Spanish School Peru: AMAUTA

Are you coming to Cusco to learn Spanish in Peru? Great! We are looking forward to seeing you! If you are now preparing your trip to Peru and you are thinking about whether or not to pack a certain item, here is this very useful list for you: the essential items for the AMAUTA Spanish Student and in Cusco!

1. Take a handy Spanish Dictionary with you! In our nowadays digital times, you might not think about it as there are so many apps to quickly translate a missing word…but what if you are without internet in another country? Better to take an analog backup!
    
2. There are two things to point out concerning your accommodation at the AMAUTA residency or your host family: in any case – please take some towels! You will not need bed sheets or cushions neither at the host family or at the AMAUTA student residence – but towels are not provided!
    

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Seven questions I continue to ask myself since arriving in Cusco

Every since I arrived in Cusco for my Spanish Immersion Program in Peru, there are some questions that keep coming up and

some thoughts that I continue to ask myself since arriving in Cusco. Do you want to know which ones?

Read my story!

1. Why do I feel like I am always going uphill in Cusco?
   Cusco, the ancient centre of the Incan Empire, is located in the Andes mountain range at an altitude of roughly 3,500 m above sea-level. Its location close to the “Sacred Valley of the Incas” complements its mystic character of the capital and the crucial point for Inca culture. (more…)

Quick Guide to Cusco’s Tourist Ticket

There are many impressive things to see and do in and around Cusco. This makes Cusco such a great destination for Spanish courses in Peru.

Cusco, the old capital of the Inca Empire, offers great options for trekking and other adventure sports such a rafting, hiking, mountain biking, mountain biking and so on. But the most important are probably the many Inca ruins and traditional culture.

While not everyone has the time or inclination to visit them all, other people will try to fit in as many as possible. The Tourist Ticket or Boleto Turistico is likely to be necessary at some point as a number of the sites do not offer single entry tickets. It is also an economic way to see the sites if you are keen to visit many or all of them during your while learning Spanish in Cusco. (more…)

Learning Spanish in Cusco: 5 Things You Should Know

Learning Spanish in Cusco is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I highly recommend. Cusco – the main travelers attraction of Peru – is a safe, fun, cosmopolitan, and cultured city—and in my opinion, an ideal place to learn Spanish. Hopefully you agree and have also decided to study Spanish in Cusco. If so, here are five things you should know before studying Spanish in Cusco.
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Heading from Cusco to Puno and Lake Titicaca

After having spent almost five months (!) in Cusco learning Spanish, it was time to go on a new adventure. Together with a friend from home, who had just joined me, I decided to head to Puno. Known for its location right at Lake Titicaca it is a great place to start your trip to the floating Uros islands or to one of het other islands such as Amantani or Taquile.

For Spanish Students in Cusco going on a weekend excursion to Puno is a great way to escape daily student life. In Puno itself there is not that much to do, but it definitely is the place to go if you want to visit Lake Titicaca. It is a seven hour bus ride, just a good amount of time: not too long. It’s a night bus anyway, we arrived in Puno at six in the morning and headed straight to our hostel. (more…)

If you are thinking about taking a Spanish course in either Peru or Argentina in January of February 2015 you are so lucky!

AMAUTA offers now this great discount option: if you book thre weeks of Spanish Group course, you get an additional week of Spanish classes for FREE!

All you have to do is register for your Spanish classes online with the discount code: 4×3.

Now you will pay only USD $ 420 (Cusco) or USD$ 690* (Buenos Aires) for a complete month of Spanish lessons including free activities such as a walking tour in town and a welcome dinner (Peru only), dance lessons, visits in the city, cooking classes and others.

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A visit to Moray and the Maras Salt Mines

-a student review-

When you follow a Spanish language course at AMAUTA Spanish School in Cusco, you have the opportunity to follow part of your Spanish lessons in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This way you combine different locations and travel to different places in Peru where you can continue your Spanish course. You can even go to the Amazone and continue your Spanish course in the Rainforest.

That sounded very appealing to me so I signed up for one week of Spanish classes at the Sacred Valley campus. During this week we visited Moray (Inca ruins) and the Maras Salt Mines with AMAUTA staff as part of our program, that consists of Spanish classes, accommodation with all meals, activities and tours.

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5 Insiders tips: How to handle your money in Peru

Living and travelling in Peru is interesting in many ways. Not just does the country offer plenty of touristic attractions, daily life itself also works a bit different than at home. When you have chosen Peru as a destination to learn Spanish, to volunteer or to travel around, you will notice from the moment you arrive that things are different. Take note of the following tips before starting your adventure in Peru: it could safe you some money!

1. Not accepted? Do not be surprised if your money is not accepted, for instance in a restaurant or shop. This usually is the case when a note looks old, worn down or ripped. None of the stores will accept ripped notes; still, they will all try to give ripped notes as change. It is not meant to rip you off, but more a matter of ‘laziness’. Don’t feel sad when you find out someone gave you a note that now seems impossible to spend. Just go to El Banco de la Nación. They will change your old note for a new one. The reason for shop and restaurant owners to not accept these notes is that they don’t want to make the effort of going to the bank.

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All the students and volunteers here at AMAUTA Spanish School in Peru will soon have the chance to experience one of the most unique and interesting cultural festivals near Cusco. Because next week we plan a weekend tour to the festival of the Q´eswachaka Bridge. This is a big traditional celebration for the local Peruvian people of the local communities – with little tourists and a very authentic ambience – that takes place every second Sunday of June. This year on June 8, 2014, hundreds of people from local communities will come together to help reconstruct this rare Incan Bridge. Made out of a special grass called “q´oya”, this bridge is the only one of its kind left today in Peru.
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After a few weeks of Spanish course in Cusco, some of our students are looking for a nice and quit weekend get-away. If you are looking for some ‘tranquilidad’ and you like to visit a typical Peruvian village at the countryside, away from the daily hassle and partying in Cusco, I recommend the small town of Ollantaytambo. This is a perfect escape from the city of Cusco. From the bus station in Calle Pavitos in Cusco it takes only 1,5 up till 2 hours by bus to get to Ollantaytambo, located at 80 km northwest of Cusco in the Sacred Valley of the Incas; the price of a one way bus ticket is approximately 10 soles. The bus ride will give you an amazing view of the countryside in Cusco, immediately after leaving the city. Passing by the countryside, you will see people with traditional clothes and cattle grazing on the side of the road, close to their small, traditional houses. At the background, the top of the mountains covered with snow. Once arriving in Ollantaytambo, all you’ll see are mountains, the typical inca walls, few people and some kids playing on the streets. You’ll hear the sound of a rippling stream, breath in fresh air and enjoy the warmer weather. As Ollantaytambo is located at 2700 above sea level, it is definitely a bit warmer than Cusco (3400 mtrs above sea level), which is a nice change. You will notice the difference, especially during the nights.
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