The valley where Santiago is located is surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges. The Tupungato volcano peaks out at a towering 6,570 meters, so all you have to do is look out your window to be reminded of Santiago’s unique location in the world. Of course, why stop there? With the Andes in your back (and front) yard, you would have the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of these mountains on an intimate level in no time. And on your less adventurous days you may find yourself soaking up the sun at one of the close by beaches along the Chilean coast.

Located in the artistic Bella Vista district, the Chilean culture surrounding the language school can be just as captivating as the Andes that surround the city. When studying in the “City of the Poets,” a day in the life may include anything from theater to dance to a heated soccer match, and is typically accompanied by an evening out at one of Santiago’s famous nightlife venues. Learn more about the ViaSpanish immersion program in Santiago!

After class, students can enjoy the beautiful beaches which stretch to the north and south of the city. The restaurants and clubs around these beaches make them a perfect destination to relax in the sun with some good food and drink. What better way to practice your Spanish than while enjoying the natural beauty of Lima’s coastline? However, students in Lima will not have to leave the downtown area to enjoy Lima’s beauty. The Lima and Rimac districts, which make up the Historic Center of Lima, are home to some of the most impressive historical colonial architecture in the world.

The vibrant theater scene in Lima is an integral part of the city’s culture. Theaters are spread throughout the city, and serve as an exciting way to become immersed in Lima’s rich culture. The city is not defined by one passion, however, as the locals are also avid sports fans (most importantly soccer) and have a world-renowned taste for food (sometimes called the Gastronomical Capital of the Americas).

Studying through ViaSpanish, you will have access to a highly-qualified teaching staff in our accredited Spanish language school. Just as importantly, all the natural and urban benefits of Lima will be at your fingertips. Learn more about the ViaSpanish language school in Lima today!

If you are looking to learn Spanish in a lovely South American city with lots of outdoor and urban activities, Quito offers it all. The city is home to the largest urban park in South America, Parque Metropolitano Guanguiltagua, which encompasses 1,376 acres of natural beauty in the northern part of the city. The MetrobusQ, also known as the bus rapid transport system makes getting around the city an easy adventure.

The city is also rich in historical sites and artifacts. Quito is home to the largest and best-preserved historic centre in Latin America, which was added onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in the late 1970s. Around the center of the city are also more than 40 churches and convents to make your Spanish immersion into Quito all the more rich and inspiring.

About 600 miles to the west of Ecuador lay the Galapagos Islands, which are easily accessible by plane from Quito. These islands, home to a vast number of endemic species and most famously the Galapagos tortoises, are a one-of-a-kind chain of volcanic islands to see.

To learn more about soaking up Ecuadorian culture and learning Spanish in Quito, click here!

For those foreigners coming to study Spanish in Buenos Aires, planning one’s social activities outside of class can be an overwhelming task to think about.  With a city of roughly 13 million people, the options of where to go and what to do are endless.  Questions such as: Where can I find live music?  Where are the best places to see Tango shows?  What is a cool art exhibit to check out this weekend?  Not to worry, there is an Internet savior designed specifically for visitors like you with these questions.  With texts in both English and Spanish, whatsupbuenosaires.com, is the perfect Internet guide for your Spanish immersion into Buenos Aires.

Whatsupbuenosaires.com gives information on up to date concert venues, art exhibits, tango shows, restaurants, bars, clubs, and shopping.  It also gives information on hotels, trips around Argentina, and underground news about the city that people normally do not hear about.  We know from personal experience living in Buenos Aires that this website is reliable and with good recommendations for what to do after a day of taking Spanish lessons.

If anything, we have found that whatsupbuenosaires.com is a great starting place to get into the arts and cultural scene around Buenos Aires.  Once you get out and about, it is ultimately up to you to talk with people you meet and go from there.  People in Buenos Aires, whether local or foreign, are for the most part very friendly to talk too.

So, after your Spanish lessons during the day, don’t hesitate to check out whatsupbuenosaires.com for the night’s activities!

Puerto Vallarta is loaded with activities, events and celebrations to keep Spanish students in Mexico busy having fun and experiencing a new culture. From month to month there are a variety of celebrations and activities for both locals and foreigners to enjoy. The most active months in the city are November, December and May.

