All CPI campuses offer free Wi-Fi and international calls by way of a SKYPE phone. You can fax or send letters for a small cost, and family members may send you letters through the CPI address.
The CPI staff is happy to arrange your San Jose (SJO) pick up/drop off and intercampus transportation. Details are as follows:
SJO AIRPORT:
We would like to emphasize that the SJO pick up and drop off service offered by CPI is only for those students staying in either a homestay or one of the CPI rooms/apartments/villas at either Heredia, Monteverde or Flamingo.
Arrival:
- For students enrolled at CPI Heredia as their first school, a driver picks up the student and takes him/her directly to their homestay in San Joaquín de Flores.
- Homestay or non-homestay students heading to Monteverde or Flamingo have an optional ARRIVAL PACKAGE to make their initial start smoother.
Our pre-arranged ARRIVAL PACKAGE includes airport pickup at SJO and staying in a local accommodation close to the airport before traveling to Monteverde or Flamingo. The following day, students will be transported to their accommodation in Flamingo or Monteverde via semi-private shuttle. This arrival package fee includes airport pick up at SJO, one night at a B&B in a single room and the aforementioned transportation to Flamingo or Monteverde. This is also an option for friends, families and couples traveling together; we have special prices for families traveling with kids under 12 years old.
- The price of the local accommodation and private transportation is not included in the tuition price; these are extra costs. CPI makes the ARRIVAL PACKAGE reservation; please inform the CPI Admissions Office of your plans.
- PLEASE NOTE: we do not offer airport pick up from the airport in Liberia (LIR), but our CPI Admissions staff can pre-arrange this service in advance and confirm the cost prior to your arrival.
Departure:
- The week-end after students finish their classes, transportation is available to SJO. Students finishing classes at the Heredia campus are picked up from their homestay; students whose last week of classes is at Monteverde or Flamingo are picked up at the B&B in San Joaquin as part of the Departure Package (an additional fee, not included in the tuition price).
- PLEASE NOTE: we do not offer airport drop off to the airport in Liberia (LIR), but can pre-arrange this service in advance and confirm the cost prior to your arrival.
Local Tours/ Intercampus Transfers
Each of the CPI campuses has a bilingual Student Coordinator on staff to arrange weekday and weekend activities and excursions to the most popular nearby sites. CPI specializes in organizing all your tours and excursions while in Costa Rica. The goal is to provide high quality tours at reasonable prices, while remaining dedicated to the concept of Spanish immersion by utilizing guides experienced in working with language students.
Weekend trips can also be combined with intercampus transfers to bring the student to the next CPI site. The student is picked up for the activity at their current campus, and then dropped off with their luggage at their homestay/lodging at the new campus. If a student does not wish to participate in a weekend tour, intercampus transportation can be arranged with the Student Coordinator; pricing depends on the transportation company and route.
PLEASE NOTE: tour prices are not included in the program price and availability of any given tour depends on a minimum amount of student participants.
Non-homestay students
For non-homestay students who need to travel to Monteverde or Flamingo, we recommend the previously explained local accommodation/private transportation combination and we are happy to make these transportation arrangements to Monteverde/Flamingo for non-homestay students. It is necessary to inform the CPI Admissions Office in advance if the non-homestay student would like to take advantage of this "combo".
With CPI campuses in three diverse regions of Costa Rica, volunteer opportunities vary according to location; however, in the majority of cases we can find you a position in your field or area of pursuit. If you e-mail us about your interest in volunteering prior to your arrival, we can investigate potential options.
Once in Costa Rica, you can buy a pre-paid cell phone. Alternatively, you can also bring your own cell phone and buy a local SIM card.
If you live within walking distance, your host family will show you how to get to school the first day. Additionally, during the student orientation the CPI Student Coordinator will go over the map to help familiarize you to the local areas.
If you live more than 25-minutes walking distance from campus, CPI provides daily morning transportation to the school.