Overview
We would like to introduce you to 15
undiscovered locations discovered or
recommended by our own staff. We’re sure
you’ll enjoy these locations and
programs.
Guanajuato, Mexico (1)
Guanajuato was first visited by AmeriSpan’s two founders in September 1993. While they had low expectations prior to arriving, they quickly changed their minds because they loved the city's youthful vibe, the friendly locals and the quirky city layout. Guanajuato continues to be a highly recommended destination by AmeriSpan's staff.
Study Spanish in Guanajuato
Cuenca, Ecuador (2)
Every AmeriSpanner who has ever been to Cuenca loves this program! The staff, the families, the teachers are super-friendly. The city offers the best of historic and modern with its old colonial section and the modern section just across the river. It’s a special location. Travel tip: Don’t expect the nearby Inga Pirca ruins to be anything like Machu Picchu because they aren’t.
Study Spanish in Cuenca
Sucre, Bolivia (3)
In 1999, AmeriSpan felt that Sucre was the perfect place for a Spanish school. The town reminded us a bit of Antigua with its colonial architecture but hadn’t been discovered by tourists. Moreover, there was a large university so there were many well-educated young Bolivians. We finally talked our partner school in Quito into opening a school in Sucre and have been happy ever since.
Study Spanish in Sucre
Bamberg, Germany (4)
Connie, a former AmeriSpan staffer, spent a couple of months studying at several schools in Germany including all of AmeriSpan’s current partners. Her favorite location of all was this program. Guess what? She came back and convinced us to add Bamberg as a new location!
Study German in Bamberg
Quebec City, Canada (5)
Just this past January, AmeriSpan
staffer Alexa visited Quebec City. While
most Americans don’t think of traveling
to Canada to learn French, she (like
others before her) was very impressed
with the level of immersion here. While
Montreal is clearly a bilingual city
where you can get by on English if you
want, Quebec City is most definitely a
French-speaking city. And visiting the
school in
Vieux Quebec makes one
feel like they have traveled to 18th
century Europe!
Study French in Quebec City
Valencia, Spain (6)
Former AmeriSpan staffer Anne-Marie went on vacation to Valencia. She ended up relocating there from Philadelphia and continued to telecommute for several years. She loved the weather, the laid-back atmosphere and, of course, the beach!
Study Spanish in Valencia
Salvador, Brazil (7)
AmeriSpan former staffer, Jim (who now runs
CultureXplorers.com), raved about this program. We agree! (…although the optional Samba, Capoeira and Bahian cooking classes may have something to do with it!) It also doesn’t hurt that the city is situated on the beautiful beaches of Northern Brazil.
Study Portuguese in Salvador
Coronado, Costa Rica (8)
Alexa visited this program last year and came back raving about it! She said it was like going to a small out-of-the-way town where you quickly got to know the locals but that it was still close enough to Heredia or San Jose to go out at night. She also noted that the student mix was more international, where most Costa Rican schools seem to be crowded with English-speaking Americans.
Study Spanish in Coronado
Chiang Mai, Thailand (9)
Current AmeriSpanista Donna lived in Thailand for two years. Although her Thai training was less formal, she raves about all the happy new Thai-speaking alums from our partner school.
Study Thai in Chiang Mai
SALUD Medical Spanish Costa Rica (10)
“If it ain't broke, don't fix it.” After years of an excellent program offered at Alajuela, we decided to switch last summer’s program to a location with less demanding educators and with a bit more nightlife. It meant working with a different group of partner organizations. It was our worst SALUD program ever. AmeriSpan’s Alexa traveled to Costa Rica to get things fixed. First, the summer program is back with Alajuela and we restructured it slightly to give participants more free time. Second, we have a new and improved Costa Rica SALUD Independent program.
Read what a recent SALUD’er has to say.
Or for more info on
medical Spanish programs
Jaipur, India (11)
The sight, sounds, smells and tastes of India are bound to delight and leave you in sensory overload. Jaipur, popularly known as the ‘pink city,’ is a favorite of long-time staffer Beth. This fascinating and well-planned city has much to see, most especially palaces: Amber Palace, Jal Mahal, and Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds). We are thrilled to have added Volunteer Placements in 2008 to this destination…and Delhi too. We offer the opportunity to study Hindi Language and Culture for one week followed by a volunteer project in social work, education or healthcare.
Volunteer in India
Yucatan Summer Spanish Institute (12)
Every year, we hear the same: “The materials are terrible -- from a 1970’s copy machine. But I loved the program!” This program is for only advanced and superior level Spanish-speakers, because everything is taught in Spanish. This Mayan History & Latin American literature program combines meetings with contemporary authors & related professionals and excursions. Usually only 5-10 total participants.
Find out more about the Yucatan Summer Spanish Institute here.
Montreux, Switzerland (13)
Current and former AmeriSpanistas Sussie
and Beth could not agree more with one
another that although the school is
“typical," its location and view of Lake
Geneva is nothing short of
spectacular...totally awesome! This is a
must-do French immersion program!
Study French in Montreux
Cartagena, Colombia (14)
This is a small school with lots of personalized attention. Located on a great beach, there are a variety of “Language and Fun” programs like Spanish and Sunfish Sailing, windsurfing, and scuba-diving. It is a new program and our first-ever in Colombia! Travel tip: Lunch at school is delicious and usually under $3.
Study Spanish in Cartagena
Mendoza, Argentina (15)
Mendoza is a favorite because it’s in Argentina, near the Lake District and in Argentina’s most famous wine area. In our opinion, the city isn’t too big or too small.
Study Spanish in Mendoza
