Spanish Immersion School Intercultura Costa Rica

FREE CULTURAL ACTIVITIES TO PRACTICE SPANISH AND MAKE FRIENDS AT INTERCULTURA

Intercultura has been creating and perfecting our original activities since 1993, and we pride ourselves on having the most varied cultural activities program of any school in Costa Rica!

We’ve been students ourselves, so we know how important it is to have spaces to practice your Spanish and meet new friends: Our extensive FREE daily cultural activities take place at school, in our tropical gardens and around town every day from Monday to Thursday, and you can pick as many activities as you wish! You will meet fellow Spanish students and our Tico students of English and Brazilian Portuguese, giving you lots of opportunities to make local and foreign friends.

cultural activities intercultura costa rica

FREE CULTURAL ACTIVITIES AFTER CLASS - EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY!

Keep scrolling to explore a sample of our cultural activities!

WALKING TOUR

Discover Heredia or Sámara with your classmates and our student coordinators — available at both of our campuses! MONDAYS:

LATIN DANCE CLASS

Have fun and meet local Costa Rican students while learning salsa, merengue and bachata at both of our school campuses: DAILY:

LATIN COOKING CLASS & LUNCH

Make (and eat!) classic Costa Rica dishes with our amazing cooking teachers at both of our school campuses: ONCE A WEEK:

LA TERTULIA CONVERSATION HOUR

In-person and online weekly classes to practice special topics in Spanish, during and after your program. In Heredia only:

learn to speak spanish with locals in costa rica"

INTERCAMBIOS

Meet and make friends with Intercultura’s local Tico students in a fun, guided conversational activity session. Offered every week in Heredia and occasionally in Sámara (upon request).

speak spanish with locals in costa rica"

YOGA AND ZUMBA

Stretch by the sea with our beachfront yoga sessions at the Sámara Campus, or turn up the energy with our adrenaline-pumping Zumba class led by instructor Karol! You’ll also occasionally find Zumba and yoga sessions at our Heredia Campus. ONCE A WEEK:.

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learn spanish and enjoy yoga classes in samara beach"

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CULTURAL TOUR OF COLONIAL TOWNS

At our Heredia Campus, we take students every week on a stroll through a nearby town to explore Heredia’s rich historical past.

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cultural tour of colonial towns close to san jose costa rica"

MUSEUM & ARTS TOUR

Enjoy Marcelo’s expert guidance during this monthly museum, architecture and arts tour of the capital, San José. Offered at our Heredia Campus:

cultural and arts tour san jose costa rica"

explore san jose while studying spanish in costa rica"

SOCCER GAMES, LOCAL HIKES TO HIDDEN BEACHES & BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Get some exercise with our staff and on the beach right outside our gate! Available at our Sámara Campus:

beach soccer with locals in playa samara"

NIGHT OUT AT A LOCAL LATIN DANCE VENUE

In Heredia, our dance teacher Kike takes students to a local “salon” every Thursday night out to practice their moves with Ticos!

Join our vibrant after-class activities and connect with fellow Spanish learners, local Tico students, and Brazilian Portuguese speakers — all in a fun, immersive environment!

For a full, detailed schedule — including the specific activities offered at each campus — just fill out the form at the bottom of this page or contact us, and we’ll send you everything you need.

Curious about our exciting weekend and half-day excursions? Click here to discover the adventures we organize for our students (for an extra cost)!

Follow our Facebook and Insta-Stories on to catch a glimpse of our cultural activities and what students are experiencing on their tours.

STUDENT FEEDBACK

Jemma Button, Australia

"The program was fantastic, there was a good balance between classes and other activities such as cultural learning and the excursions over the weekend and during the week. I would recommend this Spanish immersion experience with Intercultura Costa Rica for anyone wanting to learn Spanish."

GUEST CLASS AUDIT

Interested in seeing how our ESL classes work or participating in a Brazilian Portuguese class? You are invited to sit in on a class here on campus. Available at our Heredia Campus.

CELEBRATING COSTA RICA'S CULTURE AND TRADITIONS

At Intercultura, we proudly celebrate important cultural events and holidays like the Annexation of Guanacaste, Independence Day, Culture Day, Afro–Costa Rican Day, and more.

