Latin Cultural Explosion

Day 1

Arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica, and meet your bilingual Joshua Expeditions guide once you pass through customs and immigration. You will transfer by bus to the hotel then have a bit of time to freshen up and maybe even shop at a traditional Costa Rican market in downtown San Jose. Here you will be given several tasks to perform in Spanish as well as a short lesson on Costa Rican history — in Spanish of course! Following dinner you will return to the hotel for devotions and a time to share the day’s experiences.

Day 2

Each morning your group will have 5 hours of intensive language study and then take the afternoon to use what you learn. On this first afternoon you will participate in a traditional folk-dancing lesson then head up to a mountainside restaurant where your group will enjoy a delicious buffet dinner and watch special folk-dancing performances. You might even decide to join in! At the conclusion of this busy day, the group will share a time of devotions at the hotel.

Your scheduled studies can make Spanish interesting and fun! Students will learn from native Spanish-speaking instructors how to use accurate pronunciation and better communicate and comprehend the language. Group leaders can design their own class schedule from a Beginners Level to Advanced and Specialized class material. The classes provide for active participation which leads to more confidence in the students’ language abilities.

Day 3

You will continue your personalized language study this morning then use what you learn to participate in a typical cooking class during the afternoon. You might even learn to make tortillas! In the evening your group will have dinner at a local restaurant where you will again be able to practice your Spanish as you interact with the waiters and order off the menu. The evening will close with devotions at the hotel.

Day 4

This morning the group will head out on the bus to Poás Volcano where you will have a lesson in Spanish on the biology of Costa Rica, and you will focus on nature in this beautiful place. Following lunch you will head back down the volcano for a unique form of fun in the canopy zip-line tour! By late afternoon the group will return to San Jose for dinner and devotions.

Day 5

Today the group will head out to coffee plantations and take a guided tour in Spanish that tells the history of coffee in Costa Rica. You will also get the chance to try some local flavors! On the way back to San Jose in the afternoon, the group will make a stop in the small town of Sarchi where you can see painted ox carts, the symbol of Costa Rica, and have some time for shopping among traditional artisan crafts. You will have another opportunity here to sample Costa Rican coffee and bring some home if you like! The evening will close with dinner and devotions at your hotel in San Jose.

Day 6

Fly home after an amazing trip to Costa Rica!