Antiguena Spanish School

I had a wonderful experience with Antigua Spanish Academy. I stayed with Olga Chajón and her family for two weeks. They were really nice, very accommodating and the food was very tasty. I enjoyed staying there with other students and learning about them too. She and her husband encouraged all of us to practice our Spanish.

The sessions were in a peaceful garden. My tutor was Gabby Carrillo and she was wonderful. She was so patient with me while I tried to find the words in Spanish to say what I wanted to say. I never felt rushed or criticized. She would gently repeat back to me with correct grammar or order and would celebrate with me when I got it correct. She was genuinely interested in me and my family and I enjoyed getting to know her too. I feel so much more confident speaking Spanish and look forward to practicing and learning more.

What a fantastic experience! My daughter and I enjoyed a week of Spanish school at Antigueña Spanish Academy with the lovely Lety (Leticia) as our shared instructor.

Our lessons were on the covered terrace above the beautiful garden and we learned a lot of basic grammar to help us build our vocabulary and understanding of many useful verbs and gain confidence in our conversational skills.

Lety was patient, kind and funny and a joy to work with. It is clear she has years of experience and is an excellent teacher.

At the end of our week we were treated to a special presentation about the creation of alfombras for Easter and a field trip to a chocolatería and wine maker in the nearby pueblo San Juan del Obispo.

Muchas gracias para nuestras lecciones!

We also had a great experience with our homestay with our hosts Arely and Andrés and family and the other students at our casa. It was helpful to practice our Spanish with the other students at mealtimes as well as get to know these travelers from around the world who were all at different levels of Spanish.

Outside of school we had time to explore Antigua and participate in some free salsa classes as well.

I highly recommend this school and homestay experience!

I had a wonderful time at this language school. The outdoor classrooms were a nice touch, and the staff was incredibly helpful and welcoming. Everyone was really nice. A standout aspect of my time there was my interaction with Luis Alfonso, my teacher, whose expertise and dedication made each lesson engaging and informative. Working with him intensively for four weeks, five hours a day, was a true pleasure. Time seemed to fly by in his class, as his teaching style effortlessly facilitated my learning. I cannot recommend Luis Alfonso and this school highly enough to anyone looking to enhance their language skills.

5 Star in all areas from learning Spanish to location of Academy and so much more. 💯

Whenever we start something new, there's fear. So, to be best prepared, I asked lots of questions leading up to my trip via email. Julio Sr. was phenomenal and would answer all my questions within 3 to 24 hours. 😊

My loved ones were also worried, and so being able to provide all the up-front information for my learn Spanish journey helped. 🤩

I let the school handle my transportation from the airport and arranged to do a homestay while staying in Antigua. 🇬🇹 It was great to let Julio Sr handle all of those details. They were handled with attention to detail and care.🥰

Once I arrived, I was received by my homestay family. I immediately felt like I was home 🏡 💛

My first day of school Julio Jr handled all of those details and was mindful and caring to make sure you will have the 5 Star experience. He and his dad are a phenomenal team. The reason I picked this school was because of it's location, pricing and that I could have 1 on 1 instruction to learn Spanish plus know I would have fun and be safe. 🎉 They are the best school in South America 💯💥

My homestay with Ana's family far exceeded my expectations. 🏆 They meals were made with love, and our conversations at meals were informative and fun. 🥰

She gave me advice on some fun stuff to do to explore Antigua. The city is also 5 stars 🌟 from sights, restaurants, bars, and the beautiful amazing people of the city. 👩‍👩‍👧‍👧🤩

Most important on my walks to school, around town and back home, I felt safe! 🙏🏽🏡

Learning Spanish in the Academy in the garden setting was so beautiful 😍 My instructor Ana was phenomenal. She went at my pace, and in 2 weeks with 40 hours of instruction, I learned so much in 2 weeks.

