Slow Travel Trip Review: Learning Spanish in Lima, Peru

At Peruwayna’s cocktail making class

I’ve always been embarrassed by my lack of Spanish skills. Growing up in England, learning Spanish wasn’t an option. When my family moved us back to the U.S., I stuck to French classes. I traveled to Asia before I ever set foot in Latin America because I was so self-conscious about not speaking Spanish that I worried it would somehow ruin my trips.

In 2021, I went to Costa Rica and Mexico for the first time and realized that I was being completely ridiculous. Any Spanish I spoke certainly helped, but both trips went well.

It also sparked an interest in learning Spanish. I had learned Japanese thanks to two years in Japanese Language School in Tokyo- surely Spanish would be easier!

Deciding on Lima, Peru

In 2024, I decided to bite the bullet and take Spanish seriously. My job was already remote, so I negotiated to take a week off and push my hours up, working early in the morning and early afternoon so I could take Spanish classes afterward. They agreed.

I decided to go to Peru because I loved the food, and my Spanish-speaking friends told me that the Peruvian accent was considered clear and neutral compared to other countries. Cusco seemed very touristy, so I decided to attend a school in Lima, a city known for the best restaurants in the world and that had been described to me more than once as “Lima the Ugly” (I love an underdog city!)

I found a school that intrigued me ( that wasn’t difficult-it was pretty much the only school that had a website that didn’t look like it was from the early 2000s). Based in Miraflores, Peruwayna offers classes, a lot of extracurricular excursions, and even a downloadable guide to Lima.

I submitted my application online, including my potential dates, and completed a quick Zoom assessment with one of their instructors.

Peruwayna Classes and Pricing

I enrolled in Peruwayna for three weeks. For my first week, since I wasn’t working, I chose their super-intensive option, which consisted of a four-hour group class from 9 am until 1 pm and then two hours of private tutoring from 2 until 4 pm.

The next two weeks, I took four hours of private classes (in two two-hour blocks) from 2 pm until 6 pm.

Both of these options were the same price: 890 soles ( approximately $260) per week, but a week of group classes alone would have cost a very reasonable 490 soles (approximately $143).

The Benefits of Learning Spanish in Latin America

I had three teachers during my time, and each one took a slightly different approach, but overall, formal lessons on grammar, pronunciation, etc. were integrated in a very casual way, with plenty of opportunities to practice speaking.

Taking Spanish classes in Lima was also a perfect way to learn about local culture and its nuances. Peruwayna did a great job of making sure we got to see the city between classes. We had weekly group dinners at a different local restaurant, and there were options to learn salsa, do yoga in Spanish, and make cocktails with Peruvian pisco.

The conversations I had with my teachers, as my language abilities grew, were the most rewarding. One of my teachers and I talked about haggling at markets, political corruption in Peru, and the pressure from her family in rural northern Peru to have kids before she turned 30. With my other teacher, we discussed Peru’s prog-rock scene, Lima’s stray dogs, and logging in the Amazon.

Was learning Spanish in Lima worth it?

Absolutely. My only regret is not spending more time in Lima! By the end of three weeks, my Spanish had improved immensely, and I could basically get around with tourist Spanish (making a reservation, buying tickets, asking for recommendations, etc.)

While I am not yet conversationally fluent, I went from stammering when anyone said more than “hola” to me to being able to chat with the waiter and hear the daily specials at restaurants.