Accommodations - Costa Rica - Host Families

What is the family like?

The host family may be a married couple or a single woman with or without children. The most important thing is that there is a family atmosphere in the home and that you get to know the lifestyle of Costa Rica. Some families may have other students, native or international, but only Spanish is spoken in the home. You will find it easy to make friends with the other students in the home. Living with a Costa Rican host family is a great way to learn more about the culture while also having another place where you can practice your Spanish.

Host Family Conditions

Rooms:

In San Rafael, you can choose between a single or double room that you will share with another person. If you are going to register with another person we can place you in the same family if you would like. You can choose from a single room each or stay together in a double room. The host families are located within walking distance to the school.

In Tamarindo, typical families will host one to two students at a time. Each student will receive his/her own room.  The vast majority of our host families are located in the towns of Santa Rose and Villa Real. These towns are approximately 5-8 kilometers from Playa Tamarindo. There is regular and cheap public transportation between these towns and Playa Tamarindo, so getting back and forth will not present any difficulty. Buses run from early in the morning to early evening. Taxis are available at virtually any hour.

Meals:

Half board (2 meals): breakfast and dinner

Meals in a typical Costa Rican family are eaten at the following times:
Breakfast: 07:00 - 08:00h.
Lunch: 12:00 - 01:00h.
Dinner: 18:00 - 19:00h.

Note:
If you have any special dietary needs and have not informed the E.I. Center before your arrival you should tell your host mother on the first day.

Preferences:

At the time of registration you should state any preferences you might have such as a smoking/non-smoking family, a family with/without children, without animals (in the case of allergies), any special dietary requests (vegetarian, food or other types of allergies), etc. Please include these details when you send us your enrollment form.

Duration:

The host family reservation works on a weekly basis, however extra days can be arranged. For all courses the reservation with host family begins the day before your course starts (Sunday) and ends the day after your course ends (Saturday). If you will be arriving to the host family early, please be sure and advise the E.I. Admissions Office in advance so we can arrange the additional days with the host family.

Sheets and Laundry:

Your host family will provide sheets for you. You are responsible to bring your own towels (for San Rafael host families) and personal objects. Laundry in normal amounts is included in the price of the accommodations.

Telephone:

You can receive calls at the family’s home but cannot make calls. There are many public telephones where you can make telephone calls. We recommend that the students look for companies in their own country who have “reverse charge” telephone cards so that they can talk with the telephone operator in their own country and save money.

Excursions or trips: