Best Spanish schools in Cartagena by category - student age group, value for money
Students 18-30 years
Quality of teaching
Cartagena ratings & opinions
How our students rated their experience in Cartagena
What our students said about Cartagena
It's a safe city if you stick to certain rules that should be common sense (not walking home alone at night, not visiting poor neighborhoods on your own). The historic center is stunningly beautiful with colonial architecture and an old city wall that offers great views. There are some excellent and affordable restaurants and the district of Getsemani is a lively place full of outstanding street art! There is no metro system and the busses are not so easy to figure out, so I mostly used taxi apps for transportation or simply walked (all the sights are mostly in one area anyway). The beaches directly in Cartagena are not very nice (dark sand, not very clear water, annoying vendors), but if you visit one of the beach clubs on Tierra Bomba, you'll have a very relaxing time! Baru also has amazing beaches with clear, blue water and white sand (the beach clubs are a little more "basic" though). The climate is "special" of course (hot and humid, overall quite tropical :) ....), but if you know what to expect and don't want to run a marathon, it's really not to bad at all!
Germany
The central neighbourhoods, which have been beautifully restored, are also kept clean by the city, but as soon as you leave the district, rubbish and other rubbish is piled up all over the roadside, the streets have no traffic lights for pedestrians, which makes it quite dangerous with all the traffic. In the evenings, however, everything is beautifully lit up in the central neighbourhoods, people sit outside in front of the bars and there is an exuberant party atmosphere.
Germany
The pretty old town. Lots of colour and wonderful graffiti. Well worth a visit. Good food in all price ranges. Disappointed by the dirtiness of the beaches. I don't understand why so many coastal countries don't take better care of what makes them so beautiful and rich.
Colombia
Very interesting city, but very touristy. I suffered a lot from the heat. Coming from a northern country, it was a shock for me. Every day the temperature rose to 34-35 but with the high humidity, it felt like 44 degrees. I never got used to it, even after 3 weeks.
Canada
One of the safest cities I had the chance to visit during 2 weeks (I travel alone in the world). Very beautiful and whose inhabitants are very very smiling and welcoming.
France
The high humidity should be mentioned and the slurred pronunciation of the residents. Would recommend a language course in Medellin/Bogota.
Germany
Inside the city walls very beautiful, outside frighteningly dirty. The thousands of street vendors are extremely annoying.
France
Beautiful old town, very touristy, many people only see dollar signs, sometimes very pushy
Germany
It is useful if you live close to the school, for example in the Manga district.
Germany
Wonderful city, but perhaps not for everyone, as quite noisy and exhausting.
Germany
people will ask you 50 times/ day to buy something from them
Germany
It is too difficult to comment i am working with Skype
England UK
Anytime again, well maintained and safe
Switzerland
Nice for two days, but not for longer.
Germany
Great city with lots of opportunities
Germany
What school directors said about Cartagena
Cartagena is a dynanic city,with a great history which offers students the opportunity to discover life in Colombia on the Caribbean coast.
Most recent student reviews of language schools in Cartagena
Excellent location, friendly and helpful staff.
11 March 2024
Course: Intensive 20 - 1 week
Student age: 71 years
Teachers were great. I was in a class with beginners and they offered me a couple of private lessons to make up for it. Nice.
11 March 2024
Course: Intensive 20 - 1 week
Student age: 76 years
The school's location in the trendy Getsemani neighbourhood is great. The teachers are very nice and sociable and the afternoon programme is very varied. It's also great that on the first day the new students are given a free lunch by the school, so you get to know the new students straight away.
11 March 2024
Course: Intensive Spanish - 2 weeks
Student age: 50 years
All the staff at the school, whether in reception, administration or the teachers, are super friendly and welcoming. Randy in administration was very helpful with any questions or small problems I had. Our teacher Cristina was the best. Very engaged and motivating. You can tell she loves her job.
Super good school. I recommend.
8 February 2024
Course: Standard Course - 3 weeks
Student age: 66 years
Small class size, individual wishes when learning Spanish, extremely nice people, free salsa courses and occasional afternoon activities.
25 December 2023
Course: Intensive Spanish Course - 2 weeks
Student age: 25 years
The location of the school (in the historic centre) is great, the entire staff is extremely helpful and responds very quickly (emails etc.) even outside of office hours. The teachers are flexible in their approach to the students, but always consistently pursue the learning objective.
20 November 2023
Course: Intensive Course - 1 week
Student age: 51 years
I had a really great time in Cartagena and at the school. My teacher was great and my Spanish improved a lot thanks to her. The salsa classes that you can attend as a student were also really great and a good way to combine learning Spanish and salsa. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. I felt very comfortable. My host family was really great and I can only recommend living with a host family during your language lessons. This allows you to practise what you have learnt every day and get to know Colombian culture better.
30 October 2023
Course: Intensive Spanish Course - 3 weeks
Student age: 22 years
The setting is very nice. The school is well located. It's small but friendly.
I enjoyed the courses, which were adapted to my level.
The 2 teachers I had were very competent and friendly.
17 October 2023
Course: Intensive Spanish - 1 week
Student age: 53 years
Everyone was extremely friendly at ECOS language school and thus served as an example for Colombia's warm-hearted and welcoming people! Teachers and staff only spoke Spanish with me, which gave me plenty of opportunities to immerse in the language.
