Private Schools in Guanacaste

There is a lot to discover in the beautiful country of Costa Rica. The country is home to many provinces full with natural wonders and magnificent sights and sounds. One such province is Guanacaste, which is famous for its marvelous “Gold Coast” beaches. This region attracts a lot of foreigners and expatriates. As a result, the province has become a melting pot where families from different places come to settle. Guanacaste has a lot to offer to settling families. For instance, it has its own international airport, which is only a few minutes away from most towns. Also, there are medical facilities all around ready to provide excellent healthcare service. The province also has an abundance of residential communities, resorts, villas, and hotels. But what most families would want to know is that there is a lot of private schools within the area where children can have the best education.

Living in a place where there is plenty of schools is one major consideration for a parent. Guanacaste checks that factor off the list because it houses some of the best private schools in Costa Rica. So, if you and your family is planning to live in this province, here are six of the best private schools you should consider for your child’s education. 

#1

Dolphins Academy School

The first school on our list is Dolphins Academy. The school offers classes from preschool all the way up to high school. Situated in Playas del Coco, the school is a place where local students mingle with students of various ethnic backgrounds. This is evident as you enter the school premises. You will see kids of different races all huddled together inside their classroom and enjoying their activities. In a way, this is a testament to how the school celebrates global citizenship. Parents would surely love to send their kids to a place like this where racial differences are fostered. 

Moreover, Dolphins Academy is a fun place to enroll your kid. They have all sorts of activities in store for everyone. Even family members are encouraged to join in the fun. They celebrate Family day, Labor Day, Easter, and they even participate in Earth day. Also, they organize regular movie nights where parents could accompany their kids and watch the show with them. Similarly, the academy schedules summer camps filled with fun and educational learning. 

Another good thing about this school is that they offer a Wealthy Kids Course.  The course exposes children to financial literacy, which helps them appreciate the value of money. That way, the course teaches them better money management at an early age.

#2

Lakeside International School

Our next school has, perhaps, one of the most beautiful campuses in all of Guanacaste – the Lakeside International School. The campus itself is located only 15 minutes away from Playas del Coco, a beach community where a lot of tourists go to. The school occupies a vast 200-acre aquaculture farm. And its five main school buildings are lined along the edge of the farm.

Lakeside is proud of its international bilingual curriculum. It has become a standard for this private school to teach lessons in both English and Spanish. Because of this, the school’s broad educational program benefits students with diverse cultural background and also those who are aiming to go to colleges abroad. The curriculum is taught to students from prekindergarten to high school.

Ranked among the six best private schools in Guanacaste, Lakeside is one of the top choices for parents out there. But what separates this private school from the rest is its holistic approach to learning. This teaching method helps students develop their unique talents to its full potential.

Most of the Lakeside’s activities use the great outdoors. This fact is another good point to consider in choosing the best private school for your kids. The school has an expansive park, where students go and eat their lunch. They even have an outdoor classroom under the shade of a huge Malinche tree. Also, Lakeside has an aquaponic vegetable garden where students learn how to grow their own food. Finally, the campus has an athletic field where a lot of the school’s sports activities are held. The school is planning to build a new sports center on the athletic field to further add to its existing facilities.

#3

Niños Del Sol Eco School

Niños Del Sol Eco School is one of the more unique private schools in Guanacaste. Instead of resorting to a traditional schooling system, the school adapts a Montessori style of learning. This means that students learn through hands-on experience and collaborative play. Meanwhile, the role of the teacher is merely to guide the students to make creative choices in the various age-appropriate activities.

The school’s pillars in teaching are the Earth, Community, and the Ocean (ECO). Niños del Sol is very near the Ocotal beach, and because of that, the students go on weekly trips to the beach to have interactive classes there. This kind of learning by experience helps the children to develop a deep sense of connection to nature.

Another interesting practice of the school is that they let each student learn at their own pace. This is a plus factor for parents who worry that their child will have difficulty in keeping up. As a result of this strategy, students understand concepts faster while effectively eliminating stress. In short, the students are put in charge of their own learning progress. Moving ahead if they think they are ready, or slowing down if they need more time.

If you think that your child will benefit more from this kind of schooling setup, then we suggest you consider Niños Del Sol.