In 2 weeks, I learned how to form sentences past and present tense. My Spanish speak friends were impressed by what I learned, and since I do want to be fluent, I am planning my return. ✈

I took the short trip because for me to prepare and go on a long trip there, I needed to know I could easily access the phone and internet so I could do business. 🏬 This is a MUST since I will go back and stay till I am fluent.

There's so much I didn't get to do and explore on the weekends because there's SO MUCH TO DO! 🇬🇹🥳🎉🎶💃🏾🥂🌋🏃🏽‍♀

I miss everything and will be booking my return today and can't wait for my next incredible experience with Julio Jr and Sr Antiguena Spanish Academy! Truly 5 star 🌟 and now my home away from home. 🏡🙏🏽🥰

We really enjoyed our lessons with our teacher Tatiana! Our knowledge of grammar has vastly improved and she was very patient with us as we developed our skills. Lessons were informative but still v fun.

The lessons take place in a gorgeous garden which is great for breaks and they have a awesome roof with great views of Antigua.

Choose this school and Tatiana!

This is an amazing school with awesome teachers! My teacher, Rosy was wonderful and we became close friends after my month stay. We did lots of fun things together.

The home stay with Ana and Beatriz Reyes and family was awesome! The room was comfortable, the food was good, and the family events were so fun!

This whole operation is a 5/5!

I attended this school for 3 weeks from Feb 19-Mar 8, 2024. I had an *amazing* time with my teacher Vilma & will be returning next year to continue learning more. My teacher was kind, patient, & spoke slowly & clearly which was very helpful for me in terms of listening, & also in terms of putting sentences together to respond.

This is a Spanish immersion school! Don't expect your teachers to speak to you in English. I had strong base knowledge of Spanish nouns & verbs in the present tense, with some idea of past & future tenses. I can read a lot of Spanish but struggle with listening & speaking, & I need(ed) a lot of practice. This was a perfect environment for that.

The first 2 weeks I took classes from 8am-1pm, & the third week I took classes from 8am-12pm as I wanted a little extra time in the city on my final week. The classes themselves are one-on-one which I really liked & recommend as they will be tailored to your Spanish level, learning speed, & any other needs you may have. They take place in a beautiful open air school "corridor" or garden. The location itself is stunning & relaxing. A mid-morning break happens at 10am when the school store opens. I am a vegan & they always had delicious options for me to eat, "sin queso".

Every Thursday afternoon at 3pm there is a different rotating cultural activity. The three I got to attend were:
"Maíz", which was all about local foods made with corn - we got to try so many delicious things
"Maya Boda", which was about Mayan wedding traditions - we also got to try some yummy wedding foods!
& "Semana Santa", about the lent processions & alfombras, which I had been seeing every weekend I was there. We got to try traditional foods that are eaten during the period & also help make alfombras, super fun!
The presenter every time was a teacher named Patricia who also spoke very clearly. I was able to understand everything easily!

With my teacher Vilma, I also had half & full day activities (field trips) where instead of just sitting at our little table & doing more "traditional" learning we got to visit a lot of other places - the big market, where I learned how to haggle, a huge coffee farm, a jade museum, an art museum, a traditional chocolate workshop, a gorgeous organic macadamia farm. I am thankful I attended for 3 weeks & was able to visit so many beautiful places! These were great learning experiences to discuss things, have conversations, & learn about the culture, art, & products produced locally. I highly recommend you wear or bring a sun protection jacket/hat/umbrella plus sunscreen with you as the sun is *very* strong from about 10am-4pm every day, especially to be walking around in. I also recommend you wear shoes comfortable for walking a lot in, & sneakers/tennis shoes rather than sandals as the streets can be quite dusty.

I didn't do a home stay as I traveled with my mother who didn't attend the school, she was off work recuperating from a surgery on her hand & wrist. As I am vegan & don't want to inconvenience anyone, when I return next year without my mother, I will likely rent the same casita I rented this year & stay alone. But everyone at the school that I talked to who did a home stay seemed to really enjoy it!

