High School Study Abroad in Spain

I had a very excellent time on my Arcos Journeys Abroad program, in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and on the Camino de Santiago. The host families were incredible, as were all the chaperones and teachers. The activities were always very fun, and there was a nice balance of structured time and free time. The Camino was also amazing, and I was unexpectedly delighted by that aspect of the trip. Thank you!!

Excellent summer camp. The staff were so good and helpful, especially Katrina, Axel and Fernanda. They made the week so fun and special. Thank you to them all. The activities were well organised and the staff made them even better,

Expanish responded to this reviewAugust 23, 2026

¡Hola, Kate! What a lovely review — thank you! :) We're so happy this was your best summer and full of great memories! It's wonderful to hear Katrina, Axel, and Fernanda made the week so fun and special — we'll be sure to pass along your thanks to them. So glad the activities were well organized and that our staff added that extra spark to it all! Thanks so much for choosing Expanish — hope to see you again soon! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

I spent two weeks of July in Barcelona with Expanish School and it was one of the best experiences of my life. In two weeks I learned a lot thanks to the teachers and the trips we did during the week and in the weekends. I got to know some amazing people that became my friends and with them I shared this magnificent experience. My host family was so lovely, they immediately made me feel comfortable and at home. Now that my experience has finished I find myself thinking about the days spent in Barcelona with Expanish. I already recommended the school to my friends because I think it is really really valid.

Expanish responded to this reviewAugust 23, 2026

¡Hola, Sofia! What a beautiful review to read — thank you! :) We're so happy your two weeks in Barcelona turned into one of the best experiences of your life! It's wonderful that you learned so much thanks to our teachers and all the trips along the way, and even better that you made friends who shared it all with you. Hearing that your host family made you feel so at home too just makes this even more special. Thank you for already recommending us to your friends — that truly means so much to us. We hope to welcome you back to Expanish soon! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

aswell as improving my grammar, speech and understanding in spanish, I had a great time on activitys, excursions and free time. met a lot of new people and had a lot of fun with them and interacting with others

Expanish responded to this reviewAugust 23, 2026

¡Hola, Jordi! Thank you so much for your comments! We're thrilled you improved your Spanish grammar, speech, and understanding while having such a great time doing it — that's the perfect combo! It sounds like the activities, excursions, and free time gave you the chance to really connect with new people, and that's what summer camp is all about. So glad you had this experience with us — hope to see you back soon! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

My host family was amazing, the teacher was very nice and helpful and I could learn a lot. The activities were fun and were helping me learn more about the place and the culture. Unfortunately not many people my age were attending them but they were still very fun

Expanish responded to this reviewAugust 23, 2026

¡Hola, Teodor! Thank you for sharing this with us! :) We're so glad the program let you dive into the city, culture, and language all at once — and it's wonderful to hear your host family and teacher made such a positive impact on your experience. We're happy the activities added to that too, and we hear you on wanting more people your age around — we'll keep working on bringing in a wider crowd! Thanks again for choosing Expanish — hope to see you again soon! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

We had a wonderful experience with Expanish! Communication was excellent from the time we enrolled and throughout the entire program. They were always very responsive whenever we emailed with questions, and everything was extremely well organized. The paperwork was easy to complete electronically. We dropped our 14 year old son off and picked him up in person, so we also had a chance to see the facilities and meet the staff. The facilities were clean, modern, and well maintained, and the counselors were very friendly and welcoming in person. Most importantly, our son had a great time. He attended just one week this summer and enjoyed it so much that he’s already asked to go back for three weeks next summer. I think that says it all! We would definitely recommend Expanish!

I would say this summer is for sure one of the best summers i’ve ever had. The amount of connections that were made during this program and people i’ve met has changed me a a lot and given me a better way to look at things. The entire Toca team was absolutely amazing also I appreciate them so much

This program was an amazing experience and gave me the chance to travel to Spain while improving my Spanish. Living with a host family helped me learn about the culture, and the classes were fun, interactive, and easy to follow. I also enjoyed exploring different cities and trying new foods with the group. Overall, I would definitely recommend this program to anyone looking to study abroad, meet new people, and create unforgettable memories.

Firstly, thank you TOCA for giving us this experience to travel across the world and learn a whole new culture. I had a blast and would absolutely recommend to other kids who are interested in traveling the world as well. My favorite part was definitely the surfing because I learned a new skill and I basically mastered it heh 😎 But in all seriousness, I was not expecting to get this close with people that I barely knew. Now these people are basically family! 10/10 program, once again thank you TOCA!

During my time in Spain I had some of the most unforgettable experiences, that I will forever cherish. Having the opportunity to learn abroad and just experience a whole new atmosphere has been a true blessing. TOCA was a second family and home to me, the staff were amazing they always took care of all of us and looked out for every single one of us, the students were all inclusive there wasn't anyone who was left out. Classes were also very interactive and full of joyful memories. My teacher Dani was an amazing person, he made sure to answer all our questions and he never had a problem with repeating himself if we didn't understand. My host Mom was a caring soul as well, she always asked if we were okay and she always made sure to check up on us. Being in Spain this summer, has changed my perspective on everything. I really enjoyed my time and if I had the chance to do it again I definitely would without a second thought.

This entire experience was something new for me in many different ways. I have been away from my parents while overseas before, but this time I was surrounded by teenagers my age who were all from a different state from me. Despite some of our differences, the group I was with was filled with wonderful people who I hope to stay connected with. My first real day with my group, I was able to talk deeply with four of my roomates about how they felt about the program so far. Just having those meaningful little conversations during the trip let us all bond very quickly, and allowed me to have a greater understanding about the minds of people. There was a lot of reflecting and fun that happened during the trip, so I would definitely reccomend this program to anyone who has not traveled before. The entire trip was something to remember, as I got to really bond and hear stories about life from New York.

