Guatemala: Spanish Language Intensive (4-Week Sample Itinerary)
The following is a sample itinerary based on past courses; actual itineraries may vary.
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Week 1
We’ll begin our journey by meeting up at a U.S. airport hub and traveling down together to Guatemala City. From there we’ll transfer to our orientation site in the Guatemalan highlands. We’ll spend the first couple of days getting to know each other and learning more about Guatemala, the culture and how to stay safe and have a great time over the rest of the course. From our orientation sight we’ll move on to the community of Pachaj, a small mountain community nestled in the pine forest outside of Guatemala’s second biggest city, Quetzaltenango. In Pachaj we’ll move right into the heart of indigenous Guatemalan culture, going directly into homestays and language lessons. You’ll be living with families of Kiche mayans who will teach you about their rich history and traditions while you practice your Spanish in a family setting. -
Week 2
In Pachaj we’ll also partner with the Chico Mendes Reforestation Project, an organization dedicated to rehabilitating the environment around Pachaj. We’ll learn a lot about the environmental issues facing Guatemala and how this community is responding to them. From Pachaj we’ll also make visits to Quetzaltenango to enjoy some city activities like museums and dance classes as well. After Pachaj we’ll prepare ourselves for our three day trek from Quetzaltenango to Lake Atitlan. This trek is an amazing opportunity to see some remote areas and stunning natural beauty. We’ll explore Guatemala, the fields and valleys and volcanoes the way that the majority of Guatemalans do, on foot! It’s a really incredible experience and ending at Lake Atitlan is the jewel of this trek. This huge crater lake, which is ringed by volcanoes, is a very special place and will be our next stop on course. -
Week 3
After finishing our trek we’ll settle into a village on the lakeside called Pachitulul. Here we’ll work with the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute to learn about their community projects. We’ll learn about permaculture and it’s place in Guatemala. We’ll also be exposed to the unique cultures of the lake and have opportunities to explore and learn from local people about the history and traditions of this very magical place. From Lake Atitlan we’ll move north to the highland community of Todos Santos. Todos Santos is a very traditional mayan community where we’ll have the opportunity to have another homestay and work on perfecting Spanish in a local language school. We’ll have several guest speakers here that will talk about all kinds of issues relating to this community including immigration and mayan spirituality. -
Week 4
From Todos Santos we’ll move on to the community of San Juan Cotzal in the Ixil triangle. Dragons has a strong connection with this community and particularly with a weaving cooperative run by widows from Guatemala’s civil war. Here we’ll help out with our homestay families in the fields where they grow the staples of beans and corn. We’ll work side by side with the people of this town in their daily work in the home and in the field, it’s a really special opportunity and a highlight of the course. From Cotzal we’ll move back down into the highlands to our transference spot near Guatemala’s colonial capitol of Antigua. Transference is a time when we reflect on our experiences and lessons we’ve learned over the past four weeks. Before returning home we’ll come back together as a group to appreciate one another and the country we’ve learned so much from.
