Learn Spanish & Adventure in Guatemala & El Salvador

I was traveling with one of my friend when I met Gabriel, Lily and Hanne, in Monterrico. They informed me of the Monterrico adventure program which I found pretty interesting. You learn Spanish, volonteer and travel all in the same trip, how perfect is this? I participated in one of their english class and found it was nice to see that you can make a difference in those kids' learning. I was sitting in back of the class watching Lily and Hanne teach and I felt like going up there and teaching as well. The kids were so captivated it was lovely to see. Afterwards, they play games with the kids and I participated and had a lot of fun, the experience is rewarding not only for you but, for those kids too.
We met again in the hostal «Free Cerveza» during their adventure week and I basically jumped in and followed them all week. Everything is well organized, you always have something to do and if you feel like relaxing you may. We got to visit St Marcos and St Pedros which are small villages around the Lake Atitlan. We took a swim in the lake, did some Yoga. Everything was perfect. Then Gabriel offered me to live the Volcano Acatenango experience with them. He took care of everything for me, I had nothing to worry about. A 2 days tour leaving from Antigua. It wasn't the first time he was doing the trek so he told us exactly what to bring to be prepared.
I wasn't a part of the whole program but from what I accomplished and heard, I recommend the Monterrico Program for people who want to live a memorable and rewarding adventure. You get to meet tourists, be around locals and learn a lot about the country. One love Guatemala !!

I was looking for a program that combined Spanish classes, volunteering and travelling and Monterrico Adventure does exactly that. It's a great mix between the three and there`s still plenty of time to relax and enjoy the beach. I volunteered for English classes, beach clean ups and education about the importance of taking care of the environment. I really felt like it was valuable work and made a difference. Gabriel (the operation manager) really did his best to make my experience amazing. He puts his heart and soul in the program and his passion and enthousiasm are very contageous.

Monterrico is a great little town that has everything you need but still has the charm and authenticity of a local village. During my stay I got to meet and hang out with lots of locals which greatly helped my Spanish improve. There are also many other tourists in the hotel where you stay so lots of opportunities to make friends. I got so close with some of them that we ended up continuing our travels together.

The adventure weeks were we went travelling in Guatemala and El Salvador were also amazing. The program is very varied so we got to see and do lots of great things. I especially loved lake Atitlan and the waterfall hike in EL Salvador.

Overall i`d definitely recommend Monterrico Adventure if you're looking for a great mix of Spanish, fun and volunteering.

Montericco adventure’s volunteer, learn Spanish and adventure program is something I would really recommend to all. It provides the perfect mix of a structured program with free time to explore the areas you are visiting. I’m my personal case I had a limited amount of time for a sabbatical from work and I feel choosing the 6 week program worked well as there was lots of time to really experience the places I was staying and integrate myself into the culture without feeling that there was too much down time.

The weeks spent in Montericco were wonderful. I got to meet lots of local who always friendly and welcoming. Although I think the volunteering organization needs some work and consistency, it didn’t impact my overall experience negatively. I worked with the staff of a local hotel and also the children of a local school in teaching English and beach clean ups. Both groups really enjoyed the classes prepared and you could see progress with both. It was very rewarding. In addition to volunteering, I was taking Spanish classes everyday in the local school. Giovanni our Teacher was very parient and warm. He guided us to a level of communication in Spanish that we could really use with locals and other Spanish speakers. His classes were communicative and easy to follow as he guided us through the grammar and sentence structures of Spanish.

The adventure weeks in and around Antigua and the lake and also in El Salvador were very well organized and included, I feel, some of the best attractions to see in both. The accommodation along the way was very fitting for the style of traveling so we got to meet other people as well as relax and party in the evenings, depending! The activities included were also very well organized with vendors I found to be very professional and were passionate about introducing their cultures and areas to others. The highlight of the adventure weeks for me was the Acatenango hike. It was incredible and run by a really great organization whose care for the local community was admirable. The little high fives at each rest stop, the roasting of marshmallows on the top and the constant smile that never left the guides faces for the entire 24+hours we were with them made this Activity unforgettable for me!

Overall, I really loved my experience and everything involved. Monterrico Adventure shows a passion for environmental conservation and education with a wonderful touch of adventure. It’s an all round program suitable for people from all walks of life and reasons for travel!