CIEE Summer Language + Culture in Alcalá de Henares, Spain

I had an incredible time in Alcalá. Although it’s a rather small city, its history and proximity to other places makes it an ideal place to study abroad. Alcalá itself is a pretty tranquil place, and nearly everything is within walking distance. The things that are farther are easily accessible using the very easy-to-navigate public transportation system. Not only is there a lot of history to learn, there’s also great food, and hikes nearby. The Cerros de Alcalá are a beautiful place to spend an afternoon hiking, and the view of the landscape and city is phenomenal. Alcalá is also very close to Madrid—only 30-45 minutes on the train—which makes it very easy to go to Madrid for an afternoon or weekend to see all of the museums and sites there.

This is a great program! This program appealed to me for its length, language immersion, and classes offered. It will directly transfer credits to my home university which is awesome. I wish the classes were easier, but since I am getting 6 credits in 4 weeks it makes sense. The city is perfect. It is super accessible to Madrid, where I have gone for food, museums and a concert. CIEE got us transport cards. Alcalá itself is a smaller city that is perfect for anyone wanting to improve their language skills. Through CIEE we were able to take excursions and they took care of everything. Not to mention, the site leaders were some of the coolest and kindest people I've met. I am sad to end my program but plan to see my host family in the future.