Extraordinary! The weather was absolutely perfect.

A quality program in a wonderful environment. I highly recommend it!

this is a great school! the teachers were excellent and the facilities were fantastic (where else can you hop into a jacuzzi after class??). accomodations were basic compared to US standards, but were comfortable, non the less. highly recommended!

An amazing program with amazing people running it. The school is beautiful, the class sizes are perfect, and the town is great. It is a small town with plenty to do and although there is a significant amount of English there are plenty of chances to practice Spanish or a need for it. Learning in this environment goes surprisingly fast.

I spent 3 weeks at this campus, it was situated in a wonderful spot on the planet! My instructors were engaging, professional and fun (though afternoon classes could sometimes drag for conversation - naptime). The food was great on campus, the activities really exciting and adventurous, the learning muy rapido! I loved my homestays, though I may stay in local cabins next time because I don't care for high carb diets. Local restaurants are affordable and the cuisine varied. I will return because I feel I have friends in Monteverde and because the school was professional and organized (ouch, homework at my age, 56). I learned.

For me, CPI is the gold standard for Spanish immersion. I don't award five stars casually; however, my experience in Monteverde far exceeded my expectations. As an advanced intermediate attending during the "low" season (very few college students), I ended up as the only student in a group class. I was there for four weeks with a different professor each week. It seemed that each one was better than the previous one. My ability to have an intelligent coversation in Spanish improved greatly during that time. My "familia tica" made me feel like part of the family. I look forward to the time when I can return to visit them. Monteverde is a natural paradise. I remember my thrill at actually seeing a Resplendent Quetzel (a beautiful bird of the Trogon family) in the Monteverde Reserve. The staff at Cpi was very friendly, accomodating and professional. "Pura Vida".

I had a wonderful homestay with mi familia Tica, it was in an idyllic setting overlooking the green mountains. Monteverde is a great town to study Spanish in, it´s super mellow and beautiful, albeit extremely touristy - you have to make a serious effort to practice with the locals since everyone speaks Spanish. I found that the classes themselves really depends on the teacher you get - if you don´t like your class, don´t hesitate to ask to switch teachers. It´s kind of a big school with tons of Northern American teenagers studying during the summer (peak season), and can feel kind of impersonal sometimes - the staff are very professional but sometimes a bit too formal for my taste. The campus is gorgeous. The dance classes were fun, and they also offer additional activities outside of Spanish class. It´s all about what you make out of your experience!

This school, based on comparisons with several in Mexico and Nicaragua, is very nearly perfect! Just don't get caught there in a November cold front, which was absolutely miserable - in general, be prepared from Nov-February for some really inclement (wet, windy and cool) weather. This is NOT the tropics, but it is a beautiful area. The school buildings are spacious, bright, and stylish, even including a jacuzzi and small gym - really impressive. The staff are unfailingly helpful, accommodating all but the most outrageous requests. I chose my own hotel, but heard that some homestays are not satisfactory, so that would be my only word of warning. Excursions and activities are excellent, teachers are well trained and prepared, materials are well developed. It is not cheap to study here, but it is good value.

I spent one week at CPI - Monteverde in January 2011. The teacher I had was outstanding. I was placed with a wonderful family. The combination of the school and homestay allowed my Spanish to improve leaps and bounds. The activities coordinator helped individual students with excursions and there were many options. I have no real complaints, other than the fact that the school had only two computers available for students to use, and they seemed to be pretty dated.

The office staff was extraordinarily helpful, no matter how many times I came to them with questions in very basic Spanish (which did improve over time and practice). They quickly looked up information or helped arrange wonderful tours at my request. I valued the home stay with local families, because it provides an important insight into and interaction with and appreciation for the local culture you cannot otherwise have. There was a lot to do at this campus, from lunch at a hidden local restaurant to touring the Bat Barn and the Frog Ranarium and the Children's Forest after class, to the week-end suspension bridge and Zipline tours in the Cloud Forest. This beautiful campus is well-placed for those who want to further their nature studies.

This is a top notch school with a 25 year history. They have developed and extensive curriculum and have workbooks for every level. I have been bringing my family and studying with this school for over 20 years and think of it as my second home. On my last trip, I brought my 8 year old daughter and 18 year old son. Each of us were placed in a class that matched our level of Spanish. This school even has a special curriculum for children and is very family friendly. I am truly amazed that each time I return to CPI, they have made some sort of improvement to the facility. The school is extremely well maintained and the staff has very little turn-over. The teachers are educated, friendly and professional. The staff here will hook you up with whatever you need from excursions, transportation, recommendations and more. They even have a kitchen and offer snacks during the morning break and lunch at noon. The chef is outstanding! There is a hot tub for use on the campus as well as ping pong table, an exercise room, and hammocks for relaxing. We stayed in the apartments called Casas del Toro. They offer spacious apartments with full kitchens, large bathrooms, and great views of the Gulf of Nicola. They even have washers and dryers available for free. I would recommend this school to anyone. I have met students of all ages here, children, high school and college students, adults and retirees. This school caters to all ages and they do it well.

I prepaid cpi for 4 weeks..2 were supposed to be at this location. I was not able to go because the rain damaged the roads. I was not happy with the week in the heredia campus..and knew this wasn't the school for me. They do not provide any teaching materials. They write everything on a whiteboard. So..your option is to try and see the board as the teacher stands in front of it writing..or..well that is your option. They give you a homework book. The words they use to describe a concept are terms not found online..or in grammer books. If you do not understand something..they will say you do not want to learn it. I am not a fan of costa rica..or cpi. They do not teach the tu form of conjugating verbs and will lecture you that it is not used in costa rica...it is used in costa rica..and most everywhere e else. But..more importantly, I was paying, I wanted to learn it and it was a battle to get them to teach it at all to me. They are not open minded at all..they seem to be stuck in a time warp using ways from long ago. Also..everything you hear about non stop rain, traffic, chaos in the streets and BUGS that bite..is true. I am at the airport now..cannot wait to leave. Even though they returned some of my money, they kept one week. I ended up going to another school to learn spanish..conversa..which was exceptional. When you look at the prices..keep in mind that conversa includes everything .lodging..meals..activities..transportation..and most importantly great instructors who know how to teach. I think that they money and time I spent at CPI were completely wasted. To me..it feels like this school might not be around much longer.the