Costa Rica has been an increasingly popular destination for American travelers and transplants for more than a decade. The peaceful nation’s thirty-four parks and reserves make it a nature-lover’s dream. The landscape from one side of the small country to the other is diverse, with volcanic mountain ranges, rain forests, fertile valleys dotted with coffee plantations; and of course the warm waters of both the Pacific and the Caribbean.

This stunning tropical beauty, abundance of nature and friendly people present the perfect canvas for photography, a hobby enjoyed by most travelers that allows them to bring their experiences home. This provides a near-perfect combination of learning, practice and vacation.

The School of the World in Playa Jaco offers a digital photography classroom in the midst of paradise. The one-to-four week programs are designed to give students a working knowledge of the elements of photography including lighting, composition, apertures, shutter speeds and basic photo editing. Learning how to improve photo shots is a major goal, and students are taken on excursions in search of great locations.

“The digital photography revolution has made it easier for people to experiment and learn how to improve their photography skills, without the cost or waiting time of film,” says Brian Phelps, Director of School of the World.

But the learning opportunities don’t stop there. The school combines its photography courses with your choice of surfing, yoga or Spanish lessons. “Surfboards are more common than cell phones in this small town,” says Phelps. “Due to the fact that the Playa Jaco area is well known to have great waves and warm water year-round, it is only natural that so many people come here to learn how to surf.”

School of the World provided one of the first options available for studying Spanish near the beaches in Costa Rica, “The school's Spanish courses incorporate international Spanish teaching guidelines with Costa Rica's local variations of the language,” Phelps explains. “Studying in a Spanish-speaking country allows students to immediately practice what they have learned with native Spanish-speaking people.” Yoga is the newest program of the school, rounding out a truly unique combined learning experience available nowhere else.

It’s often easy to study a new language, but difficult to actually speak it. The magic of acquiring language skills while in a foreign country lies in the complete immersion in an entire culture. The native-speakers surrounding you provide not only constant opportunities for practice in real daily settings such as shopping, but also a much deeper insight into the history, government, arts, even pop culture and slang, of the host country.

On the Riviera Maya in Mexico, travelers can pamper themselves in the luxury of the award-winning beach resort of Maroma while learning Spanish. Students are provided a special “pulsera,” or bracelet, which signals to resort staff that they wish to speak Spanish only, allowing the local language to truly come to life for them. Spanish-English dictionaries are provided in every room and the Palapa Cultural center stocks a wide selection of Spanish books, magazines and movies. After class, guests can reward themselves for their efforts in the Mayan healing spa, scuba diving or swimming with dolphins, or going on a nature walk with a marine biologist.

Les than two hours north of the Riviera Maya lies Veracruz, a port city living the traditional life of old Mexico. The tourists are Mexicans from around the country, and it’s possible not to see another American during your stay. Here, The Language Immersion School prides itself on an accomplished track record of helping its students become conversational in days. The unique approach combines classroom learning with Out-And-About Labs to give hours of daily practice with locals.

“Think back for a moment about all the people you’ve known who studied Spanish in high school or college,” says Eric Langner, co-owner of the school with his wife, Linda. “How many of them can actually speak the language? Traditional instruction is fine for learning grammar, structure, and vocabulary, but it almost never succeeds at getting you talking.”

The Language Immersion School believes equally in its second goal of active participation in the local culture. Additional learning available includes cooking, ecotourism, folk dancing and guitar making. “Good immersion school takes you to the markets and shops, the little restaurants and museums and parks,” adds Langner. “Good immersion has you visiting with the locals and joining them in the activities of daily life.”