Spanish Immersion Club
Summer 2027
Antigua, Guatemala
July 25–August 1, 2027
Welcome to the Spanish Immersion Club Experience in Antigua Guatemala—Summer 2027!
Get ready for a seven-night journey designed to bring Spanish out of the classroom and into daily life. With Antigua as our welcoming home base, we will learn through conversation, shared meals, artisan encounters, community visits, and the stories of Guatemala’s central highlands.
Antigua is known for its cobblestone streets, gardens, historic ruins, and dramatic volcanic landscape. Yet the deepest part of this experience will happen beyond the postcard: meeting coffee growers, cooks, artists, and craftspeople whose work carries generations of knowledge.
We will explore how cacao becomes chocolate, how coffee travels from seed to cup, how corn is transformed through nixtamalization, and how leatherwork and painting express family, community, and Maya identity. Each activity creates a natural reason to listen, ask questions, and use Spanish with purpose.
This is not a traditional language course, and it is not a fast-paced sightseeing tour. It is a carefully curated immersion for curious adults who want to slow down, connect respectfully, and experience Spanish as a living, shared language.
What makes this experience special?
Before we travel, we will meet online via Zoom to build community, strengthen useful language, and prepare culturally for the journey. In Guatemala, Spanish learning will continue through small-group sessions, guided reflection, and real conversations woven into each day.
After the journey, you will remain part of the Spanish Immersion Club: a growing community of learners who value curiosity, cultural exchange, and meaningful relationships across the Spanish-speaking world.
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Our Spanish Immersion Club Oaxaca 2026
Let's explore Antigua
Why Antigua and why one home base?
Antigua offers an exceptional setting for immersion: a compact historic center, an active cultural life, and access to distinct communities throughout the surrounding highlands. Staying in one place allows the group to settle into a rhythm, build familiarity, and spend more time connecting rather than repeatedly packing and changing hotels.
The city sits at approximately 1,500 meters (about 5,000 feet) above sea level. Its walkable scale, mild highland temperatures, and proximity to community-based experiences make it a strong environment for thoughtful language learning.
How Spanish learning works with Olaf Morales Coaching
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Pre-trip Zoom sessions build group connection and prepare high-value language for the experiences ahead.
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Beginner learners receive support in English and Spanish so they can participate with confidence.
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Intermediate learners work primarily in Spanish and are encouraged to extend conversations naturally.
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Short language sessions and reflection prompts help participants notice, organize, and reuse what they hear.
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Community encounters give every learner a meaningful reason to listen, ask, and respond.
Signature cultural experiences
Antigua through stories and conversation
We will begin with a guided introduction to Antigua’s historic center, using its plazas, ruins, markets, and everyday street life as a living classroom. Along the way, we will practice observation, ask questions in Spanish, and learn how the city’s history continues to shape life today.
Pastores · Leather and bootmaking
Visit a town known for leatherwork and handcrafted boots. Inside a local workshop, we will follow the process from raw material to finished piece, speak with craftspeople and learn how skills are passed from one generation to the next.
San Juan Comalapa · Kaqchikel art and community memory
Through painting and conversation, we will encounter a community whose artists use color and visual storytelling to express Kaqchikel identity, history, and memory. This experience invites careful listening and a deeper understanding of Guatemala beyond Antigua.
San Juan del Obispo · Cacao and chocolate
Discover cacao through an artisan experience in a community closely associated with chocolate making. We will taste, listen, and ask questions as we learn about preparation methods, flavors, and the cultural history carried by this remarkable ingredient.
What's the weather like during late July?
Late July typically brings mild highland temperatures, lush landscapes, and the possibility of afternoon or evening showers.
Antigua’s average July temperatures are comfortable, approximately 25°C / 77°F during the day and 17°C / 63°F at night.
Where is Antigua Guatemala located?
Antigua Guatemala is located in the country’s central highlands, southwest of Guatemala City. The former regional capital is recognized by UNESCO for its preserved urban plan and historic architecture, and it sits at approximately 1,500 meters (about 5,000 feet) above sea level.
Participants should plan to fly into La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City (airport code: GUA). Arrival guidance and trusted transfer options will be shared with enrolled participants. Airport-to-hotel transportation is not included in the program price.
What the program includes | excludes
Program cost includes
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Four weeks of online language and cultural preparation via Zoom before travel.
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Curated learning materials, vocabulary guides, and reflection prompts.
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Seven nights of centrally located boutique accommodation in Antigua Guatemala; room type according to the selected package.
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Daily hotel breakfast, selected community lunches, a welcome meal, and a farewell meal.
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Scheduled Spanish instruction, guided practice, and cultural facilitation with Olaf Morales.
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Curated community experiences, workshops, guides, and entrance fees listed in the final itinerary.
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Ground transportation used for official program excursions and activities.
