Pura Buena Onda

I have been attending Pura Buena Onda for about 4 months now and I love it. I highly recommend this Spanish school to anyone of any level. Caro the owner is wonderful and will ensure you end up in the correct class depending on your level. My experience has been wonderful and every teacher I have had has been amazing. They are so caring and patient with every student. Since each class is entirely in Spanish the teachers are so great about speaking slowly and clearly enabling the students to understand and learn. I never feel uncomfortable in asking questions or speaking during class. It’s a very cozy and relaxed environment as the classroom is set up similar to a living room. There is always water for everyone as well as snacks provided in case you are hungry. It’s nice to attend the class after work as it makes me feel relaxed at the end of the day to be able to sit and practice my Spanish with other students who are at or near my same level. Every student I have met as well has been great. If you are looking to learn Spanish I highly suggest looking into Pura Buena Onda. It’s very interactive and you will get a lot of attention as the classes are smaller and you have more time to practice in each class. The classes are well structured and well organized. They even have social events if you can attend. I hope to continue attending for as long as I can.

I’ve been attending PBO for 3.5 years. It is an excellent venue for learning Spanish. It is well-​organized with an excellent staff of teachers. The environment is comfortable, enjoyable, and stimulating. The classes are small which facilitates conversation. At PBO the emphasis is on conversation. There are no text books. My current teacher, Gracia, is fabulous. She creates an atmosphere which not only promotes learning, she also makes it fun.

I won’t repeat what everyone else has said about PBO but I totally agree with the rave reviews! The classes are well-​organized, the curriculum is relevant, the teachers are fantastic, the location comfortable and convenient and best of all, they make learning Spanish fun!

Although I’d taken many years of traditional Spanish classes, I never felt comfortable actually speaking the language before coming here. Pura Buena Onda is strictly conversational, and feels more like a group of friends hanging out than an actual class. As someone who is shy and easily flustered trying to speak a new language, I really appreciate the supportive atmosphere here. Caro (the owner), who herself learned English as a second language, truly understands how intimidating this process can be. Both she and the teachers she employs are kind, patient, and compassionate. They also take the time to get to know each student personally, which is what makes this organization so special. I highly recommend Pura Buena Onda to anyone learning Spanish!

I 100% recommend this school to anyone who has the goal of speaking Spanish. As a teacher here is SD, I can now speak with my Spanish speaking parents and feel more confident.

I highly recommend Pura Buena Onda. It is obvious that the owner, Caro, puts her whole heart into making this the best language program possible. Every teacher I have worked with is simply phenomenal and genuinely cares about each of their students. The students themselves are very welcoming and supportive. The program feels like a community, and I look forward to coming to class each week.
I have gotten so much value from this program. The courses are conversation based, which has helped me quickly learn the language in an applicable way. This program has made me a very well-​rounded Spanish speaker as PBO offers a daily Facebook conversation in Spanish, optional homework each week, tools available on Pintrest, blog posts with Spanish advice, and a grammar component to each week’s lesson. There are adventurous social events every month which allow students to learn more about Latin American and Spanish culture. These events range from museum tours in Spanish, day trips to Tijuana, Spanish film festivals, and boat cruises.
Thank you to PBO for nurturing my love of learning Spanish!

Couldn’t have been happier with my private tutoring experience. Iris was professional and thoughtful. Together we came up with a good plan of action on how to divide up our sessions, as I was preparing for an upcoming job interview that required Spanish language proficiency. Iris helped me identify some focus areas including interview questions and general conversation skills. She also put in a lot of extra work to help me refine my writing sample. She also helped me translate my resume – an added bonus that I had not thought of but I think helped me stand out at the interview. She really went above and beyond!
Iris was the perfect tutor for me in this situation as she had experience at a University in Colombia preparing students for job interviews. Besides being professional, Iris was as sweet as can be – coaching me and being patient as I struggled at times to get my thoughts out (after a few years hiatus from speaking Spanish).
I had taken group classes at PBO in the past too and loved them! Unfortunately, I had to move away from SD for work. But the owner (Carolina) is the best and when I contacted her for private tutoring she helped me set it up on super short notice.
Thanks to Iris and her coaching, I was offered the job on the spot. A huge thank you to Iris and PBO for another overwhelming positive experience.

I’ve had an awesome experience at Pura Buena Onda during the two periods of time that I’ve attended the conversation classes.
For those of you that were raised with a mix of Spanish & English and may not be as grammatically correct as you’d like, these conversational classes really help you practice out loud and hear other folks that are all engaged in learning the language.
Caro, and the teachers Adri, Enrique and Danny have helped me over the years become a stronger Spanish speaker and I would recommend setting up an appointment!
Also it’s in a convenient location in North Park right above the Splash Wine Lounge and next to Hess brewery!

