Mountain Bike Lessons Arequipa Near Me

Haiduc Cosmin: Trully recomended!Well organised, good equipment and fair price!

kisology: мы брали трехдневный тур в каньон Колка и на вершину Чачани с личным гидом. В первый день на каньоне Колка мы позавтракали в 7 утра, закончили наш трек в час дня и потом два часа просто сидели на дороге и ждали автобус! Почему нельзя было организовать машину при стоимости тура в почти 700$ не понятно. Нас предлагали подвезти за небольшую плату, но гид отказывался и в итоге мы потеряли пол-дня. По плану у нас были термальные источники, но в городе мы оказались только в 16:30, все это время не было ни еды, ни даже перекуса!!! Конечно, уставшие и обгоревшие от сидения 2 часа на дороге мы побежали есть, так и не посмотрев город и источники. На след день гид сказал, что наш автобус в 9, но оказалось он ушел по расписанию в 8:30 и мы опять просто ждали автобус. Затем был обед - кусок сухого хлеба с тонкой колбаской и помидоркой, и все! Конда машина привезла нас на 5000м гид несколько раз проговорил, что машина будет ждать нас на этой высоте. Мы поднялись на 5200, мне сразу стало нехорошо, но гид не делал ничего. Сказал только выпить обезболивающее, если у меня есть. Ночью стало плохо моему парню, мы не смогли пойти на вершину, гид сказал, что надо дождаться рассвета. Сам спокойно вернулся в палатку и храпел до утра. Утром мы кое-как собрали наши вещи и пошли вниз. Оказалось, что машина нас там не ждет и у гида не ловит телефон, он никак не может вызвать машину! А если бы что еще более серьезное случилось?! Как можно так организовывать тур?! К счастью, мы встретили другого гида, она вызвала нам машину и прождав еще час, нас, наконец, эвакуировали. Моему парню было очень плохо, я чувствовала себя нормально. Наш ужин был в 6 вечера, всю ночь мы не спали, и утром тоже. Но когда я сказала гиду утром, что хочу есть - единственное, что он мне предложил - немного орехов. Я не рекомендую эту фирму для организации ваших туров, в перу много других достойных операторов. Это неоправданно дорого, но еще и опасно для жизни!

Marisol Cainero: There is all that I love

Mo Al: These guys are hero's!First very sincere and faithful in their work. They did their best for us to bring us in safety during the demonstrations.They took care of us the whole trip and offered food and drinks as if we were their family or friends. Saul and Carlos were driving very careful and very professional. They know the way as experts.More important is the clear communication and honesty. They knew that we were in emergency and wanted to leave the country but they didn't make use of that to ask more money. They requested exactly the usual price of the tour from Arequipa to Puno.Thank you guys, we trusted our lives in your hands and you were very adequate.

Eliáš Slunečko: Scammers. I tried to rent a car. The company asked me to send money (1500USD) on private account. All the certification on their website is more than 10years old. Definitely frauds. I consulted that case with our Embassy.

Fabienne Peter: You want some fresh air and silence? We booked the half-day trekking on the Misti-volcano. Our guides Marcello and Marco Antonio were always really friendly and told us a lot about the peruvian culture. At our top we had a stunning view at sunset. It was just amazing, thanks a lot!

El Mer: There are dozens of travel agencies but if you choose Peru Adventure Tours, you won't be disappointed...at least for us, it was a very good choice! First, the site of this agency is visible on the Net. It is so extensive (even to excess ;-) ) that you have all the useful and necessary explanations, ranging from the description of the different tours by category, with what is included or not, recommendations, how to book , payment methods, terms and conditions, FAQs… in short, everything from A to Z! No surprises on arrival!The adventure began in 2019 with the reservation for autumn 2020... as the coronavirus arrived, the postponement to 2021 or even 2022 was immediately proposed by Saul Ceron, the director of the agency. Peru only reopened its borders in mid-2021 and Saul advised us not to rush... the postponement to 2022 was very good advice!The day before the first tour allows us to take stock with the staff. We also met Saul who offered us some modifications. He was very good advice once again and we really appreciated the changes.Bike tour in Colca Canyon, transfer to Puno, excursion to lake Titicaca, transfer from Puno to Cusco via Langui Lake and three other lakes and bike tour, four days Inca trail trek, Maras Moray Ollantaytambo Pisac … super wow tours !In addition to the great landscapes, you can count on the competence and kindness of the guides and drivers, on their knowledge, on their humor, on equipment in very good condition (mountain bike in this case), on a car that is always very clean despite all the dust stirred up… wow wow wow! Great times! Thank you to all of you who make Peru Adventure Tours a great agency and allow us to have an amazing vacation! We will not forget your address if we return to Peru!

Raffaela Ackermann: We had an amazing adventure climbing Chachani in one day - thanks so much! Everything was perfectly organised, our guide Jarly was just perfect and we loved it!

