• Peru
• Cuzco

Cuzco, founded in 1100 A.D., is the oldest city in the Western hemisphere. Built in a mountainous region considered among the most beautiful on the planet, Cuzco was once the flourishing capital of the Inca Empire. Natives and visitors alike consider it the most impressive of all Peruvian cities for both its history and its remarkable mix of Incan and Spanish colonial architecture. And we've yet to mention the breathtaking beauty of the local terrain and the warmth of the local people.

Cuzco is an ideal base from which to explore Peru, since it's situated in the same region as the ruins of Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail. Because the city lies at high elevation (3350 metres above sea level), nights can be cold and days cool. You needn't to worry about the chilly temperatures, however; you can keep warm donning one of the unique woollen sweaters or other colourful indigenous textiles for sale at any of Cuzco's numerous markets.

Walking through the city, you will find colonial buildings erected atop the stone foundations of Inca temples, and churches and convents sprawled out alongside the Temple of the Sun. All around you lay palpable reminders of Cuzco's rich past and vibrant present. For those who want to acquire an encompassing vision of Peruvian history and culture, Cuzco is truly the ideal place to learn Spanish.

The City:

• Located in the centre of Peru, Cuzco lies in a fertile valley of the East Andes.
• Cuzco, with the population of around 300,000, is the ancient capital of the Inca Empire and the oldest city on the American continent.
• Much of the country´s appeal lies in the sheer beauty of its landscapes, the abundance of wildlife and the strong, colourful character of the people.
• Cuzco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Cuzco is the ideal place to study Spanish while acquiring an all encompassing vision of Peruvian history and culture.

The School

Our partner school in Cuzco is located in a colonial building just one quick block from Cuzco's main square, the Plaza de las Armas. The school building includes 25 classrooms of varying sizes, a very spacious meeting room and a sunny terrace.

School terrace

The school

Spanish Courses in Cuzco

• Intensive group course: 20 group classes/week
• One to One private course: 20 classes/week
• Manu: 1 week program in Rainforest Manu
• Volunteer Programmes: a minimum of 4-week Spanish course is required to be eligible for the volunteer programme.
• Spanish on Location: Tambopata

Timetable

Classes take place from Monday to Friday, except for official holidays. All classes are 110 minutes in duration and are programmed between the hours of 8:10 am and 8:00 pm. Students can give their preference for certain hours.

Teachers

All teachers are native speakers and receive ongoing teacher training during their employment. The teachers are committed to giving students the richest possible experience of Peruvian culture and customs. They also have profiency in at least one foreign language: English, German or French.

Accommodation

You can choose from three accommodation options, all located within the city of Cuzco: local guest families in two levels, standard and plus, and a student house. The Guest Family Plus package offers you a slightly higher level of comfort, in a larger house with a courtyard or garden, a more spacious room, and food adapted to your desires. Guest families provide three meals a day. The student house, which is located in the same building as the school, features rooms with shared bath, a big terrace and a common kitchen/living room. This option includes half board (breakfast and lunch).

Activities and Excursions

Plaza de Armas

Saqsaywaman

The school includes a dynamic, interesting and fun leisure program to complement the process of learning the Spanish language. All activities are directed towards socialising in a learning environment and increasing the student's knowledge of Peruvian culture. For example: cultural workshops, Peruvian music, cooking, dance and a variety of excursions, trips and hikes at good prices.

The most common activities are:

• Cultural workshops
• Peruvian music
• Cooking
• Dance
• Variety of excursions and trips
• Hikes

Fiestas and celebrations in Cuzco

No nation on earth is quite as good at enjoying itself as Spain. There are so many fiestas that even if you could attend more than one a day you would not be able to see them all.

Every year on the 24th of June, Cuzco celebrates the festival of Inti Raymi. This festival was the most important of the year for the Incas, and was reintroduced in the 20th century, after having been outlawed by the Spanish during the conquest of Peru. The celebration honours Inti, the Incan Sun God. The Inti Raymi symbolizes the eternal consecration of marriage between the Sun and his children, the family of human beings.

On the 24th of June the locals celebrate the winter solstice and the beginning of the Sun's New Year. Although scientifically the solstice begins on the 21st of June, the Pacha Unachaq, a sundial used by the Incas, showed the sun to stay some days in the same place before rising on the 24th of June. Thus the 24th became Inti Raymi, the Sun's New Year. People line one of Cuzco's central squares early that day, to await the arrival of Inti. When he rises in all his glory, the celebrations begin: expositions, street and square activities, live music and a theatrical presentation, in Quechua, the language of the Incas, of the traditional Incan ceremony of Inti Raymi. Cuzco's annual celebration of the Sun is the second largest festival in Latin America, after the carnival of Rio.

Our Opinion

Cuzco has it all: art, magic, mystery and all the beauty you'd expect in the legendary 'belly button' of the world. The Cuzco region offers breathtaking natural views: the city's streets and squares, the magical majesty of the Inca monuments and the elegance of the colonial constructions illuminated by a blue sky with white clouds which frame the six hills surrounding the city. Cuzco is very well connected and you can travel safely to the most important places of the ancient Inca Empire by taxi or bus without any problem. Undoubtedly your stay in Cuzco will be an experience you'll never forget, and one you'll proudly talk about - in Spanish!