Harriet’s Spanish Homestay Immersion in Ciutadella, Menorca: Two Weeks of Stone, Sea and Spanish

June 19, 2026Naila GulzarSpanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP), University Students, Visit Menorca

A geologist reads the ground the way the rest of us read a book. For Harriet, an island built from ancient rock and prehistoric stone monuments was the perfect place to finally find her voice in Spanish.

I am Mónica, founder and director of Spanish Express and a host teacher with our Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP) here in Menorca. I open my home in Ciutadella and shape each day around the person in front of me, not a rigid textbook.

This is the story of Harriet’s two weeks with me, told from a host teacher’s perspective, from her arrival at Mahón airport to a sunset goodbye over the sea.

Meet Harriet

Harriet is a British researcher from London who studied Geology and went on to complete a PhD in Geography. She is passionate about her field and still carries out research today.

She had been learning Spanish for around a year through online classes, reaching a B1 level on our placement test. Her goal was clear: speak with more confidence, connect with Spanish-speaking friends, and open new doors in her career.

Outside her work, she sings in choirs, loves concerts, cooking and reading, and keeps active with Pilates and yoga. She wanted all four skills strengthened: speaking, listening, reading and writing.

A Warm Arrival in Menorca

Harriet landed at Mahón airport on a Saturday evening, and my friend and Spanish teacher Arancha came along to help me collect her. We took a gentle stroll through the centre of Mahón to ease her into island life.

That first evening set the tone for everything that followed. There was no classroom waiting, only conversation, fresh air and the sense of arriving somewhere she would soon feel at home.

By check-in she already understood the rhythm of the days ahead: study woven into real life, with people, places and food doing as much teaching as any lesson.

Discovering Ciutadella and Can Saura Museum

Her first full day fell on the Day of the Balearic Islands, a fitting moment to explore Ciutadella, the island’s stately old city. We wandered the historic streets before visiting the Can Saura municipal museum.

As a geologist, Harriet was captivated by the museum, which traces the history of Menorca through its land and people. The subject matter spoke directly to her curiosity.

We finished with a merienda at Cal Diamante, a typical pastry shop. The sheer variety of cakes amazed her, many of them unlike anything she had seen before.

Talayotic Treasures: Naveta des Tudons and Son Catlar

Menorca is dotted with prehistoric stone monuments, and these became some of Harriet’s favourite lessons. We visited Sa Naveta des Tudons and Sant Joan de Missa, then later the talayotic settlement of Son Catlar with my first ever friend Sonia who is more like a sister and an amazing photographer.

For a researcher fascinated by the natural environment, walking among structures thousands of years old was pure delight. She was astonished that such a small island held so much heritage.

Each visit turned into a living Spanish class, full of new vocabulary about history, archaeology and stone, all spoken aloud in real settings.

Beaches, Picnics and Everyday Island Life

Between cultural visits, we slowed down by the sea. We spent time at the Playa de Son Saura and shared an ice cream at Cas Mervol, small pleasures that made her feel like a local.

Each weekday we collected homemade meals from Silvia, a local cook who prepares food to take away. Harriet loved everything, choosing from a menu Silvia sent each evening.

Running errands with me around the town, doing the weekly supermarket shopping, she settled into ordinary Menorcan routines and practised Spanish without ever noticing she was studying.

A Picnic at Monte Toro with Reyes

One of the warmest days was spent with my childhood friend Reyes. We began at a bakery, buying typical Menorcan sandwiches and pastries for a picnic lunch up on the heights.

We climbed Monte Toro, the highest point on the island, where the views stretch in every direction. There we ate, talked and laughed, soaking in the landscape together.

In the afternoon we visited the town of Es Mercadal and stopped for a merienda with another childhood friend, Paquita, who lives there. Harriet felt embraced by the whole circle.

Cinema, Pizza and the Magic of “Juernes”

On Thursday evening, we went to the cinema with Pilar, another childhood friend of mine. We enjoyed a lovely local tradition at Cines Moix Negre, where Thursday nights include a film followed by a pizza dinner of your choice. Harriet absolutely loved it. a

We jokingly call it “juernes,” a playful Spanish word blending jueves and viernes, used when Thursday already feels like Friday. It was a perfect window into local social life.

These relaxed nights mattered as much as the lessons. Laughing in Spanish, ordering food, sharing a film, this was immersion at its most natural and fun.

An Evening at the Menorca Jazz Festival

Music runs through Harriet’s life, so the 28th Menorca Jazz Festival was a treat made for her. We went to the Teatre des Born to see a performance that was part of the festival.

She was left marvelling at the experience, blending her love of concerts with the chance to enjoy culture entirely in Spanish surroundings.

It was a reminder that immersion reaches far beyond grammar. Live music, a beautiful theatre and an attentive ear all played their part in her learning.

A Cultural Day Across Mahón, Sant Lluís and Binibèquer

One Sunday we explored the other side of the island with Arancha, who is also a Spanish teacher. We visited the municipal cemetery of Mahón, the talayotic settlement of Trepucó and the historic port of Mahón.

Arancha took the lead that day, correcting and explaining grammar on the spot as we walked and talked. Harriet was delighted to learn so naturally.

We lunched at La Rueda, then continued to the fishing village of Binibèquer and its beach, ending a full, rich day of Spanish, history and coastline.

Lithica: Harriet’s Favourite Place

Of everything we shared, one place stood above the rest. On an excursion with Sonia, we visited Lithica, the old stone quarries of Menorca, and Harriet declared it her favourite of all.

For a geologist, standing inside hand-carved sandstone quarries was unforgettable. The site married her professional passion with the island’s deep hist

.ory in a single, striking landscape.

Moments like this are exactly why we tailor each SHIP journey. The right place, matched to the right person, makes the language stick far more than any worksheet.

Tapas, Friendship and Becoming a Local

Real immersion lives at the dinner table. One evening we shared a tapas dinner with a group of my friends, laughing so much that Harriet joked we must be a little crazy.

She told us she had a wonderful time and that she now thought of us as her “Spanish aunties.” It was the kind of bond no classroom can manufacture.

By then she was running errands, choosing menus and chatting with ease. The shy learner of week one had grown into someone who simply belonged here.

A Sunset Farewell

Her final full day was spent with Sonia in the morning and Pilar in the afternoon. We explored the Cova de s’Aigua, Cala Blanca, Sa Farola lighthouse and Castell Sant Nicolau.

As the day closed, we watched a spectacular sunset together. It was a fitting, beautiful goodbye after two weeks of stone, sea, study and friendship.

Across her SHIP, Harriet had worked steadily on conversation, grammar, phonetics, translation and verb tenses, and her speaking confidence had grown enormously.

More Than a Language Course

Harriet’s two weeks were never only about Spanish. They combined serious study with cultural discovery, genuine friendship and full immersion in Menorcan life.

She made clear progress in the language while building lasting connections and a deep appreciation for the island, its heritage and its people. My friends Arancha, Sonia, Pilar, Reyes and Paquita all became part of her story.

She arrived to improve her Spanish and left having found a second home, a circle of “aunties” and a goal within reach: B2 by the age of thirty.

Past Visitors’ Stories

Harriet’s journey is just one of many our SHIP students have lived across Spain. Our host teachers welcome learners of every age, profession and goal into their homes.

If you would like to read real stories from students who have lived and studied Spanish with us, our diary blogs follow each journey from arrival to departure.

You could become the protagonist of our next story.

You can explore more real immersion experiences here:

👉 SHIP Stories of Our Previous Students

Get in Touch

To learn more about our Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP) and plan your own week or two in Spain, reach out to our founder, director and host teacher in Menorca, Mónica Romero.