Accommodation - Costa Rica

Accommodation during the TEFL/TESOL Course

Your accommodation for your TEFL/TESOL course is all pre-booked and sorted for you before you arrive in San Ramón.

Accommodation is shared occupancy with an en suite bathroom and fans. Those wanting more privacy can request and pay for a private room. This will need to be pre-approved and will depend on availability.

We provide airport pickups to all participants arriving within the designated time frame prior to the start of the course. Participants will arrive by flying into the main airport in San Jose (SJO). They will then be driven 45 minutes to San Ramón and check in to the Hostel.

Participants are asked to arrive on the Sunday before their course starts between 8am and 6pm. Those arriving earlier should arrange to stay in a hostel near the airport if they would like to use the airport pickup on Sunday.

Accommodation is clean and simple and perfect for your first month during your TEFL/TESOL course.

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Air con is not needed in San Ramón as the temperature is no more than 78 degrees all year around with a nice breeze. There are also some common areas for study and relaxation as well as a kitchen.

There is a large, spacious living room area that is reserved for course participants.

There is a kitchen area where participants can prepare meals. Participants typically cook their own meals. There are minimarts with supplies a few minutes walk from the hostel and a large supermarket a ten minute walk from the hostel. There is also a local café next to the hostel that opens early. This is a popular spot for an affordable breakfast and lunch for those that prefer not to cook.

The accommodation is located a 15 minute walk from the town center and a ten minute walk to a beautiful viewpoint where participants can enjoy the sunset and see the whole city.

Classroom Space

The classroom is located downstairs in the same building as the participant accommodation. It is separated from the participant living area and rooms.

This means no traveling to class and participants can enjoy the convenience of having their rooms and kitchen facilities available nearby for breaks, but enough separation from their work space!

 

Accommodation after the TEFL/TESOL Course

Teachers are responsible for their own accommodation after the course, but we will provide advice on finding housing, and schools often assist as well.

There are many different accommodation types and locations where teachers could be based. The decisions teachers make on where to live next will be down to personal choice. We will guide each step of the way and assist teachers in navigating accommodation arrangements once they know what you are looking for.

• Step 1: Teachers will look for accommodations based on their budget, preferred/necessary location, and any other factors.
• Step 2: Teachers can ask us for advice / support in negotiation, language barriers or considering options.

Where To Live

After teachers have their placement confirmed they can start considering where to live. This will primarily depend on their placement and where they need to be located.

Academy and International School Positions

If teachers are working for a local academy and teaching in person, it will be best to find an accommodation nearby so they can easily get to classes each day. Academies will be able to guide on which neighborhoods they recommend. Some academies are able to recommend homestays.

Online Positions

If teachers are working online remotely, then they have many options available. Working online provides a great opportunity to be location independent, allowing for opportunities to travel.

Teachers may choose to sign a six month lease on an apartment.

Alternatively, they can look into shorter term rentals so you can see several different areas of Costa Rica.

With tourism affected by the pandemic, there are many accommodations that are not being used and there are good deals to be found.

We will guide participants on how to narrow down options.

How much will rent cost?

• Teachers will be given guidance on accommodation options in areas accessible to their school.
• There will be resources available (both from us and from the partner school) to find accommodation in the area (other teachers, staff at the center, list of common accommodations).
• Accommodation is typically $300 – $500 per month USD. The cheapest option would be a homestay, the most common option is a house-share or renting a studio apartment.
• Accommodation is generally considerably cheaper in small and medium sized towns in the central region than in San Jose or beach towns.
• Homestays are available locally in the San Ramón area for those looking for a low cost cultural experience. This is a low cost way for a new teacher to find suitable housing and immerse themselves in the culture. Homestays are commonly around $100 USD per week with 2 meals a day included.

Couples or friends traveling together

For couples or friends traveling together we will work to find a placement option that will work for them staying together. If two in-person placements close to each other aren’t available then we would endeavor to place either both or one person in an online role. That way they can work remotely and choose where to live so they can stay together even if their friend/partner has a fixed location at a local academy.