Spanish school location: Coronado-San José
Small town, authentic Costa-Rican, the perfect base camp to travel the country!
Our first location
Back in the day, we chose Coronado to be our first Spanish school location for its charming small-town life, its warm people and beautiful mountains.
But we also chose Coronado for being conveniently located, close to San José city (about 30 mins by bus) which brings a huge amount of things to do and places to go. It's set at the foot of Braulio Carrillo National Park which is one of the most important protected areas in Costa Rica.
Coronado's main features
Magic mountains
Coronado's mountain landscape starts with beautiful views of the Central Valley and rural landscape, but going uphill we find an untouched cloudforest in Monserrat. It's home to the Resplendent Quetzal, lots of endemic animals and even sloths and monkeys. It's our favorite place to hike and explore!
True tico town
Non-touristy, typical Costa-Rican town has lots of opportinities to practice your language and make a true "deep immersion" into Spanish, culture and "pura vida".
Ease of travel
Travel to both coasts, volcanos, rainforests, cloudforests, urban jungles, you name it! Coronado's strategic location in the middle of the country is the great to explore Costa Rica.
Facilities made for learning
Our beautiful quiet campus and mild weather will boost your learning mood. Just next door you can stay at our residence or with a home stay nearby.
A city for those that know how to discover it
San José is not a place to "be a tourist", it is a city to live and experience. We have beautiful parks, interesting pre-Columbian museums, exciting festivals, bars and discos, great cafés and treats for foodies!
Attractions and activities
Locos por el Bosque
"Crazy for the forest"... a small, local, private cloudforest reserve in the heart of the Coronado mountains. Until recently, only few knew about this area's rich natural beauty which includes many animals, some of which are endemic and endangered. Since 2015, we have been sponsoring this crazy attempt at conservation of an important biological corridor we consider our backyard!
Iglesia de San Isidro
The town's outstanding landmark is the neo-Gothic cathedral built at the beginning of the 20th century. During the town’s festivities in May you can climb the tower and enjoy a stunning view over San José and the central valley.
Braulio Carrillo National Park
North of Coronado the National Park extends over 480 square km/185 square miles with altitudes varying over 3000 meters/9800 feet. It is home to a staggering array of live and different ecosystems, such as tropical rainforest, cloud forest, volcanoes, rivers and waterfalls.
Nature
Hike, bike or explore the scenery, forests and mountains around town on horseback. You can find wonderful sights on the way to Las Nubes or Cascajal de Coronado which is just about 3 km (2 mi) away.
Club Los Jaúles
A big recreation center is located just a few minutes away from the campus with a pool, fitness center (gym), restaurant and spacious outdoor area. You can spend their time after class swimming, exercising or relaxing in the sauna.
Restaurants and Cafés
There is a wide range of international restaurants in Coronado. Besides typical Costa Ricans "sodas", you'll find Texan, Mexican, Chinese and Salvadorian restaurants, a place where you can catch your own trout before eating it and some charming cafés to spend the afternoons studying or hanging out with your new friends.
On our campus Don George serves Costa Rican and Caribbean specialties to all the students at lunch time.
San José
The country’s capital and biggest city is a hub for culture, nightlife, museums, restaurants, shopping centers and the central starting point for further exploration of the country. Simply hop on the bus leaving every 20 minutes from Coronado.
1. San Isidro Church / 2. Local seasonal products always available / 3. Visiting the cloud forest with our students / 4. Traditional Costa Rican masks / 5. Don George, our caribbean food expert / 6. Horseback riding at the Coronado hills / 7. A typical fruit and vegetable stand at the Coronado farmers market
Our beach location: Jacó Beach
Learn about our other location! Our recommendation: try both and have a complete Costa-Rican experience!
How to get there
Landing on Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)*, you can ask for a school-organized, door-to-door transfer, take a taxi our use the bus system (not recommended when carrying lots of luggage or arriving late). From San José downtown, buses run about every 2 minutes from the Coronado bus station on Avenida 7, Calle 0-2, however, the private transfer will save you time and stress when just arriving for looking up addresses or getting to an unknown location, the transfer will take you right to the door of your accommodation.
* Please note that the airport is located 30 minutes away from San José downtown.