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All Spanish schools in Boquete
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Spanish by the RiverBoquete, Panama

4.4

Rating: 4.4/5.0

5 students - overall rating
Plaza San Francisco, 180 metres to the left. - 0 Boquete - see on map
Pay less than booking at the school
What we like about the school
  • 5 locations, all offering the same Spanish program
  • Unique eco classroom (outside)
  • Best rated school in Panama
  • Small class sizes
  • Excellent rating of homestay accommodation
    4.8

    Rating: 4.8/5.0

Age of students
  Percentage of students
1-18 years 5%
18-24 years 40%
25-34 years 40%
35-50 years 10%
>50 years 5%

Location: The school is in the Chiriqui highlands, 5 kilometres outside Boquete at the entrance to the village of Palmir. This is a planet-friendly school, and there are views of the Barú Volcano and the surrounding coffee plantations. Boquete has plenty for students to do including restaurants, pool bars and cafes, but it is the surrounding area that catches most people's attention with natural wonders such as the Lost Waterfalls and the Quetzales Trails.

Getting around the area: The town is easy to walk around to reach all the amenities. There are bus stops along the main roads that reach the nearby towns.

Course structure: Your lessons will take place in one of the 3 "ranchos" that the school has in their garden, relaxing your mind so you can learn in a more productive way. The school offers general group Spanish classes, private classes and a combination of the 2. They even offer a yoga package which can be added to a general Spanish course.

Social activities: There are lots of entertainment options organised by the school, which are all priced based on the individual activity. These options include exploring the nature of the area with a kayak tour or mountain bike trek, learning more about the culture with cooking classes or dance lessons as well as getting to know the students in the school with BBQs, dinners and social nights out to local bars.

Spanish Courses

General Language
Private
Language Plus Activity

Our prices for Spanish by the River include

  • INCLUDED Internet access and use of school computers
  • INCLUDED Wireless LAN zone at school
  • INCLUDED Free certificate of course attendance
  • INCLUDED Language level placement test before arrival

Videos & Photos

  • School grounds
    School grounds1/13
  • School
    School2/13
  • Outdoor lounge
    Outdoor lounge3/13
  • Food
    Food 4/13
  • Studying together
    Studying together5/13
  • Store
    Store6/13
  • Store entrance
    Store entrance 7/13
  • Learning outside
    Learning outside 8/13
  • Exploring
    Exploring9/13
  • Eating outdoors in Boquete
    Eating outdoors in Boquete10/13
  • 11/13
  • Spanish by the River exterior
    Spanish by the River exterior12/13
  • 13/13

Student opinions about Spanish by the River, Boquete

4.4

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Overall school rating of
Spanish by the River, Boquete
5 authentic ratings from students who reserved with us
School
Location of the school
4.0 

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Facilities
4.0 

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Social activities
3.8 

Rating: 3.8/5.0

Organisation
4.0 

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Course
Quality of teaching
4.2 

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Value for money
4.2 

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Accommodation
Homestay
4.8 

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Overall school rating by student age group
Students < 18 years (0 ratings)
0.0 

Rating: 0.0/5.0

Students 18-30 years (0 ratings)
0.0 

Rating: 0.0/5.0

Students 31-49 years (0 ratings)
0.0 

Rating: 0.0/5.0

Students 50+ years (5 ratings)
4.4 

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Verified reviews only, uncensored. All student opinions from students who booked a course at the school with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
3.0

Rating: 3/5.0

Liked
The good teacher Virginia in the 2nd week.
Insider tip: Ask before which teacher is going to be yours.
Review details
Other comments Teaching material was very bad consisting in copies from photocopies with no legible content about irrelevant topics.
Course: Specialized - Spanish for Seniors - 2 weeks
Review date: 26. Dec. 2016 by Jens Dietrich
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
Teachers
Insider tip: Conversations only in Spanish, use it to the max. Regarding accommodation - information what to expect so that there would be disappointments and additional costs. In Boquete - a full family luxury. Bocas del Toro was a nightmare that I want to forget. I want to write more about this topic. The school should check the accommodation conditions so as not to expose the client to additional costs. This nightmare, thank God, is right behind me. Reception in Bocas was far from great, I will write about it in a separate letter.
Review details
Other comments Fantastic professors and family with whom I lived. Conditions were perfect and clean. Only superlatives. I recommend to all. Virginia is fantastic and competent.
Course: Standard Spanish - 2 weeks
Review date: 8. Feb. 2017 by Jolanta Barbara Prusakiewicz
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.

