Social Program

Rafting Rio Pacuare, hiking through tropical rain forest, several days on beaches of the Caribbean and Pacific coast, visiting museums and expositions in San Jose, nightlife in San Pedro, experiencing the Arenal volcano, boat trips through the mangrove forests of Tortuguero, canopy in the cloud forest, shopping, dancing and more has been part of the INEX Summer University Costa Rica program. INEX makes sure to always chose the most suitable excursions according to the season and optimizes the program towards an interesting and exciting experience.

These activities bring lots of fun and group coherence. They are an appropriate way to actively make students aware of the host country, and to lead to a deeper understanding of the culture and the way of life of the Costa Rican people. Trans-cultural experience is the core element of INEX Summer University programs - boredom and insularity are abolished from the very first day!

Please note that the activities are chosen individually for each program according to the program topic and the season. Therefore the social program varies from one program to the other.
Inspite of Costa Rica being a small country after all, the different regions can differ massively in their climate, due to extreme differences in altitude. For the students' benefit we try to accomodate the most suitable tours and excursions to each program schedule. Thus you will find only some of the tours listed below in your schedule and we might add some different excursions.

Detailed Descriptions of various activities

INBio Parque
INBio Parque, just 20 minutes away from San José, is an amazing park that offers an interactive experience with Costa Rica's nature. It teaches people about Costa Rica's biological diversity and the importance of conserving it. And it is a place where you can perfectly experience the sounds and sights of Costa Rican nature. A half-day visit to the park is normally scheduled on the second day of the ISU Costa Rica and introduces participants to all kinds of butterflies, frogs, spiders, but also crocodiles, different plants and a lot more, found in Costa Rica and its protected areas.

Host Families
While participating in an Inex program, you will get the chance to actively integrate yourself into this new culture and live the Latin American way of life for several weeks. You have the opportunity to live with a well chosen "Tico" family, get part of it. They not only provide our students with good housing, they also prepare typical Costa Rican food and help you to improve your Spanish language skills. Already after your first day in Costa Rica, you will see that the "Ticos" are very friendly and open-minded and help you with everything they can. Next to the academic program and the extensive social program, staying with host families has always been the most-liked part of the ISU Costa Rica.

San José Tour
San José is the hub of the country, with a noticeably more modernized feel. It is vibrant city, located in the Central Valley and surrounded by towering green mountains and rain forest. The San Jose city tour gives Inex students an overview of the city highlights, shows them downtown parks, major buildings, places to shop and eat. It includes a walk on the Avenida Central, the main boulevard of the city, a stop at the 100-year-old National Theater and shows you the most interesting parts of the city. This tour is something you should not miss!

Typical Costa Rican handicrafts - Sarchi
The small country pueblo of Sarchi is the country's most famous artisan town. Handmade, the traditional oxcart, or carreta, is the country's most famous type of craft. Ordinarily admired for its decorative qualities, the oxcart plays a very important part in the cultural history of Costa Rica. In the middle of the 19th century, when coffee was first being cultivated in the surrounding countryside, oxcarts provided the only method in which to transport the hand picked beans over the mountains and to the coast. Arduous and timely were these trips, a good, reliable, well-built oxcart could mean the difference between a successful transit and financial ruin. In many cases, oxcarts where a family's only means of transportation, and at times even served as a status symbol. Thus, the tradition of painting and decorating the carts commenced in the early part of this century. Originally each region of Costa Rica had its own particular design, enabling one to identify from which part of the country the driver lived simply by observing the pattern on the wheels. Nowadays it is featured prominently in parades as well as in both religious and secular celebrations, the brightly painted and painstakingly detailed designs now cover every inch of the cart.

Volcan Poás
Volcano Poás is 2708 meters high, has the third largest crater in the world and is one of the most visited volcanoes in Costa Rica. At the Poás Volcano in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, you can stand at the edge of a multicoloured crater and watch geyser-like eruptions. There are five craters on Volcano Poás, but two get most attention from visitors: The newer active crater responsible for the lava, rocks, ash and steam in historical times. An extinct one now called Botos Lake. And the park - with its 56.000,40 m², has even more to offer than volcanic craters: beside its wonderful surroundings, trails lead through fascinating forests and shrubs.

