Spain: Alicante - Spanish, Linguistics, European, Gender Studies

Studying abroad with USAC in Alicante was truly the best experience of my life. From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed and supported by the entire USAC staff. Everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful, especially the program director, Luis. He genuinely cares about every student, and it shows in the way he goes out of his way to make sure we’re learning, having fun, and making the most of our time abroad. You can tell the staff love what they do—they create such a positive and caring environment.

Almost every weekend, we went on trips and tours of the city or nearby towns, which helped me experience so much of Alicante and its beautiful culture. Whether we were visiting museums, exploring castles, or just walking along the beach, every outing felt meaningful. I was able to see and do so much more than I ever expected.

I stayed in an apartment during my time there, and it was so cozy and comfortable—it quickly felt like home. Living in the city made me feel like a real Spanish student. I got to shop at the local markets, walk to class, and immerse myself in everyday life in Alicante. Every day felt like a new adventure, whether I was trying new foods, practicing Spanish with locals, or just enjoying the view of the sea.

I also learned so much from my teachers and classes. The professors were passionate, approachable, and made the material interesting and relevant. I felt like I was not only learning about the language but also truly understanding the culture and way of life in Spain.

If I could do it all over again, I would go back to Alicante in a heartbeat. It’s an experience I’ll never forget, and I’m so grateful for everything USAC made possible.

I had the best time ever in Alicante my spring semester of 2024. The city is walkable, beautiful, and has a million things to do! Great markets, beaches, people, and experiences. There’s also an international airport that made traveling much easier. Accommodations were amazing. The USAC staff was so supportive and there for anything we needed. I think the best thing that our USAC program did was in the first week of us being there. They didn’t give us an opportunity to be jet lagged or homesick. We went and explored the city and the school immediately. They showed us how to navigate the transportation of the city and fun activities to do. I would honestly recommend this city and this program to anyone.

This program was amazing and I loved every second. I stayed with a host mom and she was patient and kind to help me learn spanish and she made amazing food. Also the safety in Alicante was spectacular because I could walk home really late at night from the bar, club or with my friends and not be concerned something would happen to me. The weather was amazing and I spent a lot of time doing homework on the beach as well as traveling around Europe since Alicante had a huge airport. The teachers were really supportive and loved teaching and made it easy to learn.

Studying Spanish abroad in Alicante was an incredible experience. My host family was incredibly welcoming and the program staff were very helpful. The program incorporates some trips and activities including a historic trip around Alicante and a trip to Valencia. As for the classes, I felt like they actually helped me learn a lot of Spanish, even though I was only there for a month. You take the tram to class every day, which is easy once you do it the first couple of times. I was in 2 classes because I was trying to fulfill requirements for my Spanish minor at my home college, and my classes went from 9:30am-1:45pm. A lot of people were only in 1 class, though (that would be more conducive for exploring). I do want to note that some people in the area speak Valencian, and there are also some street signs, etc. in Valencian. I didn't do my research on that, so I was confused. However, if you know some Spanish, you can usually understand.

As for Alicante itself, I enjoyed the beaches (specifically La Playa de San Juan), Castillo e Santa Barbara, Mercado Central (tons of fresh food), the shopping center (Zara, Mango, Bershka), Passeig Esplanada d'Espanya (lots of shopping from local vendors), and El Barrio Santa Cruz (aka Casco-Antiguo Santa-Cruz). If you go in the summer, you also get the chance to attend Festival de Hogueras, which is very cool. I was there for the tail-end of it and I highly recommend trying to go during that time. I can't comment on the nightlife in Alicante, because I didn't really participate. I traveled to Calpe with some friends to go to Los Baños de la Reina. This was the most beautiful part of my trip! You can get to Calpe and other nearby towns on the tram. I found the cuisine in the area to be okay -- my host family's meals were the best thing I had while in Alicante! There's not as much to do in Alicante as there may be in other cities. I was only there for a month and it was great, but I could see myself growing tired of the area after some time.

Many people in my program, including myself, chose to travel during our study abroad program in Alicante. Flights from Alicante to several places in Europe are quite cheap. I traveled to Italy and Mallorca, España and my plane tickets for both were less than $100. Others in my group went to Ibiza, Paris, and London. A lot of people travel to Morocco because it's such a short trip from Alicante. There's also a train in central Alicante that goes at least as far as Valencia. But just a heads up, you only really have time to do a weekend trip due to classes (this is true for the 1 month summer program at least).

