Castillo de Bellver: Immersive Spanish Learning!

El Castillo de Bellver, known in English as Bellver Castle, is a Gothic style 14th century royal residence turned military prison. The castle may be most notable for being one of the few circular castles in Europe. Its rounded architecture and high vantage point made it the perfect fortress to anticipate and defend against invaders. Today it serves as Palma's history museum, illustrating Mallorca's past from its Bronze Age origins to present day. Aside from being an exceptional educational opportunity for tourists and locals, the castle also boasts some spectacular panoramic views of Palma!

Students began their day bright and early, arriving in Plaza España at 9:30 AM to try to beat the fierce summer heat. A twenty minute bus ride and fifteen minute walk later, we arrived at the entrance of the castle! There we were greeted by CIEE language instructors who explained the instructions for the morning activity, a scavenger hunt! Students were divided into groups and challenged to solve as many pistas ('clues' in Spanish!) as possible. In order to get the next clue, students had to correctly answer the previous prompt and check their answers with their respective language teacher. 

Assisting the Scavenger hunt were CIEE's amigos Españoles, native Spanish speaking university students! Los amigos Españoles offered students the opportunity to practice their Spanish with real world application, answering student's questions and offering guidance. It was a close game, however in the end only one team won the coveted prize.... ice cream! After a group photo on the roof-top, it was time to go. Student's reflected that the Castillo de Bellver was an impressive example of Palma's layered history. Beyond the fun of the scavenger hunt, this immersive Spanish class also provided students essential context for the impressive historical monuments yet to come. 

Before the proud winners could redeem their reward, we made a pit-stop to rest, hydrate, and eat lunch in a shaded local park. It didn't take long for students to test out the obstacle course, slides, and zip-line! Castillo de Bellver provided a perfect introduction to CIEE's immersive approach to spanish class as well as a thorough introduction to Mallorquín history and culture. There is much to see and do in the coming weeks of the program, but first, Dragonera!!!