Gwen: We hadden last minute een privé tour geboekt voor El Misti. Peru adventures heeft toch een gids die Engels spreekt voor ons kunnen regelen. Fernando, de gids, heeft veel tips gegeven wat wij in Arequipa kunnen doen. Hij gaf ook veel tips voor onze reis in Bolivia. Tijdens de tour heeft hij erg goed voor ons gezorgd. Betrouwbare tour. Top dag gehad!

marco mayta: An incredible adventure tourism travel agency!!!

Emily Zhang: Great tour company! We did the Isla Ballesta and Huachina tour. Our tour guide ROSE was amazing! Rose and the tour company made everything super convenient and easy for us. For example, they picked us up from our hotel on time and took care of our luggage by keeping it in the car. We were dropped off with Rose to Isla Ballesta, and she handled the tickets for the boat ride. The boat tour was incredible and had English translation too! We saw many sea lions and penguins which was amazing. Ride was def windy so bring a jacket (November is when we went).Once we got back to main land, we went to Huachina. Rose was extremely knowledgable and give us a great backstory of the area. Rose was with us the whole time. We did the sand dune ride and the driver was AWESOME. The best sand dune ride of my life, the driver took many exciting and fun paths that made the ride extremely thrilling. Best part Rose came with us which was nice. Our driver also stopped at a nice top spot to watch the sunset which was not in the scheduled plan, which made the experience more authentic and genuine.Overall, my family and I had a great experience with this tour company and Rose is the best! Highly recommend.

Jose Cueva: Excellent service

Ivan Dillinger: On Thursday 23rd of January 2020 we had absolutely amazing tour COMPLETE EXCURSION TO RESERVA NACIONAL DE AGUADA BLANCA Y LAGUNA Salinas.Prior the tour I contacted Peru adventures via email. All communication was clear and good organized.We had pick up at our hotel at 6:15 am on Thursday 23rd of January. Our driver Saul Ceron and our guide Salome Gomez were waiting for us with comfortable 4x4 suv Toyota.We departed shortly after and head to national reservation. Our first stop was in small village Chiguata with beautiful church and square.After approx 2 hours we arrived to laguna Salinas. Amazing view and short trek for 1 hour around. Trek was quite challenging because of hight altitude. Our guide Salome adjusted to us. She is very attentive and she helped us with high altitude sickness. She offered us some cocca leaves and explained how them work and how we should chew them. She gave us excellent information about nature and history. As well we get to know plant Chachacoma which helped a lot.Later on we continued to rock forest of Puruña. On the way we saw plenty of lamas and alpacas. We were lucky to see Vicuñas.When we arrived, we had a snack - chocolate, banana and orange. To gain some energy. Rock forest offered astonishing views. This place is a hidden gem. We were also lucky to see El Misti mountain when clouds shattered.Followed by a lunch in small restaurant. Lunch and drinks were include with selections of many sandwiches and soft drinks.I have to say that our guide Salome is absolutely amazing. Far above expectations. She is very funny, attentive, carrying and super knowledgeable. She told us some much about Peruvian nature and culture. She took pictures of us on various viewpoints. She encouraged us on treks and had plenty of useful tips to help us with high altitude. It was genuine pleasure to spend time with her.Our driver Saul was great as well. Funny and professional. We felt very save when he was driving on bumpy roads. He definitely knows how to handle difficult roads and we enjoyed magnificent views on the way.Thank you Salome and Saul for this experience. This was absolutely fantastic tour and we enjoyed every second.Warm regards boys from Czech RepublicDaniel + Ivan + Ondra.

Hamish McIlveen: Bought a ticket with this company from Uyuni to La Paz. The blockades in La Paz caused the bus to be cancelled. No refund was given

Elena Boschini: Awesome company! Elida is the best guide ever! Super passionate and knowledgeable about her country and culture.

H. Stephen Olson: Saul Ceron in Arequipa is a very poor communicator and unprofessional booking agent. Didn't return emails, did not respond to questions and on the last day before my tour was supposed to happen I was told by the agency the tour would not happen. I walked to the office 3 times in 3 days and was disappointed at every interaction. I would recommend not using this company and instead working with the smaller more genuine agencies around the town.

becky dieffenbach: Had a wonderful experience going to the Reserva National for a half day with our trusty guide Johan. Johan was thoughtful and knowledgeable, always checking in to see how we were doing and sharing with us information about Misti and the area. I would recommend Peru Adventure Tours and especially Johan!

Clipton Mayhua Coaquira: Travel agency with different programs for all tastes

Simran Afsah: I do not recommend Peru Adventure Tours. We went in to schedule a mountain bike excursion with the agency and we were told (and confirmed by their website) that the tour would include an hour and a half ride up the mountain and 3 hours on the bike. Additionally, were guaranteed an english speaking guide. In the end, we ended up spending 1.5 hours in the car, as expected, but only 1.5 hours on the bike. Also, the guide did not speak English and even told me that at one point he could speak english conversationally, but now he cannot (I speak Spanish so i could understand all this, but my partner does not and this proved to be a difficulty.) Lastly, the guide provided no information during the tour-- he didn't tell us where we were going, how long we would be on the bikes, or anything about the surroundings--instead, he kept talking to me about his girlfriends... We requested a refund from the shop and we were given a small percentage of our money back after significant hassle. Overall, this was a bad experience!

