Learn Spanish in Bocas del Toro, Panama

The teachers in Habla Ya know how to integrate you in the panamanian cultrure and they surely make you feel at home! Wonderful people, chilled and respectful!!
They offer you guidance and sicurity, help and advice for anything you need.
I have thousands of unforgettable memories of beaches, spanish lessons, friendships, adventures that only being there you can describe!
I recommend this destination trip and Habla Ya as your base point!
Only love

I've heard about Habla Ya Spanish Schools through the Internet. It had some good reviews so I decided to give it a try. I went to the Habla Ya School in Bocas del Toro and I took some private classes for two weeks. I had two different teachers and both were really friendly and professional. I could see that they like teaching, they had some fun games to organise the classes more creative. In private classes, it's easier to focus on what you specifically need if you already know some spanish like me. Now I can say, that I really learned what I needed to and I improved a lot. Besides that, I had a lot of fun during classes and I never was bored. Though I was taking private lessons, I had the possibilty to get to know the other students thanks to the activities offered at Habla Ya every day. From monday to sunday they offer different activities, for example tours to different places, riding the bike to the next beach, conversation classes for free with the teachers, sportive activities (Salsa dancing classes, Martial Arts,...) and many more. One activity I won't forget was the Catamaran Tour. We were about 20 people on a big Catamaran with good music, the whole evening dancing and having fun :) But I also liked the relaxed times, just hanging out with other students or going to eat somewhere. Bocas is a nice little town where you can find everything on the main street. Just one thing annoyed me was that I had to go to the bank about 3 times until I got some money. Sometimes on sundays the bank there runs out of money and you have to wait until the next day to get some. So my advice is, go to the bank early enough! But with every other issues or question I had, the guys at the reception at Habla Ya helped me a lot. I made my placement test with a guy called Ludo. He explained me everything about the islands very well and he could answer all my questions. In total I can say, Habla Ya Spanish school in Bocas is a very professional school which I can totally recommend, not the bank though :P

You want to learn Spanish? Your search is over, because Habla Ya in Panama is the right choice so go for it.
I did a 4 week course in 2012 already and went back in 2013. My skills were those of a beginner and after these 4 weeks I did not feel like this anymore. The classes are small which means that the teacher is really able to care about everyone, the exercises are fun and its not only theoretical. You will do lots of group activities which helps to improve quickly. The teachers are qualified and you can see that they want you to learn their beautiful language Spanish. In case of questions or whatever, you can always go to Cesar at the front desk and he will be happy to help (best guy ).
No need to be shy-in your group everyone will be at your level and everyone has the same goal so just participate as much as you can. You will become more and more confident.
Of course being in a host family also helps, because most of the times they do not speak a lot of English and you need to apply what you learned to be able to communicate.
I went to Boquete and to Bocas del Toro which I preferred. The atmosphere is just great, the beaches are fabulous, the people beyond friendly, the bars are awesome and it was just perfect for me. As it is only an island, you will get to know a lot of people and you will definitely get to know some salsa or reggaeton moves :)
Thank you to all of the staff to make my experience unforgettable. 4 weeks pass too quickly.
I can recommend it for sure!

Learning Spanish in beautiful Bocas already is great, but learning Spanish in Bocas with Habla Ya is an experience, I'll never forget and I would recommend to everyone who wants to learn Spanish to contact the school. My language skills got way more better after the course, a reason for that is that the teachers help you in any way and create a comfortable atmosphere. Also if you have any questions or suggestions, the people, working at the reception will listen to you and try anything to solve a problem or to make you enjoying your time at the school! I never experienced so much cooperativeness and dedication before and I am really thankful for that, because I never felt helpless, when I was insecure about something. The atmosphere at Habla Ya is familiar and the people are open, friendly and it's always a pleasure for me, visiting the school, even if I don't have classes anymore. I made so many friends, people from all over the world, different nationalities... Besides I worked voluntarily at a school and Habla Ya helped me to feel welcome in my project! By the way I don't think that it's possible to find a place more beautiful to learn than Bocas. I literally fell in love with the island and appreciate every day, to be such a lucky person to live here for a while.
To conclude, I have to say, that for me it was a personal gain to learn Spanish with Habla Ya and I would do it over and over again!

