School Blog

The Alpujarra Mountains in springtime are the perfect destination to combine a Spanish course in Granada with hiking tours!

Its strategic location close to the Mediterranean sea beside the high mountains, which are declared as a National Park and Nature Reserve turns this region into the home of an authentic treasure of flora and fauna; in short, the perfect place for walking and hiking.

DESCRIPTION:
We'll drive to Güéjar Sierra and our starting and finishing point will be at an
altitude of 2,088 m.  The first part of the route will lead us to Peña Partida shelter (2 hrs.). From here you will have a privileged view of all the Sierra Nevada peaks. Then we keep ascending until we reach the entrance of the headwaters of the Lavaderos de la Reina.

In this area, you'll discover an idyllic landscape made up of waterfalls and small lakes. We'll have lunch at the lowest part of this glacial valley. We will spend two hours in the lower part, visiting the area, eating and contemplating this stunning scenery. We'll then take the route back to the Peña Partida shelter.

We recommend carrying water; we also recommend hiking sticks, sunglasses, trekking shoes, sun cream and a hat. Three layers of clothes, including a windstopper and warm clothes. We'll be at 2,600 m altitude it is necessary to bring gloves. A windstopper is useful for the hills.

Participants should take nuts, dried fruits, and sandwiches for our picnic in the countryside.

KEY FACTS:
Length: 17 km
Duration: full day
Highest point: 2,690 m
Accumulated height difference: 768m ascent
Difficulty: Medium-High. Requires resistance due to its long itinerary and high altitude.
Departure time (Granada): 7:30 am
Arrival time (Granada): 7:00 pm

Thursday, 18.06.2019 / 18.00-19.30 h
Visit to the Arabic bath Aljibe de San Miguel (includes massage)
Meeting point: C/ San Miguel Alta, nº 41
Guide: NO
Price: 30 €

Friday, 21.06.2019 / 20.00-21.00 h
Flamenco at the Jardines de Zoraya
Meeting point: C/ Panaderos, nº 32
Guide: NO
Price: 20 €*
* optional dinner at the restaurant

Sunday, 23.06.2019 / 11.00-19.00 h
Day trip to Frigiliana Village and Nerja beach
Meeting point: Congress Palace
Guide: Juan
Price: 25 €*
* includes transport, guide, insurances

· Activities are organized for all Spanish levels
· Dates and activities may be subject to change.
· Students enroll and pay for all activities at the school.
· The school may cancel activities in case there is not a minimum of participants.

Monday, 10.06.2019 / 20.30 h
Welcome meeting with drinks and tapas
Meeting point: School
Guide: Marisa
Price: each student pays his consumption

Friday, 14.06.2019 / 22.00-23.00 h
Flamenco "Raíz y Duende" at the Taller de Arte Vimaambi:
Meeting point: C/ Cuesta de San Gregorio, nº 30-38 (Albaicín)
Guide: NO
Price: 15 €

Saturday, 15.06.2019 / 08.45-20.00 h
Day trip to the Alpujarra Mountains
Meeting point: Congress Palace
Guide: Juan
Price: 50 €*
* includes transport, guide, ham tasting, insurances

• Activities are organized for all Spanish levels
• Dates and activities may be subject to change.
• Students enroll and pay for all activities at the school.
• The school may cancel activities in case there is not a minimum of participants.

Monday, 03.06.2019 / 19.00-23.00 h
Guided visit to the Arabic quarter Albaicín + Flamenco at the Sacromonte
Meeting point: School
Guide: Juan
Price: 25 €*
* includes guide, entrance fees

Wednesday, 05.06.2019 / 18.00-19.30 h
Visit to the Arabic Bath Aljibe de San Miguel
Meeting point: C/ Aljibe de San Miguel, nº 41
Price: 30 €

Saturday, 08.06.2019 /07.45-20.00 h
Day trip to Córdoba
Meeting point: Congress Palace
Guide: Juan
Price: 65 €*
* includes transport, guide, entrance fees, insurances

• Activities are organized for all Spanish levels
• Dates and activities may be subject to change.
• Students enroll and pay for all activities at the school.
• The school may cancel activities in case there is not a minimum of participants.

Learning Spanish was the perfect way to spend my time in Granada! I really enjoyed my 5 weeks at Esuela Montalban in Granada. I had only planned to stay for 3 but decided to extend until the end of my trip. The Spanish classes are divided into grammar and conversation. Grammar in the mornings was well explained and the teachers are usually very good at explaining a new word or concept using only Spanish, although sometimes, and especially at the very beginning, I was not completely sure that I had understood correctly. Having the teacher that could confirm in English would have been helpful at the beginning. Since every teacher has a different teaching style, some weeks were better than other depending on if I had the teacher I liked for conversation.

