What you call a colonie de vacances in France, we call a summer camp in Spain: time away from home, in a group, with counsellors and activities. If you are looking for a colonie de vacances in Spain for your child, here is what is worth knowing before you decide: what language camp life is lived in, which sessions there are, what the price includes and how the journey is organised.
We are LayosCamp, a family business that has been running summer camps since 1985. Our camps are in Toledo, Gredos, Tarifa, Sotogrande and Santander, and our coach runs to all of them from Madrid.
The language: camp life is in Spanish
Most of our campers are usually Spanish, so Spanish is the language of the activities and of the bedroom. Your child does not need to speak it on arrival; we welcome every level, including complete beginners.
If you want to give them a head start, there are optional Spanish reinforcement classes, in 8-hour blocks and outside activity hours, so they do not miss any of the program. Even so, it is not a language course and we do not promise a level by the end. Children pick up Spanish from the group, the people they play with and organise things with all day long.
Which sessions there are in 2027
Almost all sessions last a fortnight. This is the 2027 calendar:
- June. Kids Camp Gredos, ages 6 to 12, one week: 24 to 30 June 2027.
- July, in Layos (Toledo). LayosCamp Toledo, ages 6 to 12, and Toledo Junior, ages 13 to 15, in both fortnights.
- July, in Gredos. LayosCamp Gredos, ages 6 to 12, in both fortnights.
- July, in the south. LayosCamp Tarifa, ages 14 to 16, in two sessions, and LayosCamp Sotogrande-Tarifa, ages 11 to 14, 1 to 14 July 2027.
- July, in the north. LayosCamp Santander, ages 12 to 16, 1 to 15 July 2027, in Cantabria.
- August. August at Layos, 1 to 15 August 2027, also in a Junior version for ages 13 to 15, and August in Gredos, 16 to 30 August 2027.
In August the group is also more international: we welcome proportionally more campers from outside Spain, and Spanish and English come up naturally every day. And if you are travelling from abroad, airport or station pick-up is included.
What the price includes
- Full board, including an afternoon snack.
- All program activities, except the extras.
- Accident insurance.
- Daily laundry.
- The return coach from Madrid and the excursions by coach.
What is paid separately
- The uniform, which is compulsory. We hand it out on the first day, so we get the sizes right, and the counsellors label it.
- Airport or station pick-up, except for the August sessions.
- The airline's unaccompanied minor service, if your child flies alone: the airline provides and charges for it.
- The compulsory insurance for campers who are not resident in Spain, which we provide.
- Extra activities, such as the Spanish reinforcement classes.
- Pocket money.
How the journey is organised
Your child can travel on the LayosCamp coach, which leaves from Pozuelo (Madrid) on the first day and comes back there on the last, or you can drive them yourselves. If they arrive by plane or train, we arrange their pick-up: when you choose transport during registration you will see the airports and stations for your camp, and if you do not have tickets yet you can mark it as to be confirmed and complete it later.
Before you buy any tickets, confirm the times with the office, because that is what guarantees the pick-up. Once you have them, send them to us, and a month before camp we will tell you who will be collecting your child.
Insurance and health card
If your child is not resident in Spain or does not have a Spanish health card, they need our insurance for international campers, which is how we make sure they get immediate care at the hospitals near each camp; there is a European option and a worldwide option. Every camper also brings a photocopy of their health card or private insurance.
If you need to cancel
Cancellations must be sent by email. More than 60 days before the start, we refund everything except the €50 registration fee; between 60 and 15 days before, we keep 50% of what you have paid, and with less than 15 days to go, 100%. It is worth bearing this in mind when you book flights.
While your child is there
Their counsellor keeps their phone. From the fourth day there is one hour for calls each day, at a time we will let you know, when you can call their mobile or the camp phone. Every day a photographer updates the session's photo album, which only shows children whose families have given permission.
Before you decide
Registration for summer 2027 opens on 20 October 2026. You can see all our programs on the summer camps page, read how children live and learn in Spanish at camp in learning Spanish in Spain, or go straight to a camp page, such as LayosCamp Santander. And if you have any questions, email us at info@layoscamp.com and we will reply to you ourselves.