I wished I had found this school earlier!! I literally lived in the school for 7 weeks and studied Spanish. Everyone here was very friendly and I felt at home from the first day. First I took 8-12 classes, then 14-18, and finally 9-13. I think it depends on the teacher you have but the classes are flexible. The school has a well-equipped kitchen, and I loved to prepare my food here as well as watch other people cook. There is a local market and a mini supermarket nearby and a bigger supermarket within a 15-min walk. If you plan to stay for awhile you can get your ingredients and food there. Personally I enjoyed the potluck lunch, which was held almost every Friday. We prepared or bought something and gathered to have a grand feast. I have so many memories that I cannot express them all... If you are looking for a great Spanish school in Guatemala, you should definitely choose this place!!

I cannot reccommend Miguel de Cervantes Spanish school enough. They helped me grow my abilities and confidence with Spanish majorly. They were also flexible with the timing and types of Spanisn classes. I stayed with a host family (Mercedes and her children) and felt like I had a second home. Every week I went on fun excursions with the school (hikes, dance classes, waterpark). If you're in Xela already, I reccomend contacting them for help finding the school (it's in a gated community). Thank you Sary, Ilsy, Mercedes, Fernando, and Rosario for welcoming me with open (and patient!) arms.

I have spent almost 3 months at Miguel Cervantes, split up in 2 separate stays a couple years apart. I also took some of their online classes after I left. I have attended a few different Spanish schools over the years, and Miguel Cervantes is definitely the best. I had a few different teachers, and each one was great. My Spanish improved so much during my time there, and I had a great time getting to know the teachers, staff, and other students. I'll be back!

My favorite part of Guatemala was learning Spanish at Miguel de Cervantes. I stayed for 4 weeks and picked this school as it was previously recommended by a friend. The school itself and the teachers are amazing. They really know how to cater to each person. If I was ever feeling frustrated learning Spanish, my teacher knew how to help me learn in a different way. The other students and the teachers at the school make it feel like a family. The activities are always fun and the lunches every Friday brought everyone together. I will 100% be back again! Thanks Miguel De Cervantes!

I had a great 3 weeks studying Spanish here! My teacher was incredible and I learned so much so quickly. I did a homestay which was very comfortable--the family was great, and their cooking was excellent (I'm vegan they manage to provide delicious and varied healthy vegan meals every day!!). There were lots of activities every week to take part in through the school. And Xela is a wonderful city- feels safe and is super affordable. Everyone I met there was kind and welcoming. I would definitely go back- and hopefully I will!

I have just completed 5 weeks of Spanish lessons at the Miguel Cervantes spanish school in xela, I had a really great time and would highly recommend the school to others looking at options to study Spanish there. I did a reasonable amount of research before selecting a school, and after being put in touch by the school with ex students I settled on this school. I took 4 hours of classes 5 days a week, I was mostly interested in improving my speaking and listening skills. My teacher Rosario ensured the classes were focused around this, and made the lessons fun and interesting. Most of the lessons were spent practicing conversation in Spanish, with some focus on particular areas of grammar. I am happy that after 5 weeks my ability to hold a conversation in Spanish and certainly my ability to understand Spanish has greatly improved. We did a homestay for the first week, which we enjoyed, the room was clean and had it's own lock. Our family was very nice, and the food was tasty. However we missed the autonomy of our own place on our own schedule so moved to private accommodation for the remaining 4 weeks. Ilsy, the school administrator ensured there was a schedule of events after class each week and we enjoyed activities including salsa, hot springs, sauna and potluck lunches with the other teachers and students. The location of the school is a little outside the centre, but I very much enjoyed the 10 minute walk from the centre each morning.

We stayed for 2 weeks and did Spanish classes 5 days a week, 3h a day. Sary is a great teacher and we learned so much! The afternoon activities with Ilsy were lots of fun and great Spanish practice too! We stayed in the hostel (which is in the school) and really liked the place. But if you come in winter: bring warm clothes as Xela gets really cold at night! There is also a rooftop for hanging clothes and enjoying the sun ☀ plus a cute cat and dog. The hostel/school is a 15min tranquil walk though a local safe neighborhood to Xela's main square with lots of shops, lavanderia & buses close by. Thanks Sary & Ilsy for our great stay!

