Spanish immersion summer camp for teens in Guadarrama N.P. Madrid

My daughter attended the Spanish in Nature Summer camp in July 2023. She had a wonderful time and I would highly recommend the course for the following reasons.

The pre-travel information and organisation was excellent. I was able to email and speak to Esther, the director of the course. She was very helpful in answering all my questions. She also Skyped with my daughter to see her level of Spanish and it was nice to meet her in advance.

The host families are extremely carefully selected. Esther knows them all personally. They are therefore very suitable for giving the student a wonderful happy family experience. You are given information and contact details of the family well in advance, giving you time to contact and Skype them if you wish.

Esther personally picked my daughter up from the airport. We received a text, a phone call and a photo at the airport. She then let us know when my daughter had arrived at her host family. This was very reassuring as she had not flown by herself before.

This attention continued through the two weeks. My daughter was picked up and dropped off each day from her host family by Esther or other staff members.

The location of the camp is perfect. It is very convenient for Madrid and the airport. The school is situated in a National Park area. This meant my daughter was able both to enjoy the beautiful countryside and to get to know the city. As the camp is quite high, the weather was warm but not too hot.

The lessons were excellent. My daughter's Spanish improved and she gained a lot of confidence.

All the staff were very friendly. They all made a huge effort to make my daughter feel welcome and encouraged her to use her Spanish and talked to her as much as possible.
The animators were excellent at making the activities great fun.

The afternoon activities were very well thought out and varied. My daughter loved the kayaking, rope and water parks. Camping out in a beautiful national park was an amazing opportunity. She had the chance to get to know Madrid on two visits, one around the city and another to the beautiful El Retiro Park. She also liked the Manzanares el Real castle.
The lunch at the school was very good and healthy. Little touches like delicious watermelon and ice cream treats were much appreciated.

We received regular updates and photos from Esther.

Special mention to my daughter’s host mother who made every effort to make my daughter feel at home. She cooked delicious meals for her in the evening and always talked to her in Spanish finding out about her day. She had a very nice time over the weekend with her extended family and visited El Escorial on the middle Sunday.

The return journey was also excellent. Again my daughter was driven by Esther to the airport and her husband waited with Emily while she checked her bag in.

On her return our daughter was very excited to tell us about the friends she had made, how much her Spanish had improved and all the fun she had had on the activities.

I am so pleased I found Spanish in Nature. It was a huge success.

My son Ivan (14 years) had a great time, learnt more Spanish fast, made friends and enjoyed the lovely setting and trips to Madrid. The family type arrangements are a great plus, making students feel supported and safe. I am pleased with his progress and will definitely encourage him to go back next year.
My son Ivan (14 years) had a great time, learnt more Spanish fast, made friends and enjoyed the lovely setting and trips to Madrid. The family type arrangements are a great plus, making students feel supported and safe. I am pleased with his progress and will definitely encourage him to go back next year.

This is an amazing program with highest quality and warm home touch. The opportunities for all students and level of engagement from peers to family to education is 10 star. Communication with families at home was consistent. This is an authentic program where care and quality are highest. It changed our son’s whole outlook on the world! We give our highest recommendation. Since this time my son has applied and been accepted to a high school semester full immersion experience in Spain. Spanish in Nature was the spark that will lead to a lifetime of learning.

My son attended a Spanish in nature camp last July and couldn’t have had a better time. He loved the family that hosted him, all the people he met and thoroughly enjoyed all the activities that were offered (even the cooking!). Despite being apprehensive about the lessons (initially resenting the school attendance concept during his holidays) he not only loved the lessons, but was chuffed to be in the strongest class and is now fully confident in Spanish.
He has now requested to return so I could rate them more highly.
The orgnisation was perfectly coordinated and the group size was modest therefore family size.
Unforgettable experience!
He has asked to go again next year.
All the students that attended are still in touch with each other

“The best two weeks of my life”…this is how my son, Cillian, described his experience with the Spanish in Nature summer camp. Our son was at the tender age of 12 when he went over, we were naturally a bit apprehensive and nervous about him going away on his own for the first time. Add to that , a new language, new culture, a new family, new food, new family etc, there was plenty for us to be worried about. Well, I can safely say, that there was no need. Every single thing was organised in the most professional way possible. Esther’s communications with us, before and during his stay, were fantastic. She answered every single query, some of which I’m sure, she thought, were beyond silly or obvious. The host family that were chosen for Cillian could not have been better, they were absolutely fantastic and it was very obvious that a great deal of consideration was given to his age, his interests, his safety and his needs. The range of after-class activities were hugely impressive, Cillian has told us that there was not one that he didn’t like, although sleeping under the stars was his favourite. The ‘leaders’ on these trips were all fun and engaging. And finally, he loved the Spanish lessons with Alvaro, he loved the variety and also the fact that they took place in so many different locations.

Our son had an amazing adventure, learned so much, made some great friends and experienced so much of the Spanish culture. Massive thanks to Esther and Alvaro for being so helpful and accommodating, you helped to give Cillian memories that will last a lifetime. Huge respect and gratitude also to Maria, Manola and Manu for taking Cillian into your home and making him feel like a family member. ( He is missing Maria’s fabulous cooking and wants to following in Manola’s steps and become an ironman!!! I think he could have a friend for life in Manu and will be eagerly watching out for Atlético Madrid’s results. )

The two weeks helped so much in building our sons confidence, whilst making him realise the benefits of hard work. We, in turn, are extremely proud of what he has achieved and learnt during the fortnight in Spain. Needless to say, Cillian has been pestering us on a daily basis since he got home, asking if he can go back next year. I believe that’s the highest recommendation that I could possibly give ‘Spanish in Nature’. Gracias, Thank you for everything.

It was such an exciting trip, packed full with opportunities to learn the language or to learn about Spain’s fascinating culture. My host family were extremely kind and always helpful if we ever struggled with vocabulary and I was made so comfortable and welcome. The teachers at the school were enthusiastic and made learning a true pleasure and included games as a way of helping us to learn. There were also excursions every day and for me personally they were my absolute favourite part; there was so much fun to be had, but at the same time you were always speaking Spanish. The overall experience was incredible, it really allowed you to immerse yourself into the Spanish way of life. Thank you so much to everyone who made this possible for me.

The kids loved coming back for their second year! They loved coming back to their host families, all the activities and more importantly their Spanish and friendships continue to grow. Thank you Esther and Alvaro for giving them such a unique opportunity. It is great to see them now at home practicing Spanish together and being so excited about travel and new experiences.

What I find amazing is they were about to get three experiences in one.
1. Overseas with host families living and experiencing other cultures
2. Language school in an environment that encouraged learning with other kids from all over then world, not just Americans
3. Full camp experience of horseback riding, kayaking, hiking, camping out.

Spanish in Nature is an absolutely incredible program. Our kids went for 2 weeks this July and are literally begging to return. They each loved their host families and the experience of really learning the culture. The Spanish classes were great and they were ability grouped so they could progress at their appropriate levels. When they came back to the US to start school they were given Spanish assessment tests and nearly passed out of a whole year from their learning and practice while in Spain. They really got to practice their Spanish daily during the camp activities with all the kids and everything was so memorable. We have told so many people about our experience I need to get signed up ASAP for next year before the spots are all taken. I highly recommend the program and Ms Esther Campos Pizarro makes it so easy by getting them upon arrival and communicating with photos of their days so we could see how happy they were. I am so happy I found the program, best part of my kids summer by far!