Activities In Puerto Viejo & Heredia
Cultural activities and informal gatherings with Costa Ricans are available. These interchanges allow you to practice your Spanish and will help you understand the Costa Rican people and their culture. Latin dance classes, cooking classes, movie, theater and night outings are held for those who are interested. Informal get-togethers with Costa Rican students (who are studying English at IPED) provide a wonderful opportunity to make new friends, practice your Spanish, and learn more about Latin American culture.
Latin Dance Classes
In the Latin dance classes you will dance to the rhythms of Latin culture and learn how to move to Salsa, Merengue and Cumbia beats. to name a few.
Cooking Classes
Zaida's famous cooking classes will delight your senses and expose you to typical foods from Costa Rica. You will try the oddly wonderful fruits that are in season and prepare delicious dishes that you will feast upon and share with the other students.
City Tour
After class and a wonderful lunch on the first day we will do a walking tour of Heredia where you get to see the most important sights of Heredia such as the central square, the main church, the National Univesity and the central market, etc...We will show you all of the great spots for lunch around town and give you some insights into the history and culture of Heredia and Costa Rica
Language Exchanges
A great way to meet Ticos and practice your newly found knowledge of Spanish is to spend time with our Costa Rican students that are studying English at IPED. These informal language exchanges are a fun way to help out the local students and try out your new Spanish skills.
Puerto Viejo activities
In Puerto Viejo tours can be taken to go swimming with the dolphins, scuba-diving, snorkeling in the crystal clear coral reefs and sea. You can choose to go river-kayaking in the mangroves and watch many different kinds of birds and wild life. Puerto Viejo has world renowned surfing and lessons are available. The enormous leather-back turtle nests in the Gandoca-Manzanillo reserve where you can also see exotic bird life, Howler monkeys and it is said that there are even manatees in the lagoon. There are relaxing yoga classes and massages available and if you want more strenuous activity then you can try a pilates class. A rare glimpse into the lives and culture of the indigenous people of the Talamanca mountains can be had by visits to the their nearby villages. Rent a bike, a motorbike or an ATV and check out the 14 kilometer stretch of beaches between Puerto Viejo and take lazily walks on the gorgeous sands of the Gandoca-Manzanillo reserve. Tours to a chocolate farm, botanical gardens and zip lines are all just minutes away. You can zipline through the canopy among monkeys and toucans.