www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I see that there are 4 or 5 Spanish Language schools in Puerto Viejo.
Anyone attended one of them ? Is it worth the money ?
Better to learn in San jose itself ? Or is Jaco a better idea ?

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Softbob

There is nothing either good or bad
but thinking makes it so.
HAMLET

Never saw a Spanish school in PV before. PV is a good place to learn Creole English, though...

I see at least 5 offering classes there now.
I have no problem with the Creole English

_________________
Softbob

There is nothing either good or bad
but thinking makes it so.
HAMLET

While I enjoyed my short visit to PV a couple of years ago, I would imagine that an extended stay (a couple of weeks for intensive Spanish classes) might get a bit old. While there is a bit of nightlife, the P4P opportunities are relatively sparse compared to SJ or Jaco. The beaches nearby are great but if you are in class most days, you won't get much opportunity to visit them.

If I were going to be in one place for a couple of weeks, I would definitely pick SJ or Jaco. Myself, I would probably opt for SJ as Jaco might get a bit boring as there are a more limited number of venues. Also you will probably spend a lot more going out at night in Jaco as the girls, food and the drinks are a bit pricier than SJ.

All of this is predicated on the notion that you would like to engage in a bit of P4P while you are there. If that is not the case then I would look at the quality of the living facilities (or options) for the language school.

Also, if you are looking at scheduling this in the next three months, Jaco and SJ will be virtually rain-free. PV gets significant rain in Jan, Feb and Mar.

Thank you for you insights. I was hoping the rain would be tapering off in by April.
I do not expect to monger there. I will do that in SJ before and after the week of classes.
I agree with you that Jaco is much more expensive than SJ for our hobby.
I am curious to see if the mongering experience will be better after the classes.

_________________
Softbob

There is nothing either good or bad
but thinking makes it so.
HAMLET

If it's only a week and you are not expecting to hook up with any company, PV should be fine. You can get some great seafood at very reasonable prices and there is a bit of night life. One bar on the main drag had a blues band that was pretty good.

Also be advised that the tourist crowd is a bit different than other parts of CR. It is generally a younger, more backpacker type crowd.

One thing to make sure of is to be sure your hotel has air conditioning. A lot of the mid-priced, lower-priced places are fan only. It does get VERY hot and humid.