I just started taking classes and private lessons here. Such a surprise to have a place like Pura Buena Onda in my North Park neighborhood. I would say the service quality is high owing to three factors: the physical facility, the staff, and my fellow students.
The «school» is located on University avenue in commercial space located above retail businesses. The «classrooms» are not really classrooms at all. They more resemble living spaces. The class sizes are small as to be intimate. If you looked in on a class, you might think you were peering in on a group therapy session.
So far, I’ve worked with four different teachers, which is in part the design of the program. The idea is to expose you to native speakers from different countries. All the teachers appear to enjoy what they do and presumably are treated well by PBO as it is not possible to treat your clients well over the long term if one’s employer treats you poorly.
My fellow students are motivated, intelligent, kind, and supportive which completes the experience.
Hurray for Pura Buena Onda.

I feel that the classes are really not structured for your own benefit. I feel like you will be put in a class where they need more space to fill in. Then whether or not you’re ready to move up to the next one, you are at their mercy until a space opens up. I don’t feel like I am getting a lot by attending a class. For the price that you pay attending one class where you can probably speak for 7 minutes total, I would rather find a Spanish tutor, one on one, that would give me full attention for an hour, and speaking for an hour as well. All that for almost the same price. Rather than being stucked in a group where some people are so aggressive and monopolizing the time only to repeatedly speak «una cerveza for pavor». Sometimes, the instructor too is either unaware, or doesn’t care whether each one in the class gets the same amount of attention. Lastly, I think the «besitos» or you have to kiss someone on the face as part of greeting is kind of fake.

Why so many 5 star reviews? Well, it might be that they deserve it, and they do! Everything about Pura Buena Onda is fantastic. The instructors, the owner Caro, the group size, the method of instruction, the location, etc. etc. I could go on and on about how great this place is, and I just wanted to add my thanks to this growing crowd of appreciative learners. If standard classroom instruction doesn’t work for you and you want to learn in a social, casual, encouraging environment with other folks who will struggle with you towards fluency, this is the spot.

I have absolutely no idea why this review took so long, but here it is.
These conversational classes are my absolute favorite. Aside from it being an intimate atmosphere with small group classes and a living room style seat setting, the teachers and other students are so fantastic, kind, and fun. I’ve taken numerous Spanish classes through the university and while that style is definitely helpful, PBO is at no comparison to them. All the teachers are some of the greatest teachers I’ve ever interacted with and the classes are so fun and helpful.
I agree with all the great things everyone has already said. I highly recommend anyone who is learning to speak Spanish to go with Pura Buena Onda.

Small group classes with a strong emphasis on conversation. Great roster of teachers with a broad diversity of nationalities represented. Fantastic director who takes the time to personally respond to any question or concern you may have. Good student community fostered by (free) extra-​curricular social events. Very attractive and comfortable classrooms. Overall highly recommended.

Pura Buena Onda is nirvana for those who seek to improve their mastery of speaking Spanish. With an unparalleled singular focus of conversational Spanish in small group settings of leveled proficiencies, Caro has created an addictive and inviting environment that simply fosters language naturally. The setting is relaxing, the instructors are professionally and dynamically fun, and many excellent resources are at your fingertips. Caro is highly organized, offering a weekly blog with helpful insights and optional homework suggestions. Additionally, students can choose to participate in a daily online written conversation with the benefit of subsequent helpful corrections by Caro, and there is a monthly social component for those who wish to further enhance their language learning while meeting others in various entertaining settings. As one who has devoted years to traditional models for learning Spanish, I am ecstatic to have discovered PBO where I happily plan to spend the rest of my life (not because I’m not learning but because I never want to STOP learning!). I am also profoundly grateful to Caro, once a second language learner herself, for sharing her visionary philosophy which offers support and compassion to those of us traveling the bumpy road towards accomplishing a second language.

My favorite day of the week is the day I have conversation class at Pura Buena Onda. Both Caro and Lalo are great teachers and funny people. There’s always good music playing when you arrive, and the other students are friendly and encouraging. The monthly social event is an added bonus that gives an opportunity to see how far you can progress by meeting more advanced students. I’m very happy with my Spanish progress thus far (3 months) and am so glad I decided to attend.

Read the reviews, people. There’s nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said. I’ve taken classes all over the world, and I think this is the best, most effective learning experience of all of them. It’s different, it’s thorough, and you’ll both like it and feel it works if you try it.

