Spanish by the Sea, Puerto Viejo De Talamanca

SPANISH AT LOCATIONS ‘You learn better when at times you can relax your mind’

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Ø Information about Costa Rica & Panama Ø Spanish course Ø Accomodation Ø Activities Ø Volunteer Work Ø Checklist Ø Tips Ø What to pack Ø How to Travel Ø Contact

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Costa Rica Costa Rica is located in Central – America, in between Panama and Nicaragua. It has two coastlines, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Ocean to the east. This location makes sure that Costa Rica is surrounded by beautiful beaches on both sides. More than 4 million people live in Costa Rica, 350,000 live in the capital city San Jose. 25% of the country is marked as protected land. In these National Parks you will find a lot of animals and you will enjoy the lush and green nature. In Costa Rica you pay with Colones but you can also pay with the U.S. Dollar. 500 Colones is 1 U.S. Dollar.

In Costa Rica there are many different climates because of the mountains in the middle of the country. Costa Rica doesn’t have winter and summer seasons but has a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season is from May until July and the dry season is from October until January. The climate will still be warm during the rainy season and you can enjoy travelling just as much.

Costa Rica is one of the wealthiest countries of Latin – America and sometimes it is called ‘The Switzerland of Central – America’.

Panama Panama is the lowest country of Central – America. It is located between Costa Rica and Colombia. Panama has the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Caribbean Ocean to the north. More than 3.5 million people live in Panama and about 1.2 million live in the capital Panama City. In Panama the official currency is the Balboa but U.S. Dollar notes are used as Panama does not print any Balboa notes. 1 U.S. Dollar is 1 Balboa.

In Panama there is a lot of flora and fauna to discover. The country has different kinds of nature, beaches, mountains and wildlife which you will enjoy during travelling. The climate in Panama is about the same as in Costa Rica but with periods of rain and sunshine varying throughout the year depending on where you are. Generally speaking the Caribbean tends to be wetter with less defined dry or wet seasons. The climate is always warm in Panama.

Panama is also one of the wealthiest countries of Latin – America, the country is experiencing an economic boost.

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You have to come to the school on the first Sunday of your arrival at 5:00pm, where you will be given your placement test. This test is both a written test and an oral test. Based on your performance, we will decide which level you are at.

Your Spanish classes will take at least 2 hours, in these lessons you will learn grammar, vocabulary and will practice writing, listening, speaking and reading. Our class schedule runs from Monday to Friday 08:00am – 12:00pm and 13:00pm – 19:00pm. When you have 4 hours of classes, you get a 20 minute break.

You will have Spanish classes on the balconies, in the rancho’s, in the garden or inside the school. Whilst learning a new language, you can enjoy the lush gardens and tropical birds of the schools.

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Every school of Spanish at Locations has a hostel in the school. You can stay in a private or shared room with a shared bathroom, a private bathroom is optional. The hostels have the following facilities:

Ø Fully equipped kitchen Ø Lounge space Ø Balcony or garden Ø TV and DVD player Ø Free Internet/ WiFi Ø Towels are included Ø Sheets are included Ø Laundry service for $5 Ø Everyday cleaning service

In Bocas there is no laundry service and towels are available on request for $10 deposit.

You can also stay in a host family. All the families are carefully selected by us and are very willing to teach you the new language and culture. You can easily walk or go by bus from the host families to the schools. In Boquete and in Turrialba you can choose to have breakfast, lunch or dinner with the family. In Bocas and in Puerto Viejo you can only book a family stay based on breakfast. In Panama City we don’t work with host families.

The schools in Puerto Viejo and Bocas are located in the center of the towns. For groceries you can walk or cycle to the supermarkets or restaurants. The schools in Panama City, Boquete and Turrialba are located a little bit out of town and so it is important to do groceries for more than one day.

At the schools, we don’t sell any food or drinks. For your first night, it is important that you already have food and drinks for the following day. You can order breakfast for $4 for your first morning. Tea and coffee are for free on every location.

