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Beach Campus - Learn Spanish on the beach in Costa Rica,
Guanacaste |
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The
Beach
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 Samara is located on the northern
Pacific coast in the Guanacaste region. It is 5 km long, lined
with palm trees, and enjoys a calm, clear water ocean in a protected
coral reef bay. You can swim, dive, snorkel, kayak and surf/
boogie board. Off shore, an island with a deserted beach is
accessible by kayak or boat.
Samara also holds Costa Rica's prestigious 'Blue Flag' award,
given only to the beaches and communities with the cleanest
waters and proven environmentally sound practices.
The private bus (only available during group weeks) leaves the Heredia campus Sunday at 10am and costs $15 one-way: you must
sign up in reception and pay for the bus by Thursday before
leaving. It returns Friday at 2:45pm. The public bus
leaves from the Alfaro station in San José, approx. $6 one way. Schedule: 12.30pm and 6:30pm daily. We recommend buying tickets
the day before.
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Campus
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 The School is located 100
meters from the Beach. In our tropical gardens, classes are held
in open-sided,
palm-thatched "ranchos" which are breezy and cool, providing an
ideal spot for learning Spanish at the beach. Each classroom is
equipped with standard audio equipment, whiteboard, and a large
communal study space encouraging didactic activities and easy
participation. Classes are held adjacent to the
hotel where students are housed, close to the town center and
services. It offers a large pool and gardens palm-thatched ranchos',
social areas, restaurant/bar, and beach access (100 meters). It also has tour services (domestic flights, horse-riding, bike
rental, ultralight gliding, deep-sea fishing, dolphin tours,
waterfall visits, etc) *these involve an additional cost*. |
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Program |
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 Classes are given
in open-air ranchos, terraces, balconies, or in air conditioned
rooms. Courses follow the Heredia program, with emphasis on
conversational aspects and didactic activities. Every Friday,
workshops are offered on political, social and cultural themes;
students attend according to preference.
Classes usually
alternate between morning and afternoon: During official group
weeks, all students have morning classes on Fridays with
cultural workshops until 2.45pm. Students with university
credits must attend all classes. |
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Activities |
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| Extra-curricular
activities offered include Latin dance and cooking classes,
conversational interchanges with Tico students, optional tours,
and a graduation party at the beachside cafe. In their free
time students enjoy mountain biking to nearby beaches or forests,
playing pool and darts, trying out the local "bocas"
(typical dishes), spending time with friends at a beachside
bar or cafe, or enjoying the sunset while riding horses down
the beach. |
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Accommodations |
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 Students share rooms
in a hotel, with fan or Air Conditioning.Tthere
is a pool and restaurant. Rooms are for 2 or 3 people. Rooms each have a balcony
or terrace, private bathroom with hot water, bedside tables,
lamp, desk, and ample closet and drawer space.
The hotel safe is available to store valuables, and laundry
service is offered. Meals are
not included, but are available at the hotel or local
restaurants at extra cost and you may also use hotel facilities
for basic cooking needs. There is a charge for lost keys. Please inform the
hotel staff re. any problems with towels, AC, lights, cleaning,
etc. Single rooms cost $50 per week extra, and are available space permitting.
The hotel is recommended for those who prefer to be near other
students and amenities, and to have on-site support services
readily available. Hotel stays are paid from Sunday through
Thursday night: students must leave Friday or they can
arrange with the hotel to stay weekend nights at their own cost.
Homestays are also available with local families,
who provide a wonderful introduction to rural Costa Rican customs
and lifestyles. Families live within walking distance of the
school (bikes may also be rented for easy coming and going).
NOTE: Homestays (single room, 2 meals per day) and
Hotel (shared room, no meals) in Samara have the same prices as
the Heredia homestay program.
There are NO BANKS or bank
machines in Samara. Be sure to bring enough money for the entire
week including money for tours and equipment rental (bicycle,
boogie boards, kayaks, snorkel). You may change traveler’s
checks and dollars in the supermarket. We suggest bringing
between $200-$250/week.
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The
Town of Samara |
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| Samara is
a local community with a variety of activities, such as sunset
football games on the beach, a disco, card games, horse-riding,
and more. It has a typical Tico character, with a local art
gallery on the beach, several ocean-side cafe/restaurants and
bars, small supermarket, post office, medical clinic, gym,
internet cafés, etc. |
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Beach Week Start Dates |
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The Beach campus is open year-round,
except for Christmas (closed for 2 weeks) and Easter (closed for
one).
We have "official beach weeks" in Sámara every week, with
classes opening every Monday. Students should register in
advance for the weeks they wish to study in Sámara, and
reconfirm this in Heredia on the beach sign up sheet. There will
also be a limited number of places open for on-site or last
minute sign ups (for those students who do not wish to decide
ahead of time). However, to guarantee a space, advance sign up
is required.
HOW TO GET TO
SAMARA
You have several options for your
transportation to Playa Sámara, which we can help you arrange.
Note: For the taxi option, up to 4 students can share the
taxi--you may contact us for students arriving at similar
times if you prefer to ride-share.
1. Liberia
International Airport arrivals:
a) Standard taxi option costs $60 one way, and will take you
directly to your homestay in Sámara (1.5 hour drive).
b) Car rentals are available at the airport, and are available
for $45-$70 for a one-day rental with drop off in Sámara.
2. Juan Santamaría
International Airport arrivals (San José):
a) Standard taxi option costs $130 one way, and will take you
directly to your homestay in Sámara (4 hour drive).
b) Car rentals are available at the airport, and are available
for $45-$70 for a one day rental with drop off in Sámara.
3. Stopover in
Heredia/San José:
c) If you prefer to stay overnight in the Central Valley, one
night of homestay with airport pick costs $26. The family will
call you a taxi the next day to catch the local bus to Sámara
from San José ($6 one way), or the private bus service Interbus
($30 one way), or if there is a shuttle leaving the school, you
may catch that ($15 one way).
d) Alternately, we can provide a pre-arranged one night homestay
including airport pickup, pre-paid public bus ticket, and taxi
to the bus station the next day, for $55
e) You may stay overnight at a local hotel in Heredia or near
the airport (prices range from $30-$80 per night) and catch a
bus the next day (see above for bus options).
f) If you prefer not to take the bus, you may fly from San José
to Sámara-Carrillo local airport, 7 kms from Sámara Centro, for
$75 one way.
PDF
BROCHURE COSTA RICA ,
PDF BROCHURE SAMARA BEACH
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