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Spanish language school in Costa Rica |
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Playa Tamarindo Overview Population: 6,000-10,000 Province: Guanacaste (North-Pacific side of Costa Rica) Playa Tamarindo, on Costa Rica’s west coast on the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste, is one of the country’s most spectacular beaches. The white sand and crystal clear waters attract nature lovers, surfers, giant turtles and sun seekers all year round. Sports of all kinds are available: kayaking, surfing, snorkeling, diving, fishing, horseback riding, hiking, canopy and mountain biking. The town also offers art galleries, handmade crafts from around the world and a wide variety of restaurants and cafes. Tamarindo’s night life includes discotheques, live concerts, many bars, a casino and local “fiestas” that move from town to town but are never far away.
Playa
Tamarindo as with other beach towns on the northern Pacific coast
receive the least amount of rain in the country. Temperatures range
between 72ºF (22ºC) and 92ºF (34ºC) during the whole year. Cool winds
from northern latitudes can lower the temperature pleasantly along the
coast. It’s not a coincidence that the majority of Costa Rica’s resort
hotels are nestled along the shores of the Pacific northwest were sun is
the name of the game. The winter or rainy season begins in May. A
typical day at this time of the year has beautiful fresh mornings with
sunshine and a blue sky.
Showers are no more than one to two hours a day in the evening or at
night and it’s not unusual to have few days without rain. From mid July
to the end of August we have a little summer called
As a
beach location, Playa Tamarindo is a well known tourist destination.
Students must understand that they must do their best in interacting
with locals and avoiding tourist traps. This will maximize their
immersion experience while still enjoying this paradise. |
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First Day Students are to report to the school at 7:15 AM on the first day if you are staying in Tamarindo. If you are staying with a host family in Villarreal or Santa Rosa, your family will show you the bus stop where you will be picked up at about 7:15am on Monday. |
Holidays
2007
Holidays are as follows:
January 1 (New Year’s Day), April 5 and 6 (Holy Thursday and Friday),
May 1, July 25 (Annexation of Guanacaste), August 15 (Assumption Day),
September 15 (Independence Day), and December 25 (Christmas Day).
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Arrival Into Costa Rica Arriving in Liberia (Suggested) This is the closest airport to Playa Tamarindo. From the airport to Playa Tamarindo it only takes 40 minutes by vehicle. Students can request the school’s pick up service for $40 US. We recommend this service since it is less expensive than taxing a taxi and more reliable than taking the bus. Upon arrival in Liberia, students will need to look for a sign that says Tamarindo Shuttle and/or the student’s name. The driver will take the student to their accommodations in Tamarindo. The school must have the student’s arrival flight information with at least one week’s notice to arrange airport pickup from Liberia. Arriving in San Jose
Once
at the airport in San Jose students will need to get to Tamarindo. 1. Take the private INTERBUS service offered by a local travel agency for $35 (Note: if the student is the only person scheduled for the inter-bus, the price will be $50). Ask us for help in setting up the service. If you have arranged this through us the student can meet the bus at the designated hotel at the time of reservation. Buses typically leave around 7:30 am and 2:00 pm. Once in Tamarindo, studnts may take a taxi to their accommodations. They may also contact us and we will arrange to have their host family meet them at the major intersection in Villarreal. 2. The public ALFARO bus company offers daily service to Playa Tamarindo at 11:30am and 3:30 p.m. for approximately US$ 6.00, from the ALFARO bus station, at Barrio Coca Cola, calle 14, between avenida 3 - 5. Students can take a taxi to the Alfaro bus station by giving the cab driver the following directions to the Alfaro bus station: “La estación Alfaro esta ubicada a ciento cincuenta metros al noroeste de la estación Coca Cola” The bus arrives in Playa Tamarindo at 9:00 p.m., approximately. 3. Take a short flight from the airport in San Jose on Sansa Airlines for about US $85 one way. The school must be contacted with a minimum of 1 week in advance if you want us to reserve a flight. Once at the San Jose airport, students can pick up the ticket at the counter in the SANSA terminal, which is next to the Juan Santamaria international airport. Students must check in at least 45 minutes before their plane leaves to Playa Tamarindo. The estimated times of departure from San Jose are: 05:15, 08:30, 11:50, 13:10, 14:35. At the airport, in Playa Tamarindo, students can take the SANSA shuttle bus for ¢1,000 Colones ($3.00) to get to Villareal or Playa Tamarindo.
Important
Note:
Many international flights arrive into Costa Rica
after 11AM this can make it very difficult to connect to some of the
most popular transfer methods since they typically depart before or just
around 2PM. We can help arrange a night in San Jose for a minimal cost. |
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| History of Costa Rica | ||
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Costa Rica is a
Central American success story:
since the late 19th century, only two brief
periods of violence have marred its democratic development. Although still a
largely agricultural country, it has expanded its economy to include strong
technology and tourism sectors. The standard of living is relatively high.
Land ownership is widespread.
Mystery shrouds
Pre-Columbian Costa Rica: few archaeological monuments have been found
and no proof of a written language has ever been discovered. Recorded
history tends to begin with Christopher Columbus, who stayed for 17 days
in 1502 and was so impressed by the gold decorations worn by the
friendly locals that he promptly dubbed the country Costa Rica, 'the
rich coast'. Despite the lure of untold wealth, colonization was slow to
take hold and it took nearly 60 years for Spanish settlers to make a
dent in the tangled jungle. Once the process started, however, Costa
Rica, like its similarly colonized neighbors, suffered the effects of
European invasion. The indigenous population did not have the necessary
numbers to resist the Spanish, and their populations dwindled quickly
because of susceptibility to European diseases.
