Study Abroad in Costa Rica

Overview

Global Cuisines and Cultures Trip to Costa Rica

Want the ideal culinary travel experience for today’s food world? Take this trip to Costa Rica, named the 2019 UN Champion of the Earth. You’ll discover how this small Latin American nation is committed to sustainability, and how entire communities are addressing pressing environmental issues through innovative programming. It’s a unique, one-on-one connection with the people and products of Costa Rica that will change how you see the world of food.

It’s a wondrous landscape of mountains and plains. Begin your journey in San José and dine at a restaurant dedicated to indigenous gastronomy. Leave the city and start experiencing rural Costa Rica—visit an artisan goat farm that is a living classroom and experience outdoor hands-on demos of sustainable farming practices. You’ll visit a farm-to-table restaurant and participate in a hands-on workshop, learning about sustainability in action.

Four ripe plantains grilling on an outdoor barbecue, with char marks visible on the skins. The grill grate is slightly worn, and the background is blurred.

Other Highlights

  • Spend two days at the world’s largest private collection of coffee botanical varieties where you’ll harvest coffee beans and understand the environmental benefits of planting coffee within a diverse forest.
  • Visit a village that has transformed its economy from fishing to oyster-growing in response to the environmental issue of overfishing in the area.
  • Explore one of the five Blue Zones on Earth, where people are known to live long and be healthier. Discover how they do it!
  • Snorkel with biologists and marine naturalists to coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean.

Itineraries and destinations are always changing so CIA students get the best possible travel experience to be exposed to the latest international techniques and flavors.

Connect with your Admissions Counselor

admissions

Food is your future—and there’s no better place to start than here.

Throughout the year we offer campus tours, open houses, and online events so that you can ask questions, learn more about our degree programs, and chat with admissions counselors.

The Culinary Institute of America