La Mariposa - Spanish School and Eco-Hotel

  Nicaragua

Masaya

Dates: Open all year

Description: Learn Spanish and make a difference - this is responsible and rewarding travel

- Spanish Course -

At La Mariposa, our teaching method is day long immersion, with four hour classes held at the Mariposa in the mornings. Two hours of grammar and two of conversation, using relevant materials including the daily newspapers, audio and video. We hold our small group classes (usually one on one and never more than three) out of doors in the beautiful gardens or on the veranda. Our teachers are all people from the local community and are experienced Spanish teachers. Several of them speak English to help complete beginners. We can accommodate all levels of Spanish speakers.

We have developed a comprehensive afternoon prgramme, which rotates on a monthly basis, designed to help you learn about Nicaragua´s fascinating history, politics and culture, as well as the difficulties faced by people living in the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere. We take you to visit local schools, to local handicraft workers and hold discussion groups in the Mariposa. And all in a Spanish suitable to your level to carry on your improvment! We absolutely do not forget about having fun either as visits to volcanoes, volcanic lakes, Pacific beaches are also included in the programme. You also have access to our excellent library of books in English on a range of subjects including Nicaraguan history, aid and development, environmental issues as well as Spanish resources, including dictionaries, grammar books, flash cards - all available for students to borrow.

Student Accomodation - The Mariposa Eco-Hotel

We are a non-profit making Spanish school and small eco-hotel (8 rooms) in San Juan de la Concepcion, situated in the picturesque sierritas (little mountains) just an hour south of Managua. In the process of applying to become a self-financing NGO (non governmental organisation), we use the money spent by our guests to fund a range of environmental and community projects, which are designed and run by local people. Students are invited to help out on any of the projects which interest them as we aim to create a travelling experience which is as environmentally friendly and as integrated with the local community as possible.

The hotel uses its own solar power for hot showers and electricity. We have solar powered wireless internet connection. We also conserve rainwater and recycle as much as possible, including grey water. The hotel sits in its own organic farm, which provides coffee, bananas, free range eggs amongst other things. Students always have in season, locally sourced fruit and vegetables. We welcome vegetarians. Meals are home-cooked with typical Nicaraguan breakfast on offer, family style lunch and dinner. The hotel rooms are all decorated differently, using locally produced handicrafts from beds to pictures each with their own bathroom and fan. The rooms all have great views over the lovely gardens, to which all students have access. We also have our own riding horses and provide locally experienced guides for hiking or just visiting the local town.

Alternatively you can stay with a local family - great for continuing to speak Spanish.

Project information

Students can opt to help out on any of our projects. Current projects include our Tree Project - whose objectives are to support local campesinos by working together with the local Town Hall to plant a range of trees in public spaces, especially schools where children and young people are taught how to plant and care for plants and trees. La Mariposa funds a full time teacher who teaches both theory and practice of conservation in the local secondary school, this school is now sending out brigades of young people to work with young children in primaryschools, this is proving to be a very successful programme. We encourage students to plant their own tree to compensate for the impact of air travel.

A second major project is the adult literacy project and again we are working together with relevant local authorities to support the government's iniatives to lower the illiteracy rate in Nicaragua. We fund teachers and provide learning materials. We also support a very impoverished primary school.

The involvement of travellers in offering English conversation classes is also proving very popular! Planned projects include a library and play centre for under-5s.

Included in the price is a full monthly programme of local visits and activities which is integrated into the Spanish teaching prgramme, but can be undertaken on its own. The Masaya region is famous for its handicrafts (including hammocks), and is also home to many of Nicaragua's lakes and volcanoes. Also within easy reach for afternoon visits are the historic town of Masaya, the capital city, Managua, the Masaya Volcano, the Laguna de Apoyo and Catarina. Day visits include Granada, Leon and the Pacific coast.

Price includes:

* Private room with own bathroom, solar heated water, solar powered fans and lighting.
* 3 meals per day.
* 20 hours of Spanish class, grammar and conversation.
* Full programme of afternoon and wekend activities and discussions to improve your Spanish and get to know Nicaragua.

All For 300 dollars per person per week (7 nights)

Or Book for the Whole Month at 1000 dollars saving 200 dollars

Highlights:
- Responsible and rewarding travel
- Learn Spanish in an ecologically sound and beautiful environment, using solar power, organically farmed and locally sourced products. We recycle kitchen waste, grey water and conserve rainwater.
- Learn Spanish through classroom methods PLUS a range of interesting and fun afternoon and weekend activities designed to help you learn more about the history, politcs and culture of Nicaragua as well as improve your Spanish.
- Help on our organic farm or with one of our projects. Current projects inclue the Tree Project and the Literacy Project.
- Visits to many of Nicaragua's most important and lovely places, including Masaya, Granada, Leon, Laguna de Apoyo - all within easy reach of the Mariposa.

Cost in US$: 300 per person per week, 1000 per month

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Nicaragua Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

The Mariposa Spanish School and Eco Hotel's Mission Statement: The Mariposa Spanish School and Eco-Hotel aims to create a learning environment where visitors, Nicaraguans and ex-pats come together to learn more about the world around us as well as learning the Spanish language. We offer our students the opportunity to learn Spanish through day-long immersion doing grammar and conversations in small groups in a fun relaxing environment. We have a range of activities designed to help you learn about all aspects of life in Nicaragua including history, politics, culture as well as visiting its beautiful landscapes. In our Eco-Hotel, we have incorporated features such as solar panels to try and minimise our impact on the planet.

Year Founded: 2006