Program Directed by
Mackenzie Grapes
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
Spain
From Madrid to the Mediterranean
Immerse yourself in the Spanish language and culture as you visit Madrid’s renowned art museums, explore ancient castles, surf on Spain’s northern coast, hike in the Picos de Europa mountains, and pair up with a local teenager for a language exchange and day stay. Cap your student travel program in Spain on the gorgeous beaches of the Mediterranean.
- Highlights
• Practice new Spanish vocabulary while food shopping at a market
• Hike past cows and goats in the snowcapped Picos de Europa
• Savor traditional Spanish food like churros con chocolate
• Catch a wave during a surf lesson on Spain’s Northern Coast
• Hike past cows and goats in the snowcapped Picos de Europa
• Savor traditional Spanish food like churros con chocolate
• Catch a wave during a surf lesson on Spain’s Northern Coast
“To see the difference between my language skills at the beginning of the trip versus the end was a big source of pride for me. I gained language skills that I can build off of in school this year and in years to come.”
—Stephen P., Packer Collegiate Institute, New York, NY
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 middle school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in New York, and fly together to Madrid, Spain. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
The Northern Coast — 3 days
Travel from Madrid and begin the program in a small Asturian fishing village on Spain’s gorgeous northern coast. Immerse yourself in the Spanish language and culture, and get to know your fellow travelers as you participate in daily language lessons. Visit local fiestas and markets, and play soccer on the beach with new Spanish friends. Enjoy a surfing lesson in the blue waters of the Cantabrian Sea. Visit Covadonga, a major Asturian pilgrimage site. It was here that the Virgin Mary appeared to Don Pelayo in a cave and inspired his troops to defeat Moorish soldiers at the Battle of Covadonga in 722. Learn about Christian troops’ first victory during the Muslim occupation of Spain and the 700-year Reconquista that followed.
Picos de Europa — 3 days
Travel south to the snowcapped Picos de Europa. Ride a teleférico, or gondola, into the mountains. Hike on spectacular trails past cows, sheep, horses, and goats. Meet local farmers who spend the summer months in the mountains with their herds, and taste local cheeses. Go canyoning in a mountain river, rappelling down waterfalls, and jumping into natural pools.
Madrid — 4 days
Explore Madrid’s lively streets, sample local delicacies at a tapas market, and take in an outdoor film or a flamenco show. Visit world-renowned museums, including the Prado or Reina Sofía, and learn about the life and works of Spain’s most celebrated painters, such as Velázquez, Goya, Picasso, and Dalí. Interview local madrileños in the city’s famous Retiro Park, and enjoy a picnic or a rowboat ride. Walk through the dressing rooms, tunnel, and coaching area of Real Madrid’s stadium, Santiago Bernabéu. View tapestries, thrones, and armor at the Royal Palace and learn about the history of the Spanish monarchy.
Daystay in Albacete — 5 days
Experience Spanish life as it is really lived alongside your Spanish host sibling. Participate in activities together with Spanish teenagers during the day and get to know them over shared meals. Daily activities may include a swim at the local pool, a rousing game of soccer, a concert or film, and a cooking class. Spend two full days with your host family and practice Spanish as you join in their daily activities, meet the family, and form lasting friendships. At night, reconvene with your Putney group and stay together at a local hotel.
Mediterranean Coast — 3 days
Travel to a small town located within Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park on the Mediterranean Coast. Hike past volcanic landscapes to a deserted beach, and kayak and snorkel in the turquoise water. Invite local children to join you in a game of frisbee or volleyball, and enjoy a sunny picnic. In the evenings, stargaze with a Spanish astronomer and enjoy un helado as you stroll through town. Spend your final evening recounting your adventures with new friends, and enjoy a final celebratory meal as a group.
Return — Travel Day
Fly from Madrid 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.
