Program Info
Iguana Abroad is an award winning Spanish language immersion program in Mexico. Our courses combine daily Spanish lessons with a fully immersive schedule of mid-week events and weekend trips, to maximise your Spanish learning and ensure that you have the best possible time while in Mexico. At Iguana Abroad we pride ourselves on being able to improve your Spanish grade by one whole level on each two week program (using the CEFR scale) so you can leave Mexico with the best possible Spanish level, feeling confident to speak Spanish with locals in Mexico and beyond!
Check out our “Dates and Fees” page for the full schedule for each 2024 season and see below for more information. We look forward to welcoming you in Mexico in 2024 – ¡Saludos!
What does every Iguana Abroad program Include?
Spanish Lessons
- Classes in one of Mexico's most highly regarded Spanish schools
- All materials needed for the classroom lessons
- Three hours of high quality classes every day, Monday to Friday
- Professional, highly-qualified native speaking teachers
- Improve your Spanish skills by one CERF stage every 2 weeks!
- Daily support outside of classroom hours for all Spanish questions
Cultural Immersion
- Immerse yourself in the language with our multiple Spanish-language immersion events with native speakers
- Mexican cookery class with Mexican chef
- Salsa dancing lesson to get into the Latino vibe
- Aztec Ceramics Workshop with Mexican potter
- Trip to the ancient pyramids of Xochicalco
- Optional daily language exchanges with Mexican locals
- Daily breakfasts to practice your Spanish first thing in the morning!
- 24/7 immersion in one of Mexico's best cities
Travel
- Multiple weekend excursions outside of Cuernavaca to the best locations in Mexico
- Travel in the best private minibuses in Mexico
- Swim in the crystal-clear turquoise waters of "Las Estacas"
- Explore ancient Aztec pyramids
- Trips to Mexico's famous Pueblo Mágicos or "Magic Towns"
- Fully immersive experience travelling with locals
- Practice your new Spanish skills in authentic situations
- Create lasting memories and make lifelong friends
Accommodation
- Options of homestay or independent/communal accommodation
- Practice your Spanish 24/7 in authentic immersion experiences if you choose to do a homestay
- Experience how Mexican families live their daily lives
- Homestay host families fully vetted by the IA team
- A choice of private or shared rooms if you prefer our independent living option
- Central location just a short walk away from Cuernavaca's central cathedral
And Everything Else...
- Airport Pickup Service
- Needs Analysis session with professional native teacher before the course starts to get a complete view of your Spanish skills
- Make lifelong friends
- A certificate of course completion, verifying your final Spanish level using the internationally recognized CERF scale
- 24/7 support from the Iguana Abroad team
- Bespoke "Iguana Abroad" Arrival Package
Spanish Classes
Iguana Abroad’s philosophy is total language immersion. We believe that each participant of Iguana Abroad is capable of moving up least one level of the Spanish-language CERF grading system during the course of each two week program.
In order to tailor our courses to each candidate’s respective abilities and objectives for the course, Iguana Abroad undertakes a short “Needs Analysis” session before each student arrives. This session gives each of our students a moment before the course begins to discuss their aims and goals for the end of the program, as well as giving a member of our team a moment to interpret each students abilities, or CEFR level.
Our courses are all taught by qualified, well-established, native teachers, and typically take place in the morning, between 09:00-12:00.
Learn Spanish in a truly different way than you could in the UK – be engaged like never before. Our Spanish courses and native teachers have one sole focus: to have you speaking their language confidently before you leave. Be totally immersed in the culture, the city, the language and be chatting with locals before you know it – make lifelong friends who you can keep practicing with even after you’ve left.
Learning Spanish is always fun – what we do differently is make it easy and accessible. Talk with our team today and leave the rest to us.
Cultural Immersion
Mexico is a country of sensations, vibrant colours, mouth watering flavours and mesmerising sounds. A country that you need to visit to truly understand and one which is deservedly renowned across the world for its unique culture and important history, ancient relics of mysterious pyramids, magical cultural traditions and stunning nature, whether this be tropical jungles abounding in Mayan ruins, stunning coastlines, volcanos, thermal springs or even petrified waterfalls turned over time to stone.
