Students Explore España

Published by Benenden School on Tuesday 25th of April 2023

During the Easter break, a group of keen Spanish students in the Fifth (Year 10) set off on a six-day adventure to discover Valencia.

The students developed their speaking skills during morning lessons at Espanole, a beautifully renovated palace in the very centre of the city. The focus of the visit, however, was both linguistic and cultural, so they also enjoyed a range of activities from cooking paella, eating tapas and sipping horchata, to eating churros con chocolate and having a market shopping experience at the bustling Mercado Central.

They climbed 207 steep steps to an unforgettable view and very loud bell ringing from La Torre del Miguelete, then had a picnic by the river, visited the impressive City of the Arts and Science and the Hemispheric Aquarium (which led to many photo opportunities) and finally headed to the giant Gulliver's Park.

The spectacular Cuevas de San Jose – with the longest navigable underground river in Europe, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO – was one of the highlights of the trip. 

Students also spent a wonderful sunny time in Peniscola, one of the most popular tourist resorts in Castellon, with its castle perched on a large ridge overlooking the sea. They even had time to see a Botero painting exhibition at the Valencia Headquarters of the Bancaja Foundation.