Program Directed by
Emma Smith
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
Jumpstart your Spanish on this two-week immersive language program designed for high school students. Begin with a night in Barcelona, then head to the green foothills of the Pyrenees for a week to learn from native speakers and share daily activities with Spanish teenagers. Spend the second half of the program in coastal Valencia for a week of continued language instruction paired with local excursions, vibrant food culture, and life in a dynamic Mediterranean city. Through structured lessons, time spent with Spanish peers, and interactive cultural activities, return home with improved Spanish proficiency and a deeper understanding of Spanish culture.
- Program Highlights
• Participate daily in interactive classroom Spanish lessons led by native speakers
• Hike, bike, raft, and explore the Pyrenees together with Spanish friends and guides
• Learn to cook an authentic Valencian paella with ingredients purchased from local markets
• Soak in the Spanish sun as you stroll through city squares toward the beach
• Hike, bike, raft, and explore the Pyrenees together with Spanish friends and guides
• Learn to cook an authentic Valencian paella with ingredients purchased from local markets
• Soak in the Spanish sun as you stroll through city squares toward the beach
“The program exceeded my expectations. It was wonderfully planned and I was able to speak better conversational Spanish and understand other people’s questions. I made new friends, was immersed in Spanish culture, and had a fun summer.”
—Ava K., Ross School, Ross, CA
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Departure — Travel Day
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one or more of your program leaders in New York, and fly together to Barcelona, Spain. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Barcelona — 1 day
Touch down in the second-largest city in Spain and a true international cultural hub. After an orientation to the program, visit the cobblestoned Gothic Quarters and Gaudí’s towering masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia Basílica.
Espot, The Pyrenees — 6 days
Travel by private bus to the village of Espot, in the foothills of the Pyrenees at the entrance to Aigüestortes National Park. Stay together in an off-season ski hotel with its own pool, sports fields, classrooms, rec rooms, and restaurant. Take daily Spanish classes with native Spanish speakers, focusing on real-word usage and vocabulary. While here, your group shares the hotel with Spanish high school students from Valencia who partner with the group to complement classroom time with personal connections and active language use. Outside of class activity, enjoy swimming, rafting, hiking, mountain biking, movie nights, and dancing.
Valencia — 6 days
After saying farewell to your new Spanish friends, head south to the Mediterranean Coast and vibrant city of Valencia. Stay in private group accommodations and continue daily morning language lessons. In the afternoons, explore the city together with your program leaders; learn to cook paella valenciana, relax on one of the city’s many Blue Flag beaches, and take a sunset boat ride through the Albufera, a freshwater lagoon. Visit the Oceanogràfic, Europe’s largest aquarium, as well as the architecturally stunning City of Arts and Sciences.
Barcelona — 1 day
Return to Barcelona for a night and wrap up your time in Spain with a special celebratory group dinner.
Return — Travel Day
Fly from Barcelona to New York with your group and a leader, then continue on to your final destination. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Featured
Program Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Review specific program questions here. For more general information, visit our full FAQ:
What are the main focuses of this program?
Our Spanish immersion program in Valencia & the Pyrenees is focused on improving high school students' fluency and listening comprehension in Spanish. The program is structured to build students’ vocabulary and confidence in speaking, while also exploring the city’s culture through interactions with locals. Each day, leaders hold dynamic conversational language lessons designed to help students become comfortable communicating during their time in Valencia. Language lessons are fun and interactive, and incorporate active, hands-on elements such as games and informal interviews. To learn more about our Language programs click here.
How much experience is required for this Spanish language immersion program?
Two years of Spanish language study are required for our high school Language Valencia & the Pyrenees program.
What is the Putney Language Pledge?
Each student signs a language pledge to speak only Spanish during the program, not only with the many local people you meet, but also with your leaders and within your group. To learn more about our Language programs click here.
What is the technology and cell phone policy?