I chose to visit Guatemala after listening to different accents online. I chose Xela for the price and ease of isolating myself away from the opportunity to speak English. After speaking with several schools in Quetzaltenango I decided to attend Miguel de Cervantes. When I arrived I had already completed the first two sections of Pimsleur Spanish and a few hours of online courses. I could understand directions and basic phrases. With the information on the school website and my beginner Spanish, I had no trouble navigating from the airport to the school. My first week I chose to stay with a host family and I enjoyed eating the local food and talking to the family. They were very kind and very patient with my inability to speak. The second week I moved into the apartment at the school. It was clean, peaceful and I enjoyed the additional autonomy. I had originally planed to stay two weeks but I ended up staying for a third. After three weeks I felt comfortable in my ability to travel around the country. I traveled for an additional three weeks but gave up on taking classes after negative experiences with teachers and schools around Lake Atitlan. When I finished traveling around Guatemala I extended my trip another six weeks to return to Miguel de Cervantes for additional classes. All of my professors were extremely qualified and patient. After each class Sary or Ilsy would ask me what was working and what wasn't then meet with the professor to adjust the content of the next class. The school also has great weekly activities. During my nine weeks of classes I attended salsa lessons and movie nights, we visited neighboring towns, Fuentes Georginas, the city market, as well as climbing volcanoes Chicabal and Santa Maria. I would highly recommend Miguel de Cervantes. I was able to advance from a beginner to being able to create lasting relationships with Spanish speaking friends. It's the perfect place to learn Spanish. TLDR: Great teachers, wonderful people, interesting activities, comfortable stay.

I had the best time in Xela thanks to the people from this school ❤️ I’ve learned a lot, finally opened up and started speaking in Spanish. Huge plus was that we had plenty of activities after school so I was never bored. The school is located a very cute neighbourhood. Home stays are nearby, I was positively surprised that vegetarian or even vegan diets are possible to be accommodated.

We loved our experience at Miguel de Cervantes Spanish school. Happy we chose the right place. We didn't stay at the school as we had another place booked but we loved the walk to school every morning only 15/20 minutes and we felt at home there! The area is very safe. In the house there is a friendly cat and dog. Each week there are loads of different activities, a great way to see what Xela has to offer and to practice your Spanish. The ladies running the school are so friendly and accommodating and we loved our teacher Maria, she was very good and we had great fun with her. We made life long friends and hope to visit again some day 😊

This was the first stop and the beginning of my whole Latin America trip. I had stayed here for 2 months for learning Spanish and exploring those places around Xela. I’m very glad that I made the right decision. The school is inside a guarded community and there’s a small store right next to the community (and 10mins walk to supermarket and city central). It’s a very quiet and safe place for me to just live in Xela. I made friends and my guatemalteco family here. Besides, the school has different activities every week for a very fair price. My experience was perfect and full of love. Muchas gracias a Sary e Ilsy, les extraño. 😊

An amazing school!! It feels like a little community. Great lessons and teachers but also a lot of opportunities to meet other students. Nice, cosy and personal atmosphere. Good level of service also to connect with your host family. During corona I also continued online lessons back home in Holland. A great solution for both. I totally reccomand this school.

My friend Cassie and I came to Xela specifically to take classes at this spanish school, and I am so happy we did! We took classes at the school and stayed with one of their family homestays for 3 weeks, and I couldn't imagine a better way to start our journey through Latin America. Sary (the school director) and Ilsy (the coordinator) were incredibly helpful and welcoming from day 1. We went out for fun activities with them many times each week, including salsa classes, hikes, and just checking out the night life around the city. The homestay we stayed with was wonderful - my friend follows a vegan diet and we were worried that it would be hard for the family to accommodate her, but our host mother Roxanna made creative and delicious vegan meals every day. She even taught us how to make vegan cheese from soybeans! The teachers are also great and can handle students of all levels. Each student gets their own teacher for 4 hours a day (or 5 depending on what you choose). Even though I was already pretty confident with speaking and listening in Spanish, my teacher Claudia quickly zeroed in on my weaknesses and helped me improve. We also have a friend who came in with absolutely zero Spanish (not even numbers), and he has made incredible progress. The city of Xela is also very cool and unique. It is up in the mountains, so the climate is temperate rather than tropical (and there are no mosquitoes!) It is not as touristy as some other places such as Antigua or the towns around lake Atitlán, so it has the benefit of being a LOT cheaper. Plus, it is nice to experience a place that isn't completely made for tourists. The people are very warm and welcoming, and it's traditional to say "Buenos Días" or "Buenas Tardes" to each person you walk by on the street. We also quickly met and became friends with people from the tightly knit expat community in the city. We are sad to be leaving the city after only 3 weeks, but definitely have plans to return and visit our friends at the Miguel de Cervantes Spanish School again in the future! Thanks so much for everything!

Miguel de Cervantes Spanish School is a great place to learn Spanish in Xela! After having one week course, we can highly recommended it. Our teacher was always well-prepared (not like us ;)). School provides also all needed materials. We definitely recommend staying with a host family. Our host Mercedes was super nice and cooked awesome, vegetarian meals. Living with a local family was also a great way to practise our Spanish. What we like best were additional activities organized by the school: salsa class, movie day, traditional dinner and field trip. All those atractions in one week! Thanks a lot Sari and all for your hospitality and wonderful time. Hasta la vista!

