Alicante with your class
Sun-soaked, friendly and refreshingly authentic, Alicante is an ideal base for Spanish immersion on the Costa Blanca. It combines genuine Spanish daily life with a dramatic hilltop castle, a beautiful old town and an easy Mediterranean pace, the kind of place where students relax into using the language without quite realising they're doing it.
Dominating the city is the Santa Bárbara Castle, perched high on Mount Benacantil with the whole bay laid out below. Its origins lie in Moorish Spain, and exploring its ramparts is both a history lesson, Muslim Iberia, the Reconquista, centuries of Mediterranean conflict and trade, and a spectacular vantage point. Below, the old town of Santa Cruz, with its narrow whitewashed lanes and flower-filled balconies, and the marble Explanada de España along the seafront, give students the real texture of a Spanish city.
The Mediterranean is everywhere. The city beach sits right beside the centre, and the surrounding region offers plenty: a boat trip to the island of Tabarca, the dramatic mountain village of Guadalest, or the UNESCO-listed palm grove of nearby Elche. Whether through watersports, a coastal walk or simply an afternoon by the sea, students connect with the geography that shapes life on this coast.
Most importantly, Alicante immerses students in Spanish, in its markets, cafés, tapas bars and easy sociability. Spending time in a real Spanish city, where the language is a tool for everyday life rather than an exam subject, builds confidence faster than anything else. Students return more fluent, more independent and genuinely fond of the place.
Trip highlights
The hilltop Santa Bárbara Castle and its views over the bay
Exploring the old town of Santa Cruz and Spanish daily life
The Mediterranean coast, beaches, a boat trip to Tabarca, or the village of Guadalest
Curriculum links
Practical information
- The trip is based in Alicante, on Spain's Costa Blanca, with day trips along the coast and into the surrounding region.
- The Mediterranean climate is warm and sunny; sun protection is advisable.
- Local currency is the euro; spending money recommended.
- On the Move is the officially accredited school trips provider for the European Schools in Belgium; every trip has a dedicated project manager with 24/7 emergency support.
A day by day
✏️ This is an example timetable — we can adapt the destination, programme, duration and budget to suit your group.
Students come home with…
- more confident, practical Spanish, an understanding of Moorish Spain and Mediterranean history, a feel for Spanish culture and daily life, and the easy confidence that comes from a week on the Costa Blanca.
In pictures
Cultural Stays - your questions
History, art, civics, languages and religious studies all benefit. Bastogne suits primary P5 groups studying WWII; The Hague suits civics and international relations; Berlin, Aachen and Málaga are ideal for secondary history and arts groups.
Yes. We arrange expert local guides for museums, monuments and walking tours, in English or French as you prefer.
The Belgian Ardennes — Bastogne programme is specifically designed for P5 (ages 10–11), with content pitched carefully for that age. Other destinations in this category suit secondary groups.
Return travel, central accommodation, all entries and guided visits, supervision, insurance and your On the Move coordinator.