Estilo de Vida

My experience at 'Estilo de Vida is unforgettable. The school is located in a part of Northern Spain which I had never heard about
What a surprise! The mountainous region has rivers, waterfalls, forests and lush vegetation. It was like beng in a living Van Gogh painting with sunflowers all around.
But, enough of the nature. Alejo's dwelling is located in the hamlet of La Viadas His home is rustic, spacious and comfortable.
The classes are held in the house during the morning and again at the end of the day.
Before my immersion Alejo and I spoke about my requirements, my interests and about what I hoped to gain from the experience. From our discussion Alejo created my experience which was interesting and challenging.
Alejo is knowledgeable and passionate about language. He is friendly, patient and extremely generous with his time.
We spent the afternoon exploring the beautiful area which has so much to offer and depending on your interests Alejo will create an enjoyable experience. He is knowledgeable about the nature and the history of the region.
There were many opportunities to meet his friends who have many different life experiences and through conversations I gained some insight into their lives. There was a warmth and generosity demonstrated by those that I met that doesn't exist so freely in many towns and cities.
I am very happy that I have dipped my toes in the waters of Las Merindades - both literally and metaphorically.
It is definitely an 'Estilo de Vida'

What a marvellous experience at Estilo de Vida with Alejo! Individualised Spanish classes for 2.5 hours in the morning, followed by superb sightseeing in the afternoon typically coupled with a meal at an authentic local restaurant and then a 1.5-hour language debrief and consolidation session before supper. This truly is immersion in both language and culture!! Alejo is an attentive host, guide and educator and his passion for life is infectious.
The Las Merindades area is a hidden gem with remarkably few tourists (late spring). With Alejo you will visit sites that you won’t have considered as an independent visitor. Alejo ensures that there are multiple Spanish conversations on your excursions which really helped us improve our comprehension of the spoken language. So in essence this immersion of Spanish course is well suited to those who want to develop their linguistic abilities and cultural understanding of the country.
Tony and Mary, UK

I travelled from Australia in September to spend a week at Estilo de Vida prior to catching up with family in the UK. I was looking for an immersion experience to help improve my spanish and engage with the local community. I was not disappointed!
Alejo, the owner of Estilo de Vida, put much thought into preparing our daily spanish classes to help me prepare for DELE B1..un monton! He also sent me all of the resources so that I can continue to use them.
However the learning/immersion did not stop there. Conversations whilst exploring the beautiful region of Las Viadas, lunch in local restaurants, socialising with Alejo's friends, going food shopping to name but a few.
Alejo's home is charming and comfortable, set in a small but beautiful village
I cannot recommend highly enough!

My two week educational and cultural immersion trip with ‘Estilo de Vida’ in October 2023 was an eye-opening and enriching experience. One-to-one interactive language learning combined with diverse cultural experiences, which included meeting and spending time with Alejo’s friends, afforded a unique insight into ‘Las Merindades’ and the local way of life. Alejo’s attention to detail, careful advance planning and passion in execution, facilitated a unique insight into the language, history, traditions, and customs of this wonderful part of Spain. The wide range of activities, which included language classes, visits to heritage sites, iglesias y ermitas, necrópolis, caves, waterfalls, restaurants and bars, to mention but a few, provided a complete and unparalleled perspective. ¡Mil gracias a ti, Alejo! - this experience will stay with me forever.

I can only agree with the other 5 star reviews about the wonderful experience of learning and discovery with Alejo in Las Viadas and Las Merindades. It was a memorable, beautiful and enriching 4 day immersion for me.

The icing on the cake was that I really learned a lot, beyond my expectations! I arrived with a certain level of speaking and comprehension, which considerably improved in the short time I spent at Estilo de la Vida. As did my confidence :-)

What a great way to deepen one’s understanding and develop language skills while being welcomed into a very special part of the world. Thank you Alejo for being an excellent guide in this process.