#4

Sea Wonders Academy

Next up on our list of the best private schools in Guanacaste is Sea Wonders Academy (SWA). Located in Sardinal, this school is just 20 minutes away from the airport and 15 minutes from the nearest beach community in Coco. If convenience is one of your major considerations, then this school might just be the one for your kids.

Just like most private schools in Guanacaste, Sea Wonders Academy’s teaches its curriculum in a bilingual setup. Both English and Spanish are equally used in each class. This makes the students more globally equipped when they move on to higher levels of schooling.

SWA is a traditional school that accepts both male and female students. Its curriculum is based on the North American education system. Currently, they only offer classes for preschool, kindergarten, and grade school up until 6th grade.

This private school just celebrated its 10th year anniversary last March 2019. Although relatively new on the scene, the way the school handles the students satisfies a great number of parents. That is because the teachers are very hands-on in teaching lessons and in guiding the students on various out-of-classroom activities. Aside from academic classes, the school also gives emphasis to religion, which they teach actively to their students. In fact, they regularly hold rosary sessions every Friday of the week. This is a good plus factor for parents who have strong religious beliefs and prefers a school that teaches Christian values.

#5

Academia Teocali

Our next school is Academia Teocali. Its name literally translates to “House of Wisdom”. The meaning behind Teocali’s name is a testament to its cause in providing the best education to the children of Guanacaste.

Founded in 1982, the school started with a small group of parents who are eager to give their children with a quality bilingual education. They thought of building a small educational center where the whole province could benefit. And so, they contributed money out of their own pockets to start this small project. The result of their efforts will, later on, turn into this highly famous school that is now known as Academia Teocali.

In 2016, the school has become a certified International Baccalaureate (IB) school. Since then, the school has been offering a two-year Diploma Program to high school students. The purpose of the program is to help facilitate the placement of the students to international universities which acknowledge the DP subjects. If you are a parent who wants to send your child abroad for their college education, you should put Academia Teocali in your list.

This 2019, the school will be celebrating its 37th year anniversary. It has surely come a long way from it humble beginnings. Today, the school is proud to say that it has successfully produced 24 batches of high school graduates. They have an average of 98% passing rate for the National High School Test. This exam is a requirement for high school graduates to move further ahead in their education.

Academia Teocali is now the number one private school in Guanacaste. Furthermore, the school ranks among the top 35 private schools in all of Costa Rica that offers high school education.

International Christian School (Colegio Bilingue Ciudad Blanca)

Last in our list is the International Christian School (ICS). From the name itself, you could already say that this school teaches Christian subjects. In fact, ICS is one of the few Christian private schools in the province. Currently, it accepts students starting from pre-kindergarten all the way until eleventh grade.

As is the norm in private schools nowadays, ICS teaches its curriculum in both English and Spanish. And just like most private schools, they accept students of various nationalities. The school’s vision is to develop students to become knowledgeable, principled, balanced, and caring members of the society.

The educational standard of the school is very competitive. In fact, most of the school’s high school graduates are able to pass college entrance exams with very high scores. For instance, they have students who went on to study at some of the most prominent Christian schools in the country. Some even secure admission to universities of note abroad such as the University of Alabama, the Florida Institute of Technology, Cornell and the Air Force Academy.

ICS’s staff is top-notch as well. They have a good mix of local and foreign teachers who are highly qualified and credentialed. Each teacher has solid teaching experience under their belt. Moreover, the teachers are aligned with the Christian teachings of the school. They work hand in hand to reinforce the spiritual foundation taught to each student.

Majority of the people in Costa Rica are Catholic. Because of this, some parents prefer to send their kids to a reputable Christian school. ICS has established foothold not only in Guanacaste but in other provinces of Costa Rica as well. This makes ICS the Christian school of choice for most.

Private Rental Homes

Moving to a new location is a big move for the family. It demands great effort not only for the parents but for the kids as well. The task of looking for a new place is already difficult enough on itself. What more if you add the task of choosing the right school for the kids?

With the list we provided, we positively hope that we have helped you decide on the right option for your child. Each of the school in our list offers a unique experience that can only be taught within the four corners of its classroom. If you have already chosen the one you think is best, then that’s great. We are happy to have helped.

If, however, you and your family are planning to stay only for an extended period and don’t want to buy a permanent house, then you should check out our offerings for rental homes. On our site, you will find various listings of condos, villas, private luxury homes, hotels and more. Staying long term? We got you covered as you can also find long-term rental deals from the myriads of listings we have.