I just got back from a month in Guatemala, of which 3 weeks were Spanish immersion in San Pedro La Laguna (Lake Atitlan) . I won’t claim to be an expert, but here are my observations.
My Spanish was/is A2 level. Prior to departure my Spanish was very dormant and rusty, so I did 2hrs/week for 4 weeks of Preply and started using Babbel for 30 minutes/day too. This tailwind was helpful, and I recommend it, esp. the Preply. (Ideas came from another Reddit post)
I went to San Pedro Spanish School, did 1:1 for 4 hours in the PM with a homestay for all 3 weeks. A good school that I would recommend. Use WhatsApp to communicate with the school, and don’t be surprised if there is a day or two in response - Ramon is incredibly busy with all the inquiries and running the school, etc. Don’t be shy about pinging him more than once to get answers! I found folks departing from the standard 4 hour/day immersion, so if you want something different, ask and see what can be accommodated.
The 1:1 is intense and my instructor challenged my Spanish early to assess my skills, then crafted the program from there. I did influence it thereafter, but largely I left it in her capable hands. Each day I asked for and got homework, which was about 1-2 hours, plus review of prior days’ notes. There were some fun cultural activities organized by the school, some gratis, some for a fee. Most were all in Spanish. I didn’t do even half the activities offered.
The homestay was technically immersive too. But I stayed with other English-speaking students of Spanish (the host needed to have many guests to make the commercial endeavor worth it? ). One week I was with only 1 other guest, other weeks it was 4. You eat what the family eats, but we didn’t eat together much because their life is hectic, the family is big, and we were as many as 5 total so the family dinner table can only hold so many. We did speak Spanish exclusively with the host family, they did correct my Spanish with good cheer, but perhaps not as immersive as one would think or hope. I’d encourage you seek 1 guest homestay but it may not be available.
San Pedro is a cute town with a very touristy section near the Embarcadero where the lanchas take off for Panajachel and other lake side towns. San Pedro School and my homestay were not there, and I found plenty of places that English was not an option. My friend Otto at Rosanna Cafe would patiently listen to my re-telling of the prior day, correct my Spanish, and we had a grand time (well, I did anyway!).
For me, a life long learner of Spanish, but hopelessly sporadic user over the decades, it was humbling how much skill I had lost and how difficult it is to re-aquire at the age of 63. My reading and verbal comprehension improved drastically, but my spoken Spanish lags far behind.
One real plus for Guatemala, esp. the highlands, is that Spanish for many is not their first language, a Mayan language is. It is spoken extensively esp. for those over about 25. So, Spanish is spoken more slowly, with few idiomatic twists, and clear pronunciation. They are also very patient, only too happy to let you butcher Spanish, then correct your Spanish, and finally get you what you need or want.
This sub-Reddit helped me with planning this trip, so thought I’d pay it forward.