Program Reviews

Iguana Abroad was an all-round amazing experience. I arrived with a group of strangers and left with a group of friends! The program is a great mix of Spanish lessons and exploring Mexico (on the program I did we went to Las Estacas, Teotihuacán and Peña de Bernal but there are other locations too)- There are so many interesting events and weekend trips, you really feel your Spanish getting better quickly as there is always opportunity to practice and speak to new people. My Spanish improved so much while on the trip. The organizers do a great job of introducing you to new Mexican friends during the program and the focus is really on 24/7 language immersion so there is so much opportunity to integrate yourself into the culture and feel like a local in the country. If you want an authentic experience in Mexico, to boost your Spanish level quickly while having a great vacation, this trip is definitely for you.

I’ve wanted to speak really good Spanish for ages… I’ve probably been trying to crack Spanish since being about 13 years old (and I’m 23 now) - and I’ve never managed… I was honestly starting to think that I didn’t have the right “brain” for Spanish… nothing ever stuck. I signed up to at least 4-5 of those apps that say things like you just need to learn “keywords, learn these few words that everybody uses and in 2 weeks you’ll be fluent”, I’ve tried Duolingo, I've even had an online Spanish teacher before who I worked with for almost a year, and still, every time I got into situations when I need to have a conversation in Spanish - I was just blank, and just felt dumb.

I signed up to Iguana Abroad for a few reasons, for example I’ve always wanted to go to Mexico, but also as an honest sort of last “roll of the dice” to learning Spanish. What I mean by that is actually being able to have a conversation in Spanish, make friends in Spanish, have the skills to live in a Spanish speaking country (which I'm planning on doing now!) and not have loads of problems with the language. I sort of figured, “if I don’t learn it this time - I guess I never will” … and guess what … I did! I guess the best way to out it is that I left the course more than anything just feeling confident - like I was proud of my level, genuinely surprised with my skills for the first time in my life. I left Mexico and the course actually wanting to approach Spanish conversations that I’d usually have definitely avoided - because I just felt comfortable being there - for the first time ever.

All I can say is that this course actually works for leaning Spanish - and most of the “special trick” style apps etc you get online - yeah, it’s basically all a scam - at least that is how I see it after paying money for them and leaving just feeling worse. For me that was the most important thing about this course - on Iguana Abroad, you will 100% leave actually speaking Spanish, and I’m the best example!

It was such a good decision to come on Iguana Abroad. I really felt like the program gave me so much more confidence in myself as a person, as well as so many good memories and lots of self-confidence with my Spanish. The Spanish lessons were amazing, but most importantly Iguana Abroad lets you experience so much outside of the Spanish classes - we visited so many interesting places around Mexico and I really felt like Iguana Abroad opened my eyes to so many things, both about Mexico and about myself as a person. I highly recommend this program and I hope I can come back one day!

I want to say a big thank you to Iguana Abroad for making this trip so special. The build up to the trip was really smooth and stress-free and the communication was always really clear. Whenever I had any questions Iguana Abroad always answered very quickly and made me feel excited about joining the program. When I arrived in Mexico, one of the guys from Iguana Abroad was there at the airport to meet me which I really appreciated as it really took the stress away from the flight and made everything so much easier.

The Spanish lessons were awesome. I never thought I would learn so much Spanish in such a short time but the lessons were always very interesting and the Spanish teachers were amazing! It also helps so much when you can practice what you have learnt in the Spanish classes after the classes with Mexican people. I really loved how Iguana Abroad do everything to make sure that you are speaking Spanish as much as possible – from organizing cultural events in the evenings to making the weekend trips fun to introducing us to their Mexican friends. I really can’t stress enough how much I enjoyed Iguana Abroad! The whole trip really was designed for total Spanish immersion and I learnt so much Spanish by the end.

Overall, I would recommend Iguana Abroad to anyone who wants to learn Spanish quickly, experience Mexican culture and explore the best travel locataions in Mexico. ¡Gracias Iguana Abroad!

This was actually my first time travelling abroad, let alone solo - so yeah, I was fairly cautious, especially coming to Mexico, but its somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit… Right from the get go, I felt that this course was amazing and something different, at least not what I was expecting. I must have asked a million (or more) questions to the team before even arriving, and they always responded lightning fast, offered Zoom chats, and replied in emails or WhatsApp always within 24 hours, and almost always less. This was honestly such a hugely important thing to me. I really didn’t want to feel nervous at all, either in the lead up or whilst I was there. I wanted the course amongst other things to make me feel inspired to travel and explore the world, not to make it harder to travel solo again. I always felt safe with Iguana Abroad -right from applying, to getting picked up from the airport, to saying my final farewells to the team and my new friends. And I’ve got everything I need now to be a true world explorer!

Everything about the course was amazing - but what I felt made this course different was just how personal it felt. You become friends with absolutely everyone on the course, and it just made me feel safe. The guys who run the course are so passionate, helpful, friendly - and they want this course to show Mexico how they see it. An amazing course.

