January in Alicante
New for January 2025!
Unique Experiences
BITE INTO ALICANTE AND SPAIN’S CULTURE
With small-group cooking lessons, foodie tours, flamenco dancing workshops, and wine tastings
MEET LOCALS
For a typical Alicante tardeo full of tapas and wine
EXPERIENCE THE MAGICAL SCENES
Of Spain's Christmas festivities, New Year's Eve celebrations, and the Three Wise Men Parade
3,008
HOURS OF SUN PER YEAR
115,000
TONS OF RICE ARE PRODUCED LOCALLY EVERY YEAR
1ST
MARINE RESERVE IN SPAIN: TABARCA ISLAND, BOASTING A WIDE RANGE OF FLORA AND FAUNA
Your Destination
With a historic cultural heritage dating back thousands of years, Alicante is a booming Spanish port city best known for its miles-long beaches, award-winning museums, and beautiful weather year-round. The city’s most iconic landmark, the medieval Castle of Santa Barbara, keeps watch over all of Alicante from its central location atop Mount Benacantil.
Considered one of the safest cities in Europe, Alicante is an excellent place to study. From its large student population to its reliable public transportation network, first-class educational opportunities, green parks, and café culture, this budget-friendly city is the perfect place to live and learn abroad.
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Alicante.
The Culture
Excursions & Activities
- Tour Santa Bárbara Castle, the Old Quarter, and the Archaeological Museum of Alicante
- Visit important cultural and historical landmarks during an overnight trip to Valencia, Granada, or Madrid
- Go on walking tours of the different neighborhoods of Alicante and its surrounding villages and towns
- Play soccer and watch the local team (Hércules) win
- Engage in fun activities and workshops such as bike tours, wine tastings, cooking, flamenco or ceramics classes.
- Become an alicantino; the local lifestyle will make you fall in love with Spanish traditions and customs
Program Blogs
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Housing & Meals
Housing
CIEE Alicante offers diverse housing options to ensure you're comfortable in your home away from home. From homestays to residence halls, we will strive to have your accommodation preferences met. Additionally, all housing options are located in neighborhoods with convenient access to public transportation, shops, cafés, and eateries.
Standard Housing: Includes a room at a homestay or a residence hall.
- Homestays: Students live with a Spanish-speaking family, with or without another CIEE student, and immerse themselves in the city’s language and culture. Each student has an individual room. Host families provide three meals a day.
- Residence Hall: The off-campus residence halls are typically located near CIEE Alicante and the Universidad de Alicante campus in San Vicente, approximately 30 minutes by bus or tram from the city center. Students who live in the residence hall will be able to walk to campus but should expect to use public transportation to get to and from downtown Alicante.
Meals
- Homestay: Three meals per day are provided by the host family.
- Residence Hall: Meals are not included.
Academics
Students spend three weeks in January taking coursework complemented with co-curricular activities to immerse you in the culture and facilitate intercultural learning.
Course Information
Languages and Cultural Studies
Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.
Scholarships & Grants
CIEE offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.
Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:
- Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grants
To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application.
Dates & Fees
You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges, and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Fees & Housing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program January 2025 3 weeks | Application Due Deadline Passed | Start Date | End Date | Fees & Housing $3,950 |
To help you budget, keep in mind that students are responsible for the cost of international airfare, local transportation, books and supplies, visas, and personal expenses. In addition, ask your college or university study abroad advisor if your school charges additional fees for study abroad.
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Participation Confirmation = $300*
Educational Costs = $2,820**
Housing = $750***
Insurance = $80
Total Fees = $3,950Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Meals not included in program fee = $0†
International Airfare = $1,250††
Local Transportation = $50
Books & Supplies = $30
Personal expenses = $140†††
Total Costs = $1,470Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
*non-refundable
**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students
***includes all meals. Housing fees listed are for financial aid purposes only and should not be considered a basis for calculation of refunds.
†For students in homestays, families provide all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). For students in residence halls/apartments, you should budget approx. $260 per month for groceries if you plan on making your own meals, and more if you plan on eating out regularly.
††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
†††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries
What's Included
Tuition
Housing
Pre-departure Advising
Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions
Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet
Orientation
Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city
On-site Staff
Full-time program leadership and support in your city
Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities
Excursions and/or Study Tours
Travel Protection
CIEE iNext travel protection
24/7 emergency on-site support
Our Staff
Rocío Díez
Center Director
Rocío oversees all semester and summer programs. Rocio, who joined CIEE in 2015, has extensive working experience in the fields of communication and cultural management. She holds a B.A. in...
Vanesa Ruiz
Program Manager
Vanesa was born and raised in Alicante and earned her BA in English Studies from Universidad de Alicante and a MA in Teaching. She has been working in the field...
Get Started
1
2
Connect With Your Campus Study Abroad Office
Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad.
3
Contact Us
Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.
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