Spanish Intensive Course (25 lessons + 5 cultural lessons per week)
Barcelona (Rocafort) School

“The teachers were great, and so were the people I met and all the organization. If anything can make a perfect language learning holiday, this certainly made it!

Barcelona is a beautiful city, and has excellent nightlife, beaches, monuments, culture... I would recommend La Rambla, Plaza Espana, and, if you’re old enough, the nightlife around the beach at Barceloneta. Also the Barcelona tour buses are good, though they can be pricey - the Sagrada Familia....

One could spend ages in Barcelona and it would still be new and full of surprises. I most enjoyed hanging out with the people I met at the school - I met some great friends, hanging out with them and going for drinks... The classes were surprising - a lot of fun, actually - I definitely improved my Spanish.
This definitely wasn’t the last time I will travel with Cactus. Thank you so much for the best two weeks of my life!” (Katarina Zimmer, August 2010)

"The dates of the course Cactus offered fitted in with my timetable (I liked the fact that they have so many start dates available). Cactus also has a huge range of types of courses, so it was good to feel I'd chosen one which I felt most appropriate for myself. I thought the school was excellent. My teachers were extremely patient and I'm amazed at how much vocabulary I picked up in just one week. I think they do a brilliant job, making the classes fun as well, especially considering the turnover of students.
I stayed in host accommodation which, again, I was very impressed with. The lady who accommodated me really looked after me and I enjoyed eating with and talking to her in the evenings. The location was great too, just by the Sagrada Familia, and just feeling I was part of a local family really made a difference to the week.
I think the many nationalities that I studied with made it extra special. All of us had been thrown in together, with completely different fist languages and I really enjoyed the challenge of communicating and having to use our Spanish just to get to know each other! I also thought the teachers did an amazing job, they really made the classes good fun. Of course the host family also played a huge role in making me feel very comfortable and welcome."
(Sally Dunford - March 2008)

"I chose Cactus because they were friendly and offered efficient service. The school was modern, simple, adequate and had airconditioned classrooms."
(Sandra Fawcett - September 2007)

"I chose Cactus because it seemed to offer the sort of holiday I was looking for. School and classes were good. Barcelona is a great city. I would recommend using a guide book to help determine what to see. We had a double room in a flat. The room was okay. The owner and other residents were nice. I most enjoyed exploring the city in a relaxed frame of mind"
(Mia Debidn, May 2007)

"The school was clean and light, the classrooms nicely furbished. Computer facilities were good.
I very much liked the fact that classes were entirely in Spanish and feel that this is essential for the success of the students. The culture class I took was Spansih music in 20th century and since this basically follows the same trends as music in other West European countries, I felt that there were other parts of Spansih culture that might have been more useful and interesting. However, it was another chance to practice speaking Spanish so still useful on this level. The teachers were friendly and helpful. I found classes to be well-structured. They tackled relevant points and grammar was well-explained. Barcelona is a fantastic city. It is vibrant and lively, even into the night. It is my third visit to Barcelona and I still enjoy being here. I would strongly recommend it for someone wishing to study Spanish as there is so much to do and see. Public transport is very good and locals are friendly. My accomodation was excellent. I had a large room with a small balcony which was clean and bright. Bathroom facilities were good and always clean. The lady who ran the appartment was very nice indeed and went to lengths to find foods to suit my tastes for evening meals (I eat very little meat). I enjoyed the chance to learn Spanish in an environment where the only way of communicating is almost always in Spanish, and to experience some of the culture at the same time. I have been studying languages for 10 years and know from experiene that this is the best way to learn or improve language skills."
(Isla Johns - September 2006)

"I chose Cactus, because a friend suggested it to me and I thought I would try it. I think the school is a very nice place with a welcoming and pleasant atmosphere. I also think, that the number of people per class was about right. I also enjoyed the challenge of being taught in Spanish, too. The teacher and students were very nice, which made my first day easier.
I think the city of Barcelona is a great place and I enjoyed trying out my language skills there. It`s avibrant city with many young people. I had no trouble there at all.
I stayed at an appartment based on five sharing. I enjoyed being able to shop for my food and to cook back in the kitchen. The appartment was very nice and clean. The people I shared with were very nice and considerate and we also communicated in Spanish.
What I enjoyed most were the classes in Enforex. I could really feel the language of Spanish sinking into me.
Everything run well and I will definitly recommend Cactus." (Phillip Davies, April 2006)



'' I chose Cactus because of the very nice organized professional website with most helpful and responsive agents compared to the other sites i went to. I did my courses in different locations:in Madrid, Barcelona and Granada and they were great. Especially the lively, interesting, and hilarious teachers! It was great way to meet very openminded people from all over the world :). and staying at the school accommodation was much easier than finding apartments on my own due to language differences and me not knowing the city.''
( Kelsey Winterkorn- October 2006)