Lorenzo Pierini: Molto precisi e affidabili. Abbiamo fatto 2 giorni in bici per il Colca Canyon e mi sento di consigliarli. Unico neo l'albergo in cui abbiamo soggiornato a Chivay, però la città di suo nn offre niente di molto meglio.

Nicolò Piccione: L'esperienza con Colca Trek è stata indimenticabile! La nostra guida Vladi era preparatissimo e il nostro driver Michi super simpatico e anche un ottimo fotografo per le foto ricordo. Ricorderò sempre il baile del condor che ci hanno insegnato.Sono stati giorni stupendi, abbiamo visto panorami unici, che toglievano il fiato, e imparato moltissime cose: tour consigliatissimo!

EDGARD BELTRAN: Good attentionWith experience in tourism

Luuk Deen: Vlado is the best guide. Thinks about everything and makes you feel extremely comfortable

Lotte VDE: Our 3 day visit to the Colca canyon was just what we wanted: in a group of 6 people with Patty, our very kind and professional guide and Erly, our very kind and safe driver. Golden duo, it was very nice to travel with this agency! We were able to visit the Colca canyon in very calm and charming way, with avoiding the big crowds (e.g. we were alone at Cruz del Condor). Last but definetely not least, we had the opportunity to sleep in the amazing Colca Trek Lodge. Highly recommend!

Helber Paredes Tairo: I went to the Cotahuasi canyon, not the Coloca

Simon Cuerden: I did the two-day Colca Canyon tour. The tour was undoubtedly good but it was not great.Firstly, the staff were definitely amiable although the information I was given beforehand did not adequately prepare me for the trip.I was specifically told to bring insect repellent. I have no idea why. This was completely unnecessary because I never had to use it. Secondly, nobody bothered to give me the most important piece of advice: bring warm clothes! Nobody in my small group had done so either. In fact, a group member told me that before the tour she had explicitly asked if she should bring warm clothes and was advised it was unnecessary. I was freezing cold at night. This annoyed me because I had warm clothes – back in Arequipa! Yes, it may be hot during the day, but the temperature drops dramatically at night. Nobody bothered to tell me this.I was expecting a lot more information on the tour but didn’t receive very much. If I contrast this to my Sacred Valley tour near Cusco, we were constantly informed.The first part of the trip involved an off-road visit to some striking rock formations. Our guide took us on a short walk. However, we got to a point where we were at the bottom of a short but steep incline. It was tough to scramble up and felt dangerous. If I’d fallen, I could have hurt myself. I thought this was an unnecessary risk.The walks we did were pleasant but were nothing extraordinary. One involved stopping on the road and walking alongside observing local wildlife – but we were walking along the side of the road! I had expected something a little more uplifting than this.When we arrived at our hotel, it was pleasant but very cold. This could have easily been avoided if someone had told us to bring warm clothes! (Yes, I know I’m harping on about this, but this issue would have been so easy to avoid.) We went for an early evening walk nearby. It was okay, but I wasn’t too impressed at the amount of garbage on the footpath. It was pretty depressing to see. Once we got to the edge of the canyon, our guide asked if we wanted to proceed further. But we were all so cold that we asked to turn back.On the second day, we went on a bicycle ride. Most of it was downhill so it didn’t require much effort. The views were lovely, and this was fun. This was an enjoyable excursion.The food at the lodge was decent and basic – but it wasn’t exceptional. By the way, the lodge doesn’t have internet. Although my cellphone provider, Claro, had an excellent signal, it would have been nice to know about the lack of internet in advance. After all, for better or worse we live in a connected world – and it would have been better to have known this beforehand.The van we travelled in was comfortable enough, but the door rattled slightly. This made for quite a noisy journey. I know this may seem trivial, but for a long trip, it matters. The constant juddering was a bit jarring.We were asked to complete a questionnaire at the end of the trip. This is always a good idea, but for a questionnaire to accurately reflect people's opinions, it’s much better to give guests the privacy to complete it. Then you are more likely to receive an accurate reflection of what they think. Why so? Well, some people are happy to discuss things in person while others are more non-confrontational and prefer to privately give their thoughts on paper. This was not possible, as our guide was hovering over us the entire time and immediately read the questionnaires after they had been completed.As I said, this tour was certainly good but not great. Judging by how much this cost compared to other tours, in my heart I cannot really recommend it.

Tim Peelen: Perfect information provided about hiking in the region by vlado. Most kind and helpfull person you will ever find :)

Robert de Vos: We did the 2 day/1 night Colca Trek and it was great! We were picked up early in the morning at our hostel by a private bus from Colca Trek. Here we met our tourguide Savino and our driver Michi. These two really made our trip even more special because they were so much fun together! Very high knowledge level and always time for some jokes (often at expense of each other :) ). The first day you drive towards Colca Canyon and make multible stops on the way to look at nice places, nature and animals. At the end of day one you arrrive in their beautiful lodge with a magnificent view of the canyon. There is a nice fireplace where you can have a drink and relax. The second day you have a walk along the canyon towards the viewpont of the Condors, also beautiful (we saw 3!). After this you have a bikeride down and enjoy the magical scenery. All in all a great experience, Savino and Michi thank you!

