Santander Spanish Language Immersion Course

Summary: I’ve just completed a two-week stay with The Spanish Course as part of my teacher training SKE. Fernando and his lovely family were extremely welcoming and worked hard to make all guests feel comfortable in their beautiful home. His wife Merche spoiled us with lots of delicious home-cooked food. The course was fantastic - Fernando is an expert language teacher! He is incredibly passionate about what he does, patient with learners, and he has an excellent sense of humour. The location is in a beautiful part of the world with so many interesting things to see and do. The experience has enabled me refresh my knowledge of the Spanish language, make great friends with fellow trainee teachers, and make life-long memories. Thank you so much!

Summary: I stayed a week in October and everything turned out better than expected . the rooms, food all excludable. and a special mention to Julia Torres who attended us with excellent Service and to Kriston who was very attentive.

Summary: A perfect week- HIGHLY recommend! My partner and I spent a week at the home of Fernando and Merche, and had a highly individualized curriculum, a wonderful experience with a warm and welcoming (bilingual) family, and lots of insider tips about the culture and the surrounding countryside. Fernando was a patient and enthusiastic teacher, and met us right where we were with our Spanish level/s. Our room was large and comfortable with an en-suite bathroom; the home cooked meals were plentiful and delicious and included local specialties and paella, and the family could not have been nicer and more natural. I hope to return with my daughter for another week next year ! And it is a treat beyond measure to be able to see the prehistoric cave paintings and the charming nearby medieval towns Fernando Thank you to you Merche, Victoria and Raquel (and Ukra) for welcoming us to your home and including us in your family life. We loved the delicious food, the warmth of the family and learning about Spain and starting our Spanish language journey. Vicki and Chris

Summary: My experience with Fernando and his family was everything I could have hoped for. A fantastic way of learning Spanish, experiencing the Spanish way of life while having a holiday- lots of things to do locally and in Santander. The caves at Puente Viesgo are amazing! Geraldine

Summary: Fernando and Merche offer the perfect experience for anyone wishing to learn Spanish. As they provide an immersive family experience, complemented by fantastic tutoring in a stunning location. The whole family do everything they can to make you feel welcome and they are extremely patient whilst you learn. Each week day I received lessons from Fernando, following a well structured course, tailored to my ability. Then after a tasty lunch prepared by Merche I was free to study or explore the beautiful countryside surrounding the house. I would highly recommend this experience and I hope to return in future.

Summary: It was a superb experience. I stayed at Fernando's family home and the whole family was most welcoming. The food was excellent. I had a capacious en-suite room that was very comfortable and faced the warm foehn wind. It could certainly roar in the mornings. I was very lucky with my fellow guests who were two bright young teachers from the North of England who were kind to include me in their adventurous outings. The house is situated up a fairly steep hill from the village of Aes and about 2.5 km from Puente Viesgo. We were often assisted with transport by Fernando and his charming wife. A leisurely breakfast was served at 0900 hrs and classes were then held from 1000 hrs to about 1400 hrs when lunch was served. Particular diets were well catered for. The afternoons/early evenings were free with supper from about 2030 onwards. On occasions there were lively discussions after the meal. The tuition was very good and I overcame some problems that were impeding my learning of Spanish. We were provided with course notes that were very helpful and I am in no doubt that Fernando is a gifted teacher and the classes were informal. There are local attractions. Aes has a small supermarket by the roundabout. The main facilities are found in Puente Viesgo including a 4star hotel with the best Spa I have ever visited. The cave paintings are well worth a visit but the caves are very slippery and there are few handholds. We were assured that the churros of Los Terrazos were renowned and they were very good. Everywhere I went people were friendly and helpful. I want to go again and I think having a car would increase the range of places to visit as public transport is rather infrequent. A great experience and whole heartedly recommended both for improving one's spanish and experiencing life in a Spanish family albeit one who spoke english well and put one at ease by their informality.

Summary: We had a week's refresher course with Fernando. There was plenty of opportunity to ask questions and practise speaking. We explored the local area every afternoon before we returned for a fantastic evening meal with the family and other students. Thank you to Merche for her fabulous cooking. It was a lovely relaxed atmosphere, and we enjoyed mixing with the other students. We would love to go again. Nos lo pasamos bien!

Summary: Absolutely amazing from start to finish. Such a lovely family and set in such a beautiful location. I thorough enjoyed my lessons which were catered to my needs and gave me a great insight into Spanish life. The afternoons were spent exploring the local area which really is beautiful. I feel I need to go every year as not only was it a great learning experience but also very relaxing.

Summary: My 13 year old daughter and I have just completed a week's course with Fernando and Merche. We enjoyed it thoroughly and benefitted greatly from their excellent teaching methodologies and by staying in their most welcoming happy home. They are wonderfully hospitable people with two gorgeous daughters, who also taught us mucho Spanish!They were most generous with their time, taking us to Santillana del Mar and the beautiful seaside town of Comillas. We learned how to cook Spanish tortilla and enjoyed Merche's tasty homecooked meals each day, learning so much about Spanish life from sitting around the table chatting at meal times and meeting their friends and family. Their traditional Spanish home is in a beautiful area, with lovely walks and a fantastic cycle path, that stretches for 30km or more. We walked into Puente Viesgo often and enjoyed sitting at the cafe overlooking the tranquil gardens at the Grand Hotel. We also trekked up to El Castillo caves and took in the beautiful views of the town and valley. We would highly recommend Merche and Fernando's Spanish course and hope to return ourselves in the future.