Excursions & Activities
CASA Granada offers a full program of cultural activities that are carefully and intentionally designed to give students the opportunity to engage with significant topics and communities through the local lens. Our excursion destinations are all within Andalucía to provide a deeper understanding of the region's history and its natural beauty and resources. With an increased focus on climate action and sustainability, several of our trips and hands-on activities take students off the beaten path to more remote gems in southern Spain.
Pre-Departure Online Sessions
The orientation program starts well before you depart for Spain with online presentations provided by onsite CASA Granada staff and Q&A sessions run by program alums. Since some of these online meetings will not be recorded to respect privacy, it is highly recommended that you make every attempt to attend each session that is relevant to you.
Onsite Orientation Program
A mandatory, comprehensive orientation program is delivered during the first weeks of the semester to help students get acclimated to the city, the university, and to the cultural norms you will experience in your accommodations and in your daily lives in Granada. Health, safety, and emergencies are covered in great detail. Academic culture and policies are also explained in depth; and you will review your class registrations and personal goals for the semester with a CASA Granada team member during individual advising meetings. You will spend the first four nights of the program in a centrally-located hotel with the rest of the group giving you the opportunity to get to know downtown Granada and your CASA peers. Practical walking tours, group meals, and the Al-Andalus Seminar all help meet these objectives.
Cultural Activities and Excursions
CASA Granada offers a variety of unique excursions and hands-on activities, deepening ties with the local community and with an increased focus on climate action and sustainability. Beyond the initial orientation period, all activities are conducted in Spanish. They are specially designed to take the students’ various levels of language skills into consideration and support the advancement of your respective proficiencies. Active student participation is expected in all program activities as they are considered an integral part of the overall learning experience. Examples of excursions and activities include:
● Grape harvesting at a local vineyard, an olive oil tasting, or a bread-making workshop
● A morning cleaning a beach or river with an environmental protection organization
● A day exploring Federico García Lorca’s life and death
● An evening with an award-winning local flamenco artist followed by a performance at the oldest “peña flamenca” in Spain
● Overnight trips to Ronda and Málaga (Fall) or Jerez de la Frontera and Cádiz (Spring)
● A weekend in the tiny remote villages of La Alpujarra