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Every location has a different variety of activities because every location has something else to offer. Things you can do in Turrialba: - Rafting - Visit the snake farm - Kayaking - Visit the goat farm - Camping by the river - Guayabo National Monument - See the waterfalls - Rock climbing - Horseback riding - Salsa/Merengue clases - Mountain biking - Canyoning and Canopy - Swimming - Golden coffee bean tour

Things you can do in Puerto Viejo: - Horseback riding - Snorkeling - Surfing - Kayaking - Yoga - Visit the waterfalls - Hiking - Volunteer

Thing you can do in Bocas del Toro: - Surfing - Zapatillas National Park - Diving - Botanical garden - Sailing - Cacao farm - Swimming - Horseback riding - Snorkeling - National Marine Park Bastimentos - Kayaking - Nightlife (Bocas has clubs discos and - Biking bars!!) - Zip lining

Things you can do in Panama City: - Visit Panama Canal - Punta Culebra - Visit Casco Viejo - Nature Center - San Blas Islands - Lively nightlife - Rainforest Panama Viejo - Historic Ocean to Ocean train ride - Botanical Garden - Indian villages - Canopy Crane Tour - Monkey island - Museums and Art - Whale spotting

Things you can do in Boquete: - Rent a scooter! - Midnight hike to Volcán Barú - Rafting - Rock climbing - Camping - Bird watching - Coffee tour - Mountain biking - Kayaking - Hiking - Horseback Riding - Paintball - Hot springs

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At all our locations we give you the opportunity to volunteer abroad for free, if you at least take either Spanish classes or use our accommodation options. If you would prefer not to study Spanish or use our accommodation then we simply ask for a minimal set up fee of $35.

We have different kinds of volunteer work to offer. You can work in schools as an English teacher or teach them a different subject. You can work in a retirement home, in an animal rescue center, in an agricultural institute and much more!

You can decide to do volunteer work before you come here but also when you are already here. Most of the volunteer work options require you to come for at least a week but others, such as the retirement home, are fine with it if you come for just an afternoon.

Volunteer work is a perfect way to practice your Spanish and you see how things are done in a different country and culture!

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What to think of before going on your trip:

Ø Visa, check with your Foreign Office if you need a visa to go to Panama or Costa Rica. Most of the times you can travel on a tourist visa, this allows you to stay in the country for 90 days. Make sure, when you travel to Costa Rica or Panama, that you have evidence of leaving the country in 90 days with you. They can prohibit you going in to the country if you don’t have any evidence (like a plane of bus ticket) of leaving the country within 90 days. If you are going to do volunteer work, don’t mention it. Some Immigration Officers will see that as working and then a working visa is required.

Ø Passport, your passport is one of the most important things to bring with you whilst travelling. Your passport has to be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date to return to your home country.

Ø Vaccines, we advise you to contact your doctor about vaccines.

Ø Insurance, check your travel insurance before travelling. Check if they will cover your costs when you are robbed, if you have to come home earlier because of bereavement and if you have to come home earlier because something happened to you.

Ø Medication, don’t forget to bring your medication. You never know if your specific medication will be available in a foreign country.

Ø Copies, make copies of your passport, credit card and insurance. Leave one copy of everything at home. If something happens, people at your home country can help you.

Ø Plug, in Costa Rica and Panama, they use the American plug. Don’t forget to bring an international plug with you or you may not be able to charge your equipment.

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Ø Money, bring different kinds of money with you. Bring a creditcard, a debitcard and some cash. If you lose something, you won’t be immediately without any money. (best not to bring travellers cheques as they are very difficult to cash in Panama)

Ø Dictionary, bring a Spanish – your language, dictionary with you. This is convenient for classes but also for daily use.

Ø Phone, you can buy a Costa Rican or a Panamanian sim card very cheap. You will be able to call one of the schools when you need something without ending up with a huge bill. It is also an easy way to stay in contact with other students who might be in host families.

Ø Taxi, when it is dark, always take a taxi or walk with a big group. Never walk alone!

