CIEE College Study Abroad in Monteverde, Costa Rica

I absolutely loved this program and I would highly recommend it to anyone. The sheer amount of biological diversity that you get to witness and learn about firsthand is unprecedented. The first two weeks you get to go on a field trip all along the pacific coast of Costa Rica and learn about every type of ecosystem that exists. In Corcovado, you wake up to the calls of howler monkeys and Scarlet Macaws out in search of breakfast. The campsite is absolutely beautiful- I would call is glamping because there is a private beach and bar at the place we stay (its called Jungla de Jaguar if you wanna check it out). Here we saw lizards, sloths, toucans, spiders, and someone even had a very up close encounter with a tapir! In Santa Rosa- my personal favorite place, we saw three different species of monkeys on the walk to breakfast alone. We also frequently saw Tamanduas, agoutis, parrots, snakes, frogs, etc. Definitely bring your camera. The teaching staff and TAs are the best people I have ever met in my life, and they will become your best friends. They know the answer to any question you could have, and are the friendliest people in the world. If you love the outdoors, and waking up in paradise, and making amazing friends, 100% do this program!

You don't have to be the most knowledgeable in the environmental field. This program really gives you more than what you put in, as long as you are present and engaged at the moment. The campus is beautiful and the staff are the friendliest out there. Even the locals! Although it is quite embarrassing to not know even just a bit of Spanish, so please learn! Afternoons spent on-campus, you'd still have time to tour the place and its surrounding areas(there are trails everywhere or go downtown), have some coffee(a must-try) or tea by the porch, or pull some mejenga on the field! Most important thing is have fun while learning; Pura Vida!

This was my first study abroad experience and it was amazing. The staff and campus employees were nice and friendly. All the meals were included in the study abroad program and the food was good, but be prepared to eat a lot of beans. It was a great place to make friends. And if you enjoy nature there is a lot of it. The cloud forest is beautiful, and if you keep your eye peeled you can see monkeys, sloths, animals endemic to Costa Rica, and beautiful birds such as the quetzals and toucans. If you are looking for a study abroad experience that lets you get in touch with nature, this is the one.

Even though my time in Costa Rica was only three weeks, I was able to explore and learn about Monteverde and the rest of Costa Rica. The campus is BEAUTIFUL!! You will be able to see lots of wild life and experience incredible sites. The staff was incredible. They were extremely friendly and always there for anyone that needed help. The class was interesting, we were able to have many hands on experiences. I was able to meet a wide range of people, some of them have become my very close friends in such a short amount of time. I highly recommend this program.

This was my first time traveling outside of the United States, and I think I got really lucky having this experience be my first. I was in Monteverde, Costa Rica, for 6 weeks, and I loved being so secluded in the mountains and Cloud Forest. Also, those 6 weeks were filled with grand experiences, like traveling to Manuel Antonio and hiking through the Cloud Forest, but they were also filled with little special moments on campus, such as eating every meal together and weekly dance lessons in the rec room. The staff was extremely supportive, and any questions or concerns I had were answered and addressed. My roommates became some of my best friends, and many of us students have made commitments to visit each other in the States once we return! I also felt spoiled from having delicious meals 3 times a day with fresh, organic ingredients. Additionally, I made long-lasting connections and gathered valuable knowledge through working on the campus farm, helping the kitchen staff clean after meals, meeting local coffee producers and soap makers, and eating pizza at Zelmi’s! This study abroad experience has felt more than just a study abroad — I truly felt integrated into the community. Though I was sad to leave, I know I can still maintain these connections after my travels.

CIEE has been an educational experience I will remember and cherish forever. The campus, located in the isolated mountains of Monteverde, became my home for six weeks. I made some life long friends, who seemed to love the experience as much as I did. Only a 30 minute bus ride from the town Santa Elena, our weekends were fun-filled; the town is a hub for tourists interested in exploratory and thrill-seeking adventurists. My group interacted with kind locals who showed us their farms and lifestyles, while we also got to participate in tourist activities like rock climbing, zip-lining, and more. The weather was extreme at times, but this just acted as a reminder that I was far from my home town. I would recommend this program to anyone who is willing to get out of their comfort zone and explore the landscape of beautiful Monteverde.

CIEE Monteverde is an amazing experience for students looking to be adventurous and study the natural environment. Located in tropical rainforest and nearby the cloud forest, there is so much life and biodiversity to see, along with lots of opportunities for adventure-tourism and agri-tourism. Sustainability is a major component of the daily lifestyle and the class offerings at CIEE are very interesting and current-event based. Depending on what you’re interests are, the Monteverde area has plenty of opportunities for you to get outside and try something new! The area surrounding Monteverde also has lots of great opportunities to experience authentic Costa Rican culture and get a taste of what life is like in Costa Rica. If you like being up-close with nature and learning about a different culture, this is a great program to look into!

The tropical ecology and conservation program with CIEE left a significant impact on my life. It challenged me physically, mentally, and emotionally in the best way possible, and I have grown a great deal because of it. The field trips to national parks opened my eyes to the natural wonders of Costa Rica and the independent project in the natural setting allowed me to exercise scientific critical thinking skills in a fully immersed tropical classroom. This all-encompassing program exposes students in the tropics while enriching our knowledge of another culture and helping us polish our Spanish skills. The staff members go above and beyond and truly make the group feel like family in a short two months. This was an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life.