Location
Multiple Locations +3
  • Peru
    • Cusco
  • Guatemala
    • Antigua
  • Costa Rica
Length
1 to 5 weeks
Language
Spanish

Program Details

Immersion Level
Intensive
Specialized Courses
Business Medical Professional Specific Purposes
Class Size
Small Class (1-7)
Weekly Classroom Hours
20
Housing
Apartment Host Family Hostel Hotel

Pricing

Starting Price
55
What's Included
Accommodation Activities
Jan 20, 2022
Feb 01, 2024
34 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Maximo Nivel offers the most intensive and professional Spanish immersion programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru.

Our Native Spanish Program emphasizes oral communication and integrated skills development to help you really build your Spanish language proficiency—this is a great immersion experience.

Our native-speaking Spanish teachers are highly qualified professional instructors with years of experience.

Our Tandem Conversation program pairs Spanish program participants with our local English students for free conversation practice.

1. Earn university credit via our School of Record: California State University-Monterey Bay.
2. 1, 2, 3 or 4+ hours per day; Super intensive programs also available.
3. Free Tandem Conversation Program
4. Live with a host family, in an apartment, or in a hostel or hotel.
5. Preparation for the DELE Exam available.
6. Special add-on programs available: Surf School

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

LGBTQIA+ Support

At Maximo Nivel, we deeply value diversity in all its forms. We maintain an open-minded approach, recognizing the significance of varied perspectives, intelligent discourse, and the transformative power of a positive mindset. We warmly welcome and respect individuals from all backgrounds, irrespective of politics, gender, gender identity, age, race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Whether it’s volunteering, Spanish immersion, TEFL certification, international internships, university courses, or GAP year experiences, members of the LGBTQIA+ community are wholeheartedly invited to participate in our programs.

Impact

Ethical Impact

At Maximo Nivel, we work in close partnership with our local communities in Latin America to ensure that volunteer projects align with genuine local needs, fostering meaningful and relevant impact. We emphasize sustainable initiatives designed for enduring change, rather than short-term interventions. By promoting cultural sensitivity, we facilitate enriching exchanges rooted in mutual respect, and our commitment to local employment further integrates and supports the communities we serve.

Program Reviews

4.94 Rating
based on 18 reviews
  • 5 rating 94.44%
  • 4 rating 5.56%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Instruction 4.85
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.9
  • Housing 4.8
  • Value 4.85
Showing 1 - 8 of 18 reviews
Default avatar
Titus
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Experience

Maximo Nivel was an amazing experience that I plan to enjoy again. I had the pleasure of visiting the Capital of CR, San Jose for the majority of my spanish immersion course. I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent customer service and sense of community in the environment. One of my favorite location to visit was the turtle habitat where we released the new hatchlings into the free ocean. The weather was beautiful day and night, a comfortable pair of shorts and a t-shirt no matter the hour!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice to future travelers would be to not neglect the use of sunscreen and bug spray!
Pros
  • Beautiful environment
  • Friendly Employees and locals
  • Amazing travel locations within the program
Cons
  • Bugs!
  • Some hiking trails are very steep
  • Projects can be very far away from SJO
8 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Lynne
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Maximo Nivel Spanish Program

We had a wonderful teacher who made our Spanish lessons a lot of fun. The teacher was experienced, well-organized and very funny, making our lessons both enjoyable and productive. All the staff were friendly and helpful. They also helped us to arrange some wonderful tours of Inca sites in the area. I didn’t realize how many fascinating sites there are in the Cusco region! The facilities were clean and well maintained. The location was convenient, so we were able to walk to local museums and some great restaurants.

Pros
  • Great teacher
  • Nice facility
  • Helpful staff
38 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Bruce
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Maximo Nivel in Cusco

We had wonderful Spanish classes in the sparkling clean and beautiful facility, perfectly located in the historical center of Cusco. The staff and teachers are so friendly and informative and helpful! Our teacher was very attentive to our level of expertise and helped us to improve each day with clear and thoughtful explanations about the nuances of the Spanish language. Also, our weekend tours through the Sacred Valley arranged by Maximo Nivel and conducted by American Inca Trail were fabulous. Maximo Nivel in Cusco is a wonderful place to learn about the language, the culture, and the history of Peru and all of South America. We're going to go back soon!