Martin Gonzalez Ramirez: Had a great experience climbing the Misti with Johan Zarate. I have climbed a few similar-profile mountains and he's the best guide I've encountered so far. Without his support and management, both mentally and physically (setting the right pace), our group wouldn't have made it to the top. Very glad we climbed with him and thanks to Colca Trek for organising it at such short notice (36 hours).

yanet bellido: 🤬

Debora Martins: Disappointed with the food served.

Gard Hulzen, Van: Mooi maar niet heel bijzonder omdat je door steile wandelingen niet erg ver komt in twee of drie dagen . In drie dagen. Is de trip goed te doen, in twee dagen doe ik of dag 1 veel.

Christian W.: We made a tour to the Colca Canyon and we loved it. We was never be a part of the crowd and could see each stop with a good explanation of the guide. The night in the lodge was very comfortable with an amazing view. And of cause, our group was first to see the condors.

angelica c: Bit hard, accommodations in the oasis were very simple

Angéline Berthet: We had a wonderful trip with Mihail Soto alias Michi, a human person who did everything to make us stay the best trip ever away from others tourists.Thanks a lot colca trek and Michi to organise our trip of fantastic 4 days

Thiago Moulin: The Colca Canyon is a great place to see, but I would not recommend doing a tour. Rather, it seems to me that it is a better value to rent a car, drive around there and stay in a nice hotel (such as the Colca Lodge with hot springs).I will start from the beginning: If you plan do book this online know that they do not have any system implemented and everything is done over email (more prone to mistakes too). You have then to wire $100 to them to make sure you have a spot. This was more complicated than it seems with my bank and there was a $20 fee involved. Colca Trek made an exception and I transferred them the money over Western Union, which saved me such fee. Still, very cumbersome process.I booked the 2 day tour. Initially, it was advertised that we would be picked up from our hotel and that we would go to hot springs at the end of the second day. About a month prior we received an email stating that they would not be able to pick us up, rather, we would have to go to their store to get the van. About 15 days prior to the tour we get another email stating that the hot springs are too crowded and that we would do a hike instead. It surprises me that being in this business for so long they could not anticipate how the hot springs would be and not falsely advertise such a feature in their tour.Very well, we go on our tour. First thing to know is that the Colca Valley/Canyon is a 3h drive from Arequipa. Add in the stops to pee, have lunch, see animals (llama, vicuña, etc) and some rock formations and you've spent pretty much all of your first day with very, VERY skippable things. After dropping our stuff off at the nice hotel they have there, we go on a short hike down to where the Valley narrows down into the Canyon and watch the sunset. This was great, but lasted 30 min, maybe less.The second day starts early. We go to the Cruz del Condor and arrive there around 7:30. No condors in sight but it was quite nice seeing the beautiful canyon with no tourists around. We go to our downhill bike experience. This lasted 30 min max, which was such a shame. Instead of touring down slowly and appreciating the vistas, our tour guide rushed the way down. Given that we were instructed to stay together and follow him, we all finished this activity so much faster than it should have been. The views are incredible. The valley and the ancient terraces are wonderful. Unfortunately we were not able to enjoy it as much as we could. We then head back to the Cruz del Condor, around 9:00 and this time we see so many condors. It is now packed with tourists too.To end the day we go on a pretty mediocre hike to a lake. Why we didn't use this time to see more of the canyon/valley is beyond me. We then go back to the hotel, have lunch and then head back to Arequipa.Now here's why I think you should go to the canyon but not do a tour: the best thing about the Colca, by far, is its geography and the terracing. The condor watching is also another highlight. None of this requires any knowledge. There's no hidden gems. It's right there. If you drive around, stopping at the miradores that you think are nice you'll have a much better, unique and exclusive experience, not having to share it with a 16 people tour. Our tour guide, Sabino, was a nice guy, but the information he offered is not worth the price you pay - in money terms (US$190/person) but also in having to pace yourself with the other 16 people, never really having solitude in a place that kinda requires quiet admiration, etc. Also, the food we ate was ok (I think it's almost impossible to eat bad food in Peru) and the hotel is nice, but, again, not worth $190/person.If you are a couple, and decide to rent a car and stay in the Colca Lodge, for example, you'll spend less, stay in a much nicer hotel, spend as much time as you want admiring the canyon and can then use the savings to buy a good book on the history of the Colca ;-) .

Patrick Dec: Wir hatten eine unvergessliche Zeit während unserer 2-tägigen Tour mit Colca Trek. Alles war von Anfang bis Ende super geplant und organisiert. Auch auf einen kurzfristigen Streik in Arequipa wurde bestens mit einer Alternativroute zum Colca Tal reagiert. Unser Guide war extrem freundlich und hat uns unglaublich viele interessante Sachen zum Tal, der Natur, den Menschen und den Tieren erklärt. Der Fahrer war ebenfalls absolut klasse und hat uns sicher und zuverlässig von Ort zu Ort gefahren. Die Übernachtung in der Colca Lodge war auch ein super Erlebnis, die Leute alle sehr nett und das Essen war extrem lecker! Wir würden sofort wieder über Colca Trekk buchen, die Tour war ein absolutes Highlight unserer gesamten Peru-Reise!

