Around the age of 13, many young people start to feel they have outgrown the camp they have always gone to. They want to go to bed later, to be treated as older and to spend the summer with people their own age. That is what Toledo Junior is for: our summer program for boys and girls aged 13 to 15, with its own timetable and its own activities.
What Toledo Junior is
Toledo Junior shares its facilities with LayosCamp Toledo, 10 km from Toledo and 100 km from Madrid: an Olympic swimming pool, a climbing wall, a riding arena, a sports hall, a football pitch and a zip wire. The program is a separate one: the Juniors go to bed later, help with the running of the camp (keeping the bedrooms tidy, the laundry, laying the tables in the dining hall) and spend the fortnight taking more responsibility for their own things.
A day at Toledo Junior
Six activities a day, in groups by age. They include climbing, swimming, horse riding, archery and rifle shooting, padel, tennis, golf, photography, drama and cooking. On top of that there are teamwork and leadership activities drawn from our official counsellor training and, every morning, an optional 40-minute challenge: swimming, running, yoga or CrossFit.
The fortnight also has moments of its own: creative workshops, trips to Puy du Fou and the Barrancas de Burujón, a barbecue halfway through the session, a show the Juniors put on for the whole camp, the Olympics with their opening and closing ceremonies, and the evening activities every night after dinner.
Who is with them
Activities are led by leisure-time counsellors trained at our own official school, or by qualified sports instructors. We have been training counsellors since 1999, many former campers train at that school today, and for the summer fortnights we do not hire any counsellor who has not worked with us before. Each bedroom has its own counsellor, who also eats with the group. We think that matters at this age, because the adult beside them knows the place and how we work.
Mobile phones at this age
With teenagers it is the question every parent asks, and the rule is the same at all our camps. On the first day each camper hands their phone to their counsellor, who keeps it safe. From the fourth day there is one hour for calls each day, at a time we will let you know, and during that hour you can call their mobile or the camp phone. You can talk to their counsellor from day one.
We wait until the fourth day because the first few days decide how the camp will go: the groups form and they spend their first night away from home. With a phone in their hand, it is harder to settle in.
Sessions in 2027
- 1 to 15 July 2027.
- 16 to 30 July 2027.
- 1 to 15 August 2027, with its own page: August at Layos · Junior. The same service as in July and, if you are travelling from further afield, airport or station pick-up is included.
All three include return transport from Madrid, and the Juniors travel with their counsellors. Registration for 2027 opens on 20 October 2026 and is done entirely online.
Aged 12 and turning 13: Crows or Juniors?
At our camps for ages 6 to 12, campers are grouped by age: the Eagles, aged 6 to 9, and the Crows, aged 10 to 12. The Juniors are the next step. What decides which group your child joins is whether they have already turned 13 on the day the session starts:
- If they are already 13 when the session starts, they join the Juniors.
- If they start the session aged 12 and turn 13 after it has begun, you choose: one last session with the Crows, or the move up to Toledo Junior now.
It is the only point at which there is a choice, and it is worth deciding together with them. Some prefer to finish that stage with the friends they have always had, and some can't wait for a change; either way is fine.
Aged 14, 15 or 16: the sea
Toledo Junior goes up to age 15. If your child wants the sea, or has already turned 16, there are two programs for teenagers, both in July:
- LayosCamp Tarifa, ages 14 to 16, 1 to 14 July 2027 or 15 to 28 July 2027. Campers sleep in individual tents and the day revolves around the sea: surfing, kitesurfing, paddleboarding and beach sports. It is designed for campers who have already done several summers of camp.
- LayosCamp Santander, ages 12 to 16, 1 to 15 July 2027. It is our surf camp in Cantabria, 200 metres from Loredo beach on the Bay of Santander, with multi-activities and excursions. Return travel from Madrid is included.
And for ages 11 to 14 there is also LayosCamp Sotogrande-Tarifa, 1 to 14 July 2027, with sailing at the Real Club Marítimo de Sotogrande.
What we aim for at this age
Between 13 and 15, camp is a chance to live alongside new people and to look after their own things without their parents close by. We have been a family business since 1985 and we see it every summer. If you are not sure which program suits your child, tell us what they are like and we will work it out with you.