Ø Properties, watch your own stuff! If you have a car, take your valuable things with you and lock the car really well. When you travel by bus, keep your bag on your lap or put it in a place where you can see it. You can also use a lock on your bag to be on the safe side. If you are at the beach, lay your head on your bag, don’t put it behind you where you can’t see it.

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- Thin clothes - Rain jacket or poncho - Shirt with long sleeves and long pants for the mosquitos - Sweater, in some parts of Panama and Costa Rica the temperature drops in the evenings - DEET, at least 50% - Hiking shoes and flip-flops - Sunglasses and a hat or a cap - Sunscreen, at least 20 SPF - Camera - Glasses or lenses - Notebook and pens - Mosquito net??

When you are already in Panama or Costa Rica, don’t forget to always take water with you. It can get very hot outside and it is very important to always have water with you and drink enough! We advise you to drink 2 liters a day.

In Panama they pay with the Balboa and the American Dollar. In Costa Rica you can sometimes also pay with the American Dollar but they actually always use the Colones.

1 Balboa = 1 Dollar 500 Colones = 1 Dollar

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General information: - Panama is in a time zone of +1 hour to Costa Rica - Direct buses always cost a little more than the local buses, but it is a really easy and shorter way of travelling. The direct buses have aircon, it can be really chilly on the bus, so bring extra clothes for in the bus. The direct buses also have a toilet on board and will stop for meal breaks. - When you cross the border, you have to pay $3 on the Panama side - Bring evidence of departure when you cross the border. You can’t stay longer than 3 months in Panama or Costa Rica

If you have questions about travelling, you can always ask us by e-mail or ask one of the school managers. They are happy to help you with bus tickets etc.

From Turrialba to:

- Puerto Viejo You first go to Siquirres. In Siquirres you walk to the other bus station and go to Limón. The bus will take you to a bus station in Limón where you have to get out of the bus and go to the other bus station. You can also ask a taxi driver to drive you to the other bus station because the time you have is really short. The bus in Limón goes to Sixaola. Before you get to Sixaola, the bus will stop in Puerto Viejo. The school is behind the main street.

- Bocas del Toro You take the same route you would take if you were going to Puerto Viejo. You take the bus to Siquirres, there you take the bus to Limón and there you take the bus to Sixaola. In Sixaola you walk over the Panamanian border. You have to take a taxi or private mini bus from the border to Changuinola. From Changuinola bus terminal you take a local bus to Almirante and it´s a short walk from the bus station in Almirante to the water taxis for Bocas del Toro. The school is located close to the main street and is situated behind Hotel Bahia, near to Casa Verde.

- Boquete There are different options to travel from Turrialba to Boquete.

Option 1: Get the bus to San José the evening before travelling to Boquete and buy your bus ticket for the David – Panama bus. You can buy the ticket in La Parada de Tracopa in San Jose. The bus to David leaves the next morning at 7:30 AM. You have to cross the border at Paso Canoas, just follow the other passengers from the bus. You will go to the David bus terminal. From there, take the bus to Boquete. This is in the same bus terminal you arrived at. Tell the driver that you want to get off at ‘La Entrada de Palmira’. This drive will take about 40 minutes. When you get off, cross the road and after 200 meters you will see the school on your left.

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Option 2: Take a really early bus to Cartago and then a taxi to the Restaurant El Quijongo. This is on the way to San Isidro del General. On the other side of the road you can get the bus from San Jose to David. This is the bus from Tracopa that leaves San Jose at 7:30 AM. In Cartago the bus will be there at 8:00 AM.

- Panama City You can go to San Jose and buy a ticket at the Ticabus station for a direct bus to Panama City. This bus will leave at 23:00 PM and you will arrive in Panama City at 17:00 PM the next day. This is the easiest way. Here you can take a bus or taxi to the hostel. Tell the taxi driver to go to:

‘Entrada antes de la DIJ, frente a la parada ‘Del Mercado de Abastos’, al lado de la parada de la DIJ, por la casa Quinta de Ancón, del doctor Almera. Al lado de la casa quinta hay un dúplex. Somos la segunda casa del dúplex a mano derecha. Tenemos una mesa con sillas y una sombrilla en el jardín, frente a la casa.’