Guillermo Caballero: An unforgettable experience, descending into the depths of the Colca and feeling the micro climates is fabulous, the richness of the valley, the use of pre-Inca platforms and the landscapes make this trek something fabulous.

Imke Schoppink: We had an amazing tour with Colca Trek to the Colca Canyon. At first we wanted to do a tour where we would hike more but we're glad that we didn't because the altitude hit us harder then expected. In stead of walking we biked a lot which was a very nice alternative. With the tour we drove to a beautifull lodge with a lot of stops on the way to watch wildlife and nature scenes. The lodge is wonderfull with an amazing view over the mountains and very nice staff. It gets super cold at night and they put warm water bottles in our kingsize bed.The absolute best thing about out trek was our guide Sabino. He was born in the canyon and gives a lot of interesting information about the flora and fauna in the region. He is very friendly and helpfull and takes very good care of the people in his group, especially if you suffer from altitude sickness. He also taught us how to make amazing pisco sours.And he makes sure you get to see Condors!

Tanner Hayes: I studied Spanish with Maria for 10 hours over 5 days and loved it. She's a great teacher, with a cool little school, in a splendid neighborhood. Maria definitely helped jog my memory of many of the words and grammatical concepts that I had learned years ago. You should definitely choose Llama Education Spanish School for your lessons while in Arequipa.

Chris Brooksbank: We did a 7 days of Spanish school with Maria and Marta. Doing a grammar and conversation lesson each day. Both great teachers.We took lessons having done some basic Spanish via apps so we were close to beginner. The lessons were really well structured, we were encouraged and challenged. As a result our Spanish really improved and were able to have basic conversations by the time we left.The lessons were enjoyable. And Maria was super kind and helpful to us throughout our days there. Many thanks and hope to see you again in the future!

Ville Palonen: Llama Education is a first-class Spanish school and highly recommended!I have experience from other Spanish schools in Mexico, Guatemala and Spain, and I can honestly say that during my 2 weeks (40 hours total) in Llama Education in December 2022 I learned much more than I was hoping for.One-to-one teaching method was extremely flexible and worked really well for me because everything could be customized to my needs. I enjoyed especially the fact that even grammar lessons included lots of conversation, in fact it didn’t feel like grammar studies at all when we were talking about local politics or Xmas traditions.It's possible to study online, too; I had a few Whatsapp classes before my visit to Arequipa, and will have another dozen online classes during 2023.Many thanks to Maria who runs the school – you are super!

Trevor Farris: What a time, what a place, with amazing, welcoming, and helpful people. It has been seven months since I arrived in Arequipa, so I am writing this review with a bit of time and space in between, but it was such a powerful experience it feels like I was there just last week.Firstly, the amount that my Spanish improved from being in Arequipa for only three weeks was unlike anything I experienced in California, and I had been taking Spanish classes for a few prior to going to Peru. I had a pretty good understanding of how the language worked and a decent grasp on the grammar, but I never could have a real conversation in Spanish, whether that was because I never had anyone to practice with as intensely as I did at Llama Education, or whether that was because I was afraid to practice. But taking classes helped me get the practice I wanted and needed to actually feel like I could have conversations in Spanish. The classes are very intimate-- they are one on one, you and the teacher, so you get so much time to speak in Spanish, fail speaking in Spanish, and learn to speak in Spanish. Martha and Jimmy were my teachers and they were very helpful at pushing me to grow my vocabulary and understanding and use of grammar. It was also great having one on one classes because you end up talking about real things, not those silly American Spanish class conversations. My teachers became my good friends while I was in Arequipa. Also through the classes I got to learn a lot about Peru, it's history, it's culture, it's food, etc.Secondly, Maria is amazing and so helpful. When I arrived in Arequipa, Maria came to the airport and picked me up in a taxi, and she showed me around the city and where the school was and how to use the buses. While we were wondering around the city, the family I was originally going to be staying with while I was there called and said they were no longer able to host me, so Maria offered for me to stay with her, which I did, until another family she reached out to was ready to host me. It was very kind of her to host me, and it was nice to be able to talk with her (almost entirely in Spanish) and get to know her. Maria was also so helpful in trying to retrieve my lost baggage from the airlines. I didn't have my luggage for a week, and spent a lot of time trying to locate it and get it to Arequipa, and Maria also helped a lot. She came with me to the airport to try to talk to them there, she called people, etc.Thirdly, I ended up staying in Arequipa with a family that Maria knows, and that was an amazing experience in itself because it is quite a different experience to traveling than one gets if they were to stay in a hotel or hostel. The family I stayed with was also very welcoming, helpful, and kind. They included me in all of their plans. I got to meet and get to know their extended family as well as them. They talked to me and made sure to talk to me, which was good because I was able to get more practice speaking Spanish at the families home after going to Spanish school.And finally, Arequipa is a cool and beautiful city. It's different than Cusco--which is the other city I visited in Peru-- because there seems to be a lot less tourism, which I think is good because in Cusco a lot of people speak English, but in Arequipa it seemed like the amount of English spoken was a lot less, which again is good for practicing Spanish.Llama Education provided a great experience for me and anyone considering participating in the school should definitely do it!

