This February half term, 15 of our Spanish students swapped Putney for”Pura Vida” on the deserted beaches of Costa Rica in an immersive week of Spanish and new experiences. Aside from 20 hours of language lessons in a local school (a little different to Putney High with its hammocks and palm trees!) they had a great opportunity to spread their wings: flying through the forest on a zip wire and kayaking across the sea to the island of Chora. Swimming and surfing lessons were not to be missed in the warm Costa Rican waters, and the girls enjoyed hikes to an empty beach, salsa classes and much more.

Here are just a few of the memories from our intrepid explorers…

• Hot sun on cheek, wild wind in the palm trees and roaring of the surf in my ears.
• Pink shells, pelicans, cormorants, wriggly worm sand casts and white sharp coral.
• Shiny sparkly wet beach, sandpipers strutting around…
• Stinging feet after walking barefoot to end of miles of beach.
• Fishing boats and a glimpse of a brightly coloured bird.
• Cowboys with strings of horses trotting along beach.
• The forest green with dappled sunlight, baby howler monkeys, iguanas, coyotes
• Whizzing along the zip wire, backwards, upside down, freefalling to ground at end.
• Snacking on pineapple and water melon in the canopy.
• Kayaking to Chora island…. sea smooth, silky and turquoise. White sand … snorkelling .…puffer fish, starfish and shells
• Colourful rows of hammocks swinging in the school gardens

Definitely Pura Vida…!

See more photos here