"IA Summer" - Learn Spanish through Cultural Immersion in Mexico

I’ve always wanted to travel and learn Spanish, but I never really got the chance until now. The classes were super helpful, but what really made the experience for me were the events and the weekend trips. The weekend trips were incredible. We went to some of the most amazing places I never would’ve thought to visit on my own, like Las Estacas, Taxco, Tepoztlán. They were so different from anything I’ve seen before, and I got to practice my Spanish while exploring these beautiful spots. It felt like I was getting the best of both worlds, learning the language and experiencing Mexico like a local. The events were also so much fun. We did cooking classes, salsa dancing, went to explore a local pyramid and I loved how everything was hands-on. It wasn’t just about sitting in a classroom all day – we were out there, interacting with locals and learning Spanish in real life.

The whole experience felt super authentic and immersive. I also made some amazing friends on the program. Everyone was so friendly and we ended up doing a lot of things together outside of the classes too. The staff at Iguana Abroad were always there to help us out and make sure we were having a good time. I came to Mexico to improve my Spanish, but what I’ll remember the most are the trips, the food, and the amazing people I met along the way. If you’re looking for a way to travel, have fun, and learn Spanish all at once, this is definitely the program for you!

My time on Iguana Abroad was one of the best travel experiences of my life. It was the perfect blend of Spanish immersion and fun while in Mexico. Everyone at the school was so welcoming and kind and really wanted to share their traditions with us and show us the best aspects of their country. I felt that even in such a short amount of time I learnt so much. We also went on so many fun excursions like Tepoztlán pyramids, the Las Estacas nature park and a Mexican cookery class! I only found Iguana Abroad recently before the program started but I was so glad that I went!

My time with Iguana Abroad was actually my fifth time in Mexico, but the first course I have ever done there, and I would be very happy to say, this trip has been easily the best one of the lot for quite a few reasons. I would say probably the main reason was the homestay that I did, which may not be for everyone, but has been one of the best and most memorable experiences of my life. Pablo and Nohemi, my wonderful hosts, made Iguana Abroad and my time in Mexico this summer incredibly special. They went above and beyond to share everything they love about Mexico, from its traditions and cuisine to its vibrant culture, warm hospitality and natural beauty. For me the homestay was one of the most “immersive” parts of the Iguana Abroad course which helped most with my Spanish and I will value forever. Mexico is a very special country.

A lot of the people on the course, including the program directors (the two Harrys), their friends from Cuernavaca and the other IA students on the course are people that I will stay in touch with forever, and are some of the friendliest, kindest and funniest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Every moment on the trip was so much fun and everybody did so much to help me with my Spanish. My time on the Iguana Abroad course truly showed me the best things about Mexico… and even after four previous visits to Mexico I didn’t realise that there was still so, so much more to learn and discover about this wonderful country and its culture.

Over the 4 weeks on the course I went from a fairly basic A2 level to a pretty much fluent B2 level which I’ve heard is really impressive, even on an immersion course, and by the end of the trip most of the conversations I was having at my homestay were in Spanish (even though they could both speak pretty perfect English).

Another reason this course was really special was because of the location. Cuernavaca is simply beautiful, full of nature, culture, cobbled streets, really beautiful architecture, great restaurants and cafes - the perfect place to learn Spanish, and I always felt safe exploring every corner of the city.

If you are thinking about visiting Mexico, the Iguana Abroad course is a really great option and one I’ve recommended to all of my friends and family. This was a really unique, perfectly designed course and an opportunity that if you have, you shouldn’t miss.

Exploring Mexico has always been a great interest of mine, and something that I have always wanted to do. Mexico’s culture, it’s history, amazing food and beautiful nature is something I knew I had to enjoy firsthand, rather than through the many YouTube videos I’ve watched, and I’ve got to say, Iguana Abroad did the most perfect job of showing me and immersing me in all those things.

I should say that I was already a fairly efficient Spanish speaker before signing up to Iguana Abroad, and decided to sign up more for the travelling, the culture events, meeting some new people and that sort of thing… and it was honestly amazing. There were actually some parts of the course I wasn’t even aware of until getting here like the daily Mexican breakfasts and how stunning the school campus is. There are about 5 swimming pools there, tropical trees, gardens with fountains, the building are really beautiful as well, a few cafes, loads of places to work outside… it is a really special place. And talking a little bit more about the school, the lessons were also brilliant. I’ve taken Spanish classes in many different places over many years and the ones on the Iguana Abroad course were top notch.

Signing up to the full four week course is something I would say is an absolute must and strongly recommend to anybody who is in two minds. There isn’t a single weekend trip or immersion event that I would have wanted to miss, every single one of them was incredible, so if you’re able to - get the full Mexican immersion experience and do the full course. 



