Arcadia Spain

Are you ready for an exciting summer in Granada?  We are looking forward to it!

We are planning a lot of co-curricular activities for our summer programs, ensuring a diverse set of options for everyone to enjoy.  Do you like the beach?  Cooking, hiking, historical tours, flamenco, art?  We have it all!

All the activities offered below are included in your program fee, with no extra cost.

Please register in Portal to confirm your attendance; you will be asked to confirm your registration once in Spain.

Please remember that all activities are subject to change.  Keep checking your email, Portal, and the Arcadia Granada Canvas Calendar for updates.

CITY TOUR AND WELCOME DINNER

As soon as you arrive in Granada, we want you to meet the rest of the group and discover the well-known Tapas gastronomy. We will do a brief tour of the city center before having a Spanish-style meal. We will also treat you to dessert in the best-known ice-cream place in town afterwards!

Please note: this event will involve walking for a couple of hours (hills, narrow streets, stairs, etc.)

PANORAMIC TOUR AND PICNIC WITH A VIEW

We will take a local bus to the highest point of the city (San Miguel Alto), have a picnic lunch or snacks while enjoying the stunning views, and then walk back (downhill) to the city through the Sacromonte neighborhood.

Please note: this event will involve walking for a couple of hours (hills, narrow streets, stairs, etc.)

TOUR OF ALBAICIN

You will enjoy a tour in the Albaicín: a famous World Heritage site. This quarter is a unique area of wonderful views, magical alleys, and stunning villas with private gardens (carmen). Feel like a local and visit some iconic hidden places in Granada (landmarks, gardens, palaces, viewpoints, etc.). Start unlocking this multi-layered historical city and be part of it. 

Please note: this event will involve walking for a few hours (hills, narrow streets, stairs, etc.)

TAPAS

Let's discover Granada’s best-known secret: each time you order a drink, you get some free food! We will show you the best tapas areas around town, and challenge you to find your own favorite places.

DISCOVER GRANADA

During the on-site of orientation, we will have a Scavenger Hunt through the city. This is a fun way to discover Granada and its key locations. The first group to find all the places, answer the questions, and arrive at the meeting point will win a prize.

Please note: this event will involve walking for 1-2 hours (hills, narrow streets, stairs, etc.)

TEA ROOMS & CHOCOLATE CON CHURROS

Once you begin your regular classes (mostly in the morning), you will keep discovering the local gastronomy and tapas. We will taste the delicious chocolate con churros at one of Granada´s most famous cafés, and experience the traditional, Arab-style tea rooms in the lower Albaicín.

GUIDED VISIT: ALHAMBRA & generalife

On the first week of the program you will enjoy a guided tour of Granada´s most famous monument: the Alhambra castle, a stunning 13^th century palace and fortress, a World Heritage Site.

Please note: this event will involve walking for up to 4 hours. 

Flamenco SHOW

We will attend a traditional flamenco show at one of the caves in the lower Albaicín. You will enjoy and experience first-hand the intensity and emotion of different flamenco styles (such as flamenco tango, bulería, guajira, or alegría) in a unique atmosphere.

Weekend trip to tARIFA (JuNE)

Are you ready for adventures? During this weekend trip, we will discover one of the most iconic places in Spain: the tip of Tarifa, where the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. A paradise for surf lovers, its gorgeous beaches, natural parks, old town, and cool atmosphere in general make it a very popular destination all year long.

Please note: this event will involve some moderate hiking.

Weekend Trip to Costa del Sol: Nerja, and MÁLAGA (JULY)

In July we will spend a weekend traveling through the coast of Málaga and discovering its different sites: the capital city of Málaga (Pablo Picasso´s birthplace), and the old fishing town of Nerja, with 9 miles of clear-water, sandy beaches. We will enjoy some time sunbathing and practicing water sports, and then taste the famous “all-you-can-eat” fish paella at Playa Burriana.

Please note: this event will involve walking in Málaga and Nerja (2-hour tours)

Cooking class

Arcadia wants their students to discover the Spanish gastronomy, and we think the best way is to see and experience it themselves: with the help of a reputable local chef, you will get to cook paella or some other traditional Spanish dish, and then taste it!

HIKING TRIPS

Budget allowing, we will organize local hiking excursions within the Sierra Nevada National Park: an excursion to Los Cahorros, including some unique views, a gorge of waterfalls, narrow caves, tunnels (to crawl through), acequias that date back from the Moorish times, and the famous hanging bridges. A hiking trip to Sierra Nevada (with any luck, we can still see some snow in the middle of the summer!) to (almost) get to the highest point in the Iberian Peninsula. Alternatively, we can organize a day-trip to La Alpujarra, the little mountain villages on the other side of Sierra Nevada. (These excursions include 2 to 4 hours of walking and some hills or stairs).

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Budget allowing, we may offer you some other options, such as a churros workshop (learn how churros are made!), local tours or monuments, olive oil and wine tasting tour, flamenco lessons, etc. If possible, we will also treat you to the Hammam (Arab-style Baths), where you will enjoy a relaxing bath + massage, immersing your mind and your senses in this old tradition.

FAREWELL DINNER

A great experience like this one needs a proper ending. On your last week in Granada, we will all have dinner together to remember the best memories and experiences of the summer.

Important

Events are only open to Arcadia program participants. Please note that dates and times, are subject to change. Local staff will notify any changes. Stay tuned!