School Blog

His destination was: The Cahorros Gorge in Monachil village.

With its wild flowers, almonds, the cascading river and lavender, thyme and rosemary, the lush Monachil valley is a beautiful area for hiking. Our students love the hanging bridges and the dramatic gorge, and this walk is particularly recommended when the flowers are out in spring.

We choose this walk, because it is suitable for most people. There are some sections where the group has to scramble under overhanging rock along the side of the gorge. It's an unforgettable adventure! There are metal handles set into the rock to help hikers past. It isn't a difficult route to follow.

The walk starts in the village of Monachil, following the river up through the gorge, then returning by a higher route, from which we get a good view of the whole valley.

Today our teacher Paco has visited the Carlos V. Palace with his students.

The Charles V. Palace is a Renaissance building located on the top of the Alhambra hill and inside the Nasrid fortification of the Alhambra. When Carlos V came to Granada on his honeymoon, he fell in love with the Alhambra and the city. He took up residence in the Arab palaces but decided to build his own larger, more spacious palace adjoining the Nasrid Palaces so that he could continue to enjoy them.

He commissioned an architect to design a building befitting a Roman Emperor and work began in 1527.

The palace building is 63m2 square on the outside with a 30m diameter circular courtyard on the inside.

The project was partly paid for with taxes collected from the Moriscos (Muslims who had converted to Christianity) in return for being allowed to stay in Granada and continue with their traditions.

It could be said that the blossoming of almond trees is one of the most awaited moments that springtime offers every year. This magic can be found around Granada, in Andalusia.

Every year hues of white and pink flood the Mediterranean scenery. For many this is a taste of spring, usually taking place during the month of February. At this time, fields of almond trees are dressed in an elegant coat of colourful blossoms, while the winter, and the accompanying cold, are still at their peak.

Spain is the world's second largest almond producer. The almond is an international symbol of Spain. In Spain, most almond trees are found in the mediterranean region and the country produces 260,000 tones of almonds annually. As one of the most important products cultivated in Spain, it isn't surprising that the almond is often found in Spanish cuisine.

Our student Hamza Belhouli from Morocco has been studying Spanish for 3 months at our Spanish language school in Granada. He has progressed at lot and has performed a Rap song for our teacher Marisa :). We wish you good luck for the next 3 months.

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The DELE exams are official qualifications certifying the degree of competence and mastery of Spanish granted by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education. Taking the exams will allow you to have a diploma certifying your mastery of the language.

The DELE A2 exam and CCSE are the two nationality tests that any foreigner must pass in order to be granted nationality in Spain. They are two different exams that will define whether or not you are eligible for a Spanish passport, based on your level of Spanish (language) and knowledge of the country.

This diploma certifies that the candidate can understand commonly used, everyday phrases and expressions related to areas of experience especially relevant to them (basic information about themselves and their families, shopping, places of interest, work, etc.).

What you should know!

• Understand basic expressions about daily activities.
• Produce simple sentences concerning everyday needs and actions.
• Describe your environment.
• Talk about your past, your family life, your most common routines.

Even if we can only move inside the municipality of Granada because of the pandemic, our city offers very beautiful trails near the city center. Today we propose a walk to the following area:

This walk explores the Llano de la Perdiz, an area of parkland above the Alhambra in Granada popular with locals for walking, cycling, and Sunday picnics.

You very soon leave the city behind, replacing it with views across to the Sierra Nevada to the south-east and the Sierra de Huétor to the north.

The return part of the circuit offers views down into the Sacromonte valley and the Albaicín quarter of Granada.

What is the PRUEBA CCSE?

The Spanish constitutional and sociocultural knowledge test (PRUEBA CCSE) is an exam created by the Instituto Cervantes which evaluates, via various means, the knowledge of the constitution and the social and cultural realities in Spain.

Passing this test is one of the requirements established by the law for people from any country in order to acquire the Spanish nationality.

Candidates of any nationality who are 18 years old and above and with legal capacity to act can sign up to take the exam.

Escuela Montalbán, in Granada, is a CCSE exam centre which is one of the selected institutions in Spain, recognised by the Instituto Cervantes to manage and supervise these exams.

For more information regarding examination dates and the enrollment procedure visit our website

The first PRUEBA CCSE examination in 2021 will take place at our school from 25.01 to 28.01.2021.

The extraordinary Christmas lighting, which includes the city center and the 32 neighborhoods of Granada, will last until January 6 at a schedule adapted to the COVID-19 circumstances.

Between 06.30 p.m. until 10.30 p.m., allowing the possibility of extending it on the most special days of the festivities, visitors can enjoy the decoration.

On this occasion, the Granada City Council has opted for a decoration aimed at converting emblematic spaces of the city into must-see places for Christmas in Granada, since the intention is that citizens who go out for a walk "can enjoy our wonderful city with their friends and families".