Program cost excludes
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Round-trip airfare to Guatemala and travel costs to La Aurora International Airport (GUA).
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Airport-to-hotel and hotel-to-airport transportation; coordinated options may be offered separately.
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Most evening dinners, giving participants freedom to explore Antigua’s restaurants independently or with classmates.
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Tips for local guides, artisans, drivers, and community hosts.
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Travel insurance, medical expenses, and passport or entry-related costs.
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Personal purchases, snacks, alcoholic beverages, and optional activities not listed in the official itinerary.
Program Pricing
The Spanish Immersion Club in Antigua, Guatemala, is a premium language and cultural experience designed for adults who want to deepen their Spanish through personal guidance, authentic interaction, and carefully curated community experiences.
Private room:
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Early Bird: $3,095 USD per person for registrations completed during 2026.
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Regular Price: $3,295 USD per person beginning January 1, 2027.
Shared room · Double occupancy:
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Early Bird: $2,795 USD per person for registrations completed during 2026.
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Regular Price: $2,995 USD per person beginning January 1, 2027.
Shared rooms are available for couples, siblings, parent–adult child pairs, or friends registering together. Both participants must register for the program, and pricing is per person based on double occupancy.
Availability is limited, and Early Bird pricing ends December 31, 2026, or when the designated Early Bird spaces have been filled.
All prices are listed in U.S. dollars.
Submit Application!
Tell me a little about yourself. I will contact you personally with current availability and the next steps.
Our Previous Experiences
FAQs
Is the instructor a native speaker?
Olaf Morales was born and raised in Chiapas, Mexico, where he spent his formative years. He is now based in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
What are Olaf's qualifications?
Olaf Morales holds a Master’s degree in ELT (English Language Teaching) from the University of Southampton and a certification in Spanish Language Teaching (ELE) from Oxford House Barcelona.
With over 23 years of teaching experience, he has guided learners in both English and Spanish while mentoring fellow educators to advance in their professional development.
Beyond the classroom, Olaf has extensive experience in designing and leading cultural immersion programs. He has created unique learning experiences in Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Mexico City and most recently Oaxaca, always blending language instruction with authentic cultural engagement.
What level of Spanish do I need?
To best support learners at different stages, the program is divided into two groups:
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Beginners Group – Lessons and activities are guided in both English and Spanish, ensuring that participants feel supported and connected to every cultural and linguistic activity.
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Intermediate Group – Spanish is used almost exclusively, and participants are encouraged to communicate primarily in Spanish, creating an authentic environment to connect with the language in a natural, real-world setting.
This structure allows every participant to engage meaningfully, regardless of their level, while maximizing opportunities to learn, practice, and live the Spanish language.
How large will the group be?
The experience is designed for a small cohort so participants receive personal attention and the group can interact respectfully with community partners.
The working plan is approximately 15 participants, subject to final hotel and transportation capacity.
Where should I fly in?
Fly into La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City (GUA). Detailed arrival guidance and recommended transfer options will be shared with enrolled participants.
Where is the course taking place?
The in-person immersion takes place in Antigua, Guatemala, a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage city surrounded by volcanoes and known for its colonial architecture, vibrant markets, welcoming communities, and rich Maya and Spanish heritage.
Spanish lessons and cultural experiences will take place throughout Antigua and selected nearby communities, allowing participants to use the language in meaningful, real-world settings while discovering the region’s traditions, cuisine, history, and everyday life.
Are the rooms shared with other students?
Private-room packages include a private room and private bathroom. Shared-room packages include one double-occupancy room for two participants registering together, such as couples, friends, siblings, or a parent and adult child.
Pricing is per person. Both travelers must enroll in the program.
Are all the meals included in the program?
Daily hotel breakfast, selected community lunches, a welcome meal, and a farewell meal are included.
Most dinners and any meals not identified in the final itinerary are not included, allowing participants time to explore Antigua’s restaurants independently or with classmates.
How physically demanding is the program?
Expect regular walking on uneven cobblestone streets, standing during workshops and getting in and out of group vehicles.
Comfortable footwear is essential. Any activity with additional physical demands will be identified in advance.
How can I book the course?
To confirm your enrollment in this course, a 50% initial payment is necessary, facilitated through PayPal or Stripe. Professor Olaf Morales will provide a direct payment link for your convenience. Alternatively, you can request an invoice for this payment as well.
How much classroom instruction is included?
Learning begins online before travel and continues throughout the week through small-group instruction, guided language practice, cultural preparation, and reflection.
The final schedule will identify the exact instructional hours.
Is Lake Atitlán part of the program?
Lake Atitlán is not included in the core seven-night program at this stage.
If a feasible optional extension or day experience is developed, it will be offered separately with clear timing and cost.
Reserve Your Place with a 50% Deposit
Early Bird pricing applies to registrations confirmed with the required 50% deposit by December 31, 2026, or until the designated Early Bird places have been filled.
