Salamanca Survival Guide

I have now lived in Salamanca, Spain for three months, and there are some idiosyncrasies of this city and the IES Salamanca Program that I have learned. Here is your guide for how best to enjoy your time as a temporary resident, and student with IES Abroad Salamanca. 

1. Be prepared to walk. A lot. 

You can’t even call an Uber in Salamanca. As in, the app does not allow you to call an Uber. As in, they do not operate in Salamanca. You can always call a taxi, but the uncertainty of how much your fare will be is an anxiety that is completely avoidable if you simply walk to your destination. Salamanca is the most walkable city I have ever encountered, and after a couple of weeks, a 30-minute walk is nothing. I have ridden in a taxi a total of two times since I arrived here in January…and it is now April. The bus system is good, but for some reason whenever I need the bus most, it never seems to come! While most of the time the bus will be reliable, there are the occasions where it won’t show up. Thankfully, anywhere you want to go within the city limits, your feet can take you, and you’ll enjoy a beautiful view on your journey. 

2. Spanish will be your main language of communication if you let it. 

Yes, of course there are people in Salamanca who speak English, and if you are struggling in Spanish, they most likely will be able to understand your English. But, if you let it be, Spanish will be your main language of communication. I have encountered many instances where speaking in English was not an option, and my flailing and pointing only made the people I was interacting with all the more confused. It’s much easier to speak in Spanish and mess up the grammar or forget to conjugate a verb than it is to speak in English and elongate and convolute the interaction. I promise, if you are not yet confident in your Spanish speaking abilities, after a couple months in Salamanca, your ability will improve greatly, and you will learn many new words and phrases along the way. 

3. Find a “safe space” in the city 

Moving to a new country can be daunting! Because of this, I made it one of my top priorities to find a place in the city that could become my “safe space”. Somewhere, apart from my room, that I could feel comfortable and grounded in. For me, this place is Casa de las Conchas, the public library. It is a beautiful castle-turned-library close to the IES center. I love its brown interior, endless potted plants, and loud creaky floors. I’ve spent many hours doing homework in this library and looking out at the city through the tiny windows. Even if this place doesn’t become your safe space, I highly recommend visiting it if you’re looking for a quiet place to get your work done (be warned, the Wi-Fi can be finicky). Either way, I highly recommend finding a place that makes you feel safe and comfortable, whether it be a park, a library, a café, or anywhere else. 

4. The IES Salamanca staff are resources, use them! 

Whether it’s for a restaurant recommendation, a concern about life in Salamanca, or simply just to chat, be sure to get familiar with this staff. It’s a small staff of five, and with a tiny program like the Salamanca one, it is guaranteed they will know you by name the minute you step off the plane in Madrid. Each one cares about your experience as a student and a person, so don’t take this for granted! 

5. Find go-to food spots  

I’ll let you in on a secret: the mealtimes (and meals) in Spain can be a culture shock. Breakfast is usually 8-9 A.M., lunch around 1-3 P.M. and dinner is served at a whopping 9 P.M. (at least at the residence hall). Because of this, it is important you that you find some go-to spots to grab a quick snack, or, if it gets dire, a full meal. Salamanca has many (MANY) cute cafés and quick food spots. You will also of course find McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, and many more US fast food chains. But you’re in Spain! If you’re feeling homesick, of course stop in and grab some McNuggets, but for the most part, I recommend trying the many delicious foods you can find in Salamanca. Some of my recommendations are: 

• La Tahona de la Abuela café (my usual is a ham and cheese croissant after Spanish class)
• Shifu Ramen (get the shoyu ramen)
• Amazonia acai bowls (energy bowl with chocolate and chia seed pudding!!)
• La Pepita burgers (get the smashburger) 
• Bico de Xeado ice cream (get the tarta de queso, chocolate, or dulce de leche)
• Santagloria Coffee & Bakery 
• La Portuguesa café 
• Umami ice cream 
• Crepería Mimos 
• Hype Burger Bar
• La Fresería (strawberries doused in chocolate) 
• Ditaly 
• Five Napoli Pizza 

6. Join El Club de Español! 

In this club, you make a vow to speak Spanish 24/7 (but take it from me, you can negotiate these terms). You will improve your comprehension, learn new words, and get more confident speaking this language. You can join it anytime throughout the semester, but I recommend joining early on, as you get to attend exclusive events as a Club de Español member! 

7. Bonus for my cinephiles: There IS a movie theater! 

Don’t be like me and spend three treacherous months thinking that there is no movie theater near you that has movies in English. I’ll save you the time: there is! Cines Van Dyck is a cute little movie theater about a 26 minute walk from the dorm. The first movie I saw there was Project Hail Mary and I had an incredible time. My ticket was €4.70 and a medium popcorn with a soda was €5 (prices I couldn’t even dream of seeing in the US). Your movie will have Spanish subtitles, but that it makes it fun, because you get to learn some new words along the way. Be prepared for some movies to take a little longer to arrive in the theaters (The Drama and You, Me, and Tuscany are still not showing, but Michaelwill be there on time!), but they hopefully will arrive eventually. Either way, if you fear not being able to be in your favorite place (a movie theater, of course!) for a couple of months, fear not! Cines Van Dyck is there for you. Bonus points for going to see one of the Spanish films that are showing!