Families walking together on a Tamarindo beach at sunset

Tamarindo, Costa Rica · July 15 to August 7, 2027

A summer abroad,
rooted in community.

Camp for the kids, a desk for the grown-ups, and a village of families a short walk apart.

A summer collectiveGrounded in familyConnected with each otherLeave refreshed

Our vision

Gathering as a community is more important than ever. We want to share Terra Nostra with you as a summer collective to connect, reset and refresh our outlook and our values, and ground both our chosen and blood families in restorative rest. Families and friends live a short walk apart. Kids go to camp while the grown-ups work, and weekends are yours to explore, gather as a community or simply recharge.

A day at Terra Nostra

Camp

Camp

Ali's Treehouse (2 to 6) and TIDE Academy for older kids

See Ali's Treehouse
Work

Work

An optional desk in town

Beach

Beach

A short walk from home

Roots + dinner

Roots + dinner

Weekly, with the whole group

Who we are

Jessica Lynch Jolley

Jessica Lynch Jolley

Deuce's mom. Tech executive who builds community and belonging. Loves travel and food.

Connect on LinkedIn
Lauren Weaver Holland

Lauren Weaver Holland

Elliott's mom. Lawyer, educator, Fulbright Scholar and former assistant principal. Loves exploring the world.

Connect on LinkedIn

Terra Nostra · Tamarindo · Roots

Culture, woven into the summer

Every land holds our roots, and Roots is what makes Terra ours. Each week, kids and parents explore Guanacaste's history, culture, art, food and nature together, at camp and for the whole family.

Costa Rica's story runs through Africa, the Caribbean and the Chorotega people of Guanacaste. Each week, local artists, cooks and historians share a piece of it with us.

At camp

Once a week

A hands-on Roots session in the camp day, made for little ones.

Family night

Once a week

An evening for everyone: a concert, a cook-along, a celebration or a talk.

For parents

Along the way

Talks with historians and artists on the African diaspora here.

Session 1 · Week 1

Arrival: Africa to Guanacaste

1500s to 1700s
Spanish colonists bring enslaved Africans, many forced to work cattle ranches
By the 1700s
Free Afro-descendants outnumber the enslaved and build communities
1824
Slavery is abolished

Where the story starts. We meet the African roots of Guanacaste's music and culture.

  • Marimba with Quijongo Guanacasteco
  • A parent talk with historian Rina Cáceres

Session 1 · Week 2

Sound and movement

1944
Punto Guanacasteco made national dance
1996
Marimba made a national symbol

Rhythm, drums and dance, and how music carries memory across generations.

  • Music and dance with Son Semillas
  • A cimarrona night with Las Independientes

Session 2 · Week 3

Many roots, one land

Around 800 AD
The Chorotega arrive from southern Mexico and settle the Nicoya Peninsula
July 25, 1824
Nicoya joins Costa Rica
Today
Guaitil potters keep Chorotega techniques alive

How Chorotega, African and Spanish roots shaped today's Guanacaste.

  • Clay with Chorotega potters in Guaitil
  • A Guadalupe Urbina concert
  • Guanacaste Day celebrations

Session 2 · Week 4

The Caribbean diaspora

1872
First Jamaican workers reach Limón
1949
Segregation ends
2015
Declared multiethnic

From Guanacaste to the Caribbean coast, where calypso and Afro-Caribbean food tell the story.

  • A Kawe Calypso session and closing concert
  • A Sazón Calypso cook-along: kids make rice and beans and patí
Here for one session? Join Session 1 or Session 2 and you get two Roots weeks. Partners are being confirmed and the lineup may change.

Terra Nostra · Tamarindo · The details

How it works

Getting there, what's included, and the camp your kids will love.

When

Jul 15 to Aug 7

Full summer or either session

Getting there

5 to 6 hrs

Nonstop to LIR + 75 min

Time vs Eastern

2 hrs behind

Workday 7 AM to 3 PM

July

~90°F

Hot, green season showers

Why Tamarindo first?

Once you've heard the waves crash on the cliffs and slept the deep sleep that salt water brings, you will understand. Weeks of friends, community, long dinners and real connection.