Brasilito – Conchal
Brasilito is a typical small, slow-paced beach town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica located right next to the famous Playa Conchal. When you step on that beach you will know why it is famous – it is not made of rocks, nor of sand – it is purely made of shiny white and colourful seashell pieces. This gives the water the ultimate turquoise and deep blue look you are looking for after a hard week of studying.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens
La Paz Waterfall Gardens has hundreds of hummingbirds, spectacular waterfalls and the world's largest butterfly observatory. At this single location, you can find all that you expect to experience in Costa Rica. The impressions gained are truly spectacular, and give a great insight to the tropical rainforest.

Zarcero
Being a very typical Costa Rican mountain village, Zarcero keeps attracting visitors for Evangelista Blanco’s spectacular work of art. It is located right on the main town plaza in front of the picturesque church. The artesian gardener shaped dozens of Cypresses into a double entrance path as well as all sorts of interesting figures and statues. By looking closesly you will identify an elephant, a rabbit, a even a monkey on a motorcycle! Rumours say that Evangelista Blanco has already been contacted by Walt Disney’s head-hunters…

White Water Rafting
White Water Rafting at Rio Sarapiqui is a safe but wild adventure. With untamed waters, tropical beauty and mostly untouched wilderness this is an outstanding excursion and a great chance to see the beautiful nature of Costa Rica from another side - while paddling hard and trying not to fall into the warm water. The tour lasts 2-3 hours, including lots of paddling and a break with typical Costa Rican food. Whether beginner or expert, nature lover or adventurer - rafting on Rio Sarapiqui is a great adventure!

Cahuita
Cahuita, in the region of Southern Limón, is situated on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. It is simply the perfect scenery for swimming, snorkeling and delicious Caribbean food. Endless unspoiled beaches lined with rain forest and the coral reefs offshore invite to stay in the laid back Caribbean village.

Dancing Classes
Dancing the Salsa, Merengue and Bachata is something one should not miss when coming to Latin America. At the dancing school of Tibás-Olé students get the real feeling of dancing to Latin rhythms as they are taught by experienced professional dancers. While you swing your hips and shake your shoulders you will get a lot closer to feel like a Latina/o.
Learning classic and modern Latin dances (like the Raeggeton) is a great cultural experience. And of course it is great fun, especially if you like to go out at night and join the Ticos and Ticas for an evening in one of the many dance clubs.

Volcano Arenal
Volcano Arenal is breathtaking. It is the most active volcano in Central America and belongs to the 10 most active ones in the whole world. It booms and rumbles with an unnerving consistency and its nocturnal pyrotechnics have struck awe in the hearts of thousands of observers. With its perfectly conical shape and its continuing activity, Arenal is a picture book image of a volcano. Daily ash columns, underground rumbling, glowing red lava flows and sudden explosions make Arenal a must-see on every Costa Rica visit.

Lake Arenal
The majestic Lake Arenal near the famous Arenal Volcano is the largest lake in Costa Rica. It was enlarged three times to its actual size of  85.5km (33 sq. miles) during a hydroelectric project. Through the Lake Arenal Dam 70% of Costa Rica’s electricity is obtained. It's unique combination of warm fresh water, steady and strong winds and spectacular scenery now enjoys a world class reputation amongst windsurfers and sailboarders.

Puerto Viejo
This wonderful beach town, amidst an exotic flora and fauna, holds many surprises. It's famous for its laid back attitude, Caribbean life style and its own unique blend of Latino, Afro-Caribbean and Bribri indigenous cultures as well as for its gorgeous beaches, crystal clear blue waters, and some of the most amazing surfing opportunities. Many surfers come here from all over the world to ride the famed Salsa Brava waves. Whether you are looking forward to having a good time or just a laidback retreat, Puerto Viejo is a great place to kick back and soak
in the sun.

