Costa Rica

You can learn Spanish in Costa Rica. Reflecting the higher living standard, it's a little more expensive than other countries such as Guatemala, but then again, the education level of your teachers will be much higher. Some Spanish schools

• The Spanish Zone, +506 225-6122,info@thespanishzone.com, http://www.thespanishzone.com/

• Atesa Language Program, Atenas, Alajuela province, atesaespanol@yahoo.es, http://www.costaricalanguage.com

• Intensa Spanish Language Schools, San Jose, http://www.intensa.com

• Rancho de Español; Beautiful rural surroundings less than 20 miles from San José ranchesp@racsa.co.cr http://www.ranchodeespanol.com

Some hostels offer packages that include Spanish lessons and daily home-stays with the locals (in addition to your room and board). After Colombia, the Spanish spoken by the Costa Ricans is one of the clearest in the region. Costa Rica is also a good place to become proficient in ocean sports like surfing and scuba diving. There are numerous surf shops and dive schools throughout the coastal areas.