Overall I highly recommend this school for several reasons: The price is fantastic, the teachers all seem kind, patient, & well prepared for helping students stumble through learning Spanish, the location is beautiful, the activities are fun & engaging, & above all I feel like I learned a lot! Can't wait to return.

Muchas gracias a mi maestra Vilma!

What can I say: I just had the best experience with Antiguena language school.
I first planned staying there for two or three weeks, ending up being there for four weeks.
My friend and I had classes (we decided to share a teacher) with the best and funniest maestra called Claudia. Claudia had the skill to teach us in such diverse ways, that it never got bored. She made sure we fully grasped the topic till we moved to the next one. No questions were left unanswered! She definitely knows her grammar by heart! Every now and then, she would review topics which we talked two weeks before, just to make sure we didn’t forget them, which I really appreciated. Claudia definitely became a friend of ours. Thanks for everything! ❤
I stayed with Marta Machan's family and recommend anyone to ask for them. Here it is another opportunity to practice your Spanish, since the whole family is happy to have a chat with you. Food is every time fresh and very delicious. Marta puts a lot of thoughts in what she cooks and mixes it up pretty well. The family cleans the house everyday. She even offers to change sheets and to clean your room once a week. The homestay is just five minutes from the school, which is a beautiful garden. Definitely never had a better study atmosphere.
For me a 10/10 experience. Would or even will do again!!!

I loved the week I spent at Antiguena Spanish School. Thanks to my amazing teacher, Luis Alfonso Garcia, I was able to learn so much. Our classes were a great mix of grammar and conservation and I feel as though I learnt a lot about Guatemalan culture at the same time as improving my Spanish skills. The Antiguena Spanish School is very affordable and offers weekly activities to students included in the cost of the course. I wish I could have stayed longer!

I would highly recommend Antiguena Spanish School to everybody.

I had only planned to do 1 or 2 weeks but ended up staying for 3 and my Spanish has improved significantly in this time.

I am certainly not the easiest person to teach but luckily my teacher was Sylvia, who is exceptionally patient and great fun too!

I was also fortunate enough to stay with Vicky, Walter and their family for the home stay. They made us feel extremely welcome and prepared very nice food. I noticed that if people were unwell, had allergies were going to be late for dinner they were extremely accommodating too.

Hopefully one day I will be able to return!

Thank you very much Isabel for your excellent week of teaching. She progressed my Spanish from almost zero to being able to form sentences, whilst also teaching my partner who had previously studied it, and we are both now feeling confident to communicate for the rest of our travels!
An excellent teacher, very informative and also lots of fun.

The lessons were easy to book as the school were very responsive to email. The setting of the school was also lovely - having lessons outside in the garden was great. Wish we could stay for more!

This is my second time coming to Guatemala to study Spanish. First time I was elsewhere and this time with the Antigueña Spanish School. It’s been such an amazing experience and I’m learning so much! I absolutely love my two teachers Blanca and Irma. They have helped me so much and are such lovely teachers. When I come back I want both of them again. The school is outside in a beautiful garden and not in enclosed space so that really helps to feel relaxed. One on one experience is absolutely amazing for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the language. The family I am staying with is also absolutely amazing. Teresa and Luis. They have a room with a private bathroom and Teresa cooks soooooo good and so much!! I’m always asking her for her recipes. I have nothing but love for everyone involved in my Spanish education experience 🩷🙏🏼

My wife and I had an amazing week with Leticia Socorec. She is a great teacher. Very knowledgeable, friendly and really took the time we needed. She/the school offers a great mix of written and spoken exercises and she's also good at feeling the energy throughout the week, so whenever it was needed she switched things up with a little game or exercise. This was a fantastic week of 4 hrs daily Spanish lessons and we would highly recommended it. Bonus: it's at a beautiful location.