To encourage full engagement and immersion in the Putney Student Travel experience, we limit the use of cell phones and other devices on our High School programs. Students are allowed to use their phones in transit to and from the program. During in-country orientation, leaders facilitate a call home, then collect and securely store all phones for the first half of the program. At the end of this tech-free period, leaders return student phones for the second half of the program. During the tech-free portion of the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
How physically active is this program?
This is a moderately active summer travel program. Students can expect to participate in hiking, canyoning, and rafting in the Pyrenees as well as swimming and exploring the cities on foot in Valencia and Barcelona. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
What are the accommodations for this program?
Over the course of the program, the group stays at a comfortable city hotel, a renovated ski lodge, and a large private house. Leaders reside with students for the duration of the program.
What are meals like in Valencia & the Pyrenees?
The group takes breakfast daily at the accommodations. In Barcelona, the group takes lunch and dinner at local restaurants. In the Pyrenees, the group takes most lunches and dinners at the accommodations, but may have one special dinner in town. In Valencia, the group enjoys catered lunches at their accommodations and dinners at restaurants in the city.
What type of student is most successful on this program?
Putney’s Language Valencia & the Pyrenees program is designed for high school students (grades 9–12) who are excited about improving their Spanish language skills through real-world cultural immersion. Successful students are curious, open-minded, and eager to step outside their comfort zone. They should be motivated to actively use Spanish in daily life, even when it feels challenging, and willing to learn through mistakes as part of the process. Students who are ready to embrace cultural immersion, participate fully in group life, and engage with local people and experiences tend to gain the most from the program.
What makes Valencia & the Pyrenees a good location for a Putney Student Travel program?
This program offers a blend of time in the Pyrenees and in Valencia, allowing students to get a taste of culture, gastronomy, and climate across these two diverse regions. In the mountains, the group takes advantage of incredible scenery to step out of their comfort zone alongside Spanish peers in guided outdoor adventure activities. Valencia, in contrast, offers an opportunity for cultural immersion through its many museums and Mediterranean gastronomic offerings.
How does the Language Valencia & the Pyrenees program compare to Putney’s other Language programs?
Language Valencia & the Pyrenees is focused on in-depth Spanish language learning and exploration across two regions. The program is shorter and more focused than Putney’s other high school Language programs, including its other Spanish programs. Our program in Valencia & the Pyrenees is the only Putney Language program to offer classes from native speakers, a structure that many students find helpful to make leaps with their Spanish in a short period of time.
What outcomes, skills, or growth can students expect to gain from this experience?
Students can expect to come away more comfortable with the Spanish language; students on the program build familiarity with common expressions and idioms, learn to express their ideas more comprehensively in the language, and lower inhibitions to speaking. Students also grow a deeper understanding of Spanish culture and regional differences within the country, as well as forming deep bonds with their groupmates. The soft skills students gain are notable, too: students build confidence, independence, adaptability, global awareness, and communication skills by navigating new cultural and social settings.
A Day in the Life: Valencia
Due to the traveling nature of this summer program abroad, each day is different. Here is a snapshot of a day during your time in Valencia, Spain.
- Morning
9:00am
Eat a typical Spanish breakfast as a group at our accommodation
10:00am
Begin your morning Spanish class taught by a local native speaker
- Afternoon
1:00pm
Take a break for a catered lunch at your accommodation and jump in the pool or rest
3:00pm
Travel with your group to the Ruzafa neighborhood
5:00pm
Take a paella making class and learn about Valencian culinary tradition
- Evening
7:00pm
Enjoy your creation and local tapas with your hosts
8:00pm
Walk through the streets of the old town and return to your accommodation
10:00pm
Group meeting to discuss the day and the upcoming schedule
“I gained a lot of knowledge from this program, not only on the Spanish language but also the culture. I notice a drastic, positive change in my ability to comprehend Spanish.”
—Jin C., Central Middle School, Cos Cob, CT
