What make Boquete (mountain town), Panama City and Bocas del Toro (beach village) ideal places in Latin America for a Total Spanish Immersion Program? The answer is simple: their people and their natural beauty.

Both Bocas del Toro and Boquete, besides being intimate, quaint and safe rural towns, are blessed with natural beauty and a combination of elements that make its inhabitants happy people. And learning a language with the help of happy people is such an enjoyable experience. Panama City on the other hand, is one of the most dynamic urban centers of Latin America, and our Spanish school's neighborhood is very cosmopolitan allowing you to experience cultures from all over the world.

What makes Boquete's people happy? Boquete enjoys a fresh mountain climate, is full of eco-adventure opportunities, and is blessed with stunning natural beauty. Boquete's land is fertile (famous producer of the best coffee in the world!) and due to its stress free environment people live longer. Many of Boquete's citizens surpass the 100 year mark: no city stress, healthy food, gorgeous weather. On the other hand Boquete has a very low unemployment rate (people have the opportunity to provide for their family), and the list goes on and on. Click here if you would like to know even more about Boquete, Panama (maps, weather charts, activities) and about why it's the perfect mountain town in Latin America to learn Spanish.

Bocas del Toro's islands on the other hand have that laid back Caribbean vibe that characterizes many beach towns in Central America. In Bocas del Toro people lead a simple way of life and don't have that much to worry about as the jungle and the ocean provides them with what their families need. Being able to practice your Spanish with friendly people that are not rushed by life and learning the language in a stress free environment certainly helps. And besides your daily Spanish lessons, Bocas del Toro provides its visitors with so many things to do that it's no wonder that visitors just keep extending the length of their stay. Please click here if you would like to know even more about Bocas del Toro, Panama (maps, weather charts, things to do, its islands, history, people) and about why it's an amazing beach location in Central America to learn Spanish.

And if you're looking for a vibrant city with an eclectic nightlife, abundant cultural attractions and a cosmopolitan vibe, then Panama City is for you. Our school in the city is right on the border of El Cangrejo and El Carmen neighborhoods, only a block away from Via España (the heart of Panama City) and the Via Argentina Metro (subway) Station, allowing you to easily commute to other parts of the city (Casco Viejo is only 30 minutes away), close to restaurants, bars, shops, hotels, host families, parks, casinos, gyms, etc. Panama City has always been a great melting pot of people and cultures from all over the world, and in this part of the city that is exactly what you get. You can easily walk everywhere and there are plenty of bars, casual shops and restaurants where you can interact with the locals and meet people from very different walks of life. Please click here if you would like to know even more about Panama City, Panama (maps, weather charts, things to do, its neighborhood, history, people) and about why it's the best city to learn Spanish.

Living with a local host family in Panama while you learn Spanish will put you in a privileged and unique position to practice Spanish outside of the classroom. Once you step through your family's door you'll practice your Spanish in a relaxed and authentic environment.

Being able to listen and speak Spanish even when you're not in your Spanish lessons is definitely a plus and something you should seriously consider if you want to learn Spanish as fast as possible and in its most natural form.

Panamanian families are renowned for their hospitality, sense of humor and enjoyment of life. The intimate atmosphere that comes from living with a local family in Panama encourages the natural use of everyday Spanish outside of your Spanish course.

Total Immersion has been proven to be the most effective way of learning another language. Besides being immersed in the language at your host family's house, students will also be totally immersed by Spanish everywhere else: it's on the radio, it's in the shops, on the TV, on every road sign, in the restaurants, in the newspaper, in our cultural and social activities, in the street, at the hairdresser, and basically everywhere the student goes to: a true Spanish Total Immersion!

Family life in Panama is informal and the people of Boquete (mountains), Panama City and Bocas del Toro (Caribbean islands) are welcoming, friendly, light hearted and very talkative. In no time at all you'll be picking up common idiomatic phrases and everyday expressions. You'll have plenty of opportunities to get to know the Latin culture, cuisine and way of life. Daily contact with your host family will certainly and quickly enhance your understanding of the local customs and culture.

Families in Latin America tend to be larger than in most western countries and the concept of family is highly valued. Our host families will introduce you to other members of their extended family that do not live with them, as well as to close friends and neighbors.

Host families are the most important part of an Immersion Program. Selecting adequate families is the key for organizing a successful Immersion Program. This is why students are required to fill out a Pre-Program Interview before we choose their host family. In this way we are able to select the most adequate family for each student.

Boquete, Panama's eco-adventure capital is the perfect place for a Spanish learning vacation:

• Whitewater River Rafting
• Ziplining in the Cloudforest
• Island Hopping & Beach Trips
• Rock Climbing
• Coffee Tours
• Hot Springs
• Horseback Riding
• First Class Hiking Trails

In Bocas del Toro, Panama's top beach destination in the Caribbean, there are plenty of outdoor opportunities:

• Surfing
• Scuba Diving & Snorkeling
• Ziplining in the Rainforest
• Boat Tours
• Catamaran Sailing Tours
• Island Cycling
• Horseback Riding
• Cacao Plantation Tours
• Caving Tours
• Turtle Nesting/Hatching Tours
• Bird Watching Tours
• Beach & Island Hopping

And Panama City, Latin America's trendiest capital, is much more than a Canal:

• Central America's most sophisticated nightlife scene
• First class restaurants
• Colonial & Historical Tours
• Museums
• Jungle Tours
• Shopping
• Casinos

Habla Ya Spanish students have access to special discounts off many eco-adventure tours. For more information about tours in Panama, and complete pricing info click here.

At Habla Ya Spanish Schools we simply love to have fun! We start off the week with several chilled out activities and then we move on to more party style entertainment:

• Tuesdays - Panamanian Traditional Dinner
• Wednesdays - Movie Nights
• Thursdays - Dinner Parties
• Fridays - Nights Out & Get-Togethers (only adults)
• Saturdays - Salsa Lessons & Conversational Sessions
• Daily - Yoga Classes

Several extra activities are free of charge, such as our movie nights, salsa lessons and conversational sessions. Panamanian dinners cost $5 - $7 USD per person. Yoga classes in Boquete cost $6 - $10 USD per person. Yoga classes in Bocas del Toro cost $5 - $10 USD per class. Yoga classes in Panama City cost from $10 - $15 USD per class and they also have monthly packages of unlimited classes. Eco-Adventure Tours have their own fees and students pay what they consume at bars, Dinner Parties and Get-Togethers. For more information about our extra activities please click here.

Students looking to volunteer or to work on a service project can collaborate with several local organizations such as:

• Casa Esperanza Day Care Center
• Hogar Trisker Orphanage
• REAL Boquete Recycling Center
• Boquete Handicap Foundation
• English Volunteering Program

In order to organize and coordinate all of the volunteering activities there is a $5 USD per person per day volunteering fee. 100% of this fee goes as a direct donation to each Non Profit Organization.

For even more info about volunteering in Panama please click here...