Cooking Classes
To get a deeper insight into the typical Costa Rican cuisine, Inex programs include cooking classes with local people. Typically, students get the chance to prepare characteristic food - like gallo pinto, arroz con pollo or trés leches. Given that food is a very important part of culture, this event brings you closer to the everyday Costa Rican life. And of course all participants are welcome to enjoy the freshly prepared food afterwards.
Que aproveche!

Montezuma
Montezuma Beach is located near the tip, of the Nicoya Peninsula and has been a natural refuge,for surfing enthusiasts and spiritually weary souls, seeking a unique communion with  nature. Montezuma can be reached by taking the ferry from Puntarenas. After a one hour boat trip through the bay of Nicoya and its nice views you will start to feel Montezuma’s heat – especially during the dry season.

Baldi Hot Springs & Spa
Near the base of the active Arenal Volcano, renowned Baldi Resort provides you a relaxing and unparalleled experience. With its natural hot springs and thermo mineral water pools, that flow directly from the veins of the volcano, and the surrounding beautiful nature, this is a perfect place to relax after an intense week of studies. As participants in an Inex program, one can enjoy this natural wonder of Costa Rica, sooth in the mineral pools and naturally warm waterfalls and achieve a balance of body and soul.

Manuel Antonio
The charming combination of rainforest, beaches and coral reefs makes the Manuel Antonio national park to one of the most beautiful areas in the country, offering an abundant diversity of wildlife and a varying fauna. Manuel Antonio, which was declared a national park in 1972, is the natural habitat of species such as the endangered squirrel monkey (endemic to the area), white faced capuchin monkey, raccoons, three and two-toed sloths, white-nosed coaties, brown pelicans, black-collared hawks and green kingfishers. They share the space with primary and secondary forests, bursting with cedars, bully trees, black locusts and silk cotton trees.

Canopy in San Lorenzo
The area is acclaimed as one of the most outstanding wildlife refuges in the New World Tropics, extremely rich with birds, insects, butterfly, and thousands of plants. The Canopy Tour, in which you traverse the Cloud Forest through cables and zip lines and takes approximately 3 hours. It is an adventurous tour that elevates adrenaline to the maximum and shows you the beauty of Costa Rican jungle from a perspective never experienced before.

International Evening
Sharing traditions and information about the home countries of the students is the main objective of this exciting event. Usually all students, their host families, new friends and colleagues all together celebrate on this evening. After a short presentation about their home countries, students prepare characteristic food and beverages and show the "Ticos" how to dance traditional dances. For many participants, this is a way to say "thank you" to their host families, who care so much about them and do all to make their new children a second home. Not only one time, tears of happiness and gratitude were shared at the International Evening.

Costa Rican Coffee – Plantation visit
Coffee was brought to Costa Rica during the late eighteenth century. Its arrival was discrete, but definite. Coffee cultivation expanded slowly throughout the Central Valley. It was in 1843, when a group of visionary exporters undertook the complex task of exporting coffee directly to London and started to make Costa Rican coffee world famous. Soon, the growing and trading of coffee changed the face of Costa Rica. The country was modernized and young Costa Rican intellectuals could now continue their studies in Europe and return as doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs contributing to the improvement of Costa Ricans’ lifestyle. In 1980 the first railroad to the Atlantic Coast was built and the inauration of the National Theater was about to develop the Costa Ricans’ awareness for their own cultural roots.
Costa Rica and Coffee were made for each other. The soils have a slight degree of acidity enriched by volcanic ashes, rich in organic matter that promote a good distribution of the coffee plants’ roots, which in turn retains humidity and facilitators oxygenation. This combination of characteristics invigorates the plant and is one of the many factors that contribute to the quality of Costa Rican Coffee. If you would like to fully enjoy Costa Rica’s delightful Arabica coffee beans it is recommended to taste the coffee unblended in order the uniqueness of their flavour.