Carlotta Weickmann: Ich habe eine Woche Sprachunterricht bei Maria genommen und auch dort gewohnt. Es war sehr toll. Die Lehrerinnen waren super lieb und aufmerksam und mein spanisch hat sich auf jeden Fall verbessert. Man lernt sehr viel in einer Woche und gewöhnt sich schnell ans sprechen.Ebenfalls habe ich die Freiwilligenarbeit mit den Kinder gemacht. Das war sehr toll, die Kinder sind super lieb und offen. Alles sehr zu empfehlen. Vielen dank Maria

Berber Dotinga: I have spend 4 lovely and intense week at llama education. I loved Raúl and Marta as my professors and learned so much. I went from basic to semi fluent!! Everyone is very welcome and caring. Would love to come back and recommended it 10/10.

Kevin Ehmke: Ich hatte eine wundervolle Erfahrung während meines einwöchigen Sprachkurses und kann das sehr kompetente und liebenswerte Team der Sprachschule nur weiterempfehlen!

Niklas Bobbe: Was here for 2 day a 6hours crash course. Was really good intensive 12 hours! Very caring & good teachers. Also they were able to speak good English if needed. The Training while walking outside in the city is also very helpful to master everyday interactions.

Etienne: ¡Hola amigo!J'ai étudié à Llama Education en septembre dernier durant 6 semaines, en logeant à l'école.Et bien moi qui ne parlait et ne comprenait pas un mot d'espagnol en arrivant; ma progression à été aussi surprenante que fulgurante !En une semaine, je me suis mis à comprendre et à parler -un peu-. Deux semaines je pouvais faire les basiques solo (aller au supermarché, coiffeur... ), en 3 semaines j'ai pu me débrouiller en tête à tête avec une latina 🤔😁 et ainsi de suite.Au bout de 6 semaines j'étais fin prêt pour voyager sans aucune crainte.Maria est une très belle personne, nous avons eu beaucoup de bonnes conversations et, cerise sur le gâteau, elle cuisine super bien !Le fait de loger à l'école m'a permis de rester en immersion totale et de pratiquer mon espagnol à temps plein.Les différents professeurs sont tous pleins de qualités et vous apporteront beaucoup, merci Martha, Jimmy et Manuel !Aujourd'hui je suis sur le point de rentrer en France après 10 mois d'aventures (pour la plupart au Pérou) et je parle couramment l'espagnol.Un grand merci à Maria et Llama Education, sans qui tout cela n'aurait pas été possible ! 🤗

Hamish Grime: Maria is such a lovely woman - shes great to learn with and very supportive. I particularly like that she provides plenty of information (and homework) and can structure the lessons for you but remains very flexible. She was great with all my questions and i felt i could take the lesson where i wanted. Definately recommend!

Kyle Green: I had been researching Spanish immersion schools all over South America for over a year before choosing Llama Education in Arequipa. What this school offers cannot be found anywhere else- teacher rotation for advanced listening skills/training, a structured curriculum that covers ALL tenses beginning with indicative and finishing with subjunctive, cultural education covering Incan history as well as Peruvian business and politics, sports, cuisine, music, and health and wellness, and the teachers are EXCELLENT. I completed the entire duolingo Spanish language course, the entire pimsleur Spanish audio course, and I had taken private lessons for 10 months before taking classes at the Llama school and I can honestly say that these are the best teachers you are going to find in any immersion program. Also important to note is that if at any time the school starts to reach peak attendance, Maria the owner of the school and head of the program has alternate locations to accommodate student overflow. This is a common complaint that other students have about other schools in other countries. Usually if a school reaches peak attendance, the group sizes just increase or lesser experienced teachers are brought in on a temporary basis and the students end up suffering. This WILL NOT happen at the Llama school. I would recommend the 6 week package and I would also recommend taking the local accommodation option or staying at the school. This guarantees a full immersion and a safe and healthier experience overall for a price that cannot be beat.My wife and I had an unexpectedly bad experience at an airbnb and Maria literally rescued us. Unexpected things happened and we needed help and Maria was there to help deal with our airbnb cancelation (made calls, translated, negotiated, saved us money) and found a last minute accommodation for us at the school. It was incredible. We ate well, toured the city, met and hung out with neighbors and friends, lived life as a local and left with an unforgettable experience.

Mike Cannon: Very good lessons. I learned the basics of Spanish. I highly recommend Christian, Christian is god. His expressions are perfect. Pretty good to imitate though.