“I chose Cactus because I was able to book a course for one week only (and not all schools offer one week courses). Also I found the online booking procedure very user friendly. I thought the school was very good and I enjoyed meeting new people from all over the world.”
(Joanne Gregory, September 2005). If you would like to contact Joanne for more information, you can email her on: joanne.gregory@ibo.org

"I chose Cactus because I wanted to go to Barcelona and Cactus offered dates just suitable for me. I thought the school and the classes were ok. Barcelona is great! You have everything there: places to sightsee, la playa, and the fantastic nightlife; everyone can find something for themselves. I stayed in a student residence at Balmes and I really liked it. People were friendly, the food was good and it was just in the city centre and quite near the school. What I enjoyed most about my trip was being able to learn Spanish (of course) in a nice place with nice people from all over the world.
(Katarzyna Sobków, August 2005)

"I chose Cactus because I had a great experience with my CELTA course a year and a half ago. I thought that the school was good, I have good experiences of the teachers and as a teacher myself I know how it can be. I really liked the teachers. I felt I went from nothing to fairly elementary level and it was at a good pace. Everyone was helpful. I love Barcelona and live and teach here now, so I would say that the school is in a good location, fairly close to the centre and there are some half decent restaurants and cafe bars nearby although they are aware that lots of foreign tourists are studying nearby and charge prices accordingly. I lived with two friends so I didn't go through the agency on this one. From what I saw of my friends on the course most of them were very happy with their accomodation, but I have no frame of reference. What I enjoyed most about my trip was the feeling that I was learning; now I can have friendships and conversations with people who only speak Spanish and although I make lots of errors this was unthinkable 2 months ago."
(Iain St. Ruth, August 2005)

"Dear Elvira. Thanks for everything and for all help. I wanted to tell you that I´m really enjoing myself in Barcelona, it´s such a nice city and people here are really friendly and open. And Spanish language is great fun to learn. Otra vez, muchas gracias y hasta luego ;) Kasia''
( Katarzyna Sobków - August 2005)

'' I think the school is well organised. Barcelona is a beautiful city. If you like to do some sightsining, go to the beach or do some shopping, Barcelona got it all.''
( Gudrun Gisladottir- July 2005)

'' The website was very young and modern in appearance compared to other websites, it was set out well - easy to check prices and locations, had lots of different course possibilities, and good comparable prices. And it was easy to book. Very good location and set up inside. Easy going but professional teachers - they were especially helpful to me and I would like to thank them for that. I did a more intensive individual course, which they altered from the normal individual course to help me out, as I wanted to study throughout the day and not just either 4 hours in the morning or in the afternoon. They were all very helpful. Barcelona is a beautiful and relaxed location to study in but a bit more vibrant than some of the other Spanish cities, with lots of good historic architectural and educational places to visit, as well as plenty of modern shops, good nearby beaches and a unique nightlife. I stayed in a host house, which was run by a very nice lady, though she spoke no English and I spoke no Spanish to begin with, and this did not really aid my Spanish learning in any way. Learning the language one to one is the best and quickest way to learn, and I thoroughly enjoyed the actual learing and growing comprehension. ''
( Michael Morton- June 2005)

"I was in Argentina with Cactus in January and I was impressed by how well organised my last trip was and decided to use Cactus again. The school was much bigger than the one in BsAs. I thought that the classes were well organised however there did not seem to be the same level of attention to individual students as there was in Argentina. In the individual classes in Argentina the teacher did more than could be expected - in Barcelona they didn't put in the same level of effort - but what they did was adequate.

Barcelona was as I expected it to be from reading travel books etc. However I didn't expect there to be so much Catalan being used - especially on road names etc. This was not so helpful for intermediate and beginner level students.

I stayed in a shared appartment. The accomodation was ok. I would have prefered to have been with local students rather than international students. However it was centrally located and clean and the food was ok. My trip included attending the Grand Prix prior to the classes and that was definitely the best bit!! However i think the fact that I spent a week touring Spain after the course and never needed to speak English shows that my Spanish improved thanks to the course.

