Ecuador Summer Student Travel

Ecuador Spanish Immersion for High Schoolers

This Spanish immersion program in Ecuador is for teens who love adventures and want to experience personal growth. We weave the four components below so students walk away with improved Spanish, cultural understanding and an outdoor adventure of a lifetime!

Spanish Classes

Spanish
Classes

Backpacking in the Amazon

Andes
Outdoor adventure

Host Family Living

Host family
living

HS Volunteer

volunteer work

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DAYS

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HOURS

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MINUTES

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SECONDS

Deadline to register: April 1st

Info Meeting: Thursday Oct. 22nd, 2026 – Register below!
(5pm Pacific, 6pm Mountain, 7pm Central & 8pm Eastern)

This presentation is a general overview of our TEEN Spanish immersion programs in Costa Rica and Ecuador.

Save your spot!

This program fills on a first come, first served basis. Reserve a spot on the trip – no obligation – no credit card, just 30 days to help you coordinate your schedule!

A perfect blend of Spanish immersion and Adventure

Become more fluent in Spanish

Gain cultural understanding

Explore the natural beauty of Ecuador

Earn between 15 and 30 hours of service learning credit

Grow in confidence, maturity and independence

Learn outside your comfort zone

Schedule a call

Schedule a call

2 Programs

3 Week Program

Ecuador HS immersion

Highlights

*5 days exploring Cotopaxi National Park with local biologist and guide. Hikes, horseback rides, waterfalls and more
Delicious, gourmet food
Horseback ride in Cotopaxi National Park
Soak in volcanic hot springs
Straddle the equator @ “Mitad del Mundo”
2 wk. Host family stay – Live like a local
30 hrs. interactive Spanish classes with Ecuadorian teachers
20 hrs. Community service projects – work with local children
Cultural activities: markets, museums, cooking classes, chocolate tasting and more
Learn about the Inca and colonial history
Visit Ingapirca 2nd largest Inca site – learn about the Incas while standing at the temple of sun & moon
Hike in Cajas National Park – gateway to the Andes
Live in the city of Cuenca, a UNESCO world heritage site- known for its pre-columbian and colonial history, art, architecture, and beautiful mountains and rivers that surround the city.

*This portion requires good physical fitness. We will hike for 3 to 4 hours at a time on a variety of terrain.

Location

Cuenca, Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador

2027 Dates

June 18 – July 7th, 2027 (+/- a day to accommodate flight schedules)

Registration deadline: April 1st, or when full

24/7 Support

24/7 leadership, coordination & support by engaging program leaders

Price

$6,550

View trip cost and inclusions

Possible to combine with Costa Rica programs

2 Week Program

Cuenca High School Spanish Immersion

Highlights

*5 days exploring Cotopaxi National Park with local biologist and guide. Hikes, horseback rides, waterfalls and more
Delicious, gourmet food
Horseback ride in Cotopaxi National Park
Soak in volcanic hot springs
1 wk. Host family stay – Live like a local
15 hrs. interactive Spanish classes with Ecuadorian teachers
10 hrs. Community service projects – work with local children
Cultural activities: markets, museums, cooking classes, chocolate tasting and more
Learn about the Inca and colonial history
Visit Ingapirca 2nd largest Inca site – learn about the Incas while standing at the temple of sun & moon
Hike in Cajas National Park – gateway to the Andes
Live in the city of Cuenca, a UNESCO world heritage site- known for its pre-columbian and colonial history, art, architecture, and beautiful mountains and rivers that surround the city.

*This portion requires good physical fitness. We will hike for 3 to 4 hours at a time on a variety of terrain.

