Spanish Gap Year - Spain by Train

This is a really great program to travel, learn Spanish, and get to know a culture. The staff is very caring, I loved Sagri and Arantxa a TON! We lived in about 10 places (including hostels), so be prepared for a lot of travel. The social aspect could be difficult for me because you’re in a small group for 3 months, but there were great moments as well. It’s a very packed schedule, but there’s a lot if fun activities, and you get try so many new things. I would definitely recommend! Especially if you want to learn the language and culture all together.

Spanish Gap Year was an amazing program and experience. The mix of travel, home stays, and cultural immersion was the perfect balance. The hostels were great for learning how to co-live with others and budget for food. Cooking and food was an amazing aspect. Train travel was nothing like I’ve experienced and I love the adventure. I have met some of my closest friends on this trip. Arantxa and Sagri are both wonderful and make the program an incredible experience for gap students. I learned a lot about Spanish history, culture, art, and myself as a student through experiential learning.

I had so much fun with SGY! I made a lot of amazing friends and am so grateful that I was able to visit so many beautiful cities and do so many wonderful activities. Sagri was the BEST LEADER EVER, I would come on this trip again just to hangout with her. She was patient, caring, supportive, and made everything so much fun. The Granada classes were a lot of fun, I loved Juan Luis and being able to explore the city with him and Sagri and learn about the Spanish history. I would also highly recommend SGY for anyone who loves food, there are so many amazing dishes and desserts that I was able to try along the way!

I enjoyed this program’s devotion to cultural immersion, exemplified through the homestays, historical tours, Spanish language courses, and cooking classes. We learned so much about artisanal farming through our visits to ecological, horse, donkey, and cheese farms. It also has an art focus through pottery, dancing, collage, and photography. This is a comprehensive program that provides a fully immersive Spanish experience. Overall, this program is more similar to study abroad with it’s classroom and guided tour model, instead of constant free-range outdoor activity - even though they do provide an intensive one week full of adventure in the North.

I'm sharing this review as a parent of Spring 2022 Gapper. My son was interested in becoming more fluent in Spanish and learning more about the country and history of Spain. His experience way exceeded his expectations as well as mine! Arantxa and the rest of the SGY crew were phenomenal. They thought through many details and were also open to suggestions from students, since the program is a bit newer. He was given structure but also a certain amount of independence once the students showed they were familiar enough with their location and Spanish customs and program rules. I never worried about his safety and can not recommend SGY strongly enough. My son's experience with this program was truly life changing for him and I am grateful he had the opportunity to immerse himself so completely in Spanish culture.

Writing as a parent of a gapper who spent 3 months touring Spain with Spanish Gap Year and Arantxa's team. Overall...GREAT Experience!

We would heartily recommend Spanish Gap Year and were very impressed with Arantxa's organization, staff, home-stay placements (AMAZING!), and connections with local resources. The activities (fun and educational) were super fun for our gapper. We would give a special shout out to Arantxa for connecting with wonderful group language classes for the gappers. The stay in Salamanca was especially well done. Our gapper now hopes to study abroad for a semester or even a year in Salamanca as part of her undergraduate work!

Although the program is still in its early days, Arantxa has loads of personal experience and tons of passion for what these kids are hoping to find, see, learn, and experience. She really gets it.

Spanish Gap Year is a well run outfit. The program offers tremendous opportunities for growth in Spanish language skills as well independence, social opportunities, culture, gastronomy, and understanding the fascinating culture and history of every region of Spain...a true crossroads of cultures.

My daughter had a wonderful time on this program. It provided a rich and diverse cultural experience across many parts of Spain and in a way which was fun and enjoyable. As a parent I always felt that my daughter was being taken care of and the communication was excellent. The communication not only consisted of email updates but am instagram and google drive location which provided videos and pictures. I would whole heartedly and without reservation recommend this program to other parents considering a gap year program for their son or daughter.

Arantxa (the founder/leader) is a rare gem. She directs the program with professionalism and has excellent communication with the parents, but her heart is with the students. She understands their age and stage of life and respects their independence while also providing a safe and enriching experience. Each aspect of the program is very intentional and provides immersion without pressure. It's a great rhythm of homestays and city hostel adventures with some wilderness adventures that aren't too intense for students who don't have experience. Arantxa co-leads with select people in every region and all of them were fantastic. My child was sad to say goodbye to each leader and host family but always knew the next adventure would unveil a new relationship. Her love of Spain is now deep and lifelong. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this program to anyone!