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All Spanish schools in Bocas del Toro
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Spanish by the SeaBocas del Toro, Panama

4.3

Rating: 4.3/5.0

21 students - overall rating
Calle 4ª - 7215 Bocas del Toro - 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)
  • Small class sizes
  • Hotel / Hostel accommodation very close to school
Age of students
  Percentage of students
1-18 years 5%
18-24 years 40%
25-34 years 45%
35-50 years 5%
>50 years 5%
The average age outside summer is 10 years higher than in summer.

Location: Spanish by the River is on the small island of Panama known as Bocas del Toro. It is on the very southern tip of the island, a stone throw away from Carenero Island. It is conveniently located on Fourth Street, right behind Main Street and close to the island’s airport. There are hotels, restaurants, bars, grocery stores and shops in the area.

Island life: It is possible to visit all the things in the town by foot. The school is close to the waterfront and near two major ferry points on the island. Both ferry stations have trips to mainland Panama. The island itself is small and so to get from oneside to the other is quick by car. The furthest point from the school, La Piscina Beach and the Blue Lagoon are 45 minutes away by car. The other side of the coast is the Playa Boca del Drago, which again is a 45 minute drive from the school.

School environment: Spanish classes are held all around the building, from upstairs on the balcony to the "rancho" in the garden. The communicative method is applied and the teachers make sure classes are fun by using music, role-playing and adding lots of cultural information so that you will stay motivated to learn.

Course structure: General Spanish classes, exam preparation courses, combination courses, a 40+ programme and DELE exam preparation lessons are all taught at Spanish by the River. The school also combines a range of diving options or a yoga extra onto a general Spanish class.

Spanish Courses

General Language
Private
Language Plus Activity

Our prices for Spanish by the Sea include

  • INCLUDED Organized activities
  • INCLUDED Wireless LAN zone at school
  • INCLUDED Free certificate of course attendance
  • INCLUDED Language level placement test before arrival

Videos & Photos

  • Covered relaxation area
    Covered relaxation area1/3
  • On the beach
    On the beach2/3
  • Water fun
    Water fun3/3

Student opinions about Spanish by the Sea, Bocas del Toro

4.3

Rating: 4.3/5.0

Overall school rating of
Spanish by the Sea, Bocas del Toro
21 authentic ratings from students who reserved with us
School
Location of the school
4.7 

Rating: 4.7/5.0

Facilities
3.8 

Rating: 3.8/5.0

Social activities
3.9 

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Organisation
4.1 

Rating: 4.1/5.0

Course
Quality of teaching
4.4 

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Value for money
4.2 

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Accommodation
Homestay
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Other
3.7 

Rating: 3.7/5.0

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

Rating: 0.0/5.0

Students 18-30 years (11 ratings)
4.6 

Rating: 4.6/5.0

Students 31-49 years (4 ratings)
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Students 50+ years (6 ratings)
3.3 