Location

Cuenca, Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador

2027 Dates

June 24th – July 7th, 2027 (+/- a day to accommodate flight schedules)

Registration deadline: April 1st, or when full

24/7 Support

24/7 leadership, coordination & support by engaging program leaders

Price

$4,825

View trip cost and inclusions

Possible to combine with Costa Rica programs

4 & 6 Week Combo Programs

4 Week Combo: 2 weeks in each country
6 Week Combo: 3 weeks in each country

High School Immersion Program - Combo Ecuador & Costa Rica

Highlights

Live with a family in Ecuador & Costa Rica
Spanish classes- massively improve your fluency in a month!
Volunteer work with kids in each country
Andes outdoor adventures (EC)
Learn about the Inca empire as you visit the temple del sol y luna (EC)
Beach excursion to Manuel Antonio National Park (CR)
Adventure Excursion to Arenal Volcano (CR)
Hot springs, zip-line, hanging bridges, waterfall hike & swim
Dancing & cooking classes

Location

Cuenca & Andes and Amazon Cloud Forest / Manuel Antonio, Santo Domingo, La Fortuna, Tortuguero

2027 Dates

4 Week Combo Program – Combine Costa Rica & Ecuador program: June 24th – July 21 (2 wks. EC & 2 wks. CR)
6 Week Combo Program – Combine Costa Rica & Ecuador program: June 18 – July 21 (3 wks. EC & 3 wks. CR)

Registration deadline: April 1st, or when full

24/7 Support

24/7 leadership, coordination & support by engaging program leaders

Price

$8,995 – 12,250

View trip cost and inclusions

Possible to extend longer

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Testimonials

Ethan Norris Rounded

I absolutely loved it. The trip leaders, high school participants, and all of the Ecuadorians that I met on the trip were great people. My host family was so welcoming and already felt like family after the first day. It was an excellent opportunity to practice my Spanish in an immersive environment and meet wonderful people. I could not recommend Common Ground enough for a life changing experience, and am so grateful to my parents for investing in this trip.

Ethan Norris

Beth Kim Rounded

My daughter had so much fun on the trip. She loved her host family and got a lot out of speaking with them daily, even if she couldn’t understand everything. Another cool benefit for her was meeting so many kids from other parts of the U.S. I think she gained a bigger world perspective and wants to travel more internationally. All her years of study Spanish suddenly became more relevant and exciting.

Beth Kim

Geneva Rounded

It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. I met so many amazing people and got to step outside my comfort zone by speaking more Spanish than I ever had before. I loved learning about another culture and of course all the great activities. Everyone involved was so nice and accommodating, I felt right at home.

Geneva

Cuenca High School Spanish Immersion

HS Spanish Immersion Ecuador RAC

Earn College Credit while you travel!

Get up to 5 university Spanish credits for all of the fun and challenging immersion work you’ll do abroad. Just think, you could start college with university level Spanish credit!

Our trips are accredited for 200-level (2nd year) college credits as follows:

3 College Spanish credits for 2-week programs
4 College Spanish credits for 3-week programs
5 College Spanish credits for 4 week programs

Additional fees apply. Email Leslie for more information

College credit for Spanish Immersion Trip

Testimonials

“This trip is totally different than anything I’ve ever done, it’s an amazing opportunity to learn about culture, Spanish language, to meet new people and to see more of the natural world. If you’re at all interested I would say it’s 100% worth it.”

Joey

“This has been one of the best experiences of my life. I feel like I’ve made so many friends here and I learned a lot more Spanish, I became a lot more fluent”.

Crosby

Itinerary

3 week participants arrive into Quito (UIO)

Day 1

Arrival day

Travel to Ecuador. Meet the group & on-site orientation
*Chaperoned group flight available for 3 wk program only

Day 2

Latitud 00’00’00

Explore Mitad del Mundo & Historic Quito City Tour

Week 1 in Cuenca

Spanish & Cultural Immersion: Spanish classes, volunteer work & cultural activities and host family living

Typical day during this portion is:
– 8am – 11:30am Cultural Activity or Volunteer work
– 12:00 -1pm Group lunch
– 1:00 – 4:00 pm Spanish classes
– 4:00 – 5:30 pm Cultural class (dancing class, cooking class, etc.)
– Dinner and evening with Host family

