Costa Rica, known as Central America's jewel, is one of the best places to experience the tropics. The country has no military, no nuclear power plants, almost no illiteracy, lots of culture and no winter. Although only a small country, it packed with incredibly varied landscapes which include cool mountain valleys and massive volcanoes, hilly coffee farms and flat banana groves, humid mangrove forests and palm-fringed beaches.

The country's most impressive quality is its spectacular natural beauty and biodiversity, seen in the variety of flora, fauna, landscapes, and microclimates. Costa Rica can boast that it is the country with the highest percentage (25%) of its territory designated as protected areas: Forest Reserves, Biological Reserves, Nature Shelters, and of course, National Parks.

The country is famous for its progressive approach to conservation and is the prime eco-tourism destination in Central America due to its wealth of protected areas. These areas are home to playful monkeys, languid sloths, crocodiles, countless lizards, poison-dart frogs and a mind-boggling assortment of exotic birds, insects and butterflies, while endangered sea turtles nest on both coasts and cloud forests protect elusive birds and jungle cats.

Costa Rica is a peaceful country that accepts, respects and admires foreigners. Americans, Canadians, Europeans and Australians are warmly received here. The Costa Ricans have two favourite expressions that they use on an everyday basis; con mucho gusto' (with great pleasure) and ‘para servirle' (it's a pleasure to serve you). This country is not only one of the most beautiful countries in the world from an eco-tourism standpoint but also has the best climate. The temperatures are very moderate and usually it varies no more than 5 degrees from their winter to summer.

Heavenly mountains and delightful beaches, the healthiest climate of the world, a profusion of flora and fauna like nowhere else on this planet make Costa Rica a true paradise.

The Republic of Costa Rica is a small country in Central America nestled between the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, north of Panama and south of Nicaragua. The country is divided by a backbone of volcanoes and mountains, an extension of the Andes-Sierra Madre chain which runs along the western side of the Americas.

Costa Rica was granted independence from Spain in 1821. Ironically for Spain, it was around this time that Costa Ricans were, quite literally, sewing the seeds of future economic success. The country was able to find its wealth in the production of coffee. This new industry allowed for massive expansion economically, geographically, and culturally.

Costa Rican culture is in many ways a reflection of its racial mix. The predominant influence has long been European, which is reflected in everything from the official language, Spanish, to the architecture of the country's churches and other historic buildings. The indigenous influence is less apparent, but can be found in everything from the tortillas that are served with a typical Costa Rican meal to the handmade ceramics sold at roadside stands. A more recent cultural influence is that of the United States, which can be noted in everything from the movie selection at San Jose's theatres to the fast food chains that line some of the capital's streets.

Following acceptance of your enrolment application, staff at the TEFL school will contact you to assist in arranging suitable accommodation that is within your budget. You are assured that accommodation booked through the school will be clean, comfortable and secure. Alternatively, you are free to arrange your own accommodation for the duration of your course.

Most Teachers find that room and board for an individual costs around $500 per month.

If you're coming from one of the poorer neighbourhoods such as Nicaragua or Honduras, Costa Rica can strike you as the rather well-to-do Central American cousin with a proportionately high-dollar lifestyle. In reality, it's a fast-developing country with an unabashed interest in the tourist dollar that, nevertheless, still has hotels and nosheries for the shoe-string traveller. If you're traveling with someone else and don't mind a bit of grunge living and a few low-rent meals, you should be able to scrape by on US$20 a day. If you're planning to have your own bathroom, eat decently and catch an occasional plane, US$30-60 should cover your needs. Travelers expecting to be very comfortable can easily spend US$100-150 per day, depending on their definition of comfort. The best tours cost upwards of US$200 per day, but these include flights and first-class accommodations and services.

If you want to change cash, stick to US dollars (but make sure they're in decent condition and avoid US$100 bills - due to a counterfeiting scam, most Costa Ricans won't touch them). US dollars are your best bet for traveler's checks as well, as other currencies will rarely be accepted - any of the major brands will do. If you buy colones with your credit card, expect to get hit with a huge interest bill. Banco Popular, ATH and Credomatic have the largest number of ATMs and their networks often extend as far as the smaller towns and cities. Some banks though, like branches of Banco Nacional, accept cards held by their customers only. Visa and Mastercards are the most widely-accepted credit cards; you may have some trouble with American Express.

You don't usually need to bother with tipping at restaurants, as most add a 10% tip (plus 15% tax) to the bill. You should tip bellboys and room cleaners about US$0.50, tour guides US$1-5 a day per person. Of course, if the service is excellent or lousy you should use your own discretion.