Rating: 3.3/5.0

Verified reviews only, uncensored. All student opinions from students who booked a course at the school with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
The kindness of the hosts! Mar and Manuel were always there for you and were so very nice people to stay with. In addition, the teachers were all very nice. I've had Olivia and Frank and were very helpful
Review details
Other comments Perhaps make an even clearer distinction for people who want to learn Spanish for conversation during their journey. And above all learning to communicate a lot with the population instead of focusing on difficult language constructs found in texts.
Course: Standard Spanish [Spaans] - 2 weeks
Review date: 18. Feb. 2020 by Quirijn Busch
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Our teacher is a good person and time passed very quickly. Having 4 hours of conversation every day was hard, but very interesting. Also the exchange with the other students.
Disliked
Bad information about the total costs when transferring money via PayPal.
Review details
Course: Standard Spanish - 1 week
Review date: 14. Mar. 2023 by Roland Huebner
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Gabriel taught us Spanish by constantly having conversations which was great as it helped me outside of the class to have Spanish conversations with strangers
Review details
Course: Standard Spanish [Spanish] - 1 week
Review date: 6. Sep. 2023 by Lisa Ladner
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
I can recommend the school. Good vibes and nice people. Lessons were more challenging than boring. Exactly what I needed.
Disliked
There is nothing there .. I liked everything there
Review details
Course: Standard Spanish [Spanisch] - 2 weeks
Review date: 5. Jul. 2021 by Alexandra Voigt
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
The lessons were very professional in small groups, very likeable teacher who was able to convey the material very well.
Disliked
The lessons took place in the hostel, i.e. there were no extra classrooms. This was sometimes very loud when people played ping-pong and talked; the neighbours also made a lot of noise.
Review details
Course: Standard Spanish - 1 week
Review date: 26. Jan. 2023 by Beate Lange
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
The family atmosphere at school was really great. Also, the classes and the teachers are really amazing.
Insider tip: We were at the school/hostel in Boquete and Turrialba as well. The school in Turrialba should not be missed, just heavenly. And you can do so many cool things here.
Review details
Other comments The entire organization of the school is amazing, they are happy to help with any questions and the staff is super nice.
Course: Standard Spanish - 4 weeks
Review date: 18. Feb. 2014 by Stefan Norbert Gassner
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Friendly staff, great accommodation, many different beaches in the neighborhood.
Review details
Other comments I also stayed at the schools in Boquete and Turrialba. Everything was really great. The rooms are very large (for 10$ /night) and clean. The accommodations are very nice, spacious and well equipped. Even with a nice garden. They were the best hostels I've seen during the two months I stayed in Central America.
Course: Standard Spanish - 4 weeks
Review date: 3. Mar. 2014 by Simon Adreas Gassner
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Good teachers, the price is also okay, hostel quite nice for the school
Disliked
Not always well organised, hostel itself not the best for overnight stays
Review details
Course: Intensive Spanish - 2 weeks
Review date: 2. Mar. 2024 by Ronny Herbst
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
The atmosphere in the school and the attached hostel is very familiar.
Review details
Course: Standard Spanish - 2 weeks
Review date: 16. Mar. 2018 by Fanny Dzierzon
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Our teacher was great. We learnt a lot and had fun in class.
Disliked
Unfortunately, there was only one classroom for several courses, which made it impossible to concentrate. The teacher had to think of an alternative. Unfortunately, this was not very well organised.
Review details
Course: Standard Spanish + Yoga - 3 weeks
Review date: 29. Nov. 2023 by Jule Gronbach
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Clean, very friendly staff and plenty to do in the area.
Review details
Other comments It would work better if you would have x number of words to learn each day.
Course: Standard Spanish - 3 weeks
Review date: 25. Oct. 2013 by Mathilde Plantenberg
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
Very good contact before and very good teacher.
Review details
Course: Standard Spanish - 1 week
Review date: 13. Mar. 2023 by Michaela Huebner
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
1.0

Rating: 1/5.0

Liked
Location of school
Insider tip: 1 Make sure of the conditions of accommodation. I chose to learn Spanish - school doesn't guarantee this language
Review details
Other comments No help from the school, without commitment, lots of harshness. Hardly ever speaking in Spanish. Frequent changes in teachers. This is a school for young people who came to enjoy themselves.
Course: Standard Spanish - 3 weeks
Review date: 15. Mar. 2017 by Jolanta Prusakiewicz
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.

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

 Spanish by the Sea Bocas del ToroAverage of all other schools in Panama
Overall school rating4.3

Rating: 4.3/5.0

3.9

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Location of the school4.7

Rating: 4.7/5.0

4.1

Rating: 4.1/5.0

Facilities3.8

Rating: 3.8/5.0

3.6

Rating: 3.6/5.0

Social activities3.9

Rating: 3.9/5.0

3.2

Rating: 3.2/5.0

Organisation4.1

Rating: 4.1/5.0

3.6

Rating: 3.6/5.0

Quality of teaching4.4

Rating: 4.4/5.0

3.9

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Value for money4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

3.7

Rating: 3.7/5.0

Homestay3.8

Rating: 3.8/5.0

4.4

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Shared flat3.8

Rating: 3.8/5.0

4.4

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Spanish by the Sea

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 Sea and you book here.
Payment methods accepted for payments made directly to the school
Visa - logoMastercard - logoBank Transfer - logo
Year of school foundation
1998
Legal name/parent company
Spanish by the Sea Corp. | Tax registration ID: RUC311688-1-411601-2009-177214

General school facilities

  • Kitchen for student use

  • Fridge for student use

  • Library

  • Movie room

  • Games room

  • Lounge

  • Garden

  • Balcony / terrace

  • Student support desk

  • Copy machine

  • Free coffee

  • Free WIFI

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

  • Free parking (<500m)

