Villa Española – Casón de la Pinilla Hotel

"The weeklong immersion program was exactly what I needed to hone my Spanish skills. For eight days I interacted, only in Spanish, as no English was permitted, with other participants from around the world and with amazing Spanish volunteers who were with us for the duration of the program. The activities (all in Spanish) were really fun and included games, debates, theater and face to face conversations with native Spanish speakers. There was never a dull moment and we laughed a lot, every day. The hotel was fabulous and the three meals per day which were included were amazing. The leaders of the program I attended (Cecilio and Sergio) kept things running on schedule and kept us busy with all of the fun activities. I told my husband that I felt like I was in summer camp for adults. I left after a week of this incredible Spanish language immersion program feeling confident in my ability to speak and comunícate in Spanish. I do this again!!!"

"Exceptional experience!!! If you are looking to authentically improve your Spanish speaking and listening skills this is the program for you. Is goes well beyond language acquisition by living in country because there is structure and support while being 100% immersed in Spanish. Throughout the day you are paired with a rotation of native Spanish speakers alternating with group time and activities. The native speakers and participants do everything together including, sharing meals, social times, structured activities, touristic visits, etc. With each passing day comprehension and confidence to speak improve. I highly recommend Pueblo Español!"

"This was such an amazing experience. I learned more Spanish in 7 days than I have in years of school. And made friendships to have forever. I highly recommend attending!"

"I enjoyed the first experience so much that I came back six months later to do it again. Both times were challenging,very tiring and very satisfying. Each time I have felt genuine improvement in my ability to communicate in Spanish. Pueblo Espanol is a unique way to practise and develop speaking and listening skills. It is also fun: you get to eat a lot of food and to meet some fascinating people - both :volunteers and fellow students."

"It was intensive (as the website says); the first 24 hours or so was the most challenging, having to "re-wire" my brain to speak Spanish only. I found the programme most useful - coming from Malaysia there is hardly any opportunity to speak Spanish there - the week really helped to escalate my conversation capabilities. It was well-structured, balanced between group activities and downtime to rejuvenate. The company of other students added fun and flavour, while our voluntarios and our Programme Director kept the energy flowing. I recommend the programme to anyone who is looking to improve Spanish speaking capabilities, as well as an opportunity to spend some time in a place that is off the beaten track, for a change."

"The class was very very tough.. however the result that I got… it was more more more than what you can expect. I strongly recommend to try a course if you are interested to study Spanish. The professors and courses are very well organized. Thank you and am definitely coming back."

"First, I have to say that I feel like the experience pushed me and challenged my skills, but I very much enjoyed the experience of Pueblo Español. Since I returned home I have been telling all of my (envious) friends that it was a profound cultural experience. Not only did I learn a lot of Spanish by speaking it with native speakers every day, but I also learned so much about the culture of Spain. There were long discussions about the geography, the politics and the food of Spain, to cite only a few examples. I plan to repeat the experience another time and will do so without reservation." You can read the full experience in Pueblo Español here!

"I have gone to a lot of Spanish schools, but this is fantastically different. It is a fun language camp full of opportunities to not only speak Spanish, but gain confidence in doing so while chatting, debating, and laughing with your new friends."

"Wonderful experience! Before and after. At first the students were a little shy with the language but eager to reinforce their skills. On the third or fourth day the confidence and ease were noticeable, and in their last presentation the results were impressive. I recommend Pueblo Español without reservation."

"Excellent week of different activities to help the learning process. Very well organised, throughout the week and every effort was made to help learn. The volunteers were exceptional...patient and informative. I learnt so much and built my confidence. Recommend to anyone"

"Pueblo Español is an excellent program. The instructor was a dedicated professional who made sure all students were included and challenged. The activities were fun, and the excursions were wonderful learning opportunities. The volunteers were like friends who support and encourage. I loved this program and would recommend it to anyone who is serious about improving their Spanish and willing to do the hard work."

"What an incredible experience! The Pueblo Español programme is immersive and intense but so much fun. From 9am to late in the evening you are only speaking Spanish; the activities are varied and the excursions interesting. The volunteers are patient, encouraging and enthusiastic, constantly working with you to develop your language skills. All this, ably led by Cecilio, our programme director. I arrived with little confidence in speaking Spanish, by the end I felt I had taken my listening and speaking skills to an entirely different level. I also came away with plenty of new ‘native’ expressions! The hotel is comfortable surrounded by countryside and provides a perfect learning environment."

"It was a pleasure to join in another course with Pueblo Español and the volunteers are always ready to help especially when certain words in English have a different connotation in Spanish . It is also important that participants keep an open mind to take in all the suggestions offered by Pueblo Español staff and the volunteers. I have personal experience of the help and support offered."

"Pueblo Español fue una experiencia fantástica. Hay muchos programas de inmersión en español pero este es especial. El programa es su gente y el director del curso, Diego, hizo que la semana fuera muy educativa y divertida. Los voluntarios fueron excepcionales con el español de muchos lugares diferentes y muy, muy pacientes y amables. Cada uno habla un poco diferente, lo que aumenta el valor de la enseñanza. La ubicación era excelente para aprender. El hotel y su personal fueron fantásticos. Mantienen muy bien las habitaciones. y la comida, fantástica y mucha. Las excursiones fueron muy interesantes solo en español. Seguramente volveré. Una semana no es la respuesta al idioma español pero esta semana tiene más valor que un semestre en el aula."

"¡Una semana fenomenal! I loved every minute of this course. It was so rewarding to socialise in Spanish and to understand what was going on. I laughed lots, learnt lots and met a wonderful group of people. The hotel was good and the volunteers gave up a week of their holidays for us, led by Diego who did everything to ensure that we all made progress with the language. Someone asked me today what was the best bit : la amistad."

"The planning staff and volunteers of this program were so great! The accommodations and food are fine but the real value is the gift these volunteers gives each student- it's something money just couldn't buy. If you want to push yourself to jump in and learn spanish, this program could not be more positive and supportive to hold space for it. No judgements, constant encouragement, and making every effort to ensure its a great experience for learning. I feel truly moved and so fortunate to have been a part of this group."

"A great immersion experience. You speak in nothing but Spanish for 15 hours a day. The volunteers and fellow students are wonderful. It was a fabulous experience."

"Everything about my experience with Pueblo Español deserves 5 stars. The hotel in Cason, the food experience (that might be worth 6 stars!), the excursions and the activities - all amazing. The group of students and volunteers were great fun but best of all was the smooth running of the program due to the professionalism of the two members of staff from Pueblo Español, Marta and Emparo. I came away with much more confidence than I arrived with and a few more inches on my waistline. Definitely an experience I would have no hesitation in repeating. Muchas gracias por todo. Hasta la próxima."

“I thoroughly enjoyed Pueblo Español and feel that I have really benefitted from it. As I said my confidence in Spanish and in life in general has increased and I would like to thank you all for giving me this opportunity.”

“A person embarking on Pueblo Español needs to know about the ‘rule’ of the total immersion: no speaking their own language to the volunteers or each other for the entire day. During all the waking hours, we interacted only in Spanish. About 16 hours a day!”

“I really enjoyed the program and found it extremely helpful. I especially liked the format of a non-classroom based set up – this makes it impossible to hide. The volunteers were great and especially as they had different accents and spoke with varying speeds – it made you listen very intently.”