Naomi Wong: I’ve had a great experience with Llama Education. All contact with Maria has been easy, friendly and always helpful. She made a customized program for me adapted to my level of Spanish at a schedule that worked best for me. For 5-6 weeks I followed individual classes, face to face (respecting all covid measures). The classes were 50/50 talking and grammar, which was a nice combination. My level increased a lot! Next to the classes, Maria helped me finding voluntary work during my stay in Arequipa and was always available to help or think along with me.Muchas gracias por todo Maria!

Julie Ha: It was my first time traveling to Perú– my first time traveling out of the country by myself, and I am so glad that I chose to go to Spanish Llama Education! I learned so much in a short amount of time. María and Martha made me feel at home and taught me so many things that I will keep with me forever.I came here for a few weeks, and Martha was my teacher. She taught me everything entirely in Spanish, and did so in a simple way, yet incorporated in lots of vocabulary. During this time, I had just completed the grammar series at my school, and wanted a way to practice outside of the classroom. At Spanish Llama Education, I learned a lot about the landscape, history, grammar, numbers, culture, cultural specific words/phrases, foods, and so much more of Perú. The experience felt very personal, because along with learning about the country, I learned a lot about myself, since Martha loved to ask me questions, and also loved to tell me stories. I liked that she made conversation feel natural and comfortable, and it was a welcoming space where I felt free to make mistakes, learn from it, and try to use new vocabulary that I’ve learned. Her handwriting was neat, and she used lots of colors, which helped me immensely. The paper worksheets were useful, and I thought they were wonderful resources that allowed me to refresh my knowledge of Spanish, and learn more from it. María was also my teacher on a few occasions, and she is also a wonderful teacher! I was so surprised to learn that there were many more rules for por and para, and other grammar stuff that they taught me, that I normally wouldn’t have been taught in a traditional American Spanish class. The wealth of knowledge that Martha and María had, and the way they taught it was great, and I’ve been so thankful that I’ve learned and benefitted so much from their teachings.Being a solo traveller, I felt lonely sometimes during my trip in Perú, but I loved that María was always there beside me. I ran into different troubles, but María always listened to me and gave me advice. She helped me navigate, and went walking with me around Arequipa. My favorite memories with María were at the dining room table, where she sat and talked with me. She always made me feel welcome in Arequipa, whether it be in her home or outside, and it let me know that I will forever have a friend in Perú. She also helped me book a tour to Colca Canyon, where I had so much fun! I learned a ton about Spanish and Perú, and was able to fully immerse myself in it. Even after finishing my weeks at the school, María still went out of her way to help me with a problem that I had with a phone company, and spent so much time helping me, and I am forever grateful for that. I feel so much love and respect for María, who is so caring and loving to all students that come to her Spanish school. I will always remember her kindness, and we still keep in touch to this day!In Arequipa, I’ve done so many fun things– I went to Plaza de Armas, Colca Canyon, the mall, took dance classes, ate yummy food, took Spanish classes, got my hair dyed, went horseback riding, walked around the city, but most of all what I cherish the most is how much Spanish I’ve learned in such a short amount of time and the wonderful friendships that I had formed with the dance group, María, and Martha. They made my first time in Perú a memorable experience that I keep very dear in my heart.I highly recommend Spanish Llama Education to everyone of all levels! María is very responsive through texts and emails, and can find what you are looking for and cater the material to your Spanish learning needs. I remember not being able to go the first time, but I still kept in touch with María and attended the school a year later. The staff at Spanish Llama Education will help you every step of the way, and you will come out learning a lot!Thank you so much, María and Martha, for everything! 3

Bart Doolaard: Wow, we had such a great time at this fantastic language school! Me and my girlfriend spent two weeks learning Spanish here. Maria, the owner, is very kind, approachable and attentive to the needs of the students. We enjoyed the atmosphere in the school, it is a homely environment which worked great for us.We were taught by teachers Jimmy and Marta and would highly recommend both, both for their expertise and their sense of humour! We practiced conversations with Manuel who was very kind, funny and did more than his best to learn us his language.In two weeks time we went from basic spanish to a very satisfying intermediate level of spanish. We did not expect to be able to understand and speak this much and are very grateful for the entire experience, all we have learned and the great laughs! Therefore we would highly recommend learning Spanish at this school in Arequipa :)

