Weekend Side Quest: Spend Your Saturdays Learning Spanish Inside Intramuros
Upcoming beginner courses start in July.
Published on Jun 18, 2026
(SPOT.ph) ¡Hola! If you’re like us and that’s close to the absolute limit of your Spanish vocabulary, it might be time to finally level up. It’s never too late to pick up a new language—and for Filipinos, Spanish feels just a little bit familiar, anyway.
Yes, there are apps designed for convenience, but nothing beats actually sitting down with a teacher and stumbling through conversations with real people. If learning a new language sounds right up your alley, the upcoming face-to-face Spanish classes by Instituto Cervantes de Manila are worth considering. The sessions are even held in the perfect, historically poetic setting: Intramuros.
If you’re hoping to gain the skills to order tapas and sangria confidently on your next holiday, here is everything you need to know about their upcoming weekend courses.
What to know about the Spanish language classes in Intramuros
The registration for Instituto Cervantes de Manila’s upcoming term is already open, with three different levels available depending on your skill level. Absolute beginners can sign up for the A1.1 course, while A1.2 is available for beginners with a bit of foundation who are looking to take the next step. Those who have progressed past those but aren’t quite intermediate yet can join their A2.2 class.
No matter which one you’re suited for, each of these courses involves 60 hours of face-to-face learning. The term is scheduled to run from July 11 to September 12, 2026, with sessions held every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Plus, it’s not all about classrooms and textbooks. Classes are held at the institute’s branch within the Plaza San Luis Complex in Intramuros, so your weekend “schoolwork” almost doubles as a scenic field trip. Enrolling for the term automatically includes a four-month membership to Instituto Cervantes de Manila’s Intramuros library, giving you plenty of material and inspiration to up your Spanish skills.
Students also get free access to “Melodías del Pensamiento,” a solo exhibition by renowned Spanish photographer García de Marina. Staged in the campus gallery and running until September 19, the curated selection of works makes for a wonderful creative breather after a long vocabulary session.
How to sign up for a Spanish course
The flat rate for any 60-hour course for the upcoming term is P13,500, which roughly translates to about P225 per hour of learning. This is a one-time payment that applies regardless of the level, schedule, or class modality you choose. You can shave a bit off the total if you qualify for any of their applicable discounts for early birds (15%), government employees (20%), seniors (20%), PWDs (20%), and returning students (5%).
Best of all, the tuition already includes access to the on-site library. However, you’ll have to purchase your textbook separately, each one ranging from P1,900 to P3,500 depending on level. Textbooks are available in both physical and digital versions.
Enrollment is entirely on Instituto Cervantes’ new enrollment platform, which is also where you will manage any future courses you take with them.
Here's a step by step guide on how to sign up for a Spanish Class with Instituto Cervantes Manila
First, create an account on the official Cervantes e-shop:
Head over to the Cervantes Login Page.
Register your email address.
Fill up your user data, including name, birthday, and contact number.
Create the account and click on “Recuperar Contraseña.”
Enter your email address to receive a verification code.
Click the link sent to your inbox and set a new password.
Return to the homepage and log in.
Once you’re set with your account, it’s time to enroll in your preferred course:
After logging in, change the country and city filters to Filipinas and Manila, then click “Products from the center.”
Select your specific course and add the course to your shopping cart.
Proceed to the cart to begin the checkout process.
Fill out the required personal details. (Quick tip for the form: For sex, use H for male and M for female; for mother tongue, pick Ingles for English or Tagalog for Filipino; and for country of residence, choose Filipinas.)
Select a discount if applicable, and complete your purchase via payment gateway.
For more information, visit the Instituto Cervantes Manila Facebook page.
Celia Nachura writes to pay for plane tickets, tennis classes, and a pile of books she’ll never have the time to read. She is also the emotional support human to two dogs, Daisy and Nacho.