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 middle school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in New York, and fly together to Madrid, Spain. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
The Northern Coast — 3 days
Travel from Madrid and begin the program in a small Asturian fishing village on Spain’s gorgeous northern coast. Immerse yourself in the Spanish language and culture, and get to know your fellow travelers as you participate in daily language lessons. Visit local fiestas and markets, and play soccer on the beach with new Spanish friends. Enjoy a surfing lesson in the blue waters of the Cantabrian Sea. Visit Covadonga, a major Asturian pilgrimage site. It was here that the Virgin Mary appeared to Don Pelayo in a cave and inspired his troops to defeat Moorish soldiers at the Battle of Covadonga in 722. Learn about Christian troops’ first victory during the Muslim occupation of Spain and the 700-year Reconquista that followed.
Picos de Europa — 3 days
Travel south to the snowcapped Picos de Europa. Ride a teleférico, or gondola, into the mountains. Hike on spectacular trails past cows, sheep, horses, and goats. Meet local farmers who spend the summer months in the mountains with their herds, and taste local cheeses. Go canyoning in a mountain river, rappelling down waterfalls, and jumping into natural pools.
Madrid — 4 days
Explore Madrid’s lively streets, sample local delicacies at a tapas market, and take in an outdoor film or a flamenco show. Visit world-renowned museums, including the Prado or Reina Sofía, and learn about the life and works of Spain’s most celebrated painters, such as Velázquez, Goya, Picasso, and Dalí. Interview local madrileños in the city’s famous Retiro Park, and enjoy a picnic or a rowboat ride. Walk through the dressing rooms, tunnel, and coaching area of Real Madrid’s stadium, Santiago Bernabéu. View tapestries, thrones, and armor at the Royal Palace and learn about the history of the Spanish monarchy.
Daystay in Albacete — 5 days
Experience Spanish life as it is really lived alongside your Spanish host sibling. Participate in activities together with Spanish teenagers during the day and get to know them over shared meals. Daily activities may include a swim at the local pool, a rousing game of soccer, a concert or film, and a cooking class. Spend two full days with your host family and practice Spanish as you join in their daily activities, meet the family, and form lasting friendships. At night, reconvene with your Putney group and stay together at a local hotel.
Mediterranean Coast — 3 days
Travel to a small town located within Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park on the Mediterranean Coast. Hike past volcanic landscapes to a deserted beach, and kayak and snorkel in the turquoise water. Invite local children to join you in a game of frisbee or volleyball, and enjoy a sunny picnic. In the evenings, stargaze with a Spanish astronomer and enjoy un helado as you stroll through town. Spend your final evening recounting your adventures with new friends, and enjoy a final celebratory meal as a group.
Return — Travel Day
Fly from Madrid 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
Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
Featured
Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
Language Learning
The goals of this language program are to improve your Spanish proficiency and build your confidence in your conversational skills. Learn new vocabulary and expressions through cultural activities, outdoor adventures, and interactions with locals. Each day, leaders hold dynamic conversational language lessons designed to help you let go of your inhibitions and communicate more easily. Language lessons are fun, interactive, and incorporate hands-on elements such as scavenger hunts, vocabulary games, and informal interviews with local people.
Language Pledge
Students on this program must have completed at least one year of Spanish. 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.
Independent Project
Pursue an independent project and explore an aspect of local culture of particular interest to you—build a phrasebook of colloquial expressions, create a cookbook of family recipes that you learned from your day stay family, or learn the lyrics of the summer’s most popular Spanish songs.
Technology
To help students fully engage and immerse themselves in the Putney travel experience, we do not allow cell phones, tablets, or laptops on our Middle School programs. Students may have their cell phones during travel to and from the program. During in-country orientation, leaders facilitate a call home, then collect and securely store all phones until departure day. Throughout the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
Physical Activity
This is a physically active summer program. You can expect to hike, swim, and surf. You will also do a lot of walking in Spanish cities and towns. 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.
Accommodations
Accommodations in Spain are varied, ranging from mountain chalets to cosmopolitan hotels. Many of our residences are run by welcoming Spanish families that Putney has known for years. Rooms are a mix of doubles, triples, and quads. Leaders reside together with the students throughout the program.
