Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the Buenos Aires Province, 400 km south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is one of the major fishing ports and the biggest seaside beach resort in Argentina. With a population of 541,733 as per the 2001 census, it's the 7th largest town in Argentina.

These are the most important shows and festivals:

• The Fiesta Nacional del Mar ("National Sea Festival") with the election and coronation of the Sea Queen and her princesses, which takes place in December as the official inauguration of the summer season.
• The Premios Estrella de Mar ("Sea Star Awards") which honor the best stage plays and shows of the season.
• The Valencian Falles week, a local reenactment of the Valencian event.
• The Mar del Plata Fashion Show, along with a number of fashion parades that gathers the best haute couture designers.
• The Fiesta Nacional de los Pescadores (National Fishermen's Festival), a colourful display of sea tradition and cuisine.
• The Mar del Plata International Film Festival, the only Class-A film's festival in the Americas.
• Mar del Plata has also hosted the 1995 Pan American Games and co-hosted the 1978 FIFA World Cup and 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship.
• Since 1987 Mar del Plata annually hosts the Mar del Plata Marathon, in early December.

The weather pattern for the region is that of an oceanic climate, with humid and moderate summers and relative cool winters, although polar air masses from Antarctica are frequent.
The average temperatures for January reach 20ºC (68 Fahrenheit) and 8ºC for July (46 Fahrenheit). The West-Southwest winds bring down the temperature below 0ºC (32 Fahrenheit), while the Southeast ones (the so called Sudestada) are stronger, producing coastal showers and rough seas, as well as strong squalls, but the cold is much less intense. There are about 20 days of frost each year, and almost 60 in the west hills area (some 300 mts above the sea level).
	Snowfall is not so uncommon, but snow accumulation on the ground is rare, a phenomenon that takes place every 6 years or so, according to the last 40 year's data. There are some ten days of 30º C (86 Fahrenheit) each summer, certainly milder values than the rest of the pampas region. Usually, the summer nights are cool and pleasants, with values between 13º to 17ºC (55 to 63 Fahrenheit)

Our Spanish School in the center of Mar del Plata,  only four blocks away from the cultural and historic district of the city. Our school location benefits from the local system of transport since it allows our students to move around without difficulty.

The program
The program is designed to immerse students in a Spanish intensive learning experience and to offer them a real life exposure to the language within its cultural context. The rationale behind this course is to provide an effective encounter with the Spanish language, by means of a sound instruction, social interaction and hands-on experiences. It’s more than just Spanish lessons and more than just traveling...

	Placement test There will be an initial test taken on the first day of classes to place the students at the right level of proficiency. Duration Our Spanish courses begin every Monday, all year round. If you arrive any other day of the week and there is no group class available, you may begin taking individual classes and join a group later on.
The minimum period of a group course is one week. However, we recommend that you take the course for at least two weeks to be able to appreciate your improvements. The average length of the courses is four to six weeks.
	Schedule Classes are in the morning from 8:30 to 12:30. Monday through Thursday: Spanish Instruction. Friday: Culture & Language Workshop (local traditions –cuisine, sports, politics, etc.). Friday is devoted to supplemental workshops that will enhance what has been learnt in the classroom. The students will have opportunities to get an insight on Argentinean traditions and culture through thematic clinics.
Some of them are Local Cuisine, Sports, Lifestyle, Politics, and Media.

Levels
Educational Levels: Every two weeks, the student will be awarded a one-level advancement (and corresponding certificate), unless enrolled in intensive training courses.
The levels of Spanish Instruction are as follows:

1. Initial 1-2-3
2. Intermediate 1-2-3
3. Advanced 1-2-3
Please note:
Intensive courses advance one level per week.
One-to-one courses advance levels depending on the amount of hours completed per week.

Class size
The courses are structured so that there can be no more than five students per class. This helps accelerating the learning process and allows the teachers to have the right amount of time to monitor and assist every student.

Materials
Materials such as books, workbooks, audio, video, magazines and newspapers are included in the tuition.

The teachers
Our teachers are experienced native speakers, academically prepared to approach each student’s case according to their previous knowledge of the language, interests, skills and goals.

PRICES

The registration fee (U$D 35) plus a 10% of the total tuition, are due a minimum of 15 days in advance to the arrival date.

COURSES & DETAILS (per week)

Standard Spanish Course: 16 hs Spanish class + 4 hs cultural workshop + class material
Intensive Spanish Course: 16 hs Spanish class + 4 hs cultural workshop + 10 hs one to one lessons + class material
One to one lessons: individual lessons with the teacher + class material

ACCOMMODATION

* Prices are per person, per week. Prices may vary according to season and exchange rates. Please, contact us to obtain accurate information about accommodation prices.

Important information: Mar del Plata is a tourist city. Therefore, finding accommodations during the summer (December to March) can be really hard. We recommend that you make reservations at least one month ahead of your traveling date. We’ll be glad to help you with the booking process!