  • Work fits camp 2 hrs behind ET, done by 3 PM for pickup
  • No visa for US passports
  • Dollars and English widely used in town
  • Easy flights nonstop to Liberia from major US hubs
  • Walkable home, camp, coworking and beach

What's included

Camp

Morning to afternoon

Ali's Treehouse for ages 2 to 6, with lunch, beach days, arts and yoga. TIDE Academy camp for older kids.

Work

Your workday

An optional coworking desk in town with fast fiber and backup power, a short walk from home.

Community

Evenings and weekends

Beach sunsets, a weekly family dinner, and Roots nights with local artists and historians.

Good to know

Walkable

Home, camp and coworking sit a few minutes apart in town, near the beach. Transfers arranged for arrival and outings.

Food + social

Beach bars, sushi, tacos, a farmers market and a big grocery store.

Heads up

Drink filtered water. Clinics in town, and a hospital in Liberia about an hour away.

Meet the camps

Where your kids spend the day

Two camps in town, by age. Camp runs while you work, and both are a short walk from home.

Ali's Treehouse reading corner

Ages 2 to 6

Ali's Treehouse

Bilingual, play-based preschool

  • Miss Ali: UNC Charlotte child development degree, Birth-to-K license, 16+ years teaching
  • The day: Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 2:30, with lunch and snacks. After-care to 4:30.
  • What they do: beach days, water play, yoga, cooking, art and weekly Roots

"I especially appreciated the daily photos and videos." Parent review, April 2026

See Ali's Treehouse
A child surfing alongside an instructor

Older kids

TIDE Academy

Adventure, movement and outdoor discovery

For kids who love to be active: surf, the outdoors and adventure. Program details are still being confirmed.

See TIDE Academy

What we check at every camp: ratios by age, staff background checks, first aid and the nearest clinic, pool and beach supervision, pickup rules, and two parent references we can call.

Terra Nostra · Tamarindo · What it costs

Your price in two steps

Pick your home, then add your people. Prices are for the full summer, July 15 to August 7. Staying one session? See the note below.

1

Pick your home

Reserve your spot
Muna apartment living room

Book through Terra

Partner rates, we handle the booking.

MunaTaxes and fees excluded

2-bed apartment, shared pool

$1,471 15% off

$1,250

per session, 12 nights

$3,125 20% off

$2,500

full summer, 24 nights

MaitriTaxes and fees included

Private villa, dip pool

$5,000 15% off

$4,250

per session, 12 nights

$10,000 20% off

$8,000

full summer, 24 nights

See Muna and Maitri
A Costa Rican villa surrounded by tropical greenery

Find your own place

Your choice

Stay anywhere near camp and pay the owner. We'll share our favorites, villas included.

Browse homes
2

Add your people

Each child

$2,000

  • Full summer of camp, English-speaking
  • Lunch and snacks every camp day
  • Beach days, arts, yoga and Roots

Each adult

$650

  • Weekly family dinner
  • Group outings and Roots nights
  • A Terra host on the ground

Coworking · optional

At cost group rate

  • Reserved desk in town, Mon to Fri
  • Fast fiber and backup power
  • Room for calls, coffee included

Example · full summer · 2 adults + 1 child · Muna

$2,500 home + $1,300 adults + $2,000 child

In Maitri instead: $8,000 home, $11,300 total. Coworking is paid separately at cost.

= $5,800

Staying one session? Muna is $1,250 and Maitri is $4,250 for 12 nights. Camp is $1,000 per child and community is $500 per adult.

Not included: flights, groceries, other meals, car hire and travel insurance. Muna's VAT inclusion is not yet confirmed; any additional VAT or fees are not included in the estimate.

How booking works

15 spots per session. 20 households have already expressed interest.

Oct 15, 2026

Enrollment opens

Pick your session and home.

By Nov 15, 2026

Hold your home

A $250 deposit holds your home.

Jan to May 2027

Balance in three installments

Then pack for July.

Questions

Talk to us about your summer

Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we will help you find the right home.

Terra Nostra · Tamarindo, Costa Rica · Estimates as of Oct 2026. Homes at our group rate, no markup.