Highest recommendations! I've attended 4 other schools in Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras and Fundacion Amauta is absolutely tops. Located on a city street (H. Miguel) in the heart of the historic district, this is an exceptional school by any standards. The building is old (not a bad thing), banos clean and on both floors, with fine teachers (all women in early 2013) and the materials are fine. My teacher, Rebeca, was very good, attentive, supportive (really important in my book) and helpful. From two old and noted families of Cuenca, Rebeca took a group of students (and my wife who wasn't a student) along to the crypts of the Inmaculada or new cathedral. This is off the tourist route and afterwards we all had ice cream in Tutto Freddo's on Parque Calderon. Very nice time and typical of the extra care you get from Amauta. What sets Amauta off from the rest is the amount of care and fun injected by the staff and other teachers. I know of no other school where other teachers will sit down with you AFTER class and talk in groups about anything and help you with your Spanish. Anyone in the school including Maira, the petite and lovely other Rebeca, and Narcisa are terrific fun, very, very lively and helpful. I spent 4 days in school and had to ASK to pay my money. They don't seem to be in it for the money! After my classes were over, my wife and I were specifically asked (multiple times) to attend a paseo (outing) in the country, complete with a professional singer, games (think 3 legged race and water balloon tossing) all accompanied by a professional DJ blasting latino rhythms to the hills. All of the teachers (AFAIK) and staff with vivacious Maira holding the announcers spot attended and joined in the games and fun, talking to the students. This was follwed by a buffet in the old country house hosting us (including students from Lewis and Clark college). Great food! Afterwards we rode back with a host family and the queen of paseo from the Blue Angels team from L&C. No one asked us for a penny! This would not happen in any other country and no other school I've seen. For the paseo on Saturday, we had beautiful weather, transportation, sharing of 5 or 6 hours in the countryside of Cuenca and best of all a chance to share the paseo with Ecuadorian. The level of genuine care makes Amauta THE choice for Cuenca, IMO.

This is the worst school! The director is grouchy and mean and the teachers aren't very knowledgeable. I studied here for a week and it was a complete waste of my money. The director seemed to be upset that I wasn't returning and when I attempted to tell her the reason why, she practically attacked me (verbally). She wasn't willing to acknowledge fault with her teachers, who wasted my time and taught me nothing.

The review of this school that was very negative had to be written by someone who has not attended the school for reason of their own. I have attended Amauta twice for a total of 6 weeks and have had exactly the opposite experience. It would be hard for me to design a better school for studying Spanish. Carefully restored with skylights to allow plenty of light the class rooms are extra large by any standard. However the best part of studying here are the Directors, Staff and Teachers. It would be impossible (yes impossible) for me or anyone else to come up with a better, more dedicated and fun group. Very high energy place and the teachers seem to enjoy working here after having worked at other places. In personal conversations with several of them they all were happy to be here and had no desire to change. All of them give freely of their time even during coffee breaks and as a group I can not imagine finding a more dedicated and friendly group of teachers. It was a delight to attend classes here and I look forward to returning as soon as possible. In my long life I can recommend wholeheartedly very few things but I give Amauta full marks as a very pleasant experience based on the physical layout and especially the personnel from the top down. Fun, energetic and fabulous teachers. The two Directors I had contact with both were high energy and fun!!!!!! Try it and you will be very pleased.

It was my first time going far far away al by myself and for me it just was verry fine that everybody from amauta was so nice to me. I was there for 2 month and I realy did not want to go back home

Excellent teachers! We had private lessons and the teachers listened to what we wanted to accomplish during our stay. For me, an advanced speaker, we discussed a Spanish book, practiced spoken communication, and explored the Cultural sites around Cuenca. The afternoon cultural activiites were varied and interesting--cooking classes, salsa classes, trips to museums, etc.