Just as my title says - this was the only course I could find anywhere that basically has it all - and not just in Mexico, in all of Latin America... Travelling, immersing, studying and living. To break that down a little bit - I got to see pyramids, nature, small magic towns and ancient canals - I got to learn how to make Aztec ceramics, cook real Mexican food (and no - not the stuff you find in Brighton) - I got to study in a brilliant group with a teacher I loved, and bring all that studying into reality … and yeah, the accommodation sort of blew my mind as well. Staying bang in the centre, and surrounded by great vibes (or “buena ondas”, as they say in Mexico), parks, authentic shops - yeah, I could sort of go on and on.



The best course in Mexico for everything as well - travel, immersion, studying and living. 10/10 - oh, and I made some great mates too, Mexican and international. Cheers, Iguanas!

I want to say a big thank you to Iguana Abroad for making this trip so special. The build up to the trip was really smooth and stress-free and the communication was always really clear. Whenever I had any questions Iguana Abroad always answered very quickly and made me feel excited about joining the program. When I arrived in Mexico, one of the guys from Iguana Abroad was there at the airport to meet me which I really appreciated as it really took the stress away from the flight and made everything so much easier.

The Spanish lessons were awesome. I never thought I would learn so much Spanish in such a short time but the lessons were always very interesting and the Spanish teachers were amazing! It also helps so much when you can practice what you have learnt in the Spanish classes after the classes with Mexican people. I really loved how Iguana Abroad do everything to make sure that you are speaking Spanish as much as possible – from organizing cultural events in the evenings to making the weekend trips fun to introducing us to their Mexican friends. I really can’t stress enough how much I enjoyed Iguana Abroad! The whole trip really was designed for total Spanish immersion and I learnt so much Spanish by the end.

Overall, I would recommend Iguana Abroad to anyone who wants to learn Spanish quickly, experience Mexican culture and explore the best travel locataions in Mexico. ¡Gracias Iguana Abroad!

Iguana Abroad is a fantastic program for travel enthusiasts, language learners and basically anyone who wants to get into those things, even if they haven't yet. The course offers really well structured classroom classes, fun cultural activities like Mexican cooking and aztec ceramics, and really exciting weekend trips to some of the best place in Mexico, like Las Estacas (a beautiful natural park with a transparent river you can swim in).

My experience with Iguana Abroad was amazing. I made lifelong friends, improved my Spanish, and gained the confidence to explore Mexico further. I'm genuinely thankful for this opportunity, everyone I met and everyone that was involved. This has been the best summer of my life.

Absolutely incredible guys that run this program. They made our group full of girls feel completely safe and welcome our whole stay. Not to mention the kind employees who work at the hostel we stayed at whom made us feel right at home.
I came to this program to improve my Spanish speaking skills and after a month in Mexico not only did my Spanish improve greatly but I felt like I created a family of friends that I could return to at any time. The Spanish school you attend is really great. They teach language a lot better than classes I've experienced back home in Florida.

Overall, I'd recommend this program to young people at any Spanish level. Whether you come to the program to study, to explore the city, to make friends, to learn about Mexican culture, etc. Whatever it is you'll have the freedom and opportunity to make this program what you want it to be!

I have 3 questions for you:

1) Do you have a bad case of wanderlust?
2) Are you interested in improving your Spanish speaking ability?
3) Would you like to meet other lovely humans who share similar interests + goals to you?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, Iguana Abroad was made precisely with you in mind. The program is structured very thoughtfully, balancing coursework with fun weekly activities like cooking + ceramics classes - plus weekend excursions to nearby archeological sites, pueblos, and more. It's enough to keep you busy + engaged, but not so much where it feels overwhelming - there is still plenty of free time to use at your discretion, i.e., for rest or for exploring outside of the regularly scheduled activities.

For someone like me who had never spent time in Mexico before, this program was the perfect introduction to the country and the perfect way to begin reviving the Spanish that had been lying dormant in my brain for a few years :) Without much international travel under my belt, I admittedly felt a little overwhelmed at the prospect of organizing my own classes, accommodation, excursions, activities etc., so I was tremendously grateful to come across a program like Iguana Abroad that is built to take care of all those details for you. Not every immersion program is like that!

Harry Chamberlain and Harry Carmichael (whom we affectionately refer to as "The Harrys") created Iguana Abroad, and although they call themselves "Program Directors," I'm not entirely sure that title fully captures the many hats they wear as travel agents, tutors, guides, friends, interpreters, and sometimes, even chefs. From the moment I submitted my application, it could not have been clearer just how much these two care about the work they're doing. Before the program even starts, they invite you to chat with them via Zoom to get to know you and answer any questions you may have. When you arrive in Mexico, they are quick to welcome you and make a new and unfamiliar place feel like home, introducing you to the city, to the school, and even to some of their friends. And after you leave, they are thoughtful enough to check in and make sure all is well. They go above and beyond as consistent sources of support every step of the way.

I was lucky enough to build IA into a larger trip to Mexico, and it truly couldn't have been a better jumping-off point for the rest of my journey. I met so many lovely people I feel lucky to call friends, and I developed the Spanish skills and confidence that allowed me to continue exploring the beautiful and diverse country Mexico is. I'm so grateful for this experience, and I'm already looking forward to my next trip!