Learning Spanish in Guatemala will be the time of your life. Don’t believe us? Read on! ☆ Choosing where to go to Spanish language school abroad can be an intimidating prospect. There are 21 Spanish-speaking countries in the world, all of which have multiple great locations to start your Spanish-learning journey.
These views alone are enough to convince us that learning Spanish in Guatemala is my best idea ever!!
Do you want to learn among the high mountain peaks of Peru? How about the European metropolises of Madrid or Barcelona? Possibly Mexico, so you can indulge your taco addiction? Or maybe even hanging out with the giant tortoises over on the Galapagos Islands?
Choosing between these options can make your head spin (before all the Spanish verb conjugation does). Well, look no further—your answer is here: study at Spanish school in Guatemala!
Why study Spanish in Guatemala?
There is no one single reason why Guatemala is the best place to study Spanish. Rather it’s a unique blend of factors—taking into account cost, culture, and convenience—that make Guatemala ideal for your Spanish studies.
The five main reasons to study Spanish in Guatemala are:
- The accent is neutral
- You won’t break the bank
- Mayan culture is everywhere
- There’s a place for everyone
- Volcanoes...galore!
1. The accent is neutral
When it’s time to set off for Spanish school, an important consideration is what type of Spanish you want to learn. Much more so than English, there is A LOT of linguistic diversity in Spanish. A cubano speaks in a dramatically different style from an ecuatoriano and from a guatemalteco (someone from Guatemala).
Guatemalan Spanish is renowned for being one of the clearer accents in the Spanish-speaking world. The accent doesn’t contain any particular irregularities that you find in many other Spanish-speaking countries.
Want to study Spanish in Guatemala with a serious side of history? Yeah, that can happen.
Plus, generally speaking, Guatemalans don’t speak too fast—meaning that you’ll be able to better understand your new Guatemalan friends while you’re trying to figure out the verb conjugations and noun genders in your head. Guatemala Spanish school is a great place for you to learn the fundamentals of plain ol’ standard Spanish before moving into the funkier regional varieties like those of the Caribbean and Chile.
2. You won’t break the bank
Learning Spanish doesn’t have to be expensive, although it certainly can be. If you’re budget-conscious but still want a top-quality Spanish-learning experience, language schools in Guatemala are perfect for you.
Due to the low cost of living in Guatemala compared to other countries like the United States and Canada, you can get an incredible value for your Guatemala Spanish school experience.
It’s possible to find Spanish immersion schools in Guatemala that provide 20 hours of private lessons a week, a homestay, and three home-cooked meals a day (get ready for many, many tortillas) for as low as $200/week!
For instance, you can learn Spanish and volunteer in Monterrico for 2-4 weeks at a cost of only $100-300. Or, the Miguel Angel Asturias Spanish School in Quetzaltenango only costs $150/week for its private lesson. You can use all that money you’re saving to spend more time at Guatemala Spanish School, traveling, or for a rainy day back in your home country.
Plus, Guatemala is geographically quite close to the United States and the two countries are well connected with many affordable flights between them per day, meaning that American Spanish students in Guatemala won’t have to spend as much on getting there. And that means no painful overnight flights either.
3. Mayan culture is everywhere
Guatemala: Helping you learn the Spanish words for your favorite colors since 1524.
Even though the Spanish started settling Guatemala and spreading the Spanish language almost 500 years ago, they were never able to extinguish the robust Mayan culture in Guatemala (although they certainly did try). Approximately 40% of the Guatemalan population is indigenous.
Many indigenous groups wear distinct clothing with their own colors and patterns tied to their culture and history. When you’re learning Spanish in Guatemala, it makes some great practice to learn more about the indigenous cultures and their long, often tragic history.
Plus, you can visit the massive Mayan temple complex of Tikal in the north of Guatemala when you have a few days off from Guatemala Spanish school. Tikal is really a wonder to behold, which was the most important Mayan city until it was mysteriously abandoned around 900 CE. A trip to Guatemala practically isn’t complete without visiting it.
Among the indigenous groups, there are 21 Mayan languages actively spoken in addition to two other indigenous languages. So if you hear some locals talking and you're completely lost, it’s not necessarily a reflection of your Spanish ability—they could very well be speaking a completely different language! While many are speaking these indigenous languages in the home, don’t think that you won’t be able to find Spanish language partners. Most everyone in the country also speaks fluent Spanish, even if it’s not their first language.
4. There’s a place for everyone
Guatemala isn’t a big country. It’s just about the size of the US state of Ohio. But Guatemala’s small size includes a breathtaking geographical and cultural diversity with a Spanish-learning option for everyone. Here are a few of the top spots to study Spanish in Guatemala:
Antigua attracts many travelers and Spanish students with its colonial charm. Just about an hour outside of Guatemala City (traffic pending, of course), Antigua was the capital of Guatemala for most of the colonial period until 1773, when it was leveled by a massive earthquake. The city was of course rebuilt (you won’t be studying Spanish in 250-year-old rubble), and has managed to preserve much of that colonial architectural influence with cobblestone streets, pastel-colored houses, and a beautiful church every couple of blocks.