The teachers rotated teaching different classes, which I liked because they all have different styles and approaches to explaining the grammar, so that it was possible to ask another teacher to explain something again if it wasn't understood fully the first time. The free class material was well-designed and we had many exercises to practice. I also liked the occasional games or videos. All classrooms are clean and comfortably temperatured with AC, though not all have a window.
The school offers one dancing class and one cooking class for free every week and both were very entertaining and helped understand Colombian culture. In addition, there were field trips to museums, wild life parks, and the city center. The teacher accompanying these field trips has a vast knowledge of the history and street art of Cartagena! She answered all my questions in great detail and I've learned a lot.
16 August 2023
Course: Intensive Course - 2 weeks
Student age: 32 years
The people are nice and try to make an effort. The excursions and activities are great.
14 July 2023
Course: Intensive Course - 3 weeks
Student age: 30 years
The teachers do their best to accommodate everyone in the class. They are always friendly, courteous, helpful and unflappable. Very enjoyable.
5 June 2023
Course: Standard Course - 3 weeks
Student age: 51 years
Great teachers. Very committed, really! The teachers are also very flexible, so if you want to take a break for a day, that's no problem.
30 May 2023
Course: Standard Course - 4 weeks
Student age: 34 years
I had booked two weeks and the second week with Sebastian was really good. I also booked private lessons and got Lilli as a teacher. She responded straight away to my wish to use local topics for the lessons. I really enjoyed that. With one exception, the other staff members were very friendly and helpful.
24 April 2023
Course: Standard Course - 2 weeks
Student age: 48 years
Very nice and helpful staff, good school quality, they always ask if the level is right, I like to come back.
11 April 2023
Course: Standard Course - 2 weeks
Student age: 61 years
Esmeralda and the team were very helpful and accommodating.
23 January 2023
Course: Intensive Spanish Course - 1 week
Student age: 61 years
Only in Cartagena, I was lucky enough to find a very warm welcome and a great family and professional energy within the Babel team. My teacher Jerlis is a very patient, cheerful and dynamic person. I didn't speak Spanish and after two intensive weeks, I feel very comfortable and in constant progress thanks to her investment. She is passionate about history and we visited museums, city districts, it was great!
Esmeralda who organizes and welcomes the students is a very warm person, thanks to her for these good tips! Andres, my surfing teacher, is also very nice, we surfed but also visited the market of Cartagene and talked about photos. Thanks to my salsa teachers Ruben and Esteban who transmitted me their passion of this dance while having a lot of fun!
A really great team in a great area near the flower market and in the heart of the historical center! I will miss you all very much!
Thanks a million!
2 January 2023
Course: Intensive Spanish Course - 2 weeks
Student age: 49 years
Top location in the old town and very good teaching
22 August 2022
Course: Standard Course - 3 weeks
Student age: 73 years
The whole team of staff is amazing. It's fun to be with them and learn Spanish at Centro Catalina. The location of the school in el centro is perfect and the class rooms are clean and with AC.
6 April 2022
Course: Standard Course - 9 weeks
Student age: 39 years
The teachers are very approachable and quite young, so the atmosphere is relaxed at all times. The offer also includes cooking and dance lessons as well as various excursions, which are also counted towards the educational leave.
18 November 2019
Course: Bildungsurlaub Course - 2 weeks
Student age: 32 years
Tania, my teacher was great! I learned a lot from her, including about cartagena and life in Colombia.
11 November 2019
Course: Intensive Spanish Course - 3 weeks
Student age: 26 years
Information about Cartagena
Key Facts about Cartagena
- Big Mac price (Colombia average):
13,652.81 COP (32% cheaper than in USA)
- Residential voltage: 110 V
- Frequency: 60 Hz
Weather in Cartagena
What to do in Cartagena
Arrival airport
Public transportation to city center:
Taxi: 10 minutes drive to city center of Cartagena
Public transportation in Cartagena
Q&A - Questions and answers about Cartagena
- Can the host accommodate vegans? That means absolutely no animal products, ie no animals [cows, pigs, sheep, etc], poultry [ chickens, turkeys, etc] fish including shellfish, gelatine, butter, fat, eggs, milk, cream, animal sauces eg oyster/ fish sauce and honey.“In Colombia, vegan products are very scarce and very expensive, so it's difficult for families to commit to this.
As an alternative, a single room in a shared apartment with access to the kitchen can be organized for you. This way you can prepare your own meals.”María Quintana Mestre, Student´s and Sales Coordinator from Centro Catalina - Apr 12, 2023I am a beginner in Spanish. Are there any courses suitable for me?“Yes, our partner schools in Cartagena offer Spanish courses for students of all levels. Let us know what your preferred dates are and we will be happy to recommend the best option for you.”Ana Carolina Dos Santos, LanguageCourse.Net - Mar 12, 2023Didn't find what you are looking for?Interested in a specific type of course? See our reviews of Spanish courses & camps for teenager and children in Cartagena or other 12 different Spanish course types in Cartagena.Interested in language travel to other cities? Have a look at Spanish language schools in other cities in Colombia such as Bogota, Cali, Ibague, Medellin or see our list of all schools in Colombia. You may also want to consult options outside Colombia for learning Spanish.