What a unique week! I thoroughly enjoyed my Spanish immersion week with Alejo in his rustic, village home in Las Viadas. Alejo is a very personable chap, and an excellent host. He is passionate about his subject and the quality lessons were tailored to my learning needs. The week was jam-packed and provided a wide variety of opportunities to practise Spanish, from daily trips to places of interest and quaint towns throughout the stunning Las Merindades region, to chatting to the locals and friends of Alejo. It was also great to visit a different restaurant each day and sample delicious, local cuisine. All in all a fantastic immersive week.

What an absolute delight. So much more than I expected. Reignited my love of learning Spanish and introduced me to a beautiful área of Spain. Alejo is an attentive teacher, adapting to his clients' needs as well as being an excellent host. The accommodation is traditional but very comfortable. Highly Recommended.

I had a great experience for 2 weeks with Alejo at Estilo de Vida in Las Viadas, España. Alejo is a very kind and considerate host with a variety of experiences to offer to his clients. The classes were very well planned and thorough and tailored to my Spanish level. Everyday we ventured out to a different area or town of Las Meriendades and visited a variety of sites including a castle, churches, we did a few hikes with amazing views, remote chapels, abandoned towns, and local waterfalls. We also visited Bilbao, attended a concert and a couple of town festivals where he always ran into and introduced me to someone he knows! Alejo is very passionate about learning and sharing his love for language and history with others. I really enjoyed meeting his friends and hanging out with them. They are also very kind and welcoming as well as passionate about what they do! Alejo also takes pride in providing healthy local food both in his home and at local restaurants. And, if you’re lucky, you might get to go cherry picking with him in June or see the sunflowers in July! I know I have a friend in Spain who will welcome me with open arms and I look forward to a lifelong friendship:)

What a fantastic language school this is! Alejo made me so welcome during my stay in September and his lessons were perfectly pitched to improve my knowledge of Spanish. It is clear that he is sincerely interested in teaching his language and the classes were a pleasure.
But there was so much more: every day we visited a different village, historical site, museum or church and met with some of Alejo’s many friends in the area.
It was wonderful to explore such a beautiful area with Alejo and to meet so many of his friends who were generous enough to give of their time and share their knowledge. The whole experience was a joy. Alejo, ¡viva la pepa!

If you are looking for a well equipped location and a A4 standardized spanish course, this is not your place. But..
It was just amazing.
Alejo is running the one man show with the transfer service, yummy, healthy breakfast and dinner. He does some funny singing and freestyle dancing as well.
I have been there for a week together with an unknown Austrian girl, but it worked out perfectly as the whole course.
After morning lessons we visited all the best places around and we met many of his friends, one of them is the famous artist Carlos Armiño. We practiced spanish every day in the restaurant, bar,café, museum and with his many friends until late evening.
A local wine tasting contest and table football contest will be also remembered for the rest of my life.
We had a lot of good discussions about life and philosophy, but due to my limited Spanish skills had to switch over to English.
I really recommend Estilo de Vida by Alejo.

My time at Estilo de Vida was memorable!

I have been re-doing my review many times as it always ends up being too long I really want to share it all so that when looking at this review you don’t think twice and reach out to Alejo to kick start your journey with the Spanish language!

But I will make it brief and relevant I hope.

The stay at Estilo de Vida was everything I expected and more. This means that I came to kick start my Spanish-speaking journey and have a better understanding of the language’s rules and pronunciation and I left the place with more confidence and hope that I can actually make it and learn a third language easily.

Alejo is a great teacher as he knows how to bring out the best in you so you have the confidence to try and celebrate your mistakes. He will be there to gently correct you so that you are always learning. He will also adapt to how you learn to bring the best student out of you, making the learning process so much more efficient, at least for me. He will also encourage you to get out of your comfort zone to speak and use what you have learned, but he is there cheering you up so you dare, and it pays off :D!

Then, the activities, are …can I describe them even I am not sure, between cultural sightseeing and nature walks and the people we meet… wahoo, it makes this immersion magical to me, true, authentic and memorable! I have discovered how rich of history the area is, how nature can enchant you and how the people you meet can warm your heart up…from a song to a life story, to a simple chat, a painting, or a sculpture, every aspect of this immersion was for me exactly was I was looking for.

