Our location

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is situated on the narrow Central American isthmus directly north of Panama, with the Caribbean to the east and the Pacific to the west. Intercultura has two locations, one in the colonial city of Heredia (founded in 1993), and the other on beautiful Sámara beach (opened in 2001). Each campus and area has a highly distinctive flavour, giving students the chance to experience Costa Rica from two very different perspectives.

The Province of Heredia

The province of Heredia is the coffee-growing capital of Costa Rica, and in the countryside you can still sometimes see loaded ox-carts bringing in the beans from the coffee plantations characteristic of the green mountainsides. In the nearby rural villages you will witness a way of life very different to that of the cities, and can see vestiges of the old colonial architecture once typical in the entire central valley.

The City of Heredia

The colonial city of Heredia is home to the National University and close to the airport and the capital city of San José. Known as the "City of Flowers", (reputedly more for its beautiful women than for its vegetation!), Heredia and its surrounding areas provide the convenience and manageability of a medium-sized city (pop. 75,000) in an environment that has escaped to a large extent the normal urban problems affecting the capital. Heredia is an important cultural center for Costa Rica, and has managed to retain a typical Latin American "pueblo" feel despite increasing modernization. The colonial church and its central plaza are still a favorite meeting place for Heredia's inhabitants, old and young.

Intercultura's central location within the city gives students easy access on foot to shops, entertainment and transportation. At the same time, the tranquility and natural beauty of the mountains is only a few minutes away by taxi or bus. In the downtown area students are usually no more than a 5 minute walk from a variety of services, including: sports center and Olympic-size swimming pool, Internet cafés, gyms, bars, restaurants, discotheques, the National University's theatre and grounds, the post office, banks, clinics and travel agencies.

Heredia's proximity to transportation hubs such as the airport and the central bus stations in San José make it an ideal base for your stay here. Easily accessible from the city are San José museums and galleries, the nearby Poás and Barva volcanoes and, further afield, Costa Rica's numerous beaches and national parks. While learning the Spanish language during the week, you may thoroughly explore the country's natural wonders, world renowned for their beauty and biodiversity, on the weekends.

Our Sámara Beach campus

In 2001, Intercultura opened its second campus in Sámara beach on the beautiful Pacific Coast. All students are welcome to study at both campuses. To take a video tour of the beach campus, click here.