I felt quite safe as a woman when I was in Alicante. I often walked around solo, even at night. I was catcalled on one occasion, but I truly never felt threatened in the city -- and that's coming from a very cautious person. I felt much more unsafe during my weekend trip to Italy.

My favorite part of the entire experience was my host family. Several people in my program chose to live in apartments instead of with a family. Although it has it's pros (e.g., you're roommates with other students in the program), living with a host family taught me about the culture, improved my Spanish, and made me feel at home. My host mom packed me snacks for school every day and took me to family events. One con to it was that I felt a little bit isolated from the majority of students living in apartments. Also, my host family's home was not right in the center of the city, as other accommodations were. That meant I had to walk a little further, but it was only a 10-15 minute walk from the center. However, I would make the same decision if I did it all over again.

I highly recommend USAC's Alicante program!! I have been dying to go back ever since I left!

I was very scared to go abroad. I have never flown by myself before. But as soon as I got there I was welcomed with open arms by louis! he took us on many different field trips to show us around spain. I also was close to the airport with a bus running to it so I got to go explore other places. I went to Barcelona and I went to Lisbon, Portugal. This abroad trip made me so happy that I had no other option but to go abroad again this coming fall! I met the most amazing people on my trip and got to eat amazing food

I studied abroad in Alicante, Spain for the summer of 2023, and went for sessions one and two. Being in Spain was an amazing life experience. I love that I finally have gone to Europe, and see the different ways that people live there than the people that live in the US. It was eye opening to see the cultural differences in Europe and get used to their culture. There are so many different festivities that they do in Spain, and it was so much fun learning about their festivals. If you are doing session one or two, I recommend going for session one. There are a lot more festivals that happen in June, and the weather is less hot in June than in July. There is the Hogueras, and then there is a full week of fireworks on the beach. There are multiple parades and events full of Spain’s special foods. The streets are always full of people, and you can walk everywhere. For example, you can walk to the store, to the beach, and to restaurants. They also have multiple availability of public transportation. You can take a taxi, the bus, or even the subway, by using the transportation card that you are given within the program. The subway can take you to many other cities that are near Alicante. For instance, it can take you to Altea, Benidorm, El Campello, Costa Blanca, La Villa Joiosa, La Isleta, Sangueta and many more. The subway also takes you to their university, which is a gorgeous, huge campus. They have a library, computer lab, a nice café, etc... Some of the lifestyle that is different in Spain is that you have to pay for water in restaurants. Whenever the servers ask if you want bread before bringing out dinner, you also have to pay for that bread. It is also not usual to give the servers tips. Usually, people bring their own bags when grocery shopping, and if you don’t bring one, then you have to pay a few cents for each bag you get. Their breakfast is usually very light, and their dinners are very late, usually around 11:00 is their dinner time. A fun class that I recommend is that you join sailing. You will be out in the ocean about 3-4 times a week and the instructor will teach you how to put up and down the sail. The instructor is cool and will show you how to change the direction of the boat, let you sail the boat on your own, and let you jump in the ocean, which he calls a “bath”. The water can be unpredictable so every day it is different, but the instructor tells stories that are funny and makes sailing entertaining. Alicante is a safe, and wonderful place to be, and it will forever be my second home!!

The study abroad program in Alicante with USAC is the best program a student could ask for! The first thing you will notice is how amazing and supportive the staff are at this university! Our resident directors were there for anything we needed. They were extremely supportive, helpful, and kind. The professors are also top-tier at this university. They were understanding of our levels and were able to meet us where we were, while also pushing us academically so that we would improve in our skills. I also believe that the courses offered had a good variety and something to cater to every student! Life in Alicante is also amazing! You get to live right on the Mediterranean Sea right in the heart of the city. There are so many fun things to do for students, like museums, cultural sights, amazing restaurants, going to the beach, and so much more! You are surrounded by the culture and the language in this city. Not only will your language skills improve, but you will learn so much about this beautiful country. You could not get a better study abroad program than this!

This experience was one of the best experiences I have had in my life and being months removed from the program, I still find myself reflecting on the memories. I went in without knowing one person and came out with very good friends from my roommates to the others on the trip. The faculty at the University it self were great and everyone involved with USAC and the process here at home and there, physically in Alicante were friendly and informative. It has inspired me to travel more in the future and learning how to live on my own, experiencing the beach, playing soccer with the locals, and going from historical sight to historical sight and shop to shop/restaurant to restaurant was one to never forget!