As these 15 days in Spain have come to an end, I am beginning to see the major difference in environments between New York and Sevilla, for example the streets are significantly cleaner with a more humble atmosphere, as I had my own walks and journey's in Sevilla I've realized that the world can hold so much peace, it really just depends on where you are and how you take it. Traveling with strangers and becoming friends with them has helped me understand opinions different from my own such as believing wether or not England deserved to be knocked out (they didn't btw) of going to the finals. Overall I believe that I learnt much from TOCA, the trip leaders, my friends I've made and my roommates as well as the minor interactions I've had with the spaniards. Once again I am extremely grateful for being able to participate in this program and I hope everyone lives life to the fullest.

This program has solidified my desire to study abroad! Summer 2026 will always be remembered as the summer I had an incredible study abroad experience in Seville, Spain, with TOCA and MundoLengua.My homestay family was the highlight of my experience. I enjoyed traditional Spanish cuisine, a safe and clean environment, and the feeling of being a true member of their family. My class time was also surprisingly enjoyable. As someone who hasn't had the best experience learning another language, this program completely changed my perspective. Daniel was an amazing teacher who knew how to keep the class engaged and full of energy. Even as a non-Spanish-speaking student placed in the advanced class, I never felt lost during his lessons.Our tour guides, Martha and Marcos, were incredibly knowledgeable, and you could tell they genuinely cared about making each experience meaningful. Every tour and excursion was interesting, and I never once felt bored. Overall, I would recommend this program to anyone who has never traveled abroad. It is a great way to begin your journey, immerse yourself in a new culture, and create unforgettable memories.

Being a part of TOCA has put a real soft spot in my heart because it was the greatest trip I ever had in my life.It was so life changing with the staff, the people, and the tour guides that were apart of our journey.The food was amazing, our host families were ecstatic and loved our stay and it felt like I was apart of a group that really cared.Juan Alberto was a great teacher and I loved the way he taught Spanish because it was exciting,my past year of taking Spanish was very boring and mishandled and Juan make it come back to life.I met amazing people that I can call my 2nd family forever and I will be forever grateful of these individuals.TOCA will always be the greatest program I ever experienced in my life and I thank them so much for trusting me to come on this trip for 2 weeks.I will highly recommend this program for anyone that wants something to remember forever!

Arriving to Spain, I came into the country with an okay amount of knowledge of the Spanish language; knowing how to conjugate some words, basic greetings and such on. I don't have a problem with reading nor writing- but my biggest problem was speaking. Being around people who know the language was intimating because what if I look like a fool? What if I'm too boring? What if I come out disrespectful? worries that trace in my mind. Meeting my homestay Mother, Macarena had those worries disappear; being opening and welcoming me to her home-she talked and talked about anything and everything during dinner. She also spoke about her experiences of speaking English and how she used to be shy speaking and how bad it was when she started. Something about that conversation over dinner, was very warming and reassuring to me; it made me realize that despite being from complete different places were all the same and were all human. Me and Macarena both share the experiences of being shy with speaking, and started off bad. And this moment pushed me out my comfort zone and now I'm somewhat of a pro at ordering my own food in Spanish.

My name is Zayan and Toca really helped me experience what it means to be social, and to be a people person essentially. I got to talk to a lot of like minded individuals who aren’t exactly similar to me but still hold values and traits that make it very easy to connect and bond with people.

I think I had a self-changing experience. I left timid, not wanting to really interact with others to the extent we share lifestyles. By the time the 2 weeks were up, I was loud and found my found family in TOCA. Although we never went into deep conversations such as trauma bonding, we shared enough to make a connection. I found who I am, an identity I struggled to find outside of school. I made lasting connections with people who have amazing dreams and goals. We all make each other want to do the best for ourselves and each other. I made friends with people whom I would never have met because of where we all live. Overall, this was the best experience I have ever had, and I couldn't have had this opportunity without TOCA. Oh yeah, this was my first time traveling and doing most of the activities planned, so it was really fun for my first time in anything.

I had an amazing time in Spain! TOCA has honestly been one of the best experiences of my life. At first everyone was a little shy, but honestly after the first day of being in Spain, everyone started to get closer. Being with my host family taught me how to speak up for myself and my needs. Being around new people taught me how to interact and connect with others from different backgrounds. I was scared about being away from my family, but honestly it taught me how to be more independent. I recommend this program to anyone who wants a life changing experience.

TOCA has provided me with a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not just because they brought me to spain, they provided something that no money could pay for which is a community. This community alongside every activity we had was just a 10/10 experience i would relive over and over again. I never imagined i could be so open with a group of people while only knowing them for 2 weeks but anything is possible. Personal connections between students and staff really mean something deep down and its something i will forever cherish this program for. I am forever grateful for TOCA.

Being a part of TOCA has been nigh life changing. The encouragement and feedback I received from both staff and peers alike has led to an almost drastic development in how I perceive people in society and how we interact, directly contributing to a a greater life satisfaction as I continue to hunt for meaning with every exchange. Outside my cohort, my stay with my host family was also phenomenal; the level of independence and trust that they gave me has greatly contributed to an increase in my overall confidence, especially because they also sought to engage with me in a way that fostered learning Spanish; they never once lost interest in our conversations because I struggled to understand them. All in all, I would recommend TOCA to anyone interested in studying abroad, and would encourage them to push themselves, even if only a little, to benefit most from the program.