Weekend Excursions

2 week program participants arrive

Day trip to Ingapirca: Visit the second largest Inca Site in South America and stand in the temple of the sun and moon. Learn about the Inca Empire

Day trip to Cajas National Park: This is an all day guided excursion in which we’ll hike in the Parque Nacional El Cajas for a few hours, enjoy a gourmet lunch and experience the “gateway to the snowy mountains”.
This ancient glaciated terrain has 270 lakes, several rare species of birds and all sorts of other animals (cats, bats, pumas, coatis, etc) – hopefully we get lucky and see some fun animals!

Week 2 in Cuenca (wk. 1 for 2 week participants)

Spanish & Cultural Immersion week: Spanish classes, volunteer work & host family living.

Spanish & Cultural Immersion: Spanish classes, volunteer work & cultural activities and host family living

Typical day during this portion is:
– 8am – 11:30am Cultural Activity or Volunteer work
– 12:00 -1pm Group lunch
– 1:00 – 4:00 pm Spanish classes
– 4:00 – 5:30 pm Cultural class (dancing class, cooking class, etc.)
– Dinner and evening with Host family

2nd day: Travel to Cotopaxi National Park Lodge
3rd day: Day Hike to base camp of Cotopaxi
4th day: Horseback ride in National Park
5th day: Waterfall exploration
6th day: Amazon Cloud Forest hike to volcanic hot springs

Outdoor Adventure- Cotopaxi National Park

Week 3 for 3 week particants, Week 2 for 2 wk participants

Andes Outdoor Adventure in Cotopaxi National Park

*5 days exploring Cotopaxi National Park with local biologist and guide. Hikes, horseback rides, waterfalls and more

1st day: Travel to Cotopaxi National Park Lodge, meet guide, local hike
2nd day: Waterfall exploration hike National Park
3rd day: Hike to basecamp of Cotopaxi in class
4th day: Hourseback ride, cooking 5th day: Mountain bike adventure, evening fishing expendition

2 & 3 week students depart Ecuador. Combo participants continue to Costa Rica

*The Andes Outdoor Adventure requires good physical fitness. We will hike on narrow trails with significant elevation changes.

Next steps

Schedule a call

Schedule a call

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Ecuador High School Immersion Flyer 2025

Download Program Flyer

High School Immersion Trip

Rating

4.94 out of 5 based on 176 customer ratings

The ratings & reviews for this high school student travel & Spanish immersion program for teens speak for themselves

Check our reviews

All of our programs include basic travel medical insurance with trip interruption, delays, lost bags, etc. Here is the standard description of coverage for your included travel insurance plan.

If you have any uncertainties about your upcoming adventure, it might be a good idea to consider additional travel insurance coverage. If you’re looking for a Cancel for Any Reason policy, we suggest you shop for it here:

Adult Spanish Immersion travel insurance

High School Spanish Immersion FAQs

How many students do you travel with at a given time?

We have a maximum number of around 24 students at any one time on the summer immersion program with us. However, most programs average about 15 – 18 students.

Who are the chaperones for the High School program?

Common Ground has 2-3 staff members who chaperone the high school groups at all times, and they are awesome! However, if our group size nears 20+ students, then we typically add a teacher from a school that has students traveling with us to help with the larger numbers. Usually there are more female than male chaperones.

We have miles that we’d like to use for our student’s program, is that possible?

Absolutely. We can discuss the details about the chaperoned flights and whether or not your miles will put your student on that flight.

Do I get credit for the language school classes I attend?

