Study Abroad in Málaga, Spain with WorldStrides

As a first-gen student studying abroad for the first time, I was incredibly nervous entering the program in Málaga, Spain. After I arrived in the airport, however, I was instantly greeted with such a warm welcome by incredible staff and amazing group of peers!! Our first week there, the program helped us get settled into our new housing, become acclimated with the community, and ensured we got to see such incredible sites such as the Alcazaba! Truly the program opened me up to have such amazing experiences that I've never would have had from meeting lifelong friends at the homestay to getting to experience the rich foods on the coast. Worldstrides does an amazing job of really providing a home away from home when you are getting out of your comfort zone and exploring a whole new world!

I could not be more thankful for my 4 weeks spent in Malaga Spain. Malaga is a very calm and beach city, my student residencia was located directly in the city center around many shops and restaurants. As a Black girl from Maryland I was weary of study abroad, as i’ve never been a minority in my community—Malaga was immensely welcoming and fun. I settled on Malaga because I wanted to be near the beach, and I am very happy I did. The center of the University where I took my classes was right on the beach, everyday I took the bus to class, went to the beach afterschool with my friends, then went a a restaurant for dinner and then the club at night. The ISA program took us to Sevilla, Cordoba, and Grenada. My friends and I also bought a $60 round trip ticket to Madrid for the weekend. Chose Malaga if you want to have a very relaxed yet impactful experience, you will be able to travel around Spain regardless but throughout all the cities I visited Malaga was like a story book town, the people were friendly, the weather was amazing, and the food was delicious. (Not the case for Madrid.) I took an international relations course during the Spanish elections and learned things that had never even crossed my mind. Malaga is also the home to Picasso and his museum which was a nice gem. Despite the fact I went on the journey alone, I left with life long friends because of the many adventures we went on during our time together. Overall I had an amazing experience, my professor was one of the best professors I’d had, she took us on a field trip around the Andalusia region. Malaga is a beautiful city, on the Mediterranean Sea, the food was excellent and I was able to experience it to the fullest without feeling overwhelmed and homesick…I highly recommend this place for anyone who many be a little overstimulated at times, this environment was very easy, incredibly fun, and welcoming.

Studying in Malaga was truly an unforgettable experience. In the 'Summer 1' program I met extraordinary people and visited the most beautiful places in Spain. Malaga is a beautiful city. The city center offers amazing food, shopping, social life, and more. Additionally, outside the city center, the rest of Malaga is beautiful. Near UMA, El Palo beach was the best. My professor was amazing! Overall, I think this program was 100% worth it in every aspect, and I HIGHLY recommend taking up this opportunity if it's possible.

Studying abroad in Málaga, Spain was an unforgettable experience filled with endless memories! I knew I always wanted to take advantage of a study abroad opportunity during my time in college but I found it difficult to find the right program for me. Once I was introduced to ISA and the programs they offered I was hooked! They offered an endless amount of support before, during, and after my time abroad. The program allowed me to immerse myself in the culture, people, and endless activities that the city, and country, had to offer. From walking the endless beaches, meeting students from various corners of Europe, and building lifelong memories and relationships with fellow students in my program, the experience was one to remember! Every day brought new discoveries and adventures, shaping an experience that I will cherish for a lifetime. Although I was only there for a month, Málaga truly opened my eyes to the opportunities that exist outside of the US and helped me in determining my future career path.

I think about the month I spent in Malaga this summer with ISA almost every day. It was such a beautiful experience. I stayed in a residencia right in the city center and could walk to shops, amazing restaurants, parks, and beaches. I had 11 roomates from all over the world, some of whom were in the same program. Prior to the trip though, we were given pictures of a different apartment, however, and told that we would only be staying with ISA students which turned out to be untrue. This wasn’t an issue, just a discrepancy. Some of my roommates struggled to sleep because our residencia was right above a popular club but i had no issue with noise in my room. ISA staff was very helpful with the move in process and getting me connected with the landlord. We took weekend trips to Granada, Seville, and Cordoba that were included in the program cost which was really nice. However there was no information prior to the trip on these so it was it was a nice surprise when I got there. I also took a weekend trip to Morocco with friends from the program which was amazing and very convenient because there is a full international airport in the city. The academics were engaging but the not too overwhelming and the professors were understanding at UNAM. I got to meet a lot of other international students which was really fun. Our group leader Iker was awesome. He helped us settle in and organized excursions every week in the city, and was always there to answer any questions or offer support. These excursions included tours of local monuments and a flamenco dance class. Overall I think Malaga is very underrated as a study abroad city. It is big enough to be exciting but not overwhelming, it is not too touristy but a lot of people do speak english in the city center shops, and it has close proximity to other places to travel. It is such a beautiful, charming city and I would highly recommend it.

I spent a little over a month in Málaga, Spain this past June and it was the best decision of my life! My ISA group had the very best guide named Iker who was a Málaga native & taught us Spanish while taking us on tours all over the city! He watched out for our safety by teaching us all about societal norms and how they differed from what we were used to. We went on phenomenal excursions including Sevilla, Córdoba, and the Alhambra in Granada! It was amazing to see different cities in Southern Spain and how they differed. I loved getting to live like a local and even participate in a local holiday celebration! I will never forget all of the wonderful people I met and everything Spain taught me.

I happened to break my ankle while studying abroad and the staff was wonderful and supportive in helping me with my situation. I had a great experience in Malaga and built lasting friendships. This experience led me to travel after college graduation and then pursue a Masters in International Education Management. I would love to go back and relive all my experiences and visit with the family that hosted me!

Where to begin. I cannot rave enough about my experience in Malaga. I loved absolutely everything about it, from ISAs friendly and helpful staff to long afternoons spent on the beach, sunbathing and eating gelato. The climate is perfect: warm and sunny, and it barely ever rains (at least in the fall). The host family I lived with was absolutely phenomenal - even though they didn't speak any English, they were kind and understanding, and living with them helped me improve my Spanish by leaps and bounds. A normal day consisted of going to Spanish class for a few hours, and one or two classes later in the day. I usually went home to eat lunch with my host family (which gave me great access to the local cuisine,) and would spend the rest of the afternoon either on the beach or hanging out with friends. Because of the airport, train, and bus stations in Malaga, it's very easy to travel, nationally or internationally.

Essentially, I loved everything about the ISA program in Malaga. I would go back in a heartbeat if I could, and treasure every memory I have from my phenomenal semester.