The hoped-for hoardes of
gold never materialized and Costa Rica remained a forgotten backwater
for many years. The 18th century saw the establishment of settlements
such as Heredia, San José and Alajuela. It was not until the
introduction of coffee in 1808, however, that the country registered on
the radars of the 19th-century white-shoe brigade and frontier
entrepreneurs looking to make a killing. Coffee brought wealth, a class
structure, a more outward-looking perspective and, most importantly,
independence.
A bizarre turn of events
in 1856 provided one of the first important landmarks in the nation's
history and served to unify the people. During the term of
coffee-grower-turned-president Juan Rafael Mora, a period remembered for
the country's economic and cultural growth, Costa Rica was invaded by US
military adventurer William Walker and his army of recently captured
Nicaraguan slaves. Mora organized an army of 9000 civilians that,
against all odds, succeeded in forcing Walker & Co to flee.
The ensuing years of the
19th century saw power struggles among members of the coffee-growing
elite and the institution of the first democratic elections, which have
since been a hallmark of Costa Rican politics.
Civil war, however, did
raise its ugly head in the 1940s when ex-president Calderón and his
successor, Picado, lined up against the recent ballot-winner Ulate
(whose election win was not recognized by Picado's government) and José
Figueres. After weeks of warfare, Figueres emerged victorious, formed an
interim government and handed the presidency to Ulate.
The constitution of 1949
gave women and blacks the vote and, controversially, dismantled the
country's armed forces - giving Costa Rica the sobriquet of 'the only
country which doesn't have an army'. President Oscar Arias received the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his attempts to spread Costa Rica's
example of peace to the rest of Central America. The peace has, in
recent years, been disturbed by upheavals of a different kind. In July
1996, Hurricane César caused several dozen deaths and much of southern
Costa Rica was cut off from the rest of the country. The Interamericana
highway was closed for about two months and the damage was estimated at
about US$100000000.00 . The ill-famed Hurricane Mitch of November 1998
caused substantial damage to Costa Rica, but the most catastrophic
events occurred in the countries to the north, especially Honduras,
Nicaragua and El Salvador. In February 1998, the Social Christian Unity
Party's Miguel Angel Rodríguez won the presidency with almost exactly
50% of the vote. A conservative businessman who made the economy his
priority, he went on to privatize state companies and encourage foreign
investments in an effort to create jobs.
By the time the February
2002 elections rolled around, however, Ticos were mumbling about
a lack of government transparency and shady deals between political
mates. These grass-roots misgivings resulted in a 'no win' election, and
pollsters returned to the ballot box in April 2002. Rodríguez's
successor, Abel Pacheco, of the conservative Social Christian Unity
Party, was elected to step up to the president's ring.
Pacheco began by promising
to eliminate public debt within four years. He launched a
conservationist platform banning new oil drilling and mining, and
proposed legislation guaranteeing citizens the right to a healthy
environment. But a campaign finance scandal clouded his presidency,
leading some opponents to demand his resignation, but he eked out the
rest of his term and handed power back to Oscar Arias in May 2006.
Arias won the 2006
election after a hotly-contested ballot recount, narrowly beating the
Citizens' Action Party (PAC). President Arias is seen as
business-friendly and supports the ratification of the Central American
Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), but his National Liberation Party (PLN)
only has 25 of 57 seats in the national assembly. PAC, the largest
opposition party, campaigned on a largely anti-CAFTA platform, arguing
that in its current form, the trade agreement will harm small-scale
farmers and intensify poverty. The nation is still divided on many of
these issues. |
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Hang ten in this peaceful oasis: the local wildlife highly recommends it. Mention Costa Rica and people think paradise. The country's Disney-like cast of creatures — ranging from howler monkeys to toucans — are prolific and relatively easy to spot. The waves are prime, the beauty is staggering and the sluggish pace seductive.
Costa Rica, despite being such a tiny nation, draws well over a million visitors every year - and you can see why. The incredibly varied topography means you can cruise a cloud forest one day, climb a volcano the next, and finish passed out on a hot sandy beach.
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When to goThe early months of the rainy season (May to July) are a wonderful time to travel to Costa Rica with some towns experiencing a mini-high season. During this time, rivers start to swell and dirt roads get muddy, making travel more challenging. Remote roads may not be accessible to public transport, so always ask locally before setting out. Bring your umbrella and a little patience. For surfers, the Pacific coast sees increased swells and bigger, faster waves during the rainy season, peaking in the worst rainy months of September and October. The Caribbean side has better waves from November through May. Wildlife enthusiasts may wish to plan their trip around high visibility seasons. The best time to spot the resplendent quetzal is between November and April. The peak season for leatherback turtles from April to May; for green turtles it's during August and September. Fishing is good year-round, but you might choose your season if you have your heart set on a specific fish. Anglers head to the Caribbean coast between January and May in search of tarpon, while autumn is the season for snook. On the Pacific coast and in the Golfo Dulce, the best time to snag that sailfish is between November and May. |
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Modern History