Ratings of Spanish by the River compared to ratings of all schools in Panama

 Spanish by the River BoqueteAverage of all other schools in Panama
Overall school rating4.4

Rating: 4.4/5.0

4.1

Rating: 4.1/5.0

Location of the school4.0

Rating: 4.0/5.0

4.5

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Facilities4.0

Rating: 4.0/5.0

3.7

Rating: 3.7/5.0

Social activities3.8

Rating: 3.8/5.0

3.5

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Organisation4.0

Rating: 4.0/5.0

3.8

Rating: 3.8/5.0

Quality of teaching4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Value for money4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

3.9

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Homestay4.8

Rating: 4.8/5.0

3.9

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Shared flat4.8

Rating: 4.8/5.0

3.9

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Spanish by the River

“You will not regret coming to study in Boquete for a bit! ”
Ingrid Lommers
– 
Ingrid Lommers
Director of Spanish by the River
Accreditations and Quality seals
Preferential Terms in Case of Visa RefusalOTEIMA
Spanish teacher qualifications
50% hold a university degree
80% hold a recognised language teaching qualification
Languages spoken by school staff (cannot be guaranteed by school)
First day of course
Students should arrive at 8:00
Offer for returning students
You will be refunded/waived the school's administration fee if you already attended previously a course at Spanish by the River and you book here.
Payment methods accepted for payments made directly to the school
Visa - logoMastercard - logoBank Transfer - logo
Year of school foundation
2006
Legal name/parent company
Spanish by the Sea Corp. | Tax registration ID: RUC311688-1-411601-2009-177214

General school facilities

  • Microwave for student use

  • Fridge for student use

  • Kitchen for student use

  • Balcony / terrace

  • Student support desk

  • Garden

  • Lounge

  • Games room

  • Movie room

  • Library

  • Copy machine

  • Free coffee

  • Free WIFI

  • Free parking

  • Non-smoking (all indoor and all outdoor areas of school)

  • Facilities for islamic students

    • Available area to pray at the school

    • Facilities to wash feet before praying

  • Classroom equipment

    • Number of classrooms: 3

Student Age / Nationality

Average number of students
In summer: 8
Throughout the year: 4
Minimum age of students
15 years
5 years for specific Junior courses
Average number of levels
Adult courses In summer: 3
Adult courses Throughout the year: 3
Average age of students
In summer: 24 years
Throughout the year: 24 years

Top student nationalities

Student Nationality Percentage of students
Germany 25%
Netherlands 25%
Switzerland 20%
USA 15%
Sweden 10%
England 2%
France 2%

Information for all courses offered by Spanish by the River

Lesson duration
55 minutes
School's administrative fee
25.00 US$
Course material
Generally course material is distributed free to students and will stay in student property.
Comments about courses

Spanish and activities courses are subject to availability and prices may vary throughout the year.

Days without class
In 2024 (including national and regional bank holidays):
01 Jan 2024, 29 Mar 2024, 01 May 2024, 25 Dec 2024.
In 2025 (including national and regional bank holidays):
01 Jan 2025, 18 Apr 2025, 01 May 2025, 25 Dec 2025.
School policy regarding bank holidays:Full number of lost classes are made up
Level test
A test to assess your exact language level takes place before the start of the course via email.
Lessons needed per Spanish language level
Level (CEFR) LESSONS needed per level WEEKS needed
(20 lessons per week)
A1 Beginner A1 to A2 80 4
A2 Elementary A2 to B1 160 8
B1 Intermediate B1 to B2 180 9
B2 Higher Intermediate B2 to C1 200 10
C1 Advanced C1 to C2 220 11
C2 Proficiency
Data above gives some guidance. For more details consult our page How long does it take to learn a language or reach a specific level.