If you have a few days, you can also make a stop in Boquete or Bocas del Toro before travelling to Panama City. There are buses going from Bocas del Toro and Boquete to bring you to Panama City.

From Puerto Viejo to:

- Turrialba Take the bus that is coming from Sixaola to Limón then walk 2 blocks to get to the other bus station and buy your ticket to Siquirres. You travel from Limón to Siquirres, there you have to get out and walk around to the other bus station where you buy your ticket to Turrialba. In Turrialba take a taxi up to the school.

- Bocas del Toro Take the bus that is coming from Limón to Sixaola. In Sixaola you walk over the Panamanian border. You have to take a taxi or private mini bus from the border to Changuinola. From Changuinola bus terminal you take a local bus to Almirante and it´s a short walk from the bus station in Almirante to the water taxis for Bocas del Toro. The school is located close to the main street and is situated behind Hotel Bahia, near to Casa Verde.

- Boquete Take the bus that is coming from Limón to Sixaola. In Sixaola you walk over the Panamanian border. You have to take a taxi or private mini bus from the border to Changuinola. From Changuinola bus terminal you take a local bus to David. When you are in David, you take a bus to Boquete located in the same bus terminal and ask the bus driver to stop at ‘La Entrada de Palmira”. If you stop here and cross the road you will see the school after 200 meters at the left.

- Panama City

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+1 646 503 18 10 +44 330 124 03 17 +34 93 220 38 75 +33 1-78416974 +41 225 180 700 +49 221 162 56897 +43 720116182 +31 858880253 +7 4995000466 +46 844 68 36 76 +47 219 30 570 +45 898 83 996 +39 02-94751194 +48 223 988 072 +81 345 895 399 +55 213 958 08 76 +86 19816218990 Take the bus that is coming from Limón to Sixaola. In Sixaola you walk over the Panamanian border. You have to take a taxi or private mini bus from the border to Changuinola. From Changuinola bus terminal you take a direct bus to Panama City. This is a long bus drive so bring enough water and snacks. Here you can take a bus or taxi to the hostel. Tell the taxi driver to go to:

From Bocas del Toro to:

- Puerto Viejo You first have to take the water taxi to Almirante and walk to the bus station in Almirante to get a local bus to Changuinola. In Changuinola take a taxi to the Guabito/Sixaola border. Cross the border and buy a ticket at the bus station in Sixaola to Puerto Viejo. The school is behind the main street. An alternative is to take one of the private shuttle services running from Bocas del Toro to Puerto Viejo, this can be booked in advance in Bocas and will take you directly to the school in Puerto Viejo.

- Turrialba You have to take the early water taxi to Almirante and walk to the bus station in Almirante to get a local bus to Changuinola. In Changuinola walk to the bus terminal for San Josebuy a ticket for the bus which leaves daily at 10:00am. If you miss this, follow the instructions for Puerto Viejo and take a bus at the border to San Jose. Do not leave it too late. Ask the driver to stop in Siquirres. Ask him again after a few hours to be on the safe side. In Siquirres, you will take the bus to Turrialba. Here you can take a taxi to the school.

- Boquete You first have to take the water taxi to Almirante, then a taxi to the bus station for David. When you arrive in David, at the same terminal you take the bus to Boquete. Tell the bus driver that you want to stop at ‘La Entrada de Palmira’. When you step out of the bus, cross the road and you will see the school after 200 meters on your left.

