Learn Spanish in Bocas del Toro, Panama

Name: Learn Spanish in Bocas del Toro, Panama
Brand: Habla Ya Spanish Schools
SKU: 109536
Rating: 4.91 (68 reviews)

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4.91 Rating

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Location

Panama
- Bocas del Toro

Language

Spanish

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Program Details

Language Level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Immersion Level

Intensive Standard

Certifications

DELE (Spanish)

Specialized Courses

Business Medical Professional Specific Purposes Teaching

Class Size

Private Lessons Small Class (1-7)

Housing

Apartment Guesthouse Host Family Hostel Hotel

Last Updated: Dec 30, 2020

Last Reviewed: May 11, 2020

Wish List

20 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Bocas del Toro is a funky, laid back archipelago, dotted with pristine islands of white sand beaches, coconut trees and crystal clear turquoise waters. Bocas attracts off the beaten path travelers in search of uncrowded beaches, first class surfing and scuba diving, a chilled and authentic nightlife, and endless opportunities of wildlife encounters both on land and under the Caribbean Sea.

Habla Ya Bocas del Toro holds accreditation from the Instituto Cervantes as well as being an Official DELE Examination Center, and is one of the most and best reviewed immersion programs in Central America, offering you everything from Group to Private Lessons, Medical Spanish or Spanish for Teachers.

Improve your Spanish, explore stunning beaches and make friends from all over the world. Habla Ya will take care of every single detail, setting you up in the most suitable accommodation according to your budget, as well as offering you loads of eco-adventure and volunteering opportunity.

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Video and Photos

Habla Ya students hanging out at Blue Coconut in Solarte, Bocas del Toro, Panama

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Program Reviews

4.91 Rating

based on 68 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Language

5 rating 91.18%
4 rating 8.82%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Instruction 4.85
Support 4.9
Fun 4.8
Housing 4.6
Value 4.65

Good for Adventure travelers, Solo Travelers, Students

Showing 65 - 68 of 68 reviews

I have done a four-week spanish course in Bocas del Toro, the paradise on earth! As I walked through the streets for the first time I immediately fell in love with this place and I knew that I would enjoy a lot - and I did! I was lucky to have the best host family I could imagine. They received me with open arms and made me feel being part of their family. Still now I am in contact with them (through skype, whats app,...) and I miss them a lot. So, during the week I went to Habla Ya every morning. I enjoyed school a lot, although it was sometimes hard to stand up because the nights are long in Bocas. But my teacher Adriana always was understanding when I came to school with a hangover ;) After the lessons there is so much to do in Bocas, for example going to the beach, doing a bike tour, snorkeling and diving, hanging around the streets, and so on. At 7pm every day I got a great dinner in my host family and after that I went out to meet my friends. There are partys almost every night with good spanish music and lovely people.
I can't find words to descirbe how much I love Bocas. After I finished school, I stayed there for two more months just to relax and work a bit. I just couldn't leave this place, my family and my friends there. I am sure that one day I'm gonna come back to visit all of them. I had an incredible time in Bocas - the best of my life!!

To be clear I toom my two week course in Boquete in the mountains of chiquiri, but there wasn' t a separate option for the Boquete school. The teachers I had were awesome-Leidys Pitti for four hour small group class and Kimberly for daily one hour conversation. Both had tons of patience and were super encouraging. They made it easy to speak in the class and to try it out on the street-and this from someone normally shy to talk to strangers inher native English! Thecoffice staff were also super- always smiling and helpful. A great experience overall- I hope I can come back sometime for another round.

What would you improve about this program?

Maybe a little more encouragement on the social side. Things may have been quiet because it was so close to Christmas but other than a couple of signs snlwing possible activities there wasn't any real mention or encouragement around outside activities for socialising and cultural exposure.

I've done my spanish course in Habla Ya and I would
totally recommend it to everyone who likes caribbean
lifestyle and panamanian mentality. The school is perfect
placed, staff is really cool and helpful, the teachers
are great! The beginning was really hard cause I never
had a spanish course before, but they were always
"waiting" for me and the lessons were never to fast.
Good courses for beginner! Nice beaches are around
and good tour offers (surfing course was a lot of fun!)
-great school in a great place! ;)

So I was at the Habla Ya Spanish school in Bocas del Toro and we had the best time ever! The staff is amazing, the teachers care so much and Bocas del Toro ist just paradise on earth. I was lucky enough to have the best host family anyone could wish for. I still feel like part of their family, thanks to the warm Panamenian culture. Besides learning Spanish we were going on incredible trips around the island. There is so much going on there. The nights are long, the drinks cold, the music great and for those who are not into partying there are great places to grab the best food and relax. In many bars tere is live music. It's very easy to connect with people from all over the world at school because there are many nationalities and people are generally laid back and very sweet. I'm definitely gonna come back and this time for much longer... oooh and for the surfers, yogis and divers out there: it's heaven on earth!