If you are considering this immersion with Estilo de la Vida, I would 200% encourage you to go for it, for the classes, the incredible teacher, the experiences, the discoveries and the extra super boost in your learning curve of the Spanish language…this is the real deal!

I couldn't have asked for a better Spanish immersion experience! Alejo provided a fantastic mix of classes personalized for me and lots of excursions to nearby towns, hiking trails, and interesting places full of history and natural resources. He knows some fascinating people that we were able to visit with and share a moment of their lives, and the food was great, whether it was prepared by him from his own vegetable garden or in one of the various local restaurants. Definitely recommend!

The two weeks I spent at Estilo de Vida were so much more than just a language immersion course. Alejo is a great host and made me feel very welcome in his home. The food he cooks is delicious, healthy and organic, and the majority of it comes from his own vegetable patch!

Las Merindades is a surprisingly undiscovered area with an incredible amount of things to do. We visited many historical sites including the medieval towns of Frías, Oña and the 12th century monastery at Rioseco. Alejo is passionate about the rich history of Las Merindades and took the time to explain everything. As well as historical sites we visited collections of the works of sculptor Carlos Armiño and went on walks through the beautiful countryside, where there are an amazing amount of species of birds.

We did 4-5 hours of classes per day Monday-Friday and Alejo explained complex grammatical concepts in a logical and well thought out way. I feel that my level of Spanish has improved a lot.

I would thoroughly recommend to anyone wanting to learn Spanish and enjoy a holiday off the beaten track. Thank you so much!

Me quedé dos semanas maravillosas en Estilo de Vida y fue mucho más que una inmersión lingüística. Alejo es un anfitrión excelente y me sentí muy bienvenida en su casa. Cocinaba comida ecológica, saludable y muy rica; la mayoría de su huerta en frente de la casa.

Las Merindades es un lugar todavía no descubierto y hay una cantidad increíble de cosas que hacer. Visitamos muchos sitios historicos; los pueblos de la Edad Media Oña y Frías, el monasterio de Rioseco y las Cuevas de Ojo Guareña. Alejo es apasionado de la rica historia de las Merindades y tomó el tiempo para explicarme. Fuimos a pasear en la montañas en diferentes partes de Valle de Tobalina. A mí, me interesa mucho la naturaleza y hay muchas especies de aves y de arboles y además es un paisaje precioso.

Hicimos clases de español 4-5 horas cada día lunes a viernes y Alejo me explicó conceptos gramaticales complicados en una manera logico y bien pensada. Me parece que mi español ha mejorado mucho.

Recomiendo totalmente a cualquier persona que quiera aprender español y disfrutar una experiencia única. ¡Muchísimas gracias!

I had a wonderful experience learning Spanish with Vivien , taught by Alejo at Estilo de Vida. I can highly recommend it as it is so much more than just Spanish classes. Tried to express this in the poem below:
Estilo de Vida
When I think of Estilo de Vida I think of many things
Friends and fiestas, landscapes and lushness, learning and life
Conjugations, conglomerates and clarity that Alejo brings
Culture and sculpture, cuisine and chalar, wonder and wildlife
Senses tantalized by all in The Valley of Torbalina

When I think of Estilo de Vida, I think of Alejo, un profesor magnífico
Wry humour, nurturing our Spanish, pursuing pronunciación,
Challenging with conjugations, teasing out tenses, ah no subjunctivo!
Lessons lightened by levity fly by, bringing satisfacción
He beguiles us with conversacións deep and diverse
His passion, power naps, energy, attentiveness inspires

When I think of Estilo de Vida I think of magic and majesty
Frias, Oño, Herron, Medina, Puntedey and San Bernabé
Spires of mountains, cathedrals and castillos
Monasterios, museos, & history seeping into our souls
I think of Carlos, Janfry, Yosu- their love of their land, their oases
These and more, all the treasures of Las Merindades