- Panama City You first have to take the water taxi to Almirante then a taxi to the bus station for David. From David there are many direct buses to Panama City. The bus takes about 8 hours so bring enough snacks and water with you. The bus will stop for a meal break. Alternatively, book the direct bus from Almirante to Panama City at Bocas Marine Tours. 2 buses leave daily but seats are limited so you will need to book in advance. In Panama City you can take a bus or taxi to the hostel. Tell the taxi driver to go to:

Book at worldwide lowest price at: https://www.languagecourse.net/school-spanish-by-the-sea-puerto-viejo-de-talamanca.php3

+1 646 503 18 10 +44 330 124 03 17 +34 93 220 38 75 +33 1-78416974 +41 225 180 700 +49 221 162 56897 +43 720116182 +31 858880253 +7 4995000466 +46 844 68 36 76 +47 219 30 570 +45 898 83 996 +39 02-94751194 +48 223 988 072 +81 345 895 399 +55 213 958 08 76 +86 19816218990 ‘Entrada antes de la DIJ, frente a la parada ‘Del Mercado de Abastos’, al lado de la parada de la DIJ, por la casa Quinta de Ancón, del doctor Almera. Al lado de la casa quinta hay un dúplex. Somos la segunda casa del dúplex a mano derecha. Tenemos una mesa con sillas y una sombrilla en el jardín, frente a la casa.’

From Boquete to:

- Turrialba You first have to get to David by bus then you take a direct bus to San Jose, here you can take the bus to Turrialba. You can also ask the busdriver if he can stop in Siquirres, here you can take the bus to Turrialba. Alternatively take the bus from David to Changuinola and in Changuinola walk to the bus station for San Jose, the direct bus to San Jose leaves at 10:00am daily. You may have to stop overnight in Changuinola to catch this bus. You have to tell the bus driver that you want to get out in Siquirres. Tell him again after a few hours. In Siquirres you take the bus to Turrialba. In Turrialba you can take a taxi to the school.

- Puerto Viejo You first have to get to David by bus. In the same terminal get the bus to Changuinola. In Changuinola take a taxi to the Guabito/Sixaola border. Cross the border and buy a ticket at the bus station in Sixaola to Puerto Viejo. The school is behind the main street.

- Bocas del Toro You have to go to David by bus and then take the Changuinola bus and get off in Almirante (at the stop for “la lancha” or the water taxi). The water taxis are a short walk away from there. Once in Bocas del Toro the school is located close to the main street and is situated behind Hotel Bahia, near to Casa Verde.

- Panama City First you have to go to David, then you can take a direct bus to Panama City. Here you can take a bus or taxi to the hostel.(cold at night, directions to school needed here)

From Panama City to:

- Turrialba Take the direct bus to Changuinola. In Changuinola take a taxi to the Guabito/Sixaola border. Cross the border and buy a ticket at the bus station in Sixaola to Limón. Here you take the next bus to Siquirres and in Siquirres you take the last bus to Turrialba. You can also take the direct bus to San Jose and ask the bus driver to stop in Siquirres. In Turrialba you can take a taxi to the school. You can also take a direct bus from Panama City to San Jose, here you can get a bus to Turrialba.

- Puerto Viejo Take the direct bus to Changuinola. In Changuinola take a taxi to the Guabito/Sixaola border. Cross the border and buy a ticket at the bus station in Sixaola to Puerto Viejo. The school is behind the main street.

- Bocas del Toro

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+1 646 503 18 10 +44 330 124 03 17 +34 93 220 38 75 +33 1-78416974 +41 225 180 700 +49 221 162 56897 +43 720116182 +31 858880253 +7 4995000466 +46 844 68 36 76 +47 219 30 570 +45 898 83 996 +39 02-94751194 +48 223 988 072 +81 345 895 399 +55 213 958 08 76 +86 19816218990 Take the direct bus to Almirante, there are 2 daily. Take a taxi from the bus terminal to the water taxis which will take you to Bocas del Toro. The school is located close to the main street and is situated behind Hotel Bahia, near to Casa Verde.

- Boquete Take the direct bus to David and in the same terminal take the bus to Boquete. Tell the bus driver that you want to stop at ‘La Entrada de Palmira’. Here you cross the street and you will see the school at your left side after 200 meters.

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