Seville, Granada, or Salamanca
 

This upcoming summer, I have the opportunity to go to Seville, Granada or Salamanca for a month to finish my minor in Spanish. What's the best place to go in the summer to work on learning to speak Spanish? My conversation skills aren't great. Also, which place is the most fun for a college student? If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks. :)

I just spent three months studying Spanish in Salamanca. I absolutely loved it! I cannot say enough about it! It is a small enough city that you will feel at home, but it has a lot of stuff to do. The number of bars in this city is amazing! Sevilla and Granada are amazing too, but I am partial to Salamanca. It definitely had the best student atmosphere. There are a lot of other international students in Salamanca as well. Please e-mail me at [email protected] if you would like to know anything else! Good luck! :)

I agree with Boyle2jm's comments - Salamanca is great because it's big enough to have lots to do, but small enough to feel comfortable in, and to get a good feel for the place. I studied in Salamanca for a few weeks and loved it. I spent a few days in Seville, and have never been to Granada (but it's the next Spanish city on my list). Do you have the option of splitting your time between two cities? Some language schools (eg Don Quijote - which is really good), let you switch cities. If your college gives you a choice of schools, think about picking one that gives you this option (my second choice would be Granada).

Another positive for Salamanca is that in the summer Sevilla nad Granada can be unbearably hot. Salamanca not quite as much.<BR><BR>Anne

Despite popular beliefs, many Spaniards don't speak english, esp outside of madrid and barcelona...<BR><BR>Slamanca's nice bc it's so close to Madrid, so you can be in the city pretty much any time you'd like...you will have plenty of time to practice your spanish there. I'm from Valencia, but I lived in Madrid from quite a long time...trust me.<BR><BR>Granada on the other hand, it a beautiful city...one of my favorite in the country. It's what you might liken to a college town and I had a fabulous time there. Once again, you will have plenty of opportunity to speak Spanish there....the major plus..you're REALLY close to the beach (malaga, marbella).<BR><BR>If i were you, I'd go to Granada. <BR><BR>Que tengas suerte!

Salamanca IS a college town and is not that close to Madrid (2 1/2 hours by train)

I'd opt for Granada. Access to mountains and beaches is great 45min-1 hr each]. A very livable town that doesn't feel overrun with tourists and students. Large enough and diverse enough that you find whatever you want.

Our daughter spent a summer studying in Salamanca and loved it! It has probably the most charming plaza in Spain and every evening everyone sits in cafes. The accent of the Castille-Leon area is very nice &amp; the Univeresidad de Salamance is highly respected. Her school included weekend trips to Avila, Segovia, Toledo, Burgos &amp; also to Portugal. We visited her while there and I can attent to the merits of this city, very tradional &amp; historic, but with lots to do, students from Holland, Germany, Italy, very international &amp; lots of fun discos. Sevilla is beautiful too and was her second choice, but definitely very hot 100+ degrees in summer.

How timely !<BR>I am in Salamanca, near the University, as we speak. It is a most charming town and the University is renowned. That time of year you want to be this far north--the Spanish meseta is a high plateau and much cooler than the south.

If you want to learn Spanish, I would definitely recommend Salamanca; both Sevilla and Granada accents are quite difficult to understand.