Program Directed by
Emma Smith
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
Immerse yourself in Spanish language and culture this summer as you visit renowned art museums, explore ancient castles, learn to surf on Spain’s northern coast, hike through the Picos de Europa, and indulge in the flavors of Spanish cuisine with a cooking class. End your student travel program in Spain on the gorgeous beaches of the Costa del Sol and return home with a deeper understanding of Spanish language, history, and identity.
- Highlights
• Hone your Spanish skills by engaging in conversation with locals
• Spend time with a host sibling and join their family for several days
• Learn to dance flamenco with a professional instructor
• Hike past shepherds and their herds in the Picos de Europa
• Spend time with a host sibling and join their family for several days
• Learn to dance flamenco with a professional instructor
• Hike past shepherds and their herds in the Picos de Europa
“She now feels she can speak faster and understand native speakers better.”
—Elise & Brian B., Denver, CO
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 leaders in New York, and fly together to Madrid, Spain. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
The Northern Coast — 4 days
Begin the program with four days 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 Asturian 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, learn to prepare traditional Spanish dishes, and take in an outdoor film. Visit world-renowned museums including the Prado and Reina SofÃa, and learn about the life and works of Spain’s most celebrated painters, such as Velázquez, Goya, Picasso, and DalÃ. 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. Take a day trip to Toledo with a local expert to visit the Alcázar and ancient synagogue.
Daystay in Cuenca — 3 days
Experience Spanish life alongside your Spanish host sibling. Participate in activities with Spanish teenagers during the day and get to know them over shared meals. Daily activities may include kayaking, a game of soccer, a visit to a local museum, and an afternoon at the town pool. In addition to daily large-group activities, spend two full days with your host family and practice Spanish as you join in their daily routines, meet the family, and form lasting friendships. Each night, reconvene with your Putney group and stay together at a local hotel.
Granada — 4 days
Head south to the Andalusian city of Granada. In 1492, Granada was the last Moorish city to surrender to Los Reyes Católicos, thereby ending the Christian reconquest of Spain. Observe many Moorish influences here, from Arabic teahouses to Islamic architecture. Visit the Alhambra Palace and view its stunning gardens, mosaics, and fountains. Soak in a traditional Arabic bath while sipping mint tea and take a flamenco lesson in a traditional cueva. During language lessons, learn about Spanish words that come from Arabic and study the work of the famous Andalusian poet, Federico GarcÃa Lorca.
Costa del Sol — 3 days
Continue south to a small town on the Costa del Sol, Spain’s Mediterranean coast. Kayak to a hidden beach and spend the morning snorkeling. Invite local children to join you in a game of frisbee or volleyball, and enjoy fresh seafood at a seaside chiringuito. Explore the charming town of Frigiliana, and walk past whitewashed homes decorated with painted ceramic pots and bright red geraniums. Descend into Nerja’s three mile cave network Las Cuevas de Nerja, and observe enormous stalactites and stalagmites. On your final evening, recount your adventures with new friends, and enjoy a special celebratory meal as a group.
Return — Travel Day
Fly from Málaga 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.Â
Frequently Asked Questions
Review specific program questions here. For more general information, visit our full FAQ:
What are the main focuses of this program?
The main focus of this language immersion program in Spain is to improve your fluency in Spanish by building your vocabulary and confidence in speaking, while also exploring Spain’s culture through outdoor activities and interactions with locals. Each day, leaders hold dynamic conversational language lessons designed to help students become comfortable communicating during their time in Spain. Language lessons are fun and interactive, and incorporate active, hands-on elements such as scavenger hunts, games, and informal interviews. To learn more about our Language programs click here.
How much Spanish experience is required for this Language program?
Two years of Spanish language study are required for our high school Language Spain 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.
How does the daystay work?
Daystays during the program are organized in Cuenca by a local coordinator who Putney has worked with for more than 20 years. She is well connected in the community and works to identify local host families, interviewing and vetting them to find the best fits for our students. Our host families are incredibly enthusiastic about sharing their culture, customs, and language with our students. Host families have at least one student around the same age as our Putney students and our daystay coordinator works with the family and host sibling to identify shared interests, so that she can best pair them with our Putney students. Daystays are a longtime staple of Putney’s language programs in Spain. Our alumni often report that it is one of the most impactful portions of their experience and leads to measurable progress toward fluency.
What is an Independent Project?
All students on Putney programs pursue an independent project as a way to more deeply engage with aspects of local culture that are of particular interest to them— in Spain, you might become an expert on Goya’s most famous pieces to share with friends and family back home, create a book of recipes from different regions you visit during your travels, or learn to perform a traditional song or dance and perform it for your group.
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 physically active summer travel program. Students can expect to participate in long hikes in the Picos de Europa mountains, a day of canyoning, surfing, snorkeling, swimming, and exploring cities on foot. 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?
The group stays at small, comfortable, family-owned hotels throughout the program. Leaders reside with students for the duration of the program.
What are meals like in Spain?
The group takes breakfast daily at the accommodations. Lunches and dinners are usually taken out at restaurants, where students have the opportunity to sample local fare. Students sometimes shop at grocery stores or markets and pack picnic lunches to take with them on hikes or excursions.
What type of student is most successful on this program?
Putney’s Language Spain program is designed for high school students (grades 9–12) who are excited about improving their Spanish language skills through real-world cultural immersion and outdoor exploration. 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 Spain a good location for a Putney Student Travel program?
In Spain, students have the opportunity to fully immerse in the Spanish language and greatly improve their fluency over the course of a few short weeks. Students are able to practice Spanish daily in real-world settings ranging from small towns that have been welcoming Putney students for generations, to large cosmopolitan cities that give students a taste of Spanish culture and influence on a global scale.
How does the Language Spain program compare to Putney’s other Language immersion programs?
Language Spain is focused on in-depth Spanish language learning and exploration across regions. This is one of Putney’s most active language immersion programs, allowing students to explore nature across Spain’s many regions while furthering their language practice and immersion. The itinerary features more travel and combines more destinations than Putney’s other Language programs, which means that students are exposed to various different regions and cultures in Spain.
What outcomes, skills, or growth can students expect to gain from this experience?
Students can expect to greatly improve their fluency and listening skills in Spanish through daily immersion and real-world practice. Students build confidence, adaptability, and communication skills by navigating new cultural and social settings. At the end of the summer, students have shared that they feel less inhibited when speaking, more comfortable using common expressions and idioms, and better able to understand what they hear from native speakers. The experience also fosters independence, global awareness, and a deeper appreciation for Spanish language and culture.
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
Take part 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
Have a picnic lunch in the Retiro Park
4:00pm
Recharge 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, then enjoy dinner at a restaurant’s terraza
10:00pm
Visit to a churreria and sample Spain’s famous churros y chocolate
11:00pm
Meet with your group to reflect on the day and discuss the upcoming schedule
“One of my favorite parts of the trip was the hiking. These hikes were the times when I made my closest friends, shared stories, and got to know everyone better…all while speaking Spanish!”
—Alex A., Great Neck North High School, Great Neck, NY