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I want to study Spanish and languages in the future at university and I've also wanted to visit Central America. I chose a country where Spanish is the main language, so I could learn how to speak fluently.

Additionally, I always wanted to work with kids, so I was really interested in the school project that was offered and involved teaching little children.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My program provider, an organization from Germany called "Multikultur", helped me with planning my trip. They also helped me learn more about "Habla Ya", the Spanish lessons offered there, and assisted me with finding my volunteer project and my host family.

I also learned a lot on my own by surfing the Internet, and the information on the Habla Ya website. When I arrived in Bocas, I was picked up and was brought to Habla Ya and my host family.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

When it comes to a long trip and traveling on your own to an unknown country, it is important to try to organize almost everything from your home country, because then you will feel safer and you can be sure someone will care about you and support you when you arrive.

The best thing you can do is being open to everything, because it might be completely different than expected, yet still an unforgettable experience.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

When I took Spanish lessons at Habla Ya, class started at 8 am. I had breakfast first thing in the morning at my host's house and then walked to school or took the bike. I had classes until noon, and afterwards Habla Ya offers a lot of activities to join, both during the week and also the weekends.

For example, we could take surf lessons, salsa courses, visit different beaches, and coffee plantations. There are a lot of different activities students can sign up for!

When my volunteer work started I had to take the watertaxi to the other island, and had the opportunity to spend time with the indigenous children from 8 am to 12pm.

After school, I always loved to spend time at Habla Ya. I felt very welcome there and made a lot of friends. In the evenings my host family, which I love a lot, prepared dinner and we talked about our days.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it and/or how did your views on the issue change?

One of my biggest fears was getting homesick, feeling lonely and that I might not like the life and the culture, because I knew before that it would be totally different for me.

I think those are fears anyone who is traveling for a long time deals with. But after one week in Bocas all my fears were gone, because I felt welcome from the first day. I lived with other students, so it was easy to keep in touch and make friends quickly.

It is important to believe in yourself, to enjoy each day and not to get caught up in your fears, then you will be open for anything and anyone, and then there is no way that you will suffer.

What did you learn during your time abroad?

I wouldn't change anything I did, because everything I experienced here was a new life lesson, and never a loss or a fault.

This trip changed my life and my whole view I had about the world, it made me a better person.

It taught me to appreciate every day, and being thankful for little things, like for a smile from a little school kid when you buy him an apple. The volunteer work showed me that you are special just the way you you are, and when you're kind you will also be accepted for the person you are, and you can make a little kid's life better just by showing them attention and respect.

I had the chance to meet so many different nationalities and it helped me to understand how people from other countries think and live, and that we are literally all the same and you can be the friend of anyone, independent from where they are from.

You learn how to solve problems by yourself, how to react to new situations and how to be independent, positive, and strong.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What is your favorite travel memory?

The trip I made to Costa Rica with my family in 2009. We visited San José and Guanacaste. I really enjoyed the different climate and customs, but mostly experiencing a place different from my own for the first time.

Culturally it was really fun and interesting to celebrate New Years over there in a different way than how I have all my life.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Every week I learn so much, there's always something new. So yes, I've grown a lot. Meeting people from all over the world and also being able to share the same values with like minded people, like growing some fruit and vegetables at home. Here at Habla Ya we get that.

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What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

The beauty of Bocas is breathtaking. I had a student from the UK, Rachel, who came back to us just 6 months after her first trip, and we went to Wizard Beach. And when she got there, she just started crying as she was so grateful to be in Panama again and couldn't believe she and I were the only people there at that specific moment having all of that raw beauty to ourselves.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I'd just like to do anything related with the Instituto Cervantes. They are the experts. As a student I'd want to do the DELE, and as a teacher I'd want to get a masters approved by them.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

It feels really nice to be part of such a prestigious school. I'm quite proud of myself and our team because of the work we do. Our students always tell us how we're the best, and it's also very good to be part of a team where it feels like a family, where we each look out after each other and where we feel the support of everyone. That's very important for me.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

The people. Us. Getting the right people on the team. Sometimes it can be tricky but then everything clicks and you take off.

About Habla Ya Spanish Schools

Learn Spanish by the Caribbean Sea, in the cloud forest, in Latin America's most cosmopolitan city, or at the three of them! With locations in Panama's most exciting destinations by the beach (Bocas del Toro), in the mountains (Boquete), and in Panama City, Habla Ya provides quality Spanish programs combined with unique vacation experiences...