When I think of Estilo de Vida I think of sound
Silence of the night, broken only by distant cuckoo calls
Soulful serenades of men of long lives, strong in voice and proud
Warbling of birds and the wonder of waterfalls
Solitude of nature, winds whispering through grasses,
Conspiring with us to enjoy life, all enthrals

When I think of Estilo de Vida I think of our learning
From hapless to hopeful, frustrated to fascinated,
Awed by lengua, despacio confidence has grown
When I think of Estilo de Vida, I think of lasting friendship and all we have gained
Thank you Alejo

The experience at Estilo de Vida was wonderful! It is a fun, exciting and meaningful way of learning and absorbing the Spanish language, the history, culture and remarkable surroundings of northern Spain. I was exceptionally happy and had an adventure of a lifetime.

The host and teacher (and now friend), Alejo, was great. Thank you to Alejo for an amazing and unforgettable experience!

I spent two weeks with Alejo (April 2022) in Las Viadas. He is an enthusiastic and patient teacher. He lives in a beautiful national park full of history and wildlife. Each day was full of Spanish (both formal lessons and real world experience), journeying around visiting and exploring , and great food. Alejo works hard to take care of everything. I highly recommend.

I traveled from Seattle to Estilo de Vida for an immersion course in July of 2018. Estilo de Vida is a place where I felt genuinely connected to the people I met, the process of learning, and the surrounding nature. The friendships and memories from my visit continue to enrich my life. Most of all, I think EdV is for everyone to enjoy because it offers such a wide variety of experiences and Alejo is such a fantastic host. The lush scenery and the home-cooked meals are beyond words. Thank you, Alejo!

We had a lovely week improving our Spanish with Alejo. The sun shone, the course was tailored to our needs, the cultural excursions enriched us and Alejo's cooking was delicious. The Valle de Tobalina is beautiful, unspoilt, the people friendly and is a little known gem.

I spent a wonderful 10 days here in a lovely environment with the delights of great food. I met some amazing people, going to fiestas and festivals. We visited beautiful places that I would never be able to go to on a holiday on my own. It was a very relaxed environment perfect for improving my Spanish. Thank you Alejo.

What can I say about Estilo de Vida that hasn’t already been said? My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed spending a week in Alejo’s home in Las Viadas, working hard to improve our castellano, thanks both to his patient, interesting and methodical teaching, and to the fascinating social and cultural visits he guided us through every afternoon after our classwork, which really enriched the experience.
We visited the largest and most spectacular cathedral in Spain at Burgos, witnessed the natural salt extraction operation at Salinas de Añana, where salt has been harvested by hand for a staggering seven thousand years, got up close and personal with pregnant ewes in the barn of four shepherd brothers in Valdivielso, visited the semi-derelict Valpuesta collegiate church in the beautiful countryside on the border between Burgos and Álava, where in the ninth century monks wrote on church documents what is now recognised as the first known examples of written castellano script, and we met Alejo’s prolific artist and sculptor friend Carlos Armiño in his eclectic workshop stuffed with exotic wooden and marble carvings and beautiful prints.
We lunched out every day at a variety of different venues, eating white bean stew with morcilla and chorizo one day at a simple café on the banks of the fast-flowing Ebro, and another day feasting in the former prior’s house at Valpuesta, a step across the road from the church, and now a high-end restaurant which must be on its way to at least one Michelin star. The chef is the son of the man who painstakingly restored the broken stained-glass windows of the church. The most surprising meal of all was held in a modest private Burgos apartment of a friend of Alejo’s, an utterly charming and talented lady whose culinary skills would grace any top-class restaurant.
Alejo himself, besides being a talented teacher, is a warm, humorous, intelligent and generous man who does everything in his power to ensure his clients enjoy and benefit from their time with him. We are proud now to call him our friend. He has also addicted us to Rummikub, our nightly relaxation and a totally unexpected consequence of our stay in the beautiful Las Merindades area!