Caleb Wright: Not only was Llama Education the best way to improve my Spanish rapidly, it is a invaluable experience that has brought me friendships and memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.I traveled to Peru in January 2021, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, during my final semester of remote learning at a university in California. I was very anxious about being abroad during the pandemic, however when I arrived in Arequipa at María's home, I soon realized everything would be okay. María worked all day to ensure that we felt safe by disinfecting the house regularly, following public health guidelines inside and outside the house, and helping us navigate Peru's constantly changing COVID regulations. María also accompanied us to a COVID testing site and cleared up confusion with the testing staff so that we could get the necessary tests for our return flight to the US, which I am not sure we could have done on our own. All this is to say that above the language learning and travel experience, María is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of her guests, even during times of unprecedented crisis and hardship such as the pandemic.Now, onward to the experience itself! I stayed in Arequipa with María and her daughter for 6 weeks, taking 20 hours of total Spanish lessons each week. I had taken 4 years of Spanish classes in high school prior, but had not practiced or used the language regularly since then (about A2 level or maybe a little less because of how rusty I was). After the 6 weeks with María and her fantastic teaching staff, I am now studying to take the DELE exam at level B2, which is a HUGE leap. María tailors the learning experience to each student by alternating between grammar instruction and conversational practice with multiple trained instructors. This approach was perfect, as I was able learn the crucial grammar concepts and then immediately apply them in conversational practice in a way that was impossible during my high school classes and self study.Beyond language instruction, my time in Arequipa was filled with adventure and memories. My friends and I made a pact to only speak Spanish for the duration of the trip (which we succeeded in for the most part) which was difficult at first, but after 10 days or so we were able to converse around the house without major difficulty in communicating. We spent many hours around the table eating María's delicious Peruvian meals (Papa a la huancaína, pollo a la brasa, and anticuchos were some of my favorites!) and learning more and more about each other--something I never had done in second language before. It was like my friends and I had been adopted by María and made part of her loving family! She showed us around Arequipa's historical sites (plaza de armas, monasterio de santa catalina) and even woke up at 3:30am with me to go see the sun rise over Misti and the other volcanoes that tower over Arequipa. María used her network of connections to get us a great deal on a private guided trek through Colca Canyon, the most awe inspiring place I have ever visited. After spending the night in a cabin near the the bottom of the canyon and learning Kechua phrases from our guide and his friends by the river water-filled pools, I knew that this was the most special trip I had ever taken.If the message is not already clear, GO NOW! Start making your plans to stay with María and prepare for a one of kind experience that will drastically improve your language skills, stretch your mind, and fill your heart with love of a new place and the incredible people you will meet. For me, Llama Education was the a major step in a lifelong journey of language learning and the beginning friendships that will extend far beyond my stay in Arequipa.Thank you María, Sonja, Martha, and everyone else who made this trip so special!

Leon Aff: I stayed with Maria at Llama Education for three weeks and did the Misti course. Maria was very accommodating and the lessons were very thorough. I tried 2 language schools in Arequipa and this was by far the best one - highly recommended.

Chris Wu: I had the pleasure of spending a week of Peru exploration in the beautiful Arequipa. I went there for its famed culture and food, and while they turned out be amazing, one of my best experience was with the Llama school and my teachers. I was pretty beatup energy wise after traveling all over on the bus for weeks and I had low expectation going into my 4 hours a day one on one classes. But Maria and Lucero did a great job advancing my understanding of the language. Maria who is also the owner, brought tremendous warmth, knowledge and different ways of teaching every morning, and Lucero brought a lot of energy, patience and determination as we drilled the morning knowledge into the mind during the afternoon. I am not the easiest student of the world by any means as I asked a ton of questions all over the place base on all the cultures and grammars I been exposed to over the years in Latin America, incredibly they answered most of it and by the end of week I had a good grasp of all the advanced grammars which I didn’t think was possible unless I had a month or more. And I can definitely feel the difference with my verbal and reading comprehension during the rest of my trip and even now back home socializing with native Spanish speakers. If you want to improve your Spanish in a comfortable, supportive environment and don’t mind a bit of hard work, I strongly recommend Maria and Lucero and Llama school. Cheers and good luck.

willem martens: I had an amazing experience at Llama spanish school. It’s a cozy school with very friendly people. Maria, the owner, really listened to my wishes regarding the things i wanted to learn and even more. Furthermore, i stayed at a host family that they arranged and it was was lovely. It really took the experience of learning Spanish to another level in combination with the private classes I got. If you consider learning Spanish in Arequipa, i would definitely recommend this school!

Francois Girard: I had an amazing experience studying at Llama Spanish School and staying with a local family. Paola’s food was hands down the best I had in 2 months in Peru, and staying with her family was an amazing authentic experience that I will for ever remember. Maria was extremely welcoming at the school and the teaching was highly professional. I already had an advanced level of spanish and still managed to significantly improve in 1 week. I strongly recommend this school in every way.Francois

Dan Rowe: I moved to Arequipa at the beginning of January 2013, since then I have taken Spanish classes at three different institutes. I always found them to be a chore and a necessity that had to be done. That was until I started having lessons at Cepesma Idiomas in December 2013.Cecilia, through her teaching, has somehow made my Spanish lessons to be one of the highlights of my week and something that I look forward to going to. As a result my Spanish has improved tenfold.At other institutes I was just inundated with sheets of paper that had rules and exercises but with Cecilia, she makes sure that you really understand and always has a different exercise waiting if your attention starts to waiver.I cannot recommend Cepesma Idiomas enough and believe it will be one of the best decisions you make on your trip to Arequipa.Cepesma Idiomas also offer home stays, even though I have not stayed there personally, I have seen the accommodation and it looks very nice and what better way to improve your Spanish than staying with a Peruvian family.If you're thinking of taking Spanish lessons in Peru, head to Cepesma Idiomas!