Spanish in Bocas

My wife and I attended this program for a month. We both had had previous Spanish courses in the US but had forgotten much of it. From day one it was all Spanish with the instructor (Iraida) who was very patient as I butchered the language especially trying to roll my rr's (which did get better). We used a mini group format for just my wife and I which worked best for us since we were at the same level (low ability). We also attended 2 hours of private instruction in the afternoon after a 3 hour break . My wife was focusing more on medical Spanish (with Sergio) and I was working on making the basics solid. We did finish our basic course and receive our first level certificates. We enjoyed Bocas and the school and hope to return for more instruction.

The office staff at the school in Bocas (Carlos, Cesear and Ludo) were always very helpful and very eager to assist us with anything we wanted to know about (such as places to tour in the area). I wanted to surf (surfed for many years) but getting a board and then transporting to the other island to surf was becoming a problem. The guys in the office put me in touch with Chapos (great beginner instructor and good surfer) so he and I went surfing one morning (I paid him as a guide service) and it was well worth it. The office guys can help out with private tours if you want too, since they are a great source of local knowledge.

Our only negative was our lodging (1 bedroom Bocas Condos) which was represented as quite and it was not. 2 dogs barked all hours of the night which made sleep difficult. Possibly the studio rooms on the opposite side of the building maybe ok. The building is secure and close to town. It seems that the staff in Panama City handles the lodging so there is no checking on the actual accommodations therefore the information about lodging may not be accurate. Muchas Gracias Iraida y Sergio.
Mike & Kaja