  • Facilities for islamic students

    • Available area to pray at the school

    • Facilities to wash feet before praying

  • Classroom equipment

    • TV in some classrooms

    • Ample natural light in all classrooms

    • Number of classrooms: 8

Student Age / Nationality

Average number of students
In summer: 40
Throughout the year: 20
Minimum age of students
15 years
6 years for specific Junior courses
Average number of levels
Adult courses In summer: 6
Adult courses Throughout the year: 4
Average age of students
In summer: 20 years
Throughout the year: 30 years

Top student nationalities

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

Information for all courses offered by Spanish by the Sea

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

When no other student with the same level is available the school will restructure the classes as follows: 4 hours of group lessons will change to 2 hours of private lessons and 6 hours of group lessons will change to 3 hours of private lessons.

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

Days without class
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 Bocas del Toro.
More details about airports near Bocas del Toro and how to travel independently from the airport to the city on our Bocas del Toro page. For flight comparisons to Bocas del Toro, we recommend using skyscanner.com.

Visa Documents

Nationals from Russia do not require a visa to study short term courses up to 90 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-
Dancing-
Diving-
Horse riding8 km
Sailing3 km
Swimming3 km
Yoga1 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  

Loading map content

Questions and answers about Spanish by the Sea

  • Bookings are individual, so it is necessary to make two different bookings, one in the name of each of you.
    Rubén De Haro, LanguageCourse.Net - Jan 02, 2023
  • Yes, we can organize Spanish lessons for the kids - the 3 of them studying together and the adults will be placed into a regular group.
    The course available is the Standard Course with 20 Spanish lessons per week. Each lesson is 55 minutes long and takes place on weekdays, from Monday to Friday.
    Richelle Lankhaar, Reservations team from Spanish by the Sea - Feb 02, 2023
  • The school Spanish by the Sea offers homestay accommodation and accommodation in a hostel.
    The age range of the students staying in the hostel is 18-30 years old.
    Ana Carolina Dos Santos, LanguageCourse.Net - Feb 12, 2023
  • In Bocas del Toro there is an international airport - Bocas del Toro Isla Colón José E. Hall International Airport. You can check if there is a direct flight based on your current location.
    The school also offers a transfer from Tocumen Airport to your accommodation in Bocas del Toro.
    Ana Carolina Dos Santos, LanguageCourse.Net - Feb 12, 2023
  • Social activities and excursions are organized on the spot. Tours, hiking, walking tours, dance lessons, cooking lessons, rafting, surfing, and many other activities can be booked upon arrival.
    Ana Carolina Dos Santos, LanguageCourse.Net - Feb 12, 2023
  • In terms of insurance, it is always wise for someone to have regular travel insurance and cancellation insurance, because you never know.
    Richelle Lankhaar, Reservations team from Spanish at Locations - Nov 09, 2023
  • Yes, that is possible. AirPanama is the only option for travelling by plane. The prices vary. Please pay attention to how much luggage is included in the price.
    Richelle, Administration from Spanish by the Sea, Bocas Del Toro - Nov 15, 2023

FAQ about Spanish by the Sea, Bocas del Toro

  • The Dorm room has 4 beds. You would share the room with a maximum of 3 people. They have space there for a maximum of 13 people.
    Richelle Lankhaar, Admission officer from Spanish by the River, Bocas del Toro - Nov 23, 2023
  • The accommodation Dorm room is the most popular among all our clients of Spanish by the Sea
  • Depending on the chosen course, the maximum number of students at Spanish by the Sea varies from 1 students (Specialized - Private Spanish 10) to 6 students (Intensive Spanish)
  • The highest Nationality percentage at Spanish by the Sea comes from Germany with a 25% representation, followed by students from Switzerland (25%) and Netherlands (20%).
  • Spanish by the Sea offers courses from 15 years to 99. Average age is 20 during the summer and 30 for the rest of the year.

PDF brochure / price list of Spanish by the Sea

Spanish at Locations Pricelist 2025
Spanish at Locations Pricelist 2025
years
Starting date
Course available
Check-in date
Check-out date
incl.
No surprises!
FREE cancellation
FREE changes
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Bocas del Toro city attractiveness rated by our students:
4.2 

Rating: 4.2/5.0

More information about Bocas del Toro including climate data and events on our Bocas del Toro page with a list of all 0 Spanish schools in Bocas del Toro.