Arcadia Spain

Once the study abroad adventure begins, students spend a limited amount of time in the town they chose for their semester abroad. They already have plans for traveling “abroad from abroad,” and there are only so many places they can see. For Granada students, this is no exception. How does a student pick between unique places like Seville, Córdoba, Ronda, the Mediterranean Coast, the Sierra Nevada mountains, Madrid, Barcelona, Morocco, Portugal, and the rest of Europe? Tough decisions! We love to hear about when students choose local traveling and even discover non-touristic places on their own.

On this occasion, our students participated in a walking tour through Granada´s medieval town, the historical quarter of Albaicín, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beyond some of the most stunning, touristic views in town, the professor explained how this former town shaped the current city, its historical importance, how the neighborhood has changed over the centuries, and the current landscape: from a cozy, semi-detached neighborhood on top of a hill, it´s become a hip, trendy neighborhood crowded with tourists day and night, with overprized Airbnb apartments, and services almost exclusively focused on short-term tourism.

It is a true privilege to be able to enjoy these sights on your study abroad town while getting to understand their history and importance. Most local Granadinians are unfortunately unaware of their own city’s history, but Arcadia students truly learn to appreciate the places they live in, even if for a limited amount of time.