Location
  • Cuba
    • Havana
Language
Spanish

Pricing

Starting Price
$345 USD
Price Details
* weekly price includes 7 nights accommodation, breakfast & lunch plus 15 hours intensive Spanish lessons
What's Included
Accommodation Classes Some Meals
What's Included (Extra)

Monday to Friday from 09:00-11:45 intensive Spanish tuition comprising 3 x 45 minute lessons with 15 minutes breaks. Tuition is delivered by an accredited and licensed Cuban teacher. Accommodation Sunday to Sunday (7 nights) in a shared room. (per week)

Meals
breakfast & lunch included.

Jul 20, 2021
Jul 25, 2017

About Program

Learn Spanish in Old Havana – a UNESCO World Heritage Site bursting with atmosphere, music and dance. Homestay with Cuban Family in a vibrant maze of neoclassical buildings.

This program is based in ‘Habana Vieja’ – in the heart of the historic old Havana.

The area is a myriad of gorgeous neo classical buildings packed with local people living cheek by jowl. At street level there is a constant buzz with musicians playing their trade in the many fantastic bars to be found in this popular neighbourhood. The area is VERY safe, and you will quickly feel comfortably at home. There are lots of interesting shops and quirky art galleries here and most of Cuba’s cultural heritage.

You will stay in ‘Casa Jakera’, a licensed Casa Particulare, sharing a dorm room with other student clients. Either way breakfast and lunch are served at ‘Casa Jakera’ and this is the hub of program activities, including; Spanish lessons, group discussions and impromptu social gatherings.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Learn Spanish - Each morning Monday to Friday from 09:00-11:45
  • Accommodation - Shared rooms (single sex) in Casa Particulares throughout.
  • Meals - Breakfast & Lunch included
  • Dance Classes and City tours available
  • Meet lots of other peoples participating to this program

Related Programs

Program Reviews

9.43 Rating
based on 30 reviews
  • 9-10 rating 80%
  • 7-8 rating 20%
  • 5-6 rating 0%
  • 3-4 rating 0%
  • 1-2 rating 0%
  • Impact 9.5
  • Support 9.5
  • Fun 9.8
  • Value 9.8
  • Safety 9
  • Housing 8.8
  • Support 9.2
  • Fun 9.1
  • Value 9.2
  • Safety 9.1
Showing 1 - 8 of 30 reviews
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Janil
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

What an experience!

From researching and travel planning to our arrival and departure we had an awesome time! Tim and his staff were professional and responded quickly to our concerns. Our casa particular & señora Amy (love love love) you'll become family before you leave. Casa jakera: awesome cooks, food was amazing! Met some new friends from all over the world! Classes were great and helped refreshen my Spanish speaking skills. Overall the city is beautiful the staff is awesome amazing music art food scenery. Loved the culture and can't wait to go back!

**Prices were VERY reasonable compared to other companies**

What would you improve about this program?
N/A
11 people found this review helpful.
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Leah
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Unexpected Kindness and Inspiration

Jakera Cuba is like a good home away from home; offering most of what you imagine a happy and healthy family would offer a family member and a guest. Cleanliness, comfortable mattresses, home-made healthy fresh food and support and inspiration to explore and be fearless locally because you know the Jakera team, and the kind and interesting and intelligent guests they attract, are there for you if you ask or they see you need it. Cuba, Havana was a last minute spontaneous trip to a place where I knew no one so I did have my concerns (but mostly about me) which were totally unfounded. Jakera's expert hospitality and the excellent courses and local dance classes coupled with my own fearlessness, discoveries and adventures made for my best adventure so far; sorry India and Sri Lanka I still love you and will return. Soon I hope to travel to Costa Rica with Jakera and hopefully see Panama too. 100% Jakera will be a fantastic experience and service.

11 people found this review helpful.
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Urvi
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

The best way to experience Cuba:)

I found Jakera online and loved my two weeks there! I used the shared accommodation and shared my room with 5 girls, the staff kept it very clean, my bed was comfortable and we had air conditioning. I am a vegetarian and they did a great job accommodating me. The dance was my absolute favorite part, they give you many options to choose from. My Spanish teacher was awesome as were all the great friends I made! Highly recommend:)

10 people found this review helpful.
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Rachel
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Cuba Will Steal Your Heart