Elvira was very patient with my requests and changes!!Everything ran very smoothly once I arrived. Good work."
(Alan Ennis, May 2005)

"Good facilities, well organised, excellent teachers. Barcelona is a fabulous city and there is plenty to do every day of the week, including just wandering out absorbing sights and sounds. First class public transport system makes independent exploration easy and accessible. Little confusing having so much written in Catalan, but that adds to the interest factor too. I stayed with a family, very good evening meal, and excellent location close to bus, metro, and city centre. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet and study with people from so many other countries. Immersion in Spanish has improved my language enormously."
(Joanna Young, April 2005)

''Super efficient help from Elvira in organising my specific trip. School was lovely - bright and airy, staff were fantastic. Written material was good. I enjoyed most the mixture of tourism and classes''
( Sara Bell, March- 2005)

'' I chose Cactus because it was easy to navigate website, where I found the type of course I wanted to do very easily, with good information on what to expect.The school was very good - excellent facilities, very accessable location, friendly enthusiastic teachers. Overall very impressed by the school and would recommend to anyone.''
(Peter Martin Jan 2005)

"School was bright and comfortable and the staff friendly. The teachers I had were good and were able to explain or demonstrate any points that were unclear. The materials were good in that I was given a book of exercises which have the grammer explanations and the answers! at the back. Barcelona is a nice location but it was very busy between Christmas and the 6 January holiday. The instructions for getting to the school were good and the metro system works well and is cheap. The price of a ten trip ticket has just gone up from €6 to €6.30, still good value."
(Fiona Hicks, Dec '04/Jan '05)

"Hotel - great location meant La Rambla, Passeig de Gracia and the school - and even some clubs - all in easy walking distance. My room was small and basic, but always clean and the staff were friendly. Spanish lessons - the teachers were great and the classes fun. It's a great way of meeting more people in Barcelona - but it just made me realise that one week is no way near enough to make an impact on my spanish!

Salsa classes - Oh My God. Adrian and Sandra are the most amazing dancers, and the classes were so energetic. With only 8 people taking lessons, and initially only 3 of us in the intermediate / advanced class, we practically had one on one tuition with the Spanish national champion. I really felt I improved across the week - particularly as they teach LA style, and I've only really learned Cuban. It's good to know both. Classes were a good mix of learning shines/footwork sequences, partner moves and styling. Adrian and Sandra were great at recommending which clubs to go to on which nights too.

Barcelona - to be honest, i saw pretty much nothing 'touristy' of Barcelona during the day. With spanish lessons from 9.30 to 1.30, and salsa class from 5-7, there was maybe 3 free hours in the afternoon and a couple of hours after salsa to eat meals, do my homework, shop, or siesta before the evening activities got going! (Plus I found myself a tango teacher for an hour from 8-9pm on a couple of days at €15/ hour!). Clubs don't really get going until about midnight, so I'd get in about 4.30am and grab a few hours sleep before doing it all again! Not complaining, though, that's how I liked it - I could have skipped some classes if I'd wanted to.

Evenings - I enjoyed the Flamenco display - very impressive, although perhaps a bit expensive. We ate at loads of different of tapas bars during the week, and I'd been recommended to go to 'Quinze Nits' but didn't make it. We went to Habana Barcelona on the Sunday - great live band and full dance floor. And then just a couple of different clubs during the week: Agua de Luna (where Adrian teaches) and Antilla - both near-ish to the hotel (15/20 mins walk). Wed night is best for Agua de Luna, and Thurs for Antilla. We went to Antilla again on Fri, but it was so packed and hot, I didn't go near the dancefloor.

So all in all a great week. I've come back desperate for some sleep and about 3lbs lighter (seriously!). Am also considering asking my boss for a transfer to Barcelona. Thanks again - I'll be sure to keep an eye on your website for any other holidays coming up (but the french and surfing will definitely take a back seat to salsa/spanish!) Take care, and hopefully we'll be in touch again soon. Say hi to Sarah."
Rachel Stones (Spanish and Salsa Holiday, Sept 2004)

"Hi Laura,
Como estas?
Just a quick email to check that you enjoyed the rest of your week in Barcelona. I hope you made it to the Antilla and La Clave and danced the night away! - yes brilliant thank you - the clubs were great. They seem to be quite empty on Tuesday but by Friday night it was very crowded.

The Spanish lessons were excellent. They were quite demanding - you had to do homework so as not to fall behind, but the teachers were very good and got everyone talking. Of course 20hrs is not long enough but I felt that I had at least made a start in spanish and I hope to take it further. The facilities of the school were very good.

- salsa classes, Adrian is a brilliant dancer and it was a priviledge to be taught by him and by Sandra. The classes were above my usual level, but everyone was very patient with me including our Liz and Rachel. If there had been a larger group it would be worth organising 3 levels - beginner, improver/intermediate, and advanced, but for me it worked out very well - we had almost individual tuition. It was great being invited to Sandra's 18th birthday celebration at Agua de Luna, they are such lovely friendly people.