I could not recommend this school more! I signed my very energetic 3 year old son up for a week of Spanish classes. They adapted curriculum for him and engaged him in play-based learning. He had so much fun and learned a ton! The school also put us up with an amazing host family who were super sweet to us and and cooked us delicious food. The ladies at the school took us out on multiple excursions that enriched our experience and time in Xela. I only wish we could have stayed longer!

We had a really good time studying at Miguel de Cervantes. The school really cared about making sure you have a good experience and stay in Xela throughout, study the topics you want, and were super helpful arranging our homestay and making sure everything goes smoothly. Definitely an experience from the heart and I am wishing the school lots of success 😇 The school was located a bit out of the centre, but it's in a nice area and is a pleasant 15-minute walk away. Our homestay was really close by the school which made it easy. Our host was extremely accomodating with the type of food and meal times we needed, certainly with lots of variety. The host family made us feel welcome and adapted to our level of Spanish to communicate with us. Thank you so much!!!

Some thought on this Spanish School which I hope will be helpful to others. Key differences of this school are its size (small), its ability to tailor itself to your goals, and its location (in a quieter, cleaner location a little further out of the city) which is conducive to focused study. Read on for a more detailed description. *My Growth From 0 to 1* My time at this school recently came to an end after a month of studies. When I arrived, the only Spanish I had was “hola” and “gracias.” When I left, I was having functional conversations with taxi drivers, cashiers, and other people I met while out and about. Near the end of my stay, I even managed to handle a consultation entirely in Spanish with a doctor. This is a testament to my teacher (and the other teachers), the school’s supportive environment, and my homestay. *The Teachers & Staff* Initially, I was a little hesitant about coming to Guatemala (because of not having any Spanish), but I received lots of support and information on how to get to the school. Because the school is small, everything has a personal touch & feel. Sary (director) & Ilsi (coordinator) are a constant & welcomed presence. I was helped out multiple times with things unrelated to my studies. I’d also sometimes end up in conversation with other teachers on breaks and after classes. I noticed all the teachers have a genuine curiosity, which is essential when classes and conversations can run for many hours a day. Classes & lessons are driven by your own priorities and the teachers are happy to accommodate. For example, I solely focused on conversation. The teacher contributed ideas for practical excursions around Xela involving practice of Spanish in the streets. *The Family* My impression is the families are very well vetted and picked carefully. I lived with a family who was incredibly patient with me and my “hola” and “gracias” and “no entiendo.” The food was great. The family was warm and I felt welcome. Through very long, patient conversations & family trips, especially later on, I was able to learn a lot about Guatemalan culture. I would highly recommend the homestay for a much more immersive experience. *The Location* Xela feels safe. The School itself is located on the outskirts of Xela, near El Baúl. The benefits of being a little further out are the quiet & peacefulness of the location, and its proximity to trees and fresh air, as opposed to the dust and exhaust fumes of the centre. And because of this, its conduciveness to a much more concentrated, focused period of study. The downsides are it’s a little bit far to walk to the city centre and groceries if you want to go out a lot or don’t plan groceries in advance. *Events* The school runs multiple events throughout the week including hikes, dance classes and community dinners.

Miguel de Cervantes is a great choice for Spanish lessons in Xela! Warm and welcoming environment, everyone are lovely and the one to one classes can be well adjusted around one's individual needs and interests. The guesthouse and family stay are both great options, the school organises additional activities and the prices are very reasonable. Xela itself offers many opportunities to practise while getting to know the city and the locals!

It has been a great experience! Very highly recommend going to Xela to study Spanish and recommend going to this school. The contact with Sari has been great from the start. We were invited to come and hike with them the sunday before the lessons. Throughout the week we had many activities, all were cool. One on one lessons are amazing to improve your Spanish. The teachers are knowledgable, catering to what you need and they are so nice. We had a good time getting to know them. The homestay was great. Amazing cooking by Roxana, had a great time meeting her family and chatting with her daughters. Prices are sooooo low for what you get. Awesome. We did 5 hours a day, with homestay. It has been an overkill for me, just starting my Spanish learning. Way too much in too little time, very tiring. I would have gone for 3 hours lessons with homestay or 5 hours without. Highly recommend Miguel de Cervantes!

If you are looking to study Spanish in Xela look no further. The atmosphere in the school is one of a family. The teachers are so patient and helpful, the facilities are top, location is perfect and Sari I'd so accommodating. We initially were only going to do 2 weeks but after nearly completing the 2 weeks we are going to do 2 more. There is also loads of activities each week!

I stayed 2 month and I took a spanish class 8 weeks. If you are serious about learning Spanish, this is the place for you!　I choose to stay in the school,not home stay. Because I wanted to eat what I want. there is good enough kitchen. They have many activity for us. Muchas Gracias Sally and Ilsy Mi gato huyo.

I did school and a home stay and it was incredible. The staff gave me the confidence to actually start speaking instead of just trying to understand, which brought my Spanish to a new level. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to take Spanish seriously :)