Centro Maya Xela Spanish School in Quetzaltenango

Study Spanish and Mayan Languages in Quetzaltenango (Xela), Guatemala or with us online.

We are not just another online Spanish language school, but a real school located in the beautiful highlands of Xela, Guatemala. We have had over 2500 foreign language students from over 30 different countries study at our school since 1993. Our classes are “one on one”, and our teachers are college educated with years of experience. For those who can’t travel to Guatemala, we offer online Spanish and Mayan language program, using Skype technology with the same level of enthusiasm and experience that we have here in our physical school in Guatemala. Online classes start at just $15 a lesson, and our study program in Xela begins at just $250 a week including room and board. Centro Maya is a non-profit school that has scholarship program for Mayan women at the university in Xela. Twenty-five percent of our income goes directly to this program. These women are helping to replace poverty with education.

Spanish Programs

Language study is combined with themes such as Latin American literature, Mayan culture, Mayan spirituality and more

Professional Teachers

Our teaching staff are from various highland pueblos and we are all native Spanish speakers and indigenous languages.

Online Classes

The video conferencing technology that allows student and teacher to see, speak and interact in real time via their computers

One on One

Centro Maya Xela uses an intensive one-on-one program with one teacher per student, classes last four hours per day.

I have studied with Pedro at Centro Maya Xela for two years -- a month in Guatemala and the remainder of the time online with weekly lessons. As a Spanish teacher, it is very important that I maintain strong skills in Spanish. Pedro makes Spanish fun and relevant to the real world. He also demands the best from me and makes sure that I meet his expectations. I will study with Pedro again in Guatemala this summer, and I look forward to many years of lessons with him.

Christine M. Spanish Teacher Pennsylvania

Centro Maya Xela is much more than a language school; it is a cultural education, a family, and a fiesta! I have had so much fun on field trips (practicing very practical Spanish), and making lasting friendships with the teacher, the host families, and with the young women who are supported by the school. I also appreciate the flexibility to volunteer in the community at the same time. The best way to learn Spanish!

Dianne, Seattle WA

Centro Maya provided exactly what I needed, intensive language study, continual conversational practice and wonderful field trips. The teachers are wonderful cultural guides as well as dedicated educators, and the opportunity to live with a local family allowed me to get to know Guatemala in authentic ways that honestly changed my world view. Thanks to Centro Maya, I also had the unique opportunity to study Q'anjob'al Maya before I went to work in a rural Q'anjob'al community. Centro Maya can work with students at any level, and I would recommend this school to any foreign traveler visiting the Xela area.

Charity Thompson, Portland, Oregon