Yes and no. Most High Schools are not offering actual high school credit for the time you spend in Costa Rica. However, some schools will allow you to take an exam after you return and potentially test out of a year’s worth of Spanish classes. This is particularly an option for those students on the 4-week summer immersion program. Additionally, you can apply the amount of time you spend in community service projects to your school and club requirements. Usually students earn between 20 and 60 community service hours for the 2 and 4-week programs respectively. Additionally, if you are an IB student, you may be able to earn up to 75 CAS hours toward your graduation requirements.
Regarding college credit, our trips are accredited for 200-level (2nd year) college credits as follows:
3 College Spanish credits for 2-week programs
4 College Spanish credits for 3-week programs
5 College Spanish credits for 4 week programs

Can my trip length in Costa Rica be flexible? What if I want to stay and study in Costa Rica for more than 4 weeks?

Of course your length of stay can be adjusted. However, we would be happy to work out a custom itinerary with you for those additional weeks. So just give us a call! (888) 879-2575.

What if we’d like to make plans to have a family vacation before or after our student does the Spanish Immersion Program with Common Ground?

Not a problem at all. Usually it’s a good idea to plan a family vacation directly after your student finishes their immersion program so that they’re able to show you around a little. However, we prefer to know your plans as you’re submitting your student’s application, and we’ll make sure that appropriate arrangements are made. Additionally, we’re happy to help you with travel suggestions as well if you’d like some ideas about nice places to spend some time with you family in Costa Rica.

Can you come to my school and make a presentation about this program?

Of course! If you would like to look into scheduling a virtual classroom presentation at your school, just put us in contact with your Spanish teacher or your Foreign/World Languages department head in order to see if we can get something on the schedule. Contact us here.

How do you account for different levels of learners on the immersion trip?

We’ll have you complete a lengthy Spanish Immersion placement test that will give us a good idea of what class you should be in and who your classmates should be.

What are the average class sizes on your immersion trips?

Classes average 4-6 people. They could be as large as 8 and as small as 1:1, but the average is in the 4-6 range.

What level of Spanish should we come in with?

Immersion is always the best way to learn Spanish in the shortest period of time regardless of your starting level. That said, the more you know before you travel, the faster you learn while you’re there. So, the short answer is that we will work with you at any level of Spanish. We also encourage you to do whatever you can to work on your Spanish before you travel and we know that you’ll be glad you did 🙂

Can we visit both Ecuador and Costa Rica on the same trip?

Yes absolutely! Each program has the option of choosing a “Combo” trip. See the details on each immersion trip.

What is the cancellation policy in case of a family emergency?

We’re more than happy to transfer 100% of your program registration to another trip if you can’t travel for any reason. Refunds are harder. In fact, all of your payments are non-refundable. If you feel you may need a refund, we recommend a cancel for any reason travel insurance policy.

Is the Spanish instruction one-on-one or group format?

The default is group format, usually with small groups. There’s also an option for you to have individual lessons for an extra charge.

Do we need a visa to go to either destination?

If you have a US passport you don’t need a visa for either Costa Rica or Ecuador. If you have a passport issued by a different country you’ll need to check it directly.

What are the vaccination requirements?

Covid vaccinations are no longer required to enter Ecuador nor Costa Rica.
Costa Rica – highly recommends all regular vaccines to be up to date. If you do the combo program (Ecuador and then Costa Rica) you also need to have the yellow fever vaccination.
Ecuador – you don’t need the yellow fever to enter.

What is the difference between Spanish spoken in Ecuador and in Costa Rica?

Both are known to be good places to learn the language, they have a very clear pronunciation.
Main difference is that in Costa Rica they use the “usted” form instead of the “tú” form exclusively.

Can my sibling/friend and I be paired with the same host family?

Yes, you just have to let us know beforehand you want to be paired up.

Is it easy to get cash in both places where we will be?

Ecuador – yes, they actually use the US dollar as their currency.
Costa Rica – yes, they use Colones but there are several ATMs in town.

Will you provide a suggested packing list?

Yes, along with a pre-departure course.

Do we find out about our host families pre departure?

Yes, we send the information about a week before your arrival.

Which airport do we fly into?

Cuenca, Ecuador – CUE is the airport code, you may need to book to Quito – UIO and then book a separate domestic flight.
San Jose, Costa Rica – SJO is the airport code.