Airport transfer

Best arrival airport is Enrique Malek International Airport.
More details about airports near Boquete and how to travel independently from the airport to the city on our Boquete page. For flight comparisons to Boquete, we recommend using skyscanner.com.

Visa Documents

Nationals from USA do not require a visa to study short term courses up to 180 days.
Check visa requirements for nationals from other countries.
Nationals from countries that require a visa will receive documents from the school, related to booking confirmation, which is required for the visa application.
Full payment of all fees required before school dispatches documents required for visa application
No
Preferential cancellation terms in case of visa refusal
School agreed that students booking online on this site will benefit from preferential cancellation fees in case of visa refusal, and in this case will never exceed EUR 180.

Leisure activities

activity possibledistance from school
Cooking-
Dancing1 km
Horse riding15 km
Mountainbiking15 km
Swimming4 km
Yoga4 km

Examples of leisure activities organized by the school

Adults - Free activities

Not offered

Adults - Paid activities

- Yoga class: USD 6
- Cooking class: USD 10
- Art class: USD 10
- Music class: USD 10
- Horseback riding: USD 40 (3-4 hour tour with transport included)
- Mountain bike tour: USD 50 (half-day tour)
- Canyoning and canopy: USD 75 (half-day tour with transportation and lunch/snack included)
- Salsa class: USD 6

Accommodation

Map  

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Other language schools in Boquete offering Spanish courses: 

Questions and answers about Spanish by the River

  • Yes, that is possible.
    Richelle, Administration from Spanish by the River, Boquete - Mar 13, 2023
  • The package includes laundry service and breakfast. Lunch and dinner can be added if you wish so. Food is typical Panamanian so you will eat rice and beans, chicken, meat and patacones (fried plantains). You can only expect the local family to adapt their cooking a little bit to your specific dietary needs so if you eat for example gluten-free, you will need to bring some products to supply the food that will be offered.
    Ana Carolina Dos Santos, LanguageCourse.Net - May 03, 2023
  • Yes, we also offer virtual classes!
    Richelle, Administration from Spanish by the River, Boquete - Aug 16, 2023
  • We don't... Those exams are only offered on certain days at certain locations / times. We normally recommend the student to find out where / when they take place in their home country since that's the easiest. But if the students want to do the exam here at school, I'd be happy to investigate where and when they'll be.
    Richelle, Administration from Spanish by the River, Boquete - Sep 20, 2023

FAQ about Spanish by the River, Boquete

  • All the hostel options offered by the school have access to the fully equipped kitchen.
    Richelle Lankhaar, Admission officer from Spanish by the River, Boquete - Nov 23, 2023
  • The hostel has space for a maximum of 10 people. There are 5 rooms, 2 with a double bed and 3 with a bunk bed. So you would share the room with 1 other person.
    Richelle Lankhaar, Admission officer from Spanish by the River, Boquete - Nov 23, 2023
  • Depending on the chosen course, the maximum number of students at Spanish by the River varies from 1 students (Specialized - Private Spanish 10) to 6 students (Intensive Spanish)
  • 50% of teachers at Spanish by the River hold a university degree. 80% hold a recognized language teaching certificate.
  • The highest Nationality percentage at Spanish by the River comes from Germany with a 25% representation, followed by students from Netherlands (25%) and Switzerland (20%).
  • Yes, there is an exclusive discount that only applies when booking online here.
  • Spanish by the River offers courses from 15 years to 99. Average age is 24 during the summer and 24 for the rest of the year.

PDF brochure / price list of Spanish by the River

Spanish at Locations Pricelist 2024
Spanish at Locations Pricelist 2024
Spanish at Locations Pricelist 2025
Spanish at Locations Pricelist 2025
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Boquete
Boquete city attractiveness rated by our students:
3.0 

Rating: 3.0/5.0

More information about Boquete including climate data and events on our Boquete page with a list of all 1 Spanish schools in Boquete.
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