The Complete Guide to Colombia’s Spanish Schools

For many years, Colombia was not a destination that you’d really considered going to if you wanted to study Spanish. Not so anymore. Nowadays, more and more foreigners are making the trip to this South American country in order to perfect their language skills.

As a result, throughout the country, the number of schools, institutes and private teachers offering Spanish tuition has expanded dramatically, in order to meet the higher demand. In other words, if you’re planning to go and study in Colombia you will not be short of people willing to teach you.

Of the various options available, the general rule is that longer and more formalised courses tend to be taught within universities or language institutes. These are better if you’re serious about improving quickly.

If you’re just passing through Colombia and want to learn a bit of Spanish to make life easier as you get around, you might want to look into getting a private classes or two. Some backpacker hostels even run Spanish schools on site, so you won’t have to venture too far from the dorm room.

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Aside from the type of tuition you’re after, you’ll also need to decide what part of the country you want to use as your base. I have my own ideas about which is the best place to study, but you can also consult our community of Colombian Spanish lovers for their recommendations.

In either case, the aim of this post is to help you research which of the various options and locations might work best for your travel plans, studying requirements and budget. To that end, I’ve outlined below all of Colombia’s major Spanish study destinations and schools, for you to examine further at your own pace.

If you’re still unsure about which option to plump for, remember you can also sign-up to the Conversational Spanish for Colombia video course, where you’ll find interviews with teachers from several of the top schools. These might help you decide which one will best fit with your learning style and personality.

Studying Spanish in Bogota and Medellin

Colombia’s two largest cities are, not surprisingly, also the most popular places to study Spanish in the country. Both of them have so many studying options that I’ve split them out into their own separate pages in order to do them justice.

Your Options for Studying Spanish in Bogota

Colombia’s capital doesn't have the greatest weather, but some like studying here because it has all the trappings you’d expect of a big urban centre: plenty of places to eat, shop, drink and dance.

It is also home to the country’s largest concentration of expat staff, English teachers, volunteers, and long-term backpackers. There's high demand for Spanish tuition and plenty of establishments have sprung up to meet it.

Studying Spanish in Medellin: the City’s Best Schools

Colombia’s second largest city is smaller, more laid back and warmer than Bogota. Fewer expats live in Medellin, as there aren’t as many commercial opportunities than in the capital.

However, a steady stream of international students, digital nomads and the gringo party crowd means that there is still a decent selection of Spanish schools and courses out there.

If you’re looking to be elsewhere in Colombia, there are still plenty of Spanish studying options open to you in Cartagena, Cali, the Coffee Region, Barranquilla and elsewhere. These are all listed for you below.

Spanish Schools in Cartagena

Cartagena is the number one destination in Colombia for Spanish students who want to go to class in the morning, before heading to the beach in the afternoon. Nightlife is not as good here as in Bogota, Medellin or Cali, but you might not care too much about that if you’re happy enough chilling by the sea.

Cartagena’s main centers for Spanish learning include:

Spanish Schools in Cali

Cali is arguably the world’s capital of salsa music. The city is a popular destination for those language students who are as game for improving their linguistic prowess as they are to strut their funky stuff.

Fewer institutions and companies offer Spanish courses here, but there are still a number of institutions knocking around:

Spanish Schools in the Coffee Region

Colombia’s coffee region has a fresher climate and luscious landscape. Fewer foreigners stay here for a long while so you’ll probably meet more Colombians if you study Spanish here. Not the best option for fans of big cities though; all the cities here resemble large towns rather than bustling metropolises.

Spanish courses in the coffee region are mainly offered in the universities:

Spanish Schools in Barranquilla

Barranquilla is another beach city, which is famous throughout the country as being a party town. If you can tear yourself away from the rumba here are a couple of places where you might want to study Spanish:

Spanish Schools in Bucaramanga

A mid-sized Colombian city that hasn’t really taken off as a destination for studying Spanish. As such, the number of language schools remains fairly limited:

Spanish Schools in San Gil

San Gil is principally a destination for adventure tourism which lies towards the Venezuelan border. If you decide to stay here a while, here’s one school where you can improve your Spanish:

Spanish Schools in Leticia, Amazonas

Located as it is in Colombia’s heavily forested Amazonas department, Leticia does not offer a wide variety of places to study Spanish. You’d be unlikely to stay for months on end in this small humid city, but it could be a great place to have as a base if you want to combine studying with some serious jungle exploration adventures.

Spanish Schools in Socorro

Note: The aim is for this directory to be as complete as possible. If you work for / have studied at school not included above, then please drop me a line at peter@colombianspanish.co and I’ll add it to the list.

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