Flamingo Beach is a tiny resort town with many foreign residents located in the beautiful province of Guanacaste (population approximately 32.000) on the Pacific coast. The beach has beautiful white sand and is one of the nicest in the country. The reduced number of tourists in the area and the small size of the town make it ideal for those students seeking a more personalized experience with the language and culture of the country.

The Enforex school is located on the waterfront, facing the marina, at the entrance of the town of Flamingo. Classes are held in a new complex with 15 classrooms, a garden area, kitchen, video room, common area and a pool with a patio. Capacity is 70 students a day and participants are mainly from the United States and Canada, although many nationalities are represented.

Soar through the treetops for the unmatched close-up of the New World's best wildlife refuge. Harness yourself to cables that run between platforms high in the trees, then step into thin air and zip from tree to tree. Experience a true bird-eye view from your new aerial perspective.

Join a licensed, professional local guide on a four-hour tour of Costa Rica’s cloud forest. Upon entering the park, look up and say hello to (don’t shake hands with) the raccoon-like creatures that hang out on the visitor center’s roof. Throughout your walk, you are shielded from the sun by web-like moss and thousands of vines hanging down from the branches of tall trees. Hike across the Continental Divide (a 5,000-foot altitude), and learn about the flora and fauna native to this humid and dark forest. Follow your guide on a search for some of the 850 bird species in Costa Rica.

Step back in time as you explore Monteverde on horseback, following time-worn trails through the mountains as you breathe in the mists of the rainforest.

Rrribbit. Venture into the cloud forest at night for an amphibious symphony. Most of Costa Rica’s famous frogs are nocturnal, making this evening walk a great opportunity to both hear and see the colorful creatures. The tiny Tink Frog, often no more than an inch long, is making the metallic clanging noise you hear (hence its name), while the flashes of red you see might be the Red-Eyed Tree Frog hopping from leaf to leaf. Get up close and personal with 25 other species at the frog pond, where crayola-perfect reds, greens, yellows, and blues mark the inhabitants. Just watch which plants you stand under -- mistletoe is also native to Costa Rica, and not every frog will turn into a prince!

Sulfurously glowing, the Poás Volcano has been gurgling and burbling since its last major eruption in the 1950s. From the viewing terrace, visitors can look down over 1,000 feet into the world's largest active crater.

Glide along the still waters reflecting the perfect cone of Arenal Volcano and the surrounding rolling hills. Lake Arenal, the country's largest, is also among its most scenic, and the area has become popular area to kayak, windsurf, sail, fish, and hike.

Sparkling water, iridescent hummingbirds, peaceful butterflies. It's hard to believe such a haven could exist in bustling, cosmopolitan San José. Wander along 1.5 acres of scenic trails in the La Paz Waterfall Garden, where platforms and walkways allow visitors to appreciate the once-inaccessible waterfalls.

One of San José's best museums, the National Museum displays artifacts from the country pre-colonial past. The archaeological highlights include petroglyphs, pre-Columbian stonework, and plenty of sculpted gold.

The breathtaking rainforest of the Brauilo Carrillo National Park dips from 36 m above sea level at its lowest point to 2906 m at its highest, giving visitors a huge range of sights, climates, and wildlife to encounter in its 44,000 hectares. Ocelots, toucans, and monkeys scamper about, rugged mountains give way to rushing rivers, and even the occasional eagle or jaguar calls this rainforest home.

ANAI is a Costa Rican non-profit organization working to integrate agriculture, conservation, and tourism. At their project site in Cahuita, you'll learn about the country's indigenous groups, native farming techniques, and sea turtle conservation efforts through lectures, field trips, and beach patrols.

If the words "national park" don't conjure images of the world's most perfect beach in your mind, Cahuita may be the change you were looking for. A pristinely preserved white sand beach fringed by coconut trees and bright coral reefs, this park shows off the beauty of Costa Rica's Caribbean coast.

ANAI has been working for decades to protect Costa Rica's sea turtles, which have been both targeted by poachers and pushed off by development. You'll help patrol the beach, watching for predators and helping to move sea turtles and their eggs to safer locations, to get a true hands-on feel for coastal conservation work.

The perfect way to experience Costa Rica at its best. After getting full safety and paddling instructions from your guide, head off into lush rainforest teeming with toucans, herons, and iguanas. Be on the lookout for basilisk lizards — these reptiles can scurry across the water on their hind legs, a feat that earned them the nickname “Jesus Christ lizards.” End your tour of Costa Rica’s most popular river with a traditional lunch prepared by your guide.

Costa Rica’s culture draws on African, Caribbean, and Spanish roots to create a unique and lively blend. Sit back and surround yourself with this colorful culture during an evening of fine food and fiesta. Brightly costumed locals serve up a typical Costa Rican meal of beans, rice, white cheese, fruit, and a main dish of fish, chicken, or beef, and a performance of traditional music follows.