FAQ's

How do I get there?
Puerto Escondido has a small international airport. The most con   venient option is fly direct here, or via Mexico City to our airport.
Acapulco has a large international airport with flights arriving daily from many parts of the world. Once in Acapulco, Auto Transportes Estrella Blanca provides bus service between Acapulco and Puerto Escondido. There are departures from el Centro Camionero El Ejido every few hours from 3:30am until 11:56pm. The semi-direct buses take about 7 and a half hours. The cost is about $20 U.S.
Flights into Mexico City are often less expensive than into Acapulco. Therefore, the overall cheapest option is usually flying into Mexico City followed by a 8-12 hour direct bus ride to Puerto Escondido. While this option takes longer, these buses are often more comfortable than the ones that depart from Acapulco and make less frequent stops. Each evening beginning at 7p.m. the Estrella Blanca bus line has direct and semi-direct buses departing from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido. From Mexico City, all of Estrella Blanca’s buses leave out of El Centro Camionero Sur. You can get to el Centro Camionero Sur by metro from most parts of the city, including the airport (metro stop: Tasqueño), but  if you have a lot of luggage or arrive during rush hours, a taxi may be better.

I’m serious about learning Spanish and from viewing the website I wonder how academically serious you are?
For a lot of people who see that we also teach surfing, the old stereotype of the surfer dude comes to mind. However, I assure you that we are quite serious about teaching Spanish even though we do enjoy living in a beach environment.

What are my options for accomodations? I'm on a budget.
There are a variety of options available. The first one is a regular homestay with a local family. The rooms are very clean and have a fan and mosquito net. Most rooms have their own bathroom. Another option is what we call a "pseudo-homestay" situation. At the psuedo homestay you stay at a family-owned small "hotel" where the family lives in-house. You rent a basic room with a bed, desk, fan and private bathroom. With the pseudo-homestay, you get the best of both worlds, the freedom to be on your own without feeling someone is watching over you and the opportunity to practice your Spanish and spend time with a local family. Sometimes we can even arrange a condo or house for you to rent. Please contact us for more information.

I want to help out the community while I am there. What community service options are there?
For most of the students who want to participate in volunteer service we make the arrangements for them to help at the local orphanage or at an iguana, crocodile, mangrove restoration project. We do also arrange for intermediate and advanced students to help in the local schools but the schools are out from July through mid August. You can volunteer as many days a week as you would like. We charge a one time $20 set up fee to make arrangements for the community service

What is the student population like?
People come  from all over the globe, but 50% are from the U.S. Most students are professionals coming to Puerto Escondido specifically to learn Spanish and some want to learn to surf at the same time. We occasionally get a surfer or two and a few travellers passing through on their journeys through Latin America. Most students are in their late 20’s to early 40’s although we do get groups of kids and teens, mostly in the summer and during winter break.

How much opportunity will I have to speak Spanish in Puerto Escondido?
You will have as much opportunity to speak Spanish as you want, especially if you stay in a homestay. You should know that there is some tourism in Puerto Escondido but most of the tourists hang out in a few areas insular and the percentage of tourists to locals is very low. So if you decided to spend your time at the areas where all the gringos hang out, you could end up speaking English almost all the time. However, if that is not your prerogative, it can be very easily avoided; just don’t frequent the tourist areas. There are plenty of beautiful beaches and areas of town where you can co-mingle with locals.

Email us at: mexico@studyspanishandsurf.com