Located on the beach in the lush rolling hills of northern Spain, San Sebastian is an inviting and enchanting city where old meets new. For years European families have traveled to San Sebastian, also called Donostia, to relax, surf and enjoy the city’s pristine beaches and surrounding landscapes. Founded in 1524, the city serves as the capital of the Guipuzkoa province of Spain and has over the years evolved into a culturally rich cosmopolitan destination, ideal for Spanish language and immersion students. The SPI San Sebastian immersion program allows you to truly experience life in San Sebastian as a native – students live with a caring homestay family, attend Spanish classes during the week, and travel to some of the country’s most amazing sites! The San Sebastian program will captivate and inspire you as you immerse with locals or “donostiarras”, participate in a variety of exciting cultural activities, and soak up the beauty of this region and its culture. You simply won’t want to leave!
History of San Sebastian | Map of San Sebastian
What Students Say
Learning to surf in San Sebastian was so much fun! The beaches there are so beautiful and it was great the school was so close tot hem so we could go hang out and relax after class.
I loved my host family in San Sebastian! My Senora was like a Spanish version of my own mom. It really helped my Spanish to go home and practice with my family. I still keep in touch with them via email, which is helping me keep up what I learned!
The food in San Sebastian is amazing! My Senora was also the best cook! It was so fun to go and try all the different tapas and pintxos, I learned a lot of new food vocabulary that way.