Some of the most popular activities for Spanish immersion students in Puerto Vallarta involve the ocean in some way or another. Each winter from December-April is the whale watching season where students taking Spanish language courses in Puerto Vallarta can witness the migration of massive Humpback whales and their calves. Of course there is also great fishing off the coast of Puerto Vallarta for those who would rather catch the fish than look at them. If keeping dry is something that sounds more appealing take off for the day and try one of the areas immaculate and world famous golf courses, although they can be a bit pricey if you are a golf lover then it is definitely worth it.

Spanish students in Puerto Vallarta will find there is no shortage of events and celebrations throughout the year. Every month there is more than one major celebration or big event. The year kicks off with the New Year celebration followed by the day of the Kings. In February there is Valentine/friends day and then constitution day. With March come the festivities of Carnaval followed immediately by Ash Wednsday, and then St. Patrick’s Day. The end of the year is when the festivities really go into full swing bringing with it Dia de los Santos (Saints Day) Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), the festival of the arts, international film festival, international gourmet festival and much more.

For students interested in learning Spanish in Puerto Vallarta and joining in on the festivities click here!

Warm sand, blue skies, crystal clear water, Spanish immersion students in Playa del Carmen can experience all of this and more while learning Spanish in Mexico. Playa del Carmen is home to some of the best scuba diving the world has to offer. It is located on the Yucatan peninsula on the Caribbean Sea not too far from Cancun, but definitely far enough to escape the rowdy crowds of the infamous party city

A short boat trip from Playa del Carmen in the clear blue waters of the Caribbean there is an island called Cozumel which happens to be a world famous destination for scuba diving. Spanish students in Playa del Carmen don’t have to be expert divers to experience this amazing underwater oasis as there are opportunities for divers of all levels. In the area there are reefs, caverns, under water life of all colors shapes and sizes, and pleasantly warm water to enjoy while making you first dive or your 51st.

As beautiful and exciting as it may sound diving is not for everyone or at least not something one can do all the time. For a more relaxed day with a little less gear students studying Spanish in Playa del Carmen often head to the beach and soak in the afternoon sun. On the beach there is plenty of space to sprawl out with some friends or enjoy one of the many restaurants to have a drink, meet some people and practice some Spanish. At night the city comes alive with plenty of bars and clubs to choose from. Spanish students in Playa del Carmen have an excellent opportunity to learn and practice Spanish in a laid back city with a Mexican attitude and plenty of activities to stay busy both day and night.

For more information about studying Spanish in Playa del carmen click here!

Flamenco was known as Gypsy art when Gypsies as a community settled in Spain near the end of the 15^th century and played an important role in its formation and development. The history of the dance has had its ups and downs especially in the last century. Hitting a major low in the 20’s and 30’s then being revived in the 50’s. During this time Flamenco moved from the traditional cafes and cabarets to what are known as “Tablaos” and were mostly filled by tourists who were interested in seeing this exciting and artistic display of dance. In reality it was the interest of outsiders coming into Spain who actually sparked the revival of Flamenco.

Flamenco is now flourishing and as popular as ever throughout Spain. Spanish students in Barcelona have the opportunity to witness some of the best Flamenco dancers in the world and also, with some motivation, a chance to try and learn the fast complicated steps of the dance. Tourists and locals alike enjoy nightly shows throughout the city at bars, restaurants, or dance halls. Flamenco is more traditional in the southern region of Andalusia where it was founded but, as it is one of the most exciting dances to watch for both tourists and locals the market has grown in Barcelona bringing with it some of the top Flamenco dancers around.

Spanish immersion students in Barcelona will have the chance to do many incredible things and certainly near the top of the list should be a Flamenco show. Yes it is becoming a tourist activity but remember the tradition that follows it is something that cannot be duplicated.

Looking for a way to enjoy that new feeling in the air that is spreading across the city of Buenos Aires?Students studying Spanish in Buenos Aires should have no problem noticing the change in the city; the air is refreshingly warm, the flowers are in bloom, the skies are clear and sunny, and the people of Buenos Aires have a sort of ‘spring’ in their step. Its spring in Argentina and we are welcoming it in with open arms.