There are some trips that you remember fondly, some you might look back on as exhausting, and then there are those that actually change your life, heart, and perspective forever. Jakera's Learn Spanish & Volunteer is absolutely this last option. With a combination of a thoughtfully built and well-run program, and the setting of the absolutely unforgettable and unique Cuba, I promise you will find these 6 weeks too short.
The program was 2 weeks in Havana taking Spanish classes in the morning and then having a cultural activity in the afternoon (either a salsa class - my FAVORITE! - or an interesting cultural tour around important sites in Havana), then 2 weeks volunteering in a beautiful small beach town called Playa Giron (where the Bay of Pigs happened), and then the final 2 weeks back in Havana taking Spanish classes again and volunteering with local programs.
Housing both in Havana and in Playa Giron was in a central location, comfortable, clean, and community-building (without wifi and with travelers from all over the world, people build a close knit community so quickly and easily). Every single night people in the house would either sit on the terrace, play cards, talk for hours, go out dancing, go for a walk around the city, go for a drink, walk the Malecon, etc. No boring moments when there are always people around wanting to explore and experience Cuba with you!
The Cuban staff is AMAZING. They make you feel welcome, comfortable, invited, at home, and like family. The Spanish teachers are professionals who are well-trained in Spanish instruction and also always open to suggestions. They are helpful and warm, and they make you laugh constantly. The house staff will even also help you plan out travels you might want to do around Cuba on your own, after the program has ended!
The volunteer opportunities were varied and purposeful; construction, wildlife preservation, cultural activities with children, aiding art programs, and more. The program is still growing, so I know they will be continuing to look for even more ways to get involved although we already stayed quite busy!

I know people always want to hear about the "cons" as well, but I didn't experience many. The "cons" as far as I could tell were all things that were simply "Cuba," not the program. For example, the heat and humidity - not Jakera's fault, but certainly made work more exhausting in the summer months. At times the water or electricity would have a moment when it would go out, but it would always come back on before long. Also one volunteer program changed things on us at the last minute. But this is just Cuban culture - they don't adhere to specific schedules very often. The Jakera staff was always ready with a Plan B if this happened, and always kept a positive mood going.

Overall, I absolutely loved this program. I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants to give back to the community and actually experience (not just pass through as a tourist) an entirely new culture while traveling. Cuba is a magically unique place. I have traveled a lot, and I can honestly say I've never been anywhere so special. Planning a return trip as I write this, and will go through Jakera again!

10 people found this review helpful.
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Hamish
9/10
Yes, I recommend this program

My first cigar

After a long 2 hour trip to Viñales,we had a spot of lunch, and got ready to go horseriding through the scenic valley there.The mountains were amazing,with lush green trees all around, contrasted with orange sand everywhere.As uncomfortable as the horses were, it was an enthralling experience to canter through such an amazing place as a way to go sightseeing. After a while, i started seeing these straw huts everywhere.I later learned from the tour guide they were tobacco curing houses, places for tobacco leaves to dry, to make into cigars. I heard we were going to see a cigar farmer,and we would have an opportunity to buy some. We all reached a small hut where a farmer gave us all a sample cigar, dipped in honey, because thats what they traditionally do there. I never had a cigar before that, however, i thought it was fantastic. we saw him roll them in front of us, and we then had them in the most amazing setting, it was a real ethnic experience. I subsequently bought 20 of them for 60 cuc, however no cigar experience could ever match that same feeling of my first cigar, in Viñales.

11 people found this review helpful.
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Jordan
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Visit to Cuba

Thought it was a great program and got to learn a lot of Spainish and loads about Cuban culture there is so much to experience in this amazing country the cars,the beaches,the dancing,the people who are kind and friendly. Everywhere you go there is fun reggaeton music coming from the bicycle taxis and cars and the colours and design of the buildings is both eyecatching and beautiful. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to have fun,experience a new culture or learn or improve upon their Spainish

What would you improve about this program?
Maybe more time in viñales
11 people found this review helpful.
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Donna
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Affordable and Fun Travel Adventure in Cuba

When looking to go to Cuba, you have many choices but Jakera's was affordable and more people-to-people centered than most "tourist" focused trips. They organize your lodging ahead, you get breakfast & lunch, have a group hub in central Havana to study Spanish & meet with other travelers. The staff was awesome, esp. if you speak Spanish! I even wrote a book about my adventure: Cuba for Mama (on Amazon)

What would you improve about this program?
Perhaps more organized volunteer projects - there were few when I was there. I came as an ESL English teacher but Castro'd decided the week before he didn't want Foreigners teaching Cubans English (eh?) so we teachers were relieved of that opportunity. It wasn't a failing of Jakera, but the Cuban political system is a real challenge.
12 people found this review helpful.
Caroline
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Lamparilla

It was great, the staff en the teachers are friendly and welcoming. The accomodation at Lamparilla was clean, beautiful, with rooftops. The staff is friendly and helps with questions. The spanish teachers are good and kind. The dancing at casa del sol is great, the teachers really help you to make progress and to have fun. The atmosphere of havana and of the jakera team made it a great experiece. Would definitley recommend jakera cuba!

What would you improve about this program?
It was perfect!
10 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi thanks for getting intouch - Although our programs are attended by mainly young travellers we are also kid and family friendly and have suitable rooms or studios for family’s and can tailor any of our programs to suite . We are a big family at Jakera and all are welcome , Xc