41 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
J
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Well-organized, great location

I took private one-on-one Spanish language classes 4 hours/4 days/4 weeks at Maximo Nivel Costa Rica (Curridabat location) in Feb 2023. The school administration is very well organized, from the online inquiry stage before I registered, through registration, arrival and orientation, and departure. The admin team is very friendly and professional; I felt they were there to support my learning and also my stay in Costa Rica. They switched my teachers 3 times in 3 days (I'm assuming because of their personal situations), but I understand things happen with people's schedules. Luckily the changes happened all in the beginning. The instructor was great; she tried to tailor the sessions per my interests, focusing on conversation and reinforcing with grammar/practices. She took the time and energy to bring in material we could discuss, based on our conversations in class. In addition, the school offers various activities that are included with the class price--weekly salsa dancing class, weekly cooking class, and tandem conversations (they pair up an Eng-learner and Spanish-learner and they split 1 hour speaking in each language. Great practice). The cafe was awesome to have coffee/tea (free!) and snacks (for purchase--you'll smell them baking brownies). Great value to have all these included with the class price. Location is outside the main San Jose downtown area, near a university, so it's still busy but less hectic than downtown--it's walking distance to train/bus stops, many restaurants, grocery stores. The school is also linked with a small travel agency, so it was really easy to book day trips on the weekends. Highly recommended.

72 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Brad
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

a Stand out Organization

I've been to many educational environments, from Military to Central Texas college, to colleges in Germany. This organization is in a class of its own. The staff is very calculated and professional, the foundation and fundamentals are tailored towards the student so there's no one-size fits all approach. anybody looking to grow in the education space by learning a new language, I don't think you can compare a college classroom to what this program offers, there's no unnecessary electives thats required. Only pure installation of the language and culture.

Pros
  • 24/7 help
  • support in and out of classroom environment
  • hands-on approach to learning
Cons
  • small building
  • needs more classroom sizing
91 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Edward
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Maximo Nivel Language School

I have attended Maximo Nivel Language School to improve my Spanish for several years. I have always been more than satisfied, since I think in Spanish thanks to Maximo Nivel. I would recommend it to all levels of fluency; beinners to advanced.

What would you improve about this program?
Sometimes the house of the homestay could be a little cleaner.
169 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Matthew
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Maximo Nivel

I had an excellent experience at Maximo Nivel. The entire experience was well organized and well communicated. I thought the Spanish classes were fun and engaging. My Spanish is markedly improved from this experience. The host family was wonderful and the people I lived with were also wonderful. The staff at Maximo Nivel were always available and more than happy to help. I would highly recommend this experience for anyone interested in a Spanish study abroad experience.

What would you improve about this program?
N/A
151 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Philippe
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Antonio L Cruz Review

Problably the best time and classes I have completed in years. Effective schools developed and implemented systems for ensuring consistency of judgements between teachers. In these schools, key staff members said, that although establishing effective moderation processes for assessment tasks was a time‑consuming activity, the positive benefits were evident. The professional discussions required to arrive at consensus clarified the rationale for assessment in these schools, and the increase in teachers’ knowledge of their students’ abilities led to a deeper understanding of the curriculum area, and how well their students were learning.

The schools operated ongoing review processes. Teachers were engaged in high levels of professional dialogue about assessment consistency and judgements. They introduced moderation by using exemplars and by sharing portfolio entries. Teachers were involved in professional development in literacy and numeracy assessment.

The senior management team developed a curriculum leaders’ handbook. Curriculum teams were continually reviewing their documentation and procedures to strengthen the consistency and judgements at each level across the seven curriculum areas. Teachers used computerised assessment records to collect student achievement information. Strong moderation procedures were evident as teachers moderated work among themselves and also sought opinions of teachers from other schools and advisors. Summative data were collected to show progress over time. Teachers collected formative assessment data and used the data to set planning targets.

What would you improve about this program?
I will make the time longer to impruve the the skills.
162 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers