Guiri Guide to Madrid

Hey Guiris! With spring weather coming at us full blast, I’d like to share a little about my recent experience in Málaga for those of you who are itching for some beach time: I´d been working in Madrid for just over six months and finally decided it was time to take a break and improve my Spanish, so 3 hours and 50€ later I stepped off the train and into the sun to start my intensive Spanish course at AIL Málaga!

Since the only short description of what followed would be “a fantastic, bombastic, toptastic experience of a lifetime”, let me try to break it down into detail:

Living with international people

My housing was already arranged by my academy when I arrived, so I just went directly to my shared flat in the center of the city from the train station. Once there, I met my new roommates for the week and realized we were quite an international group: Domenico from Italy, Ella from Switzerland, Verena from Germany, and me (from the US)! To get to know each other better, we made a big international dinner together on my first night (including a huge homemade pizza, tasty Swiss cheese, apfelstrudel and buffalo wings) and talked the night away.

AIL Málaga Spanish Classes

After such a great first night in my flat, I didn’t feel at all nervous about meeting new people and immediately made friends with my classmates and teacher. Classes at AIL Málaga are very conversational, encouraging debate, which was made extra interesting since my classmates and I were from five different countries and had very different opinions! We enjoyed discussing bullfighting in particular, since the practice was far more shocking to some of us than others. I never once felt bored, loved my native teacher, and found the experience very energetic and dynamic!

Party time in Malaga

My new friends from class and my flat mates already had a pretty good handle on Málaga’s nightlife, so we visited a few of their favorite places each night and I can now proudly say I know TONS of Málaga bars! But my favorite spot by far is a bar called ‘Picasso’ (lots of places are named after him in this city), where all the international students go and you can hear at least six different languages being spoken at a time.

Malaga- art and culture

In addition to the crazy nightlife, Málaga also has tons of interesting things to visit during the day. I didn’t have time to do everything so I’ll definitely have to return again soon, especially since there always seems to be a museum to visit, a concert to go to, or another beach to explore. My Brazilian friend, who’s also an art fanatic, recommended the Picasso museum, which is made extra special since was the artist’s hometown. It features paintings from each period of his artistic career, and I was particularly taken in by “La Mujer con los Brazos Levantados” since I had studied it in art history- seeing famous works come to life off the page always sends tingles up my spine!

Malaga’s Tasty Cuisine

My more foodie-focused friends and I went on a seaside walk to try Málaga’s famous ‘espeto de sardinas’ (grilled sardines on a skewer) and ‘porra antequerana” (a chilled soup made of tomatoes, vegetables, and bread). I have to say, I love the taste of Málaga!

Sun and downtime in Málaga

A siesta on the beach is just what the doctor ordered after a light, Mediterranean lunch: and there’s so much beach in Málaga that you can always find a nice spot to lay your towel. After developing a nice tan, my friends and I rented paddle boards and took a spin around the bay: not only was it fun but there was a fantastic view of the city from the sea!

After one of the best weeks I can remember, it was time to go back to Madrid but my Málaga friends are planning to visit me soon and I know I’ll be back again soon. I hope you guys find this helpful while planning your trips to Málaga, especially if you’re looking for a great Spanish school. ¡Hasta luego!