I have been taking classes at PBO for almost three years now and, as another student said, I don’t know why I didn’t do a Unilocal review earlier! It is an absolutely amazing Spanish school. Learning Spanish in general, and in particular through my classes at PBO, has changed my life! I began studying because I wanted to be able to communicate better in my volunteer work at a charity organization, but as time has gone on I have not only been able to communicate better in that context but also with neighbors, parents of my sons’ friends, and many others that I have been able to meet and have the pleasure of knowing. I also have discovered how much I really love learning the language! And I give credit to PBO and Carolina for offering classes that have expanded my knowledge, made me comfortable speaking, and helped me to grow.
The teachers are all amazing – I have had the chance to study with them all (or almost all) as of this point. The classes are conversational but all the teachers know how to explain points of the language to get you the extra knowledge to improve. There are «mini-​lessons» to help you learn important points. But there is really no substitute for speaking, and you will get the chance to do so as in no other setting, with other students at your level, in a small class, with an instructor who encourages and corrects you effectively and positively. There are conversations, games, skits, and lots of fun interaction. I look forward to my classes every week!
If you have some knowledge of the language, you are ready to be assessed by Carolina. The classes start at the advanced beginner level. But even if you are a total beginner, ask Caro for help – she has references to private teachers or can refer you to another school. PBO es la escuela perfecta!!!

I LOVE this school. I can’t believe I waited this long to write this review.
I’ve been going to Spanish classes with Lorena for about seven months, and I will keep going as long as I can. I love my classes. It’s terrifying at first, if you’re a nervous nelly like me when it comes to speaking Spanish, but the classes are so fun, and the teachers are so sweet and helpful. Everyone there is very supportive, and after you get comfortable, it’s like your weekly social hour where you can relax and just talk about your day and your plans and what’s going on in the world.
You get to play games, learn Spanish, and most of all PRACTICE! If you’re like me, the thing that was always missing from your Spanish classes in school was the practice. I would avoid actually speaking Spanish like the plague when I was in high school and junior high — because it was easier not to, and you didn’t want to look silly in front of your goofy high school friends.
Well now, I’m an adult, and I truly want to perfect my Spanish. It’s hard to learn as an adult because you have to make time to practice every day, but even if you don’t, you’ll still learn and get better — just more slowly. ;-) Caro and her team give their students tons of ideas and opportunities to work practicing into every day, and it’s really very easy to immerse yourself in Spanish right here in San Diego if you try to and you follow their advice.
My Spanish has improved so much because of this school. I know it will take time since I started on only an intermediate level, but, in this case, the journey is as fun as the destination!
Everything about this school is amazing — I wish I found it sooner!

If you are looking to learn Spanish, this is the place to go! Classes meet once a week and times vary depending on the level. Caro makes learning Spanish fun. She is the owner of the place who loves what she does and it shows. Each week a different lesson is learned and applied throughout class. There are monthly social events, as well. It’s a great place to meet people that like you want to learn Spanish. I’m so happy I started taking classes here at the beginning of the year. I’ve learned a lot and had fun while doing it.
Thank you Caro! You are amazing. :)
RaVae

Wow what a pathetic review by Mr. U. He clearly doesn’t have a clue. I took classes at Pura Buena Onda for about a year and what Mr. U is describing sounds NOTHING like my experience there.
First of all Pura Buena Onda offers conversational Spanish classes, so while she (Caro the instructor) does spend some time going over vocabulary and grammar, that is not the focus of her class. However if you really want to learn another language, the most effective way to do it is by listening to and speaking the language in a fun, comfortable, and encouraging environment, and that is what Pura Buena Onda offers.
The classes are kept small (6 people max/​class) and Caro is always very helpful and encouraging, and makes sure everyone (even the more introverted student) has plenty of opportunities to speak each class. She puts a lot of time and effort into creating unique, lively, and engaging lessons, which I’m sure is why all of her real students have given her 5 stars. I’ve learned more from Caro’s classes by far than from any other instructor I’ve had… and had a blast while doing it!
So if you want to spend your time doing drills, memorizing lists, and filling out worksheets, you should probably go somewhere else. And to be fair sometimes focusing on the fine points of grammar may be what a student really needs, in which case I would again recommend a different class. However if you want to work on your ability to speak and understand Spanish, I cannot recommend another place more highly. Since I started taking classes with Caro my Spanish has improved tremendously (Native speakers in Spain were very impressed with my speaking ability given the amount of time I had been studying), I’ve made great friends, and even met a networking connection which led me to a new job.
Gracias Caro!