I will be in Guatemala in Aug for 3 weeks to study Spanish. From reading this branch and the lonely planet, I'm thinking of doing one week in Xela, one week in Antigua and maybe another week in San Pedro. I'm hoping to do homestays for 2 weeks and another week at some hostel or guesthouse. I haven't decided on the order of staying and would like some suggestions on where to start and which area would worth a homestay and which one will be fine without.
Also, I'm hoping to take some private Salsa dance lessons as well and wonder if there's any recommendation of dance schools or a Spanish school that has a good affiliate with dance school.
Thx!
vivicolour
1
nyc_girl_115
Hi Vivi,
Personally, I would recommend staying in one place for 2 weeks to study, then spend the last week touring around. (This is based on the assumption that your goal is to study & tour). If you hop around from school to school, then you may not learn as much.
I really liked San Pedro - in particular the Coopertiva Spanish School. We spent 3 weeks in San Pedro (though only planned on 1 week!). Beautiful location on the lake with gorgeous views. Tuition is about $50-60 per week (20 hours tuition, 4 hours per day, 1:1 with one teacher). Homestay is also $50-$60 per week. Or there are very cheap lodging in San Pedro (the cheapest in all of Guatemala!). There is a very large Mayan community in San Pedro, so you will have a very good cultural experience as well.
Most Spanish schools (including the Coopertiva) include activities for free with your tuition (or a small extra charge). The activities are usually hikes (like to the Volcano San Pedro), movie nights, and salsa lessons. There are also several bars/restaurants that offer Salsa lessons.
Photos and details (hotel recommendations included) are on my travel journal if you are interested. Just scroll to the bottom of the page for links to other towns such as Xela and Antigua. Kay and Franks Trip to Central America
Cheers,
Kay
2
sanpedrosolola
vivi
NYC Girl is right on..try san pedro..the schools usually offer one night of salsa lessons along with the tuition. plus, i've seen posters on the telephone poles offering dance lessons in s.p., but i didn't note the particulars.
in antigua, in april there was a salsa school on 5 calle west...on the left side..coupla blocks from the park.
a'shep
3
xinloi
There is a Salsa School in Antigua near La Union & Seville schools. There are a couple others but I can't recall which streets they are on.
4
hedczech
I have danced with all three of these in Xela and recommend them.
Tropica Latina - 5a calle 12-24 zona 1 tel 5892.8861
Salsa Rosa - Diagonal 11 7-79 zona 1 tel 5204.0404
Salsafher - in front of the pink tower on 6a calle
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vivicolour
Thanks for all the suggestions! I will definitely check out the dance schools in Xela!
I also took Kay's advice and contacted Coopertiva Spanish School and asked them if it would be possible for me to arrive at San Pedro from Guatemala City the day of my arrival (My flight will be arriving at around 12:30pm). They replied and said they can arrange private van for $120/person!? I was wondering if anyone has a better suggestion on getting to San Pedro. Thx!
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nyc_girl_115
Ouch - that is expensive! Especially for Guatemala.
From Guate City airport -- take a shuttle to Antigua (or bus) - it is only 45 minutes away.
From Antigua, you can either take:
Option 1. Combination of Chicken Buses (probably one transfer) to Panahajel. From there, take the public launcha (ferry) that runs frequently but stops at dark. The ferry costs about $4 US and takes about 30 minutes.
Option 2. Direct Pullman service (Pullman is the guatemalan term for a 1st class bus) to Panahajel. Not sure of the schedules. Check your guidebook for information. Again, you'd need to take the public launcha (ferry) across the lake.
Option 3. Direct Private Shuttle to Panahajel. There are many. Look in your guidebook for a tour agency and call/email them. They should have direct shuttles to Panahajel for about $15. Some go to San Pedro.
Option 4. Direct Private Shuttle to San Pedro. There was one operated between El Mix restaurant in Antigua and Shanti-Shanti restaurant in San Pedro. It was there in February (we took it) and it cost about $11 US. But the last traveller I talked to said that they couldn't find El Mix restaurant - so I don't know if it is still in operation. Google around for information.
Cheers,
Kay
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