To celebrate this joyful occasion the Ministry of Culture in Buenos Aires is inviting the public to participate in more than 250 free cultural and artistic activities throughout the months of October, November, and December. The program is appropriately called, ‘Primavera Buenos Aires,’ (Buenos Aires Spring). This is a great opportunity for students in Spanish immersion courses in Buenos Aires to get out in the city, meet locals, and participate in some fun and free activities.

For a total 11 weekends, students studying Spanish in Buenos Aires will have the opportunity to enjoy musical shows, tango, theater, puppets, magic shows, film screenings, poetry, etc, mostly held in the city’s parks, squares, and other open air spaces. On November 22 a free concert will be held on Avenida de Julio by the world famous Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. During these three months there will be recitals at Parque Roca, tango in Mataderos, a tour of the Orquesta de Tango and the City’s Symphonic Band around the city, and urban music at the Greek Amphitheater in Puerto Madero.

For more information and for a list of activities, click here!

http://estatico.buenosaires.gov.ar/areas/cultura/al_dia/pdf_destacados/progrPrimaveraBuenosAires.pdf

For more information on Spanish immersion courses in Buenos Aires, click here!

Rachel reports for the BBC, a United Kingdom based broadcasting corporation that is not only one of the longest running but also the biggest broadcasting corporation in the world. Along with the help of the BBC Rachel headed down to Latin America to answer her question on ‘How to be a stable traveler?’

She began her journey studying Spanish in Buenos Aires with our Spanish school in Buenos Aires. Rachel felt that it was important to study the local language and therefore be able to better immerse herself into the culture. Alongside taking group classes (20hrs/week) Rachel participated in many of the activities including weekly tango lessons and city excursions. ‘I had an absolutely excellent time,’ Rachel stresses when speaking about combining her classes with the activities.

Rachel studied Spanish in Buenos Aires for just one week before taking off to see the rest of Latin America and although short, her stay and her Spanish classes in Buenos Aires were memorable. In regards to her experience with ViaSpanish’s Spanish school in Buenos Aires, Rachel says, ‘I really cannot recommend it enough; it has been an amazing experience.’

At ViaSpanish we strive towards creating the ultimate study and travel abroad experience for each one of our students. Hearing from students like Rachel makes us thrilled that we are doing are job and that we are leading the way in education excellence with our Spanish immersion courses in Buenos Aires.

Click for more information on Spanish classes in Buenos Aires or to see Rachel Arkles’ video on youtube.

Spanish students studying abroad in Santiago Chile will discover it is one of the most modern cities in all of Latin America which can be attributed to the stability of the economy over the last two decades. Santiago and the surrounding area has a population of about 7 million which is nearly half of the country’s 16 million. A modern city by any world standards Santiago has a very good public transportation system, theaters, music halls, and a myriad of museums.

In the city there is an array of cultural activities as well as a vibrant night life to explore. There are two symphonic orchestras in the city, Orquestra Filarmonica de Santiago and Orquestra Sinfonica de Chile. Jazz is also very popular in the city where there is a variety of establishments the most notable being Club de Jazz. There is also a very strong underground music scene the most popular venues are La Batuta in Nunoa and Blondies Disco in downtown Santiago. While the music scene is excellent in Santiago students studying Spanish in Santiago shouldn’t miss out on the abundance of museums, parks and sporting events that take place in the city.

Not far outside the city students taking Spanish courses in Santiago can find themselves in the depths of the Andes mountain range or relaxing on the beach of the Pacific Ocean. The Andes are one of the largest and most beautiful mountain ranges in the world with a multitude of activities to do year round. There are world class ski resorts and back country options for those who are looking to escape the heat of the summer and experience a South American winter. In the summer there are an endless amount of treks, rock climbing, white water rafting, and mountain bike opportunities to break away from the bitter cold winters of the northern hemisphere. Just a short drive to the west of Santiago are the beaches of the pacific which are a popular spot for holiday travelers during the summer months.

If you want to find out more about Spanish immersion in Santiago click here!