Camino de Santiago Course & Hiking the Way

I highly recommend doing the Camino de Santiago with Arcos Learning Abroad. This is a good program for you if you are ready to spend most of your day walking, meeting new people from all over the world, and getting to eat different foods native to northern Spain.

I did the Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way. I highly recommend this program if you really like hiking, walking, nature, and getting to know northern Spain (Galicia) on foot. It has so much to offer and I am glad that I choose to do this. Be sure to have really good footwear!

Rocio was an awesome director—highly organized and always prepared to help! I strongly recommend this program. I especially enjoyed learning about the environmental impact of pilgrims. While some hostels varied in cleanliness and shared bathrooms were a downside, my favorite was in Madrid. Pro tip: bring a towel and shower shoes, and don't overpack! This program helped me realize my capabilities, and I highly recommend it for studying abroad.

Ro and Alejandro, the on-site directors, were AMAZING—super personable and friendly! The biggest challenge was being far from home, but I quickly adapted. The greatest benefit was truly getting immersed in the culture. I wholeheartedly recommend Arcos for your study abroad! Tip: pack a little less and try new foods.

Rocio is the best on-site director we have worked with. She is highly attentive, available, and works wonderfully with students and faculty. Her athleticism inspires our group during the Camino. Her knowledge has proven invaluable, and we plan to work with her for our future May 2027 trip.

Our experience with Arcos was excellent across the board. The incredible staff were major factors in our decision to use Arcos again (this is our second time in Spain with Arcos). They are engaging, present, and very knowledgable. I encourage future students to apply to Arcos.

Our Arcos directors Ro and Alejandro were AWESOME! This program is highly recommended; it has so much to offer. I learned a lot about myself and made great friends. Tip: Consider packing a little more heavily than suggested, especially for potential cold and rain.

The greatest benefit from my experience is the confidence I now have in myself to explore the world. My host mother was excellent when it came to every criteria. She cooked us the most delicious and filling meals and was great company to talk to. I very quickly felt right at home. Be open to every possibilty!

My host mom was amazing! She made me feel at home and was very attentive to all of my needs. She treated me like family. I am grateful I had the opportunity to live in a new country as a local and not just as a tourist. As a local you get to experience the culture in a much deeper and meaningful way.

Our director was incredibly engaging. He created an unforgettable trip for our group! I absolutely fell in love with my host family! They were thoughtful and welcoming. I plan to stay connected with them after the trip - they were a huge reason why I loved this program so much!

Do not attend this study abroad event just for the credits. Be sure you are interested in studying parts of history, exploring culture, and want the challenge of The Camino. Our director was committed to doing his job at a very high level. He was thoughtful and responsible.

Our director was fantastic and a major help in our learning process, problem solving, and making sure we got to where we needed to be in a safe and timely manner. The professor was great and it was nice to have someone with so much knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm about the trip as a whole and the material we were learning along the way. The memories I made, and the friendships I gained on the trip, were the greatest benefits. I am confident in recommending this program to students looking for both academic and personal growth.

I gained so much from this study abroad experience including personal growth and self-discovery. I now have a broader perspective on the world. I experienced diverse cultures, made new friends and connections, and drastically improved my Spanish language skills. I built resilience and adaptability and enhanced my problem-solving skills, while creating lifelong memories. I am grateful because I developed a global network, which will boost my career prospects thanks to this exceptional international experience.

Our Arcos director was a fantastic guide who was very easy to talk to. The greatest benefits on this program were making new friends and practicing spontaneous speaking in Spanish. I enjoyed visiting multiple regions and cities of Spain. Highly recommend it!

The greatest benefits were making new friends and having new experiences. My advice is to really prepare for the Camino. I was a bit unprepared for the amount of walking. I confidently recommend this program - it's an enriching and meaningful opportunity.

If you are looking for something to help guide you, this is it! There will be challenges but this program is truly a program that will help you GROW! You will not be disappointed by this opportunity! Go have an adventure!!

The guides, instructor and support staff made this trip educational, enjoyable and memorable. It was great to visit so many places and do so many things without having to worry about making arrangements or paying fees along the way.

This trip changed my life in all facets. It made me more independent, curious, and extended my wealth of knowledge. My living situation was tricky as my host mom didn’t know a bit of English and I didn’t have a lot of Spanish. However, overcoming that hurdle made the experience even more wonderful. Walking around the cities we visited and lived in was amazing to really get a good grasp of cultural differences.

My experience with Arcos and studying abroad was absolutely amazing, something I would have never imagined. Definitely would recommend to fellow students who are looking to explore the world while also taking college classes.

I traveled to Spain with Arcos and it completely changed my life. I feel in love with Spain and the culture and felt so welcomed by my host family, professors and the staff from Arcos. They were very helpful and informative about everything and wanted the best possible experience for everyone. The activities and excursions were one of a kind and I definitely felt like I got the most out of my time there.

Studying abroad was the best decision I ever made. I had an amazing time and everyone affiliated with the program was amazing. My host family was amazing, they did an amazing job at making us feel welcomed and their food was amazing. The only critique I have is that the Camino de Santiago could have been explained better prior to the trip and I wish that there were more students living in Spain in our classes. Other than that, I wish the program was longer! It truly was an amazing experience and everyone working with ARCOS and our professors made the experience even better.

This program is something that everyone will have a different experience with. When anyone goes out and studies abroad, it is supposed to be about learning and experiencing yourself and as well as the environment around. The community will not only teach you more about you, but also about how you see yourself on your journey. There may be times where you want to go back home, but take every moment you get out there and truly learn and get out there as much as possible. If you are looking for something that you may feel like you want to take a chance and aren't looking for something in particular, you should take it. Arcos host some of the great staff and also teachers such as Dr. Lunden MacDonald that makes the experience ten times better! Bien Camino!

I have lived abroad and traveled outside the States on multiple accounts, so I was pretty excited about adding another country to my list of places I have been too. However, in all my travels, I had never traveled so far from home or for as long, so I definitely has my reservations. This trip was exceptional and beyond worth it! In all my experience of travelling I have never done anything like this and I will never forget it. I am so incredibly proud of myself for doing this and I have absolutely no regrets going. It was definitely a lot of money, but it was worth every penny. There was so much to do, but it felt evenly paced. I had the time to relax and enjoy my down time but I also had the time to go and do everything. I like the amount of time spent out there. The people at ARCOS were all so phenomenal and did an incredible job putting the trip together and making it as smooth as possible even with all the little hiccups we had. Despite it being during the pandemic, they made it work and made it worth the time and effort. I have no doubts that future groups going will have an even better experience. In regards to the Camino, I am not an athletic person and despite being from Colorado, I don't hike much either but it was hands down, the cherry on the top and perfect way to end the entire trip. It is so incredibly rewarding but I highly suggest whoever reads this to start preparing for it months in advanced. Buy the proper gear and most importantly, put the money into buying nice shoes. Your shoes and socks will make or break your walk. I wore HOKA shoes with wicking socks for the duration of those 5 days without any blisters! The walk may seem daunting but was by far the best part of my trip and I'd do it again.