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celebrating independence day at intercultura costa rica"

afro costa rican celebration at intercultura costa rica"

spanish school in costa rica with focus on culture and traditions"

OUR HALF-DAY AND WEEKEND EXCURSIONS

Weekend Adventures Await — Explore Volcanoes, Beaches, Rainforests, and More!

On weekends, you can explore Costa Rica’s stunning natural beauty — including volcanoes, beaches, national parks, coffee plantations, island boat trips, rafting, indigenous reserves, and more — for an additional cost.

HALF-DAY/ DAY TOURS

WEEKEND EXCURSIONS

weekend trips with intercultura costa rica

GET OUR CURRENT CULTURAL ACTIVITY OVERVIEW OFFERED FOR EACH CAMPUS

For a more detailed schedule including the specific activities offered at each campus — just fill out the form below, and we’ll send you everything you need.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND TIPS ON ACTIVITIES

What´s special about each campus location. What should I know?

FREE WEEKLY 1/2 DAY TOURS IN HEREDIA - as part of our FREE culture program

SAMPLE DESTINATIONS	WHEN	DESCRIPTION
Colonial Barva	1st Tuesday of the month	Walking tour of Barva’s colonial church and historic buildings, declared National Patrimony and boasting houses made with traditional adobe and “baraheque” mud and straw techniques. Also view the Artwork and Sculptures in the Central Plaza.
Tour of San Joaquín de Flores	2nd Tuesday of the month	Visit San Joaquín and it’s famous church, built in 1880, with every rock that is part of the church brought from Cartago by cart, 87 km away! The Spanish painter Jose Claro painted the images inside the church, which also boasts a cavern with a Lourdes Virgin and armchairs made of stone to sit down and view the garden flowers.
San Rafael & Monte de la Cruz	3rd Tuesday of the month	Travel to Monte de la Cruz nature reserve, passing by the beautiful San Rafael Church, for a nature walk in the mountainous cloud forest surrounding Heredia.

BEACHFRONT CAMPUS LOCATION IN SÁMARA - is priceless!

Our location right next to the ocean gives you the convenience of:

That everything is reachable within walking distance.
Listening to the sound of the ocean and waves during classtime.
Taking a swim or walk before or after your classes.
Combining surfing with your Spanish program without any complications.
Enjoying the laid-back lifestyle, fresh coconut water, monkeys in the trees, and special-typical Sámara scenery like horses running down the beach or cows crossing the road together with you.
...or even catching a glimpse of humpback whales during their migration season while you are watching the sunset, or sign up for "turtle arribada" trips during their season.

What do students do on the weekends or when they are not at school?

Almost all our students like to explore Costa Rica, whether going to a volcano, park, beach or rainforest, there is always somewhere new and exciting within easy reach for both weekend and day trips. If you just arrived to Heredia or Sámara and you are looking for things to do on the weekend, here are our ideas and tips for you:

At OUR HEREDIA CAMPUS

Hanging out at the central park in Heredia and playing dominoes with the locals is fun!
Go to university bars and meet “tico” students, or
go to San José for theatre, art openings and concerts.
Get involved in sports like yoga, football (soccer) or basketball, swim in the Olympic-sized pool one block from us, or go to the gym.
If you love languages you can join our Portuguese classes or volunteer with ESL.

We are open Saturdays till 4pm! Stop by to meet our staff and English students, or take a dip in the public pool 2 blocks from school, or take a taxi to the Museo de Cultura Popular in Santa Lucia (only open on Sundays), where you can see an old colonial style farmhouse, eat traditional recipes, visit the museum and its artefacts, and spend a relaxing afternoon. Afterwards, walk up to the village of Barva and check out the artwork in the central plaza and the colonial church, one of Costa Rica’s oldest, before heading home for dinner by bus or taxi.

AT OUR SÁMARA BEACH CAMPUS

Sámara is the perfect beach to learn how to surf, or surf one of the area's many beaches.
Go horseback-riding down the beach, mountain-biking or hiking to nearby beaches or forests, zip-lining, doing yoga, kayaking to the island.
Take advantage of the many yoga classes in town, play soccer or beach volleyball.
You can also volunteer in our communities. There is always something to do!
Wander through the bars with friends in the evenings and enjoy some great live music. Sámara has really become a place of pilgrimage for musicians.

If you are arriving over the weekend, feel free to stop by school to meet other students. Around town, you will also find many tourist information offices open over the weekend. Or just enjoy the beautiful beach.

Activities & Tours