It’s hard not to be wowed by Antigua. But what might be even more impressive are the city’s surroundings. Antigua sits just at the foot of Volcán de Agua, a dormant volcano that towers over the city. And there are another 3 volcanoes visible from the city when there’s a clear sky...but more about the volcanoes in the next section!
Between the natural and historical charm, Antigua draws in a lot of foreigners who make the city their temporary or permanent home. That means there are many Spanish schools in Antigua that cater to both more casual learners and those looking for a more hard-core, immersive experience.
There is something mystical about Lake Atitlán. It sits in a massive crater created by a supervolcano 84,000 years ago. Steep rock walls and a few volcanoes surround the 50 sq mi. (130 sq km.) lake, and scattered around the lake’s shores are a variety of Mayan towns and villages, each with their own distinct culture. There are even two completely different Mayan languages spoken on different sides of the lake!
The most popular Spanish school location is the town of San Pedro La Laguna. The town has something of a backpacker party vibe, so you’ll have ample options for fun when not studying. Maybe you can even put those new Spanish skills to use over a couple of cervezas conversing with some locals.
Just on the other side of Lake Atitlán from San Pedro is the town of San Marcos, which is well-known for its yoga and meditation retreats. There are also a couple of Spanish schools there if you want to mix learning some new yoga moves with your Spanish education.
Quetzaltenango. Does that name seem a little intimidating to you? Well, many Guatemalans would agree with you too, which is why the city is popularly called Xela (pronounced sheh-lah). Xela is the second largest city in Guatemala with a population of about 150,000. Much of the city has some similar colonial stylings to Antigua, but also with some more modern amenities.
There are a number of Xela Spanish schools. However, the city doesn’t feel as overrun with tourists as San Pedro and Antigua, making Xela a great place to learn Spanish for those who are looking to get off the gringo trail without foregoing all their modern comforts.
Note: You may have noticed that conspicuously missing from this list is Guatemala City, by far the biggest city in the country and Guatemala’s economic, political, and cultural hub. It’s not advised to study Spanish in Guatemala City because the city can be quite dangerous, and this can really restrict your movements. It’s probably better to just visit Guatemala City for a day or two at the beginning or end of your stay in Guatemala.
5. Volcanoes...galore!
New life goal: Find Spanish immersion schools in Guatemala on Lake Atitlan
Guatemala is a land of volcanoes. There are 37 volcanoes in the country, and it seems like you can see at least one from more or less wherever you are if the day has a clear sky.
Now all of these volcanoes probably won’t relate directly to your Guatemala Spanish school experience—unless you’re studying volcanology in Spanish, in which case Guatemala is DEFINITELY the country for you. But still...volcanoes. How cool is that?!?
You can actually climb up many of the volcanoes, including Volcán San Pedro by Lake Atitlán and Acatenango just a bit outside of Antigua. From the top of Acatenango, you get a view of Volcán Fuego, Guatemala’s most active volcano, which is more or less constantly erupting. And when you’re on top of a volcano in Guatemala, it’s more than likely that you’ll be able to see a couple more volcanoes in the distance.
If you decide to climb Acatenango while studying at Spanish school in Guatemala, you’ll likely hit the top at sunrise (as is the norm for the 2-day hike) and have an absolutely volcanastic experience: The shadow of Volcán Fuego is projected across the top of Acatenango onto a group of three volcanoes in the distance. Standing on top of one volcano, you can look at a shadow volcano with a group of three other volcanoes as another volcano is erupting behind you.
Now that right there is reason enough to go to Spanish school in Guatemala!
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Next steps to study Spanish in Guatemala
What if *this* was the view outside of your Guatemala Spanish school?
Ready to take the language-leap and commit to fluency? Here's a few logical steps you can take to move closer to your dreams of living abroad:
- Pick a destination! There are tons of great locations in Guatemala to master rolling your rrrr’s. Antigua? Xela? The capital? Have a good hard think about where you wanna be!
- Choose between the best language schools. Pay attention to past students’ reviews, your school and organization reputation, location, and your ease of getting started at your current level. Some schools or providers may even provide contact info for ambassadors or past participants if you want the REAL dirt. Check this out: The 8 Best Language Schools in the World.
- Plan your finances. Sort out funding before you go to afford daily essentials and splurge in travel (in addition to program costs and airfare). Do your research to have an idea of how to pay for learning a language abroad.
- Get prepared! You've done your research, chosen your language school, saved up the money, and are entering your last weeks of life "at home" before you move abroad to finally GET FLUENT. Well done! Here's our language schools planning timeline/preparation guide to help make this stage more fun and less stressful!
You’re ready to study Spanish in Guatemala!
Let’s do this—learning Spanish in Guatemala RULES.
There are tons of great options for travelers who want to study Spanish in Guatemala. The Central American country is not only full of Spanish schools, but also beautiful colonial towns, magnificent nature, Mayan culture, volcanos, and a whole lot more volcanoes.
Guatemala is pretty much Spanish learning paradise. What are you waiting for?
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