Hey amigos! We’ve got some super exciting news to share from the Ideal Spanish Mexico family!

Recently, our very own director, Hermilo Brito, sat down for a fascinating chat with Juan Gaytán from the awesome YouTube blog, “Inspira Mexico.” If you haven’t checked out Juan’s work, he’s doing great things showcasing the heart of Mexico—go give him a look!

Juan was interested in the rich history of Spanish schools right here in Cuernavaca, and who better to dive into that story than Hermilo?

The Birth of an Intellectual Hub: CIDOC

During the interview, Hermilo made sure to shine a major spotlight on a crucial piece of Cuernavaca’s past: the CIDOC.

What was the CIDOC? It stands for the Center for Intercultural Documentation, and it was the brainchild of the brilliant, often controversial, philosopher Ivan Illich. From 1961 to 1974, Illich established CIDOC as a revolutionary space to debate and develop his groundbreaking ideas across fields like education, health, medicine, nutrition, and the development of Latin American countries.

CIDOC gave Cuernavaca a massive intellectual and cultural boom. It was a magnet for thinkers and innovators! But here’s the kicker: the financial engine that kept this incredible center running was its Spanish school. Hundreds of students flocked to Cuernavaca, eager to learn Spanish and, in doing so, supported Illich’s grand project.

From CIDOC’s Legacy to IDEAL’s Beginning

When the CIDOC closed its doors in 1974, that remarkable energy and tradition of Spanish learning didn’t fade away.

Just one year later, in 1975, Hermilo founded our school! The name IDEAL isn’t just a hopeful adjective; it’s an acronym for the Instituto de Estudios de América Latina (Institute for Latin American Studies)—a nod to the profound academic roots established by Illich’s CIDOC.

Since then, IDEAL has seen it all! We lived through the great growth years of the 80s and 90s and navigated challenging times, like the most recent few years. Through it all, our commitment has remained: constantly evolving our Spanish teaching methodology and improving our cultural services to ensure every student—in both Cuernavaca and Oaxaca—has the best possible experience soaking up Mexican culture.

50 Years of Global Connections

Can you believe it? That’s 50 years of hundreds of happy stories!

We’ve welcomed students from every corner of the globe, with diverse ages, backgrounds, and interests, all united by one simple goal: to learn Spanish and experience the beautiful culture of Mexico.

We truly feel lucky to be a part of the “Idiomatic Tourism” sector—it’s a noble and generous field that enriches everyone involved, from our dedicated staff to the wonderful people of our host cities.

A huge THANK YOU goes out to Juan and his team at Inspira Mexico for their interest in the history of Spanish schools here! We wish them all the best with their fantastic project!

What do you think of this incredible history? Does knowing the intellectual depth behind Spanish learning in Cuernavaca make you want to book your next trip even more? Let us know in the comments!