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Dining in Montañita Main street in Montañita

Learn Spanish in Montañita

Montañita, Ecuador

An idyllic beach town on the Pacific, Montanita is all about kicking back while learning Spanish.

Montanita is as laid-back as it comes in Latin America. Everything starts with the beach, where palm trees sway and small shacks serve up ice-cold drinks. Sink your feet into the cooling sand and watch the surfers play. Surfing lessons and board rental are easy to arrange. Or you could sit back on a sun-lounger while sipping on a cocktail. Yes, it’s one of those kind of places, where you want to do nothing (other than learning Spanish of course!)

But peel yourself from the beach and there’s excitement to be had. Shack bars crowd the narrow streets, giving off a feast of colour and choice. You’ll quickly find your favourites and get to know the people there – which means more chance to practice your Spanish.

While there’s not that much to see in Montanita itself, the surrounding waters offer excellent options, both for day trips and after your Spanish course. For example, in nearby Machalilla National Park you’ll find islands, beaches, tranquility, and wildlife to rival the Galapagos.

Surfing

Montanita is surfing paradise. There are breaks for beginners and experts alike, as well as good spots for watching the best surfers showing off their skills. If you’ve never surfed, Montanita has the welcoming surf culture that will encourage you to try.

Isla de la Plata

Isla de la Plata is a haven for marine life and birdlife, from humpback whales to blue-footed boobies. Walk through cloud forests, explore deserted beaches, and surround yourself with all the wildlife. Then after the hiking you can try snorkelling with sea lions.

Galapagos Islands

Every Galapagos island evolved in its own unique way. So everywhere you go there’s a surprise; like volcanic lava flows, tortoises, dolphins, strange sea birds, lizards and iguanas. You can fly to one island and make day trips to different sites, or take a multi-day cruise to different islands.

Do nothing

The highlight of Montanita is the chance to do nothing, and not feel guilty about it. Other than surfing and Spanish, doing nothing is what everybody does here. Just hang out at the beach and soak up the Pacific vibes.

Los Frailes

Another superb destination in Machalilla National Park, Los Frailes is one of Latin America’s most beautiful beaches. The waters are calm here and the sand is mostly deserted. Several hidden beaches are nearby if you want even more serenity.

Keeping the beach clean in Montañita, Ecuador

Aug 13, 2018

It is very important to keep the beach clean. So after a game of volley-playa the students at Lingua...

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Our school in Montañita, Ecuador

May 03, 2016

Beaches, waves, palm trees and sunny weather: Linguaschools Montañita has it all! Montañita is a sma...

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Our Spanish school in Montañita

From Linguaschools Montañita there’s a dreamy view. The school is perched on a hill behind the town, with stunning views onto the coastline and waves. Like Montañita itself the school is very relaxed. That’s a combination of the beautiful location, encouraging teachers, and the slow-world ambiance found in this part of Latin America. The enormous roof terrace is good for self study and socialising with a view.

We’ve found that having a school on the edge of town is very beneficial. You have lots of space and silence here, yet are still within walking distance of the town centre and beach. Most lessons take place in the morning, leaving you with an afternoon of surfing, beach time, salsa, scuba, and everything else you must try in Montañita.

CLASSROOMS 10 classrooms (4 in the open air)
ACCREDITATIONS recognised by Ecuador Ministry of Education, SETEC accreditation, Bildungsurlaub
LOCATION 5 minutes walking from the beach
STUDENT AREAS garden and a rooftop terrace with ocean view
OTHER FACILITIES Wi-Fi, cafeteria, free coffee/tea

Nationality mix

14%
DE
15%
NL
9%
UK
18%
CH
7%
Rest West-EU
11%
USA
10%
CA
16%
Other

Age mix

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Spanish courses in Montañita

Spanish courses at Linguaschools Montañita are designed around your ability. The groups are small. That means lots of teacher contact, but also opportunity to converse with other learners from all around the world. Courses start every Monday and you’ll do a Spanish test on the first day, so you can be correctly placed.

Our Intensive 20 course offers 20 group classes per week (4 per day). 5 or 10 individual lessons will help accelerate your learning. In Montañita there’s also a special Spanish and surf course, chance to learn or improve both skills in one place!

CLASS DURATION 1 lesson = 55 minutes
GROUP SIZE Max. 6 students
MINIMUM AGE 17 years old

Combination Courses

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Intensive 20 + 5
Intensive 20 + 10

Individual courses

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Individual 10 and Individual 20
Customised Individual Lessons
Customized Semi-Individual Lessons

Spanish online by Linguaschools

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Extensive 4 online (group)
Individual 10 online

Spanish &

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Spanish & surf in Montañita

Please bear in mind that the school is closed on bank holidays. Missed group lessons are generally not made up for. When there are 2 public holidays in 1 week, 1 day of missed group lessons will be made up for.

Accommodation

We want to ensure you are relaxed and comfortable. Our accommodations are either in a cabana (house) which is shared with other students, or staying with an Ecuadorian host family.

Host family Minimum age 16 years old

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Availability All year round
Distance 25 minutes walking distance
Shared with Locals and or language school students
Host family Single and double room half board

Student residence Minimum age 18 years old

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Availability All year round
Distance 25 minutes walking distance
Shared with Locals and or language school students
Cabañas Montañita Single, double and dorm room
Cabañas with kitchen Single and double room

Standard checkout is Saturday after the course. In Montanita you can stay until Sunday for no extra cost. Please leave a note on the enrolment form if you wish to do this.

While the cabañas have (paid) washing machines, the host families usually do not. In Montañita most people bring their washing to a (cheap) washing service. Hot water cannot always be guaranteed at the host families; not all host families have WIFI.

Student reviews

Marit
The Netherlands
Marit from Holland and her experience in Montañita, Ecuador
I’m Marit, I’m 23 years old and I come from a small town around 30 kilometers above Amsterdam, the Netherlands.  When I finished university in September 2014, I had no idea what to do with my life. I ...
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Activities

There’s more to Montañita than the surf…

The surfing is famous and we’re certain you’re going to love trying it. Our cultural activity program is more wide-ranging, an opportunity to speak Spanish in everyday life while making friends with locals and students. Think salsa dancing, cooking workshops, yoga, and guided excursions to national parks and islands. Weekday activities are cheap or free, so everyone can participate.

Week Welcome dinner

Weekend Barbecue at the school

Week Volleyball at the beach or pool

Week Sunset at the beach with bonfire

Weekend Weekend jungle trip

Weekend Visit to Los Frailes beach

Weekend Mountain bike rides to waterfalls

Weekend Weekend trip to Quito or Cuenca

Latest activities

montanita ecuador activities in montanita

Stretching before Surfing Montañita's Waves

We take sports very seriously at our school in Montañita, that is why when we decide to go surfing to take a break from our Spanish lessons, we stretch our muscles to avoid hurting our bodies. That is ...

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surfing montanita ecuador activities in montanita

Surf and beach in Montañita, Ecuador

To make the most of the sun and the beautiful summer days, at Linguaschools Montañita we organized a getaway to Las Tunas, a lovely beach located in the Machalilla National Park on the coast of Ecuado ...

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montanita activities in montanita latin america

Football game in Montañita...staff vs students.

Last week, at our school in Montañita, we challenged our students to a football game. A big challenge! ;-) Beautiful and intensive game...Guess who won? ...

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