I had a wonderful experience with that spanish school. Alvaro, mi professor, was patient, attentive to my needs, took me for a walk so we could talk about Semana Santa while my lever of energy was decreasing. Would definitely recommend if you want to improve your Spanish, even if you are a beginner. 🙂 muchas gracias por todo Alvaro! Hasta la vista!

I had the best teacher ever here!! I would recommend Vilma to everyone. She kept the lessons very interesting and really challenged me every day to learn more. She even taught me a lot about the local culture, which I loved. If you get the chance to get her as your Spanish teacher, you will not be disappointed. Thank you so much again Vilma, I miss you!

This school is amazing!! I came by myself for a week for six hours of instruction a day. My morning teacher was Marta Ilusion Giron and my afternoon teacher was Melisa Solís. I could not have asked for better teachers. They were patient, creative, helpful, organized, experienced, effective and everything else you would want in one-on-one instruction. My Spanish improved tremendously because of them. I would recommend this school to any and everyone. My week was fantastic!

I had 25 hours of private lessons with Silvia and she was incredible. Our conversations were as if we were longtime friends which made me feel extremely comfortable to speak openly and further my spoken fluency. She was like my “language mother” supporting me while helping correct the natural mistakes I was making. Sooo helpful. My time in Central America has been that much more fun thanks to her help. Highly recommend the school and Silvia!

Original Review (April 2022):
Antiguena Spanish School was recommended to me by two separate friends, and I’m so glad I took their recommendation! The classes are in a lovely outdoor garden (though there’s an option to have class inside, if you prefer) and the teachers are fantastic. My experience at Antiguena was SO much better than at other Spanish schools I’ve attended! The value of having 1 on 1 class with a Spanish teacher and learning at your own pace really can’t be beat. My teacher, Ana Isabel, was phenomenal. I had 20 hours of classes with her each week, for 6 weeks, and my Spanish improved more than ever before. Ana was very patient and incredibly helpful and I will definitely be returning to Antiguena for more classes with her. All of the other students I spoke with at the school also loved their teachers and were really happy with their decision to take classes here. Each Thursday, the school organizes an afternoon activity, led by another amazing teacher, that introduces students to different Guatemalan holidays and foods. It’s definitely worth attending!

If you’re serious about Spanish and really want to fully immerse yourself, definitely sign up for a homestay. I choose the option with private bathroom, because I assumed there would be less students and therefore less English spoken at home, and that was definitely the case. My family was used to having students in their house and they were very patient with my Spanish. It was a wonderful experience and I’d highly recommend it to those serious about improving their Spanish.

Overall this program is really well run, and everyone is very friendly and welcoming. I plan to continue returning to Antiguena every year for more classes with Ana. For me, it’s a no brainer because I know there’s always more to learn, the school is wonderful, and Antigua is a fabulous town that I know I’ll enjoy returning to again and again.

Additional Review (October 2023):
I returned to Antiguena for another three weeks of classes, and again, it was well worth it! I requested Ana Isabel for my teacher again and although she had another reservation, I switched to afternoon classes so I could continue on with her. And I'm so glad I did! We picked right back up again and because of my lack of practice these past 18 months, it took me a week to review what I had forgotten and then we started new material again. Every time I have class here, I feel so much more confident in my ability to speak Spanish! Ana has helped me so much, and I seriously can't recommend this school enough!

I loved my time at the Spanish Academy Antiguena!!! This is a great place to learn Spanish. The one-on-one classes are amazing. I had two fantastic teachers Lillyam and Aurora. If you have the opportunity to chose your teacher I highly recommend either of them.

On Fridays you have the opportunity to take field trips around Antigua, this is a great way to practice Spanish in the real world. Also the weekly culture activities are very informative and a great way to meet other students.

We studied Spanish with Blanca for 1 week. The learning experience was amazing, she taught us in a way that made it fun and easy, she is also a sweet and kind person which made the experience even better. We would highly recommend this school to anyone looking to learn some Spanish