- hotel - comfortable, all the staff were very friendly and helpful. I hope to visit Barcelona again. Finally, thanks for all the arrangements that all worked perfectly, and for looking after us. I was very impressed by all the care that had gone into preparing out action-packed week. It was great that you were able to come to Barcelona and share a little of our holiday, and I hope we did not cause you too many headaches.
hasta luego,"
Michael Wright (Spanish and Salsa Holiday, Sept 2004)

"Hi Sarah,
Thank you for your e-mail. I had a really good time. The school was excellent and the 2 tutors superb. The group was small (5). Both tutors could speak English but spoke very little in class. Despite this, I found it increasingly easy to understand most of what was said in Spanish. They both spoke very clearly and precisely. The course book was excellent and both the grammar and speech lessons were thoroughly enjoyable.

I think it would be helpful if you could offer the full range of courses that the school offers - for example the option to do the 1 hour culture class without having to do further classes in the afternoon. This was the option most people had chosen - I think a full day of lessons would have been too much but the 4 plus the culture would have been better.

I am certainly considering doing another 1 or 2 weeks in either Barcelona or Madrid. I really enjoyed doing the 20 hours in a week - a much better
way to do it than a couple of hours a week. Barcelona was great too - the people were really friendly and its a very attractive city. If I could speak Spanish fluently I would definitely considering living there for a while!"
Jonathan Riding (January 2004)

"I chose Cactus because they were the most helpful (in particular Anna). The school is well organised, friendly and helpful. There were 6 people in my class which was a good number. Barcelona is a great place due to the good public transport system. T10 ticket for the metro is worth getting. (We were informed on this in the induction session). The accommodation was fine. When I first arrived at the door of the student residence, I wasn't expecting it to be like a block of flats. The reason for this is due to halls of residence in the UK being different. I thought the food was good and it was great that meals were at the same time every day (exception of breakfast on Saturday). I enjoyed meeting people from other countries. Even though I was on a beginners course, I found the course difficult as I had not studied Spanish before and we were taught at such a fast pace." (Corinne Foster, 2004)

"The Spanish course held in Barcelona was super! The quality of the instructors as well as the accomodations that we were given were really great. Cato (my husband) and I really enjoyed the class and we both wish that we had booked the course for at least one month. We are definitely considering returning next year to another city in Spain to continue where we left off. Thanks for following up. We are also very happy with the administration of our order by Cactus language.
(Line Solberg, 2004)

"I had a fantastic time and made lots of friends from all over the world. Barcelona is a great city and we were out every night. The school itself was excellent: the classes were varied and interesting and I feel a lot more confident in Spanish now!"
(Vince Cerri)

"Dear Sarah,
I came back from Barcelona last week-end and I just wanted to let you know how pleased I was with the course. The teachers were very friendly and their teaching of a very high standard. I have learnt a lot. Hope everything is ok for you. I will recommend your services to students and teachers.
All the best,"
(Tatiana - Aug 2003)

"This was my first visit to a language school, and overall impression is very positive. Good encouragement from the teachers to interact and actually speak only Spanish. It was also great meeting fellow students and salsa dancing."
(Paul Smith - 2003)

"I wanted to mail you to let you know what a success my week in Barcelona was. I loved it and am gutted to be back in London (especially in this weather). The school and my teachers were brilliant and I have gone from zero knowledge to being able to hold a (very) basic conversation in Spanish. I am already saving up for my next trip. I was impressed with the way in which the beginners were treated by the staff in general and everything was done to help us feel comfortable and help us with the language (i.e. speaking slowly, using hand gestures and not using Catalan). Despite traveling on my own, I didn't feel awkward at all as there were quite a few others in the same situation and it ended up a great option for the loan traveler. The help and information I received from you before my departure was brilliant and you stopped my first trip abroad alone being a scary one."
(Nicola Landsborough 2003)

" The Cactus website gave a lot of details about the course. The wide range of courses available meant that I could find something to fit my needs. The different accommodation offered meant that it was very easy to book the entire trip. When I called to ask questions, the staff was helpful and friendly. The school was clean and light, the classrooms nicely furbished. Computer facilities were good. I very much liked the fact that classes were entirely in Spanish and feel that this is essential for the success of the students. The teachers were friendly and helpful. I found classes to be well-structured. They tackled relevant points and grammar was well-explained. Barcelona is a fantastic city. It is vibrant and lively, even into the night. It is my third visit to Barcelona and I still enjoy being here. I would strongly recommend it for someone wishing to study Spanish as there is so much to do and see. Public transport is very good and locals are friendly. My accomodation was excellent. I had a large room with a small balcony which was clean and bright. Bathroom facilities were good and always clean. The lady who ran the appartment was very nice indeed and went to lengths to find foods to suit my tastes for evening meals (I eat very little meat)."
(Isla Johns, September 2006)

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Public Holidays for this school

2010

Airport Transfer Options

Nearest Airport Barcelona (BCN)

An airport transfer service is available. $133 pp one way.
Choose the option in step 2 of the booking process.