I sent my kids to summer camp in Spain. It was affordable and they got to experience independence.

It was a blistering summer in the little seaside town of Caldes d’Estrac, an enchanting getaway thirty minutes outside Barcelona. We were staying there for two months because our friends had generously invited us to their masia, or country home, for July and August. Caldes used to be a fashionable spa town for the Barcelona bourgeoisie in the 1920s and is now known for its thermal baths and stunning beaches. When our friends suggested we put the children in a sailing casale, or summer camp, together at the local seaport, we enthusiastically agreed.

It was more affordable than camp in the US

There was one catch: How much was this going to cost us, and would we even be able to get a spot? In the US, or at least in California, where we live, summer camps usually start around $250 per child per week and can run upwards of $1000 for specialty camps. In addition, securing a spot is challenging, with parents already beginning to register for summer camps as early as March.

We drove the five minutes down to port Balis in Caldes and went to register in person. It was less than a week from the beginning of camp, yet the experience was seamless. They not only waived the membership fee for the yacht club, but the tuition ranged between 170 and 260 euros depending on how long they stayed, and it included lunch.

They experienced independence

After just the first day, the children came back with exciting and harrowing tales of adventure. They had gone out solo in dinghies with a couple of adults following alongside them in speedboats. They had experienced the thrill of being independent out on the water from the very start and had been forced to problem-solve tricky situations using teamwork to prevent their boats from capsizing or getting stuck. This was especially challenging for my children as they did not speak Spanish, but somehow they managed.

They, of course, took the necessary precautions of life jackets and basic training, but then they were let loose very quickly and had to learn as they went. It felt as if there was a much more laid-back attitude and push toward personal responsibility than we had experienced in the US. When my 5-year-old refused to stay with the little kids in her age group because she was so attached to her brother, the camp counselors let her tag along and ride in the boats with the older children or inside the speedboats with the adults. I’m not sure that would ever have happened in a California camp, and frankly I’m grateful for it.

The rest of the time, the kids learned basic principles of sailing, had free-play in kayaks and SUPs, and ate bowls full of crab and shrimp for lunch. They came back every afternoon exhausted but happy and woke up each morning with enthusiasm, ready for their next big adventure out on the water.