Samara Beach

I took a weeks' course at each of Intercultura's locations, and stayed in an apartment during my time in Samara Beach

The location of the school is fantastic – as soon as you leave the school gates you are stepping straight onto the sandy beach. The building is beautiful, and surrounded by a sprawling garden filled with hammocks. It’s also one of only two or so buildings in the town with air conditioning, which meant I looked forward to lessons all the more!

As mentioned in my review of Heredia, I particularly appreciated the way the curriculum was structured into one-week set programmes with an individual textbook. It’s a really great way to accommodate students who are constantly joining and departing each week, and ensures students aren’t placed in a group that has already been running for some time, or don’t end up repeating things to accommodate new students. I was happy with the quality of teaching and felt challenged by the lessons. Overall, the school in Samara felt ‘stricter’, with other languages discouraged even at break times and lessons more challenging. There were many more students studying Spanish here, and while there was a good mix of ages there were many more university-aged students making the average age lower.

Living standards in Samara are generally lower – facilities and accommodation are quite basic so you need to manage your expectations, but the reason you would choose this location is to enjoy rustic, simple living on a beautiful unspoilt beach.