¡Hola!

Our stay in the picturesque mountain town of Potes was full of active adventures! Nestled in the Picos de Europa in the region of Cantabria, Potes is comprised of cobblestone streets connected by multiple stone bridges over the Ríos Quiviesa and Deva. El Torre Infantado, a defensive tower from the 15th century, and the Iglesia de San Vicente, a rustic Gothic church, overlook the small town.

We were particularly excited to find that our hotel had a beautiful swimming pool! After we settled in, we had a quick Spanish lesson to review common Spanish exclamations. Then we relaxed by the pool for a few hours, followed by a walk into town to explore our home for the next few days. We returned to the hotel for dinner by the pool, and our hosts grilled out hamburgers to give students a taste of home.

The next morning, our real mountain adventure began. We left early for a day of canyoning. Outfitted in helmets and wet suits, we climbed, rappelled, and slid down the river. It was so fun to complete the course and see so many group members overcome their fears and support each other!

After our siesta and more pool time, we had another Spanish lesson to review the preterit and the imperfect tenses, and students wrote fun stories in groups to practice the grammar. Then the adventura continued with a scavenger hunt in town. Small groups had to find local objects and destinations with the help of the locals, practice ordering in a cafe, and interview new friends to earn a prize. We returned to the hotel for dinner and filled the evening with a group game of mafia en español.

The following day, we headed up into the Picos to Fuente Dé, from which point we took a teleférico 753m up to the southern wall of the Macizo Central and hiked down. Our highlights were the cable car ride, the horses and cows we met along the way, and our relaxing picnic in a field dotted with wildflowers.

After another relaxing siesta and some pool time, we had a quick Spanish lesson to review and practice questions and the future tense. We spent our last evening walking through the mountain town we have all grown to love, then returned to the hotel pool for a final meal and games before packing our suitcases for a morning departure.

We’ve had such a wonderful time in northern Spain and it’s hard to leave, though we know exciting places await as we move south. Next stop, Madrid!

– Natalie, Joe, and Graciano