Montañita Spanish School

If you're looking to learn Spanish in a warmer location, and enjoy a few water sports or people-watching as well, Montañita Spanish School is the perfect school for you.

We both decided that we'd like to improve our Spanish (Lulie because of her work helping expats furnish houses and condos, and Jeff because he sits at a desk all day and doesn't get much chance to use the language).

With Lulie's son here over the 2010 Christmas/New Year holiday season, we decided we'd all go to Montañita Spanish School (Isaac really wanted to return to Montañita after visiting there in 2009).

Below is information about this school and our impressions of it.

Location and History

The school sits part way up a hill, looking out at the town below and the ocean just past it.

And what an ocean view it is! If it's clear, you can see the condo buildings in Salinas, a 2+ hour drive away.

You can't miss the school building with its large black and yellow banner, sitting above the town.

If you drive to Montañita, you'll probably want to leave your car where you're staying, as parking is limited at the school. It's a 5-7 minute walk from just about any of the accommodations in the town.

The building has several classrooms, including three on an open-air (but covered) terrace on the roof (see the photo below), and two on the lawns. The main waiting area is also the kitchen, where students in the early morning class (8 a.m. start) will usually find a light breakfast, with coffee and filtered water available.

History

Montañita Spanish School was founded in 2007 by Warwick White (known in Montañita as Waz), a New Zealander who traveled around the world for years, including participating in some triathlons. Unfortunately, it was his love of that sport that brought about his death. He was killed during a race in Hungary in 2010.

His nephew, Anthony, who had just come to Montañita to help Waz run the school, is now running it, with the help of Rosamelia, a Montañitan.

Classes

Each "course" is one week long. You're placed into a level based on the results of a test you complete and email back to the school.

There are 6 course levels. They range from complete beginner (no Spanish at all) to advanced. Each consists of four hours of group classes per day. The 4 week to 8 week courses have 2 hours of classes per day.

You can also have three hours of private classes per day, which is great if you don't quite fit into any of the distinct levels.

Addons

There are also several addons you can choose from (if you want). These include:

• Medical Spanish—classes in the morning, and then you volunteer at the nearby hospital in Manglaralto (the next town south) in the afternoon.
• Spanish and Salsa—classes during the day, then you take salsa dance lessons in the evening.
• Spanish and Surfing—classes during the day, then you head to the beach at 5 p.m. to learn how to surf. Use of a surfboard is included in the price.
• Spanish and Dive—classes during the morning (but for two weeks or more, depending on the scuba training you want) and then an Open Water diver certification course in the afternoons.

  You can also have Spanish classes and Divemaster courses, from 8 weeks (if you have no experience at all, with 80 hours of Spanish classes), to 7 weeks (you already have your Padi Open Water certification, with 60 hours of Spanish classes), to 5 weeks (you already have Advanced Padi Open Water certification, with 40 hours of Spanish), to 4 weeks (you already have the Padi Rescue Diver certification, with 40 hours of Spanish).

  These seem to be a very good deal for what you get, including 25-60 dives, depending on the number of weeks you're there, and your accommodations.
• Spanish and Yoga—classes during the day, then yoga practice as the sun goes down.
• Spanish and Volunteer—classes during the day (for four weeks minimum), then volunteer at a nearby elementary school (a 5 minute bus ride), at the local veterinary clinic, at a children's nursery (like a preschool in North America), or at the Manglaralto hospital. It's your chance to give back to the community.

You can also learn Spanish and kitesurfing, but this two week program is in Manta, about two hours north of Montañita.

Las Profesoras

All of the teachers when we were there were women, and they're all very good at their job. They all have several years of experience teaching Spanish, and most have been teaching at this school since it opened

They're all interesting, and make their classes interesting. They use a variety of different learning methods, including questions, repetition, writing exercises (sentences and short expositions), board games (try Trivial Pursuit in Spanish!) and other word games.

It's definitely the teachers who keep Montañita Spanish School consistently ranked in the top five (or on the shortlist of) Spanish schools in the world.

Accommodations

The school offers accommodations at Cabañas Montañita, just a few minutes on foot from the school.

Most of the students stay there, and there are rules about noise after 10 p.m. and before 8 a.m., so you'll find it one of the quieter places to stay.

But you can stay anywhere in town that you'd like. You'll find cheaper accommodations there, but you'll be in the middle of the town's nightly party noise, which often goes until 3 or 4, sometimes later.

School accommodations range from shared dorm-like rooms (3-4 people per room) to cabañas for two with a kitchen (small mini-bar, a burner, toaster, and dishes/cutlery) or without a kitchen.

There's a common kitchen, a swimming pool, hammocks everywhere, and a TV area with a DVD player and a selection of movies.

You can also choose a home-stay accommodation with a Montañita family. Unfortunately, you may not get much sleep, since much of the town is noisy at night. But if you're dedicated to learning Spanish, a home-stay will help you a lot.

Costs

The costs for a week are very reasonable for the quality of the instruction. The basic one-week course (no addons) is $140 for group instruction, $205 for one-on-one instruction.

Including the addons, the prices are:

• Medical Spanish, $205 per week, or $410 for the two week session.
• Spanish and Salsa, an extra $60 per week for private lessons, $35 per week for group lessons (total of $200 per week or $175 per week).
• Spanish and Surf, an extra $75 per week, for a total of $215 per week.
• Spanish and Dive, an extra $450 for the Open Water Dive course, $350 for the Advanced Open Water Dive, $200 for the Emergency First Response, or $420 for the Rescue Diver course.

  Or take the 4 week course for $1,592. The 5 week course is $2,155. The 7 week course is $3,021. The 8 week course is $3,724.

  The cost of all the extended courses includes the Spanish classes, all dives, shared accommodations, airport transfer to and from Montañita, and interning at the Dive Center.
• Spanish and Volunteer, no extra charge. For the four week minimum, the fee is $560.

There is also a one-time registration fee of $20 for any program.

Accommodation Prices

Accommodations prices range from $63 per week for a shared dorm bed to $112 for a cabaña without a kitchen to $127 to one with a kitchen (an extra person in the cabañas is $63 or $68).

The home-stay accommodation is $126 per week.

Summary

If you're looking for an excuse to get away, want to escape some of Cuenca's chillier weather, or want to explore the coast for a while, and learn Spanish at the same time, the Montañita Spanish School is an excellent choice.

You won't find a better group of instructors (some of our classmates have taken Spanish at other schools on the coast, and like the teachers at this one best).

And you'll have the chance to learn other skills, such as surfing or scuba diving.

Sounds pretty good to us. And it was!

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