The origins of summer camps in Spain

At the very beginning of summer camps, in the year 1876, a Swiss man by the name of Walter Bion, together with 10 teachers, invited 68 disadvantaged children to travel from the canton of Appenzell to the countryside, where they would spend two weeks breathing fresh air and enjoying a highly nutritious and invigorating diet.

Walter Bion’s experience proved so successful that within just a few years it had spread throughout the entire European and American continents. From that moment on, this man would be regarded as the founder of the famous holiday colonies and, by extension, of summer camps in Spain.

A few years later, in 1887, Don Manuel B. Cossío ventured to officially organise the first «summer colony» with 20 children who lived in different districts of Madrid. This summer colony took place in San Vicente de la Barquera.

The first summer colonies in Spain.

Some decades later, in 1932, summer colonies expanded to various parts of Spain, with Madrid, Asturias, Valencia, and Barcelona participating most actively, with over 30,000 participants.

It was not long before, during the Franco regime, the State established a policy of implementing various summer camps whose aim was to indoctrinate and morally shape participants. Among the policies implemented by the regime, camps known as the Frente de Juventudes (Youth Front) and the Sección Femenina (Women’s Section) emerged.

However, it was in the 1970s that the university students’ union transformed into what became known as the Spanish youth organisation, specialising in outdoor activities and thus giving rise to the organisation of summer camps.

At the same time, other camping movements for young people emerged, including the Scout Movement and similar groups, which boosted the growth of summer camps in Spain, gaining greater prominence with the arrival of democracy in the country, diversifying and making progress with new camp formats. From the 1970s onwards, new formats began to emerge in the fields of education, multi-adventure, and children’s entertainment. For the first time in Spain, in 1976, legislation was introduced in this area, giving rise to the well-known Outdoor and Leisure Schools.

Summer camps today.

Today, summer camps continue to develop, and year after year there is greater emphasis on education, with more promotion and a wider variety of activities and formats to reinforce learning in a didactic and distinctive way. This continual development in the camp format has meant that today an ever-wider range of possibilities is available. At Natuaventura.com you will find all our services, which are as follows:

• Sports Camps
• Talent Development Camps
• Multi-Adventure Camps
• Horse Riding Camps
• Water Sports Camps
• Urban Camps
• Ecology Camps
• Language Immersion Camps
• English Immersion Summer Camps

It is clear that over the years, not only have the facilities and materials used continued to develop, but, more importantly, what has evolved is the methodology, the training, and the quality of camps, with the aim of offering ever better services.

The aim of the summer camps that form part of our offering at Natuaventura.com is that children and young people not only have fun and enjoy themselves, but that these camps also provide an important learning experience and allow them to develop the skills and attitudes necessary for their personal growth.

You might also be interested in:

• Summer camps in Madrid
• Nature camps in Madrid
• Summer camp transfer service from Madrid
• English summer camps in Madrid
• Technology camps in Madrid

For more information about all our summer camps in Madrid, write to us at info@natuaventura.es or call us on 91 714 06 36.