Every other year, ConVal High School's Spanish program offers students the option of participating in a trip to Spain. These immersive cultural experiences include fully-guided city tours, visits to renowned museums and historic sites, as well as local culinary tastings and participation in folk culture events. The trips are organized by Señora Pacheco in conjunction with Hummingbird Student Tours, which provides a local expert guide who accompanies the group throughout the trip.

The last tour, which was held in April 2026, involved the breathtaking landscapes of Portugal and Northern Spain. The tour began with an exploration of the historic city of Porto, a coastal town in northwest Portugal known for its stately bridges and the medieval Ribeira (riverside) district, where narrow cobbled streets wind past merchants’ houses and cafes.

Students then explored the iconic cities of Vigo, Santiago de Compostela, León, and Bilbao. These four cities in northern and northwestern Spain are celebrated for their distinct characters, deeply intertwined with the cultural, historical, and geographical diversity of the regions they represent.

Located in Galicia, Vigo is a major Atlantic port city known for its charming medieval old town (Casco Vello), its steep, hilly streets, and for being the primary launchpad for the breathtaking, protected beaches of the Cíes Islands. Just north of Vigo, Santiago de Compostela is the crown jewel of Galicia and the world-famous terminus for the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) pilgrimage. Its entire historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, anchored by the spectacular Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which is said to house the remains of the apostle St. James. Situated in the Castile and León region, León is celebrated for its 2,000-year Roman heritage, its magnificent Gothic cathedral featuring some of the most impressive stained glass in Europe, and its vibrant Barrio Húmedo where one can experience the town's traditional Leonese tapas culture.

Located in the Basque Country, Bilbao is a modern, sophisticated metropolis that successfully transformed from a gritty industrial port into a world-class cultural destination, largely due to the iconic, titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry. It is equally famous for its incredible pintxo (Basque tapas) culture and its well-preserved medieval old town, Casco Viejo. The trip ended with a picturesque excursion to Getxo and a festive farewell dinner featuring Basque traditions.

The itinerary read like a masterclass in world history, cultural anthropology of local customs, and the study of breathtaking artistic creativity. This wasn’t just a trip — it was a transformative journey where students stepped out of the textbook and into the diverse Spanish subcultures they got to experience firsthand.

Students threw themselves into real-world communication, navigating regional accents, mastering local greetings, and diving headfirst into the spectacular, diverse culinary scenes of every region they visited. They stood in awe before UNESCO World Heritage sites and marveled at the engineering wonder of the Vizcaya Bridge in the Basque Country. They didn't just look at history; they witnessed a global stage of modern art at the world-renowned Guggenheim Museum, absorbing stunning masterpieces from around the world.

But the real magic happened in the hands-on, immersive workshops that students participated in. They rolled up their sleeves for an authentic Galician cooking class at Ficha da Rocha in Santiago de Compostela, celebrating their culinary creations with an epic feast that consisted of Spanish Omelets (Tortilla Española), Galician Pie (Empanada Gallega), and Santiago Cake (Tarte De Santiago) for dessert. They laced up their boots to trek a legendary stretch of the ancient Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. And after marching across the Vizcaya Bridge on foot, they threw themselves into the rhythms of a traditional Basque folklore dance and music workshop in the historic fishing village of Getxo.

This experience did far more than inspire students for their next Spanish class at ConVal. It sparked a realization that studying a world language is not just an academic requirement to check off a pre-college to-do list. Rather, studying Spanish revealed itself to be a skill that thrives far beyond classroom walls, one that acts as a gateway to appreciating the incredibly layered history, rich culture, and marvelous lifestyle of the Iberian Peninsula.

If you are interested in this experiential learning opportunity, contact Señora Velka Pacheco-McMahon at vmcmahon@conval.edu.