The location of the school was absolutely fine. Close to the centre and within walking distance of the house I was staying at. The school was cozy and inviting as were all the staff. As for cultural activities, I feel like there could have been more organised opportunities to meet with the teachers and other students outside of class to speak Spanish in a more casual setting. I know that some of the other schools in the city did this and it seemed like a great opportunity to practice with your teachers. I felt like, as a younger student, I would have been better suited in some of the more activity oriented schools.

My housing was very comfortable. It was located in the Albaicín, a 25 minute walk from school, and I loved the area an was happy to be there instead of in the school provided facts, which I saw and were not nearly as comfortable as my room. However, I did not see or speak to the woman who was renting me a room in her house very often. She was renting out all the other rooms in her house to airbnb guests and another Spanish student. I did not have meals so I understand how this was the case, and while I would've liked more opportunities to speak Spanish outside of class, I was not bother by this and enjoyed the privacy I had.

I think that the school should give a Spanish assessment on arrival before they place people in classes, because sometimes I was in class which a wide range of skill level and it made it difficult to participate and understand when things were above my level, and frustrating when I was learning something I already understood. I also think if I could do it over again, I'd take the class with the extra private hours during the week because I felt that sometimes after learning new things, I really needed someone to sit with me and practice, and in a bigger group that wasn't always possible.

Jenny Eisner (20 years old / USA)

Monday, 27.05.2019 / 19.00-23.00 h
Guided visit to the Arabic quarter Albaicín + Flamenco at the Sacromonte
Meeting point: School
Guide: Juan
Price: 25 €*
* includes guide, entrance fees

Wednesday, 29.05.2019 / 12.30-14.00 h
Cooking workshop: Paella
Meeting point: Cooking school Javier Vilchez
C/ San Marcos, nº 1
Price: 20 €*
* Minimum 5 persons

Saturday, 01.06.2019 /07.45-20.00 h
Day trip to Seville
Meeting point: Congress Palace
Guide: Juan
Price: 70 €*
* includes transport, guide, entrance fees, insurances

• Activities are organized for all Spanish levels
• Dates and activities may be subject to change.
• Students enroll and pay for all activities at the school.
• The school may cancel activities in case there is not a minimum of participants.

Wednesday, 22.05.2019 / 16.00-17.30 h
Film session at the school
"Campeones" (Javier Fesser / Spain 2018)
Meeting point: School / Classroom 5

Friday, 24.05.2019 / 20.00-21.00 h
Flamenco at the Jardines de Zoraya
Meeting point: C/ Panaderos, nº 32
Guide: NO
Price: 20 €*
* optional dinner at the restaurant

Saturday, 25.05.2019 /07.45-20.00 h
Day trip to Córdoba
Meeting point: Congress Palace
Guide: Juan
Price: 65 €*
* includes transport, guide, entrance fees, insurances

· Activities are organized for all Spanish levels
· Dates and activities may be subject to change.
· Students enroll and pay for all activities at the school.
· The school may cancel activities in case there is not a minimum of participants.

Representatives of Tandem International language schools in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Chile met this year in Milan for their annual international meeting.

The meeting took place from 16 to 19 of May 2019 and was hosted by Il Centro, our Tandem Italian school in Milan. From here big THANKS to Il Centro for the perfect organisation!

The meetings are always held in one of the cities that are part of the network. During the meetings the schools discuss the most important aspects about the work of the association, as well as the issues that affects each school individually. Our network focus on the mutual support and collaboration that characterizes us, in order to constantly improve the progress of each school and of the whole group.

Our next Plenum session will be held in Cologne, Germany in May 2020.

Are you interested in our network?
For further information about Tandem International visit: www.tandem-schools.com

Monday, 06.05.2019 / 17.00 h
Guided visit to the city centre + Royal Chapel
Meeting point: School
Guide: Juan
Price: 15 €

Tuesday, 07.05.2019 / 18.00 h
Guided visit to Albaicín + Sacromonte
Meeting point: Juan
Guide: Juan
Price: 5 €

Saturday, 11.05.2019 /11.00 h
Day trip to Nerja beach
Meeting point: Centro Comercial Neptuno
Guide: Simon
Price: 25 €*
* includes transport and life guard

Friday/Saturday/Sunday, 10-12.05.2019 /12.45 h
Weekend trip to Northern Morocco
Price: 195 €
www.studytravel-spain.es

· Activities are organized for all Spanish levels
· Dates and activities may be subject to change.
· Students enroll and pay for all activities at the school.
· The school may cancel activities in case there is not a minimum of participants.