I’d like to plan a trip to Spain so that my students can practice the language outside the classroom, but most of the trips offered by student travel companies take us to destinations full of Anglophones. Where can we go “off-the-beaten-track” to maximize my students’ practice of their Spanish skills?

Michelle Cleary

Wendall, Washington

Dear Michelle,

It’s true that most popular cities in Spain are flush with American travelers, but it’s a big world, and there’s no reason for everyone to visit the same international destinations.

A Spanish city that generally gets passed over is Almería. This Mediterranean port was founded by the Phoenicians and has as much history as some of its other famous Andalucian neighbors but with better weather and a great deal less tourists. Use Almería as your base, and visit Roquetas del Mar, a fishing village with much Old World charm, and Adra, a former Roman colony located inland in Europe’s only desert!

On the other side of the Iberian Peninsula lays one of the most beautiful European coasts, La Costa Verde or The Green Coast of Northern Spain. Far away from the Barcelona – Madrid international tourist junket, it promises to have a high concentration of Spanish language speakers. While the region is too scenic to escape holiday travelers, the majority of the vacationers are domestic, ensuring the English language presence is minimized.

A final way to see some of the more famous Spanish destinations while still immersing your students in the Spanish language is to find hotels well outside the traditional tourist enclaves. For instance, when visiting La Sagrada Família in Barcelona, stay in a hotel on the northern edge of the city outside the traditional loop of American frequented hotels. Buena suerte!

Global Travel Guru