Spain France Pyrenees

Enroll Now

Spain France Pyrenees

Flights and Packing
Destination

Spain
France

Current Grades

9th-11th

length

16 Days

view dates and prices
Airports

Arrive: Toulouse, France (TLS)
Depart: Barcelona, Spain (BCN)

Spend 16 days exploring the mountains and culture of northern Spain and southern France! We’ll kick off our adventure with a four-day trek that will lead you through the Pyrenees Mountains, an impressive range even older than the Alps. We’ll ride bouncy rapids on whitewater rafts before transitioning to the gentler swells of Northern Spain, where we’ll learn to surf. A via ferrata in France and canyoneering adventure in Spain will get you up close and personal to the beautiful Pyrenees canyons. Next will be beautiful Barcelona, right on the Mediterranean Sea. We’ll explore the city and delve into the culture of this region known for Antoni Gaudí’s works of art. To top it all off, we’ll immerse ourselves in the Spanish language by taking classes with instructors and staying right on the beach of the fantastic Spanish coastline.

This trip is temporarily paused for 2023.

 

Overview Image

Itinerary

Days 1-5: Hike through the Pyrenees Mountains

Upon arrival, we head to the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural border between Spain and France. (A portion of the well-known Camino de Santiago runs through this range!) Our four-day trek will take us up and over rolling hills past waterfalls and fields of vibrant wildflowers, chateaux and shepherds’ huts. We won’t be sleeping on the ground at night; instead, we’ll stay in different mountain huts along the way, nestled between the soaring granite peaks. The Pyrenees are famous for their three enormous glacial cirques, one of which is up to 3,000 feet deep and nicknamed Spain’s “Grand Canyon!”

Accommodation: Mountain huts

Days 6-7: Whitewater raft and via ferrata

After our trek, we’ll celebrate our hard work with a day of exploring Pyrenees canyons by way of via ferrata, a common way of traversing mountains in Europe. With a history dating back to Alpine regions in the 19th century, scaling rock walls while attached to cables and walking on rope bridges is a fun and safe way to admire the views below! Then comes a day of pure fun while whitewater rafting! We’ll carom down class III and IV rapids, with calmer sections inviting splash wars in between.

Accommodation: Hostel

Days 8-10: Learn to surf on Spanish coast

Next up is two days of professional surf instruction in Spain—a spot otherwise known as Westeros in Games of Thrones! Beautiful geological formations serve as the backdrop for this beach known for its consistent, beginner-friendly breaks. In the afternoons, we’ll stroll through Basque neighborhoods, enjoying freshly made tapas and other local delights!

Accommodation: Hostel

Days 11-12: Experience Barcelona culture and beaches

First, a walking tour will acquaint us with Barcelona’s world-renowned Gaudí architecture, vibrant culture, and bustling markets. Barcelona is also home to the Museu Picasso, Museu d’Historia de Catalunya, and Parc Guell, another Gaudí work. We’ll head to the world-famous Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família—or Sagrada Família for short. One of the most prominent and remarkable Gaudí works in history, this basilica has remained under construction since 1882, as Gaudí unfortunately passed away before it could be finished. To fully enjoy the local cuisine, we will end our evening with a delicious local cooking class where we will eat tapas and mouth-watering paella!

Accommodation: Hostel

Days 13-15: Learn Spanish in Sitges

We’ll wrap up our adventure with several days of Spanish language immersion in Sitges, known as the “Jewel on the Mediterranean.” Each morning, students will participate in Spanish classes with peers of similar ability. Afternoons are filled with relaxing on world-class beaches, stand-up paddle boarding, touring the city on a bicycle, and sea kayaking. Our final night will be celebrated with a paella feast!

Accommodation: Hostel

*Listed above is Bold Earth’s intended itinerary for this trip. All itineraries are subject to change in order to provide the best possible program quality.

Show More

Dates and Prices

Departure 1
  • Departure Day
    07/01/22
  • Return Day
    07/16/22
  • Grade
    9–11
  • Price
    $5,488
  • Availability
    Full
Departure 1
  • Departure Day
    07/19/22
  • Return Day
    08/03/22
  • Grade
    9–11
  • Price
    $5,488
  • Availability
    Full
Departure Day Return Day Grade Price Availability
07/01/22
07/16/22
9–11
$5,488
full
07/19/22
08/03/22
9–11
$5,488
full

Accommodations

  • 11 nights hostels and bed & breakfasts.
  • 4 nights mountain huts. 

Activities

Canyoneering

Hiking

Sea kayaking

Sightseeing

Spanish language immersion

Surfing

Whitewater rafting

Via ferrata

View Gallery
    • ;
    • ;
    • ;
    • ;
    • ;
    • ;
    • ;

Reviews

Carey E, parent from Charlotte, NC

Ellie had a wonderful time and enjoyed everyone on the trip very much! She would actually like to have some of the kids participate with her on another BE experience next summer. The trip leaders, participants, and locations are fantastic! BE is a well-run, well-organized company that really seems to understand this age group. They push the kids just enough that they all have a blast doing it.

Austin, student from Stamford, CT

I loved immersing myself in the languages and the sightseeing. The hike was the highlight of my trip! The hike was so much fun and the views were amazing. This trip changed my life, no joke. All of us still keep in touch; Spain France was awesome.

Lori G, parent from New York, NY

The trip was very well-organized, and everyone I reached out to responded very quickly. From what my sons said, the trip leaders were fantastic! 

Payton, student from Sherborn, MA

My favorite part about this trip was getting to be with the people and other kids on the trip. I grew to have amazing connections with both the trip leaders and the other kids. I also really enjoyed the host families and Spanish school because I feel that I improved my Spanish skills. It opened a totally new window for me to travel to new countries and doing non-touristy things.

Lauren F, parent from West Hartford, CT

We were incredibly impressed with everything. Loved the blog and photos. So great that you take the phones away and the kids are unplugged. The trip leaders were amazing. I have been spreading the word already about Bold Earth!

Melissa L, parent from Nashville, TN

Molly had an another amazing summer trip with Bold Earth. She made lifelong friends and gained even more confidence for doing new things.

Josh, student from Montreal, Canada

I loved making friends with both the other students and the trip leaders. Second to that was the country of Spain itself. I made the most meaningful memories with the 11 other people, more than I could have imagined.

Kaitlin, student from Yardley, PA

Before coming on the Spain trip, my Spanish speaking skills needed a lot of work. I knew it all on paper, but that wasn’t an effective way of communicating in a different language. Through the many different experiences and things I encountered while on my trip, I have improved in my vocabulary in general, but mostly in my speech. Learning to speak was my original goal and reason for signing up for the Bold Earth trip, and it was successful.

Write A Review