For me this course had everything and more. I loved the days exploring Mexico’s nature, the chance to truly visit some “pueblo magicos” (magic towns), eat some of the best food of my life (plus learn how to cook it as well), discover more about Mexico’s history, which I’ve always been interested in. Iguana Abroad was the true immersion course and I've fallen in love with Mexico all over again.

The Iguana Abroad course offers a lot of different things to a lot of different people which is one of the best things about it. You can really make this perfect for your personal reasons for joining.

Signing up to the Iguana Abroad course turned out to easily be the best decision I’ve made all year. I was a bit unsure about signing up at first as there were a couple of other courses I was looking at (one in Spain, another in Chile etc), but I’m genuinely so glad I chose Iguana Abroad and Mexico. Learning Spanish was one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2024 (and I think 2023 and 2022 as well!), and I can finally say I’ve honestly done it! Without Iguana Abroad, I’m pretty sure I’d still be struggling with basic phrases and doing Duolingo (like for the last few years!!). I even went to Spanish classes in Minnesota about 2 years ago and didn’t feel they helped me too much. I kept thinking “why can’t I learn Spanish!!! Even when I’m actually trying!?”

I only really started practicing Spanish seriously again right before the course, so this signing up to Iguana Abroad made a really big difference for a few reason. It really got me started with learning Spanish again, and ever since the course ended I’ve practiced every single day (and a lot of the time with some Mexican friends I met on the course) To be honest there was really so much about the course I loved. The neighbourhood and school campus we were based in were way more beautiful than I imagined. It felt like a place that made learning really enjoyable - I really loved being there. The breakfast (which were really good) from the course was served there, and there was loads of places to study afterwards etc. This was a great part of the course. The teachers were fantastic—all were really professional and genuinely interested in helping us improve. The best of the best! And the small class sizes made such a difference too. It didn’t feel like we were just another group of students. The vibes in the classroom were incredible.

I guess one other thing that I really appreciated was how the course combined lessons with real-world practice so well. It was something really special about the Iguana Abroad course and what helped me learn so quickly. We were always encouraged to bring what we learnt during the lessons into everything else we were doing … plus the two Harrys live in the area and had loads of friends/practicing teachers/locals etc to practice with and explore the area - it was really amazing. And maybe that’s something else as well. I didn’t expect to connect with so many interesting people from all over the world, I made so many lifelong friends on the course - from all over the world.

I’m excited to start 2025 as a Spanish speaker and see where it will take me!

Very glad that I signed up for this course - I was in two minds between this one and another one in Spain, but coming to Mexico was incredible and the best decision. There was a lot of things that this course had that I couldn’t find anywhere else - for example the different accommodation options and option to always do things like language exchanges with people from the city that the course can arrange for you. There was always something going on, ways to learn Spanish and more about Mexico, and just having fun with the other students. The accommodation was also very nice and a good place to relax when I needed to.

I would definitely say that Mexico is a great place to learn Spanish - the people were always so friendly and always wanted to help. The locals always seemed so happy and impressed when I was saying things in Spanish... and also I thought the Mexican accent was nice and easy to understand for a beginner like me. I was surprised how quickly I learned Spanish in Mexico especially when I’ve tried to learn Spanish in a few other places and ways before over the years and never learnt it as quickly as I did whilst on Iguana Abroad. I would recommend this course to anybody who wants to experience Mexico and learn Spanish.

Mexico has been on my list of places I want to visit for ages and I’m so happy I’ve finally come - it is definitely one of my favorite countries I’ve ever been to (and my favorite in Latin America).

The Iguana Abroad course is such a good way to get to know Mexico - firstly because you’ll need to speak Spanish when you’re in Mexico (at least a little bit at least, to enjoy everything as much as possible), and the course is a really great way to learn quickly. Also the guys who run the course have lived in Mexico for years and are really passionate about the country, its culture, food, nature, etc. They can always answer your questions, show you new places, introduce you to their friends. By the time I left I knew so much about Mexico that I had no idea about, and I will 100% come back really soon!

Going on courses is basically my addiction and I am always looking for new courses to sign up to. Without a doubt Iguana Abroad has been the best language course I’ve ever been on. It is the first Spanish language course I’ve been on, but not the first ever language course, but I learned more language on this course than on any of the others. By the end lots of the people I was talking with (in Spanish) were saying my level sounded almost fluent - somebody even thought I was Mexican for a moment when they came to ask me a question! I would definitely recommend this course and say again, it is the best language course I’ve ever been on.