfall where we can swim. We're going to have a great day!
In the evenings, many students join dance classes
learning exotic, tropical dance moves before hitting the dancefloors in town.
Welcome to EF Playa Tamarindo, where learning Spanish is "pura vida"!