Everyday you can participate in the different free activities organized by the school. Activities include: Spanish Conversation Club, Salsa dance lessons, conferences and lectures, and movies on Guatemalan history on topics such as the recent civil war, the Mayan calendar, and the Mayan culture. There are also optional excursions provided on weekends.

We also give you one hour of free internet time at Il Giardino and we have negotiated special rates for our students to hire horses, kayaks or mountain bikes to explore the surrounding area.

Spanish Conversation Club

After the afternoon class, students can get together with a teacher to practice their newly acquired language skills. There are three levels of conversation classes: beginner, intermediate, and advanced, so all skill levels are accommodated.

Salsa

Join in for free salsa dance lessons lead by a qualified salsa dance instructor.

Conferences and Lectures

Conferences and lectures on all kinds of subjects including:

• Politics
• Guatemalan history
• Problems of indigenous people
• Local poetry
• Handicrafts
• Current affairs.
• The Mayan Calendar
• The Peace Agreement
• Testimonies form Victims of the Civil War
• The Mayan Bible
• Temas actuales

Movies

• History and culture of Guatemala. Movie or video documentaries with Guatemalan or Hispanic themes.

Optional Weekend Activities

There are optional excursions provided on weekends for an additional fee. San Marcos is also an excellent base for weekend excursions to local pueblos, and sites of natural beauty and cultural interest. We can offer advice on visits to the lakeside towns of San Pedro, Santiago, and Santa Cruz, Fuentes Gorginas, the natural thermal waters located just outside the busy city of Quetzaltenango (Xela), the Mayan ruins at Iximche, and the handicraft market in Chichicastenango. A local guide leads hikes up some of the majestic volcanoes and mountains which surround our lake.

Sample of Weekend Excursions

• Kayak to San Marcos.
• Chichicastenango Market (Mercado de Chichi).
• Zip Line (Canopo).
• Hike up the Nose of the Indian (Nariz del Indio).
• San Pedro Volcano (Volcán de San Pedro).
• Bicycle trip to San Marcos.
• Xela.
• Museums (Museos).
• Fund Raising Parties.