The profoundly rich nature of Mexican culture opens up exciting opportunities for learning Spanish in real life situations, total language immersion, the most efficient way to master a foreign language. With Iguana Abroad you can experience the feeling of being completely immersed in the language – learning how to make tortillas and mojitos with native Mexicans one day to exploring Aztec ruins the next, using your Spanish in practical situations each and every day of the course.
Iguana Abroad is unique in its method of learning languages and engaging with culture, not just through classrooms sessions, but also through travel and authentic activities, hands on moments outside the classroom creating lifelong memories and the confidence needed for truly grasping the language.
This isn’t studying Spanish, this is absolute language and culture immersion.
Travel
Weekend expeditions and midweek events are another huge part of what we do at Iguana Abroad. If Mexico was a dartboard, then Cuernavaca would be the bullseye, and this presents us with extraordinary options for adventure and travel in and around this beautiful city.
Inside Cuernavaca we have a huge range of locations and activities available for winding down after Spanish classes: parks, museums, cafes, lakes, gyms, spas: this is a city that has it all. We also organise various midweek activities, such as Mexican cookery classes so you can integrate yourselef in to Cuernavaca’s culture like a true local.
On the weekends we travel to locations such as the ancient Aztec canals of “Xochimilco”, the beautiful natural park of “Las Estacas” or the beautiful “Magic Town” (“Pueblo Mágico”) of Tepoztlán. All incredible places to explore, and all within a few hours of Iguana Abroad’s base in Cuernacaca.
A typical weekday with iguana abroad
08:00 AM – 09:00 AM – Breakfast is provided near the Spanish school. Enjoy traditional Mexican breakfasts while practicing your Spanish from the start of the day!
09:00 AM – 12:00 PM – The morning is typically dedicated to Spanish classes, where you will work with our specialised team of native-speaker language tutors. Morning lessons typically last for 3 hours. Participants are organised into different groups, depending on current CERF level. Participants can move up or down groups depending on the speed of their language learning or personal preferences.
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM – Lunch at one of the many street food stalls, cafes or restaurants that can be found near the school or in the city centre. Participants often decide where to have lunch together and eat as a group. This can be a good opportunity for you to practice your newly-learnt Spanish skills either with your new friends or Cuernavaca locals.
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Language immersion. Participants are encouraged to practice their Spanish with native speakers and use the Spanish learnt in the morning in real-life situations. Whether this is through a language exchange organized by Iguana Abroad, a visit to a museum or art gallery with new Mexican friends, or a Spanish language event such as a Mexican cookery class or a tequila tasting event, this part is where your Spanish language skills will come to life and your language level will develop faster than ever before!
5:00 PM – End of Day – Free time after everyone has finished up for the day – typically the group will meet up for dinner or some other planned activity to unwind and enjoy each other’s company. Finally, it’s lights out to rest for the next day!
travel with iguana abroad
Weekend activities may include:
- Visiting Teotihuacán’s “Pyramid of the Sun” and “Pyramid of the Moon”
- Swimming in the bright-blue river pools of “Las Estacas”
- A trip to the Mexican wine region of “Peña de Bernal”, where you can experience one of our favorite authentic Mexican historical towns.
- Visiting the “Pueblo Mágico” of Tepoztlán.
- Visiting the stunning village of Taxco, a village famous for its silver jewellery and breathtaking colonial-era cathedral.
Mid-week / Evening events may include:
- Walking tours of Cuernavaca’s most interesting cultural districts.
- Visiting one of Cuernavaca’s many art galleries or museums.
- Mexican cooking classes for traditional meals, such as making tortillas or mole.
- Cocktail evening and tequila tasting.
- Learning Latin American dances like Merengue, Salsa, and Cumbia.
- Mexican ceramics class – learn to make Aztec artefacts and souveneers.