Thanks to Habla ya I had the greatest time ever! It felt like home the second I got there. My spanish teacher was super nice and patient and I learned a lot from her. The guys from Habla ya are amazing guys. I loved spending time with them at School, parties or on fun catamaran trips (which are offered by the School) and they became good friends! They helped me a lot with all kinds of stuff like getting a bike or where they sell the best food or which People to trust. Also my host Family was incredible... They were so caring and loving! I fell in love with them! I went hunting with my host mum for dead lizzards, we went to the beach with her Brothers boat and the rest of the fam and we shared various recipes we cooked for eachother...i'm still very close with my host mum and I hope to be able to go back in 2017. Habla ya was the best choice I could have ever made. I found a second family.

Alright, where do I beginn..

I first had the feeling that I made the right decision with Habla Ya when I sent them countless mails with hundreds of questions about the arrival, the hostels, how to get there, etc. Since I've never been to Latin America & Panama before, I was quite nervous when I got there. Plus I could only take the night bus & ferry that arrived the same monday as my course started, so I was nervous, super tired & had no idea what to expect. Still, they kept answering super quick & explaining & helping me with everything patiently.

When I first got to the school everyone was super friendly, they knew on the spot that I was new, the school is not too big & they know every single student. So I had my placement conversation & got placed in a class of 4 with the teacher Benita, who is a lovely, hilarious & passionate person! We had so much fun in class, not only did we learn a lot of Spanish, but also talked about personal stuff, got to know each other & got taught a lot about Panama & Bocas.
Somehow the 2 weeks went by pretty fast without realizing I was learning so much. Additional to the group course I took one private lesson per day, first week with Tonis, second week with Bladimir & Ricardo, where I learned even more, but it was also super intense being so focused on Spanish for 5 hours a day.

Apart from the courses there are daily activities to join, such as volleyball on the beach, family dinner at school, cinema nights, salsa lessons or day trips to the islands on the weekends.
We surely spent a lot of time with the teachers & even had a couple of great, crazy & fun days hanging out with them :D

Apart from the Spanish lessons we became a little family with everyone from school. The guys at the front office also always had an open ear (and an open door) for me & helped me out with my hundreds of questions, so they were pretty cool as well ;)

I had a really great time in Bocas, I love that little island with all its stunning beaches, diving schools, bars & delicious local restaurants. It's a vibrating island with warm & welcoming people! I felt super comfortable & safe in Bocas & am grateful that the guys from Habla Ya helped me arrange everything & were part of my incredible time in Central America :)

Learning with Habla Ya took my Spanish to the next level, and I also made great friends and had so much fun. There is always a group going to the beach with or going out dancing. So, not only did I get to practice Spanish in a structured setting, but I also practiced it around Bocas casually. Also, my homestay family was very friendly and helpful. The meals they cooked for me were delicious. I actually ended up moving to Panama afterwards for a teaching job, and the Spanish I learned there helps me every day now that I live in Panama City. I know that without the classes I would not be able to communicate with the people well. If you want to speak better Spanish and have fun, go to Habla Ya!!!

I enjoyed my visit to Habla Ya in Bocas del Toro so much in March 2016 I went back to Panama for another 4 weeks in July!! I was lucky to experience classes in both the Boquete and Bocas locations and although the quality of instruction is great no matter where you choose to study, each place has its own vibe.

In my opinion, Boquete is the better option if your main goal is to learn Spanish in a quiet setting conducive to studying. Yubal was my teacher and he is a model example of what Spanish education should be. I was so impressed, I continued taking classes with Yubal online via Skype after my stay in Panama ended. Plus, the ecotourism options are exceptional in Boquete if you really love nature and hiking.

Bocas is the place to be if you like to balance business and pleasure. Basically, mornings are spent in the classroom, afternoons on the beach and evenings at the bar enjoying (perhaps too much) tequila. There are also lots of opportunities to sign up for group excursions. Though not for the faint of heart, I highly recommend the trip to Isla Bastimentos to explore the bat cave. Of all the great things Bocas has to offer, I was most impressed by the customer service given by the guys in the reception office at Habla Ya. César truly went above and beyond to help me when my luggage was misplaced by the airline on my way to Panama. I am forever grateful for his help. They are also happy to help you set up living arrangements. ***Be sure to take their advice and stay at either a hostel of their recommendation or with a local family.

Most importantly, Spanish classes at Habla Ya have served me well and I highly recommend this school if you are looking to have fun while learning or improving your Spanish speaking skills!

Safe and happy travels!