Meals
We begin each day with a traditional Spanish breakfast at our residence. For lunches and dinners, we find small restaurants or hit the markets to purchase food for a picnic. Lunches tend to be the biggest meal of the day in Spain, followed by a siesta. Restaurants range from traditional regional cuisine to a more international selection in Madrid.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
Language Learning
The goals of this language program are to improve your Spanish proficiency and build your confidence in your conversational skills. Learn new vocabulary and expressions through cultural activities, outdoor adventures, and interactions with locals. Each day, leaders hold dynamic conversational language lessons designed to help you let go of your inhibitions and communicate more easily. Language lessons are fun, interactive, and incorporate hands-on elements such as scavenger hunts, vocabulary games, and informal interviews with local people.
Language Pledge
Students on this program must have completed at least one year of Spanish. 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.
Independent Project
Pursue an independent project and explore an aspect of local culture of particular interest to you—build a phrasebook of colloquial expressions, create a cookbook of family recipes that you learned from your day stay family, or learn the lyrics of the summer’s most popular Spanish songs.
Technology
To help students fully engage and immerse themselves in the Putney travel experience, we do not allow cell phones, tablets, or laptops on our Middle School programs. Students may have their cell phones during travel to and from the program. During in-country orientation, leaders facilitate a call home, then collect and securely store all phones until departure day. Throughout the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
Physical Activity
This is a physically active summer program. You can expect to hike, swim, and surf. You will also do a lot of walking in Spanish cities and towns. 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.
Accommodations
Accommodations in Spain are varied, ranging from mountain chalets to cosmopolitan hotels. Many of our residences are run by welcoming Spanish families that Putney has known for years. Rooms are a mix of doubles, triples, and quads. Leaders reside together with the students throughout the program.
Meals
We begin each day with a traditional Spanish breakfast at our residence. For lunches and dinners, we find small restaurants or hit the markets to purchase food for a picnic. Lunches tend to be the biggest meal of the day in Spain, followed by a siesta. Restaurants range from traditional regional cuisine to a more international selection in Madrid.
A Day in the Life: Madrid
Due to the traveling nature of this summer program abroad, each day is different. Here is a snapshot of a day in Madrid.
- Morning
9:00am
Enjoy a traditional Spanish breakfast at our hotel
10:00am
Engage in a language lesson focused on Goya and Velázquez
11:00am
View the work of Spain’s masters at El Museo Nacional del Prado
- Afternoon
2:00pm
Visit a market and make a picnic lunch in the Retiro Park
4:00pm
Rest with a siesta and downtime
- Evening
6:00pm
Learn about Real Madrid’s legacy at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
8:00pm
Take an evening stroll to the Plaza Mayor and enjoy dinner on a restaurant terraza
10:00pm
Visit a churreria for Spain’s famous churros y chocolate
11:00pm
Meet with your group to reflect on the day and discuss the upcoming schedule
A Day in the Life:
Madrid
Due to the traveling nature of this summer program abroad, each day is different. Here is a snapshot of a day in Madrid.
- Morning
9:00am
Enjoy a traditional Spanish breakfast at our hotel
10:00am
Engage in a language lesson focused on Goya and Velázquez
11:00am
View the work of Spain’s masters at El Museo Nacional del Prado
- Afternoon
2:00pm
Visit a market and make a picnic lunch in the Retiro Park
4:00pm
Rest with a siesta and downtime
- Evening
6:00pm
Learn about Real Madrid’s legacy at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
8:00pm
Take an evening stroll to the Plaza Mayor and enjoy dinner on a restaurant terraza
10:00pm
Visit a churreria for Spain’s famous churros y chocolate
11:00pm
Meet with your group to reflect on the day and discuss the upcoming schedule
“I could not have asked for a better group! By the end, we felt like a family. It was very hard to leave such a fantastic group of people.”
—Emma H., Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, Indianapolis, IN
Program Directed by
Mackenzie Grapes
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
