Ceroc Medfest

Flight round trip from London to Barcelona
Private coach service to and from Barcelona Airport (on Dance Holidays flights)
2 nightsaccommodation and breakfast in either the three star Hotel Oriente or three star Hotel Rialto
4 hours dance tuition
Bilingual Dance Holidays Tour Host
Welcome Drink
Orientation Pack on arrival

Ambar Beach (Half Board) (Upgrade) 

 Apartments are furnished to a high standard and offer one or two bedrooms, a large living area, balcony, kitchen facilities and bathroom (the two bedroom apartments have two bathrooms), as well as daily room service. Adjacent to the hotel Diamante Beach and with their own pool, guests at the apartments can also use all of the hotel facilities. An ideal choice for families or groups of friends.

Diamante Beach**** (Half Board) (Upgrade) 

The AR Diamante Beach Spa is located on the Levante beach in the town of Calpe, a stunning location on the Costa Blanca in Spain’s Alicante province. The hotel’s unique style is characterised by its spectacular glass facade that lends an impressive source of natural illumination to the carefully designed interior.

There are no less than three outdoor pools, surrounded by attractive terraces dotted with palm trees and just a few steps from the seashore. The locally-renowned, modern Spa is one of the best on the Costa Blanca and has an additional indoor pool with water features as well as Turkish baths, sauna and an array of treatments. It has been totally renovated and opned to the public again in May 2013. There is also a gym and access to a nearby golf course.

Dining options include two a la carte restaurants serving local and international cuisine, a buffet restaurant, cafeteria and piano bar.

All 283 double rooms are attractively decorated and have large balconies, air conditioning, safe, wi-fi internet connection and private facilities and hairdryer.

In addition to the hotel rooms, we also have an exclusive arrangement with the AR Diamante Beach to use their attractive and spacious apartments (the Ambar Beach Apartments). Apartments are furnished to a high standard and offer one or two bedrooms, a large living area, balcony, kitchen facilities and bathroom (the two bedroom apartments have two bathrooms), as well as daily room service. Adjacent to the hotel and with their own pool, guests at the apartments can also use all of the hotel facilities. An ideal choice for families or groups of friends.

Esmeralda Suites (Half Board) (Upgrade) 

Roca Esmeralda*** (Half Board) (Upgrade) 

The Hotel AR Roca Esmeralda & Spa *** has 88 double rooms and 124 double rooms with salon, which are ideal for families.

All rooms are equipped with a full en-suite bathroom with a hairdryer, air-conditioning and heating, ambience music, a safety deposit box, telephone, satellite TV, a fridge and balconies with a sea view. 

The Hotel AR Roca Esmeralda & Spa *** offers a wide range of services and facilities which will satisfy all your holiday, business or special celebration requirements. Enter in the Esmeralda Fitness Club & Spa to discover an Oasis of Wellbeing and enjoy the benefits of Hydrotherapy and the Beauty and Health treatments offered.

Your Tango course will be four hours long: Two hours a day over two days.

Dance Levels: There will normally be two levels on a tango weekend. There is a level decider on the first day which ensures that you are in the level which is most appropriate to your ability and experience.

Dance Studios: We commonly use the centrally located studios Julia Eva. They afford mirrors, a music system and a good floor.

Dance Teachers: Your teachers for the weekend will be Diego Cornella and Pilar Fernandez. Diego and Pilar are amongst the foremost Tango dancers in Spain. They regularly tour Europe giving shows and workshops and run the International Tango Festival of Sitges every year. Trained in classical ballet, Flamenco and Spanish dance, Pilar chose to specialise in Argentinian Tango in 1987. Both Diego and Pilar have trained with leading teachers and dancers from Argentina.

Breakfast is included in your holiday. Lunch and Dinner are not included in your holiday.

Lunch: It is the custom in Spain for lunch to be the main meal taken at 2 or 3 pm. We may arrange to meet informally so that whilst the meal is not paid for in advance you have the opportunity to eat together.

Tapas/dinner in the evening: Tapas are the typical way of eating in the evening and constitute an informal meeting point where the meal is not paid for in advance. We will visit the kind of bars/restaurants where we, who live here, and our friends might go, and to be honest, they are not accustomed to working in the travel industry. In most tapas bars you don’t sit down. Rather, you stand at the bar and order according to your appetite and budget. The pace of life is slower and more relaxed here so take your time and enjoy the real Spain. Alternatively we may go for dinner which will be offered as an optional extra.

Vegetarianism is not a very mature concept in Spain. A lot of Spaniards, especially bar and restaurant owners, regard someone who doesn't eat pork as being slightly loopy. However contrary to popular belief there are some real treats for vegetarians - Mediterranean vegetables, bread and olive oil are of excellent quality. If you are vegetarian we will give you some more tips on arrival.

The food and water is just as well regulated in Spain as in Britain and the chances of falling sick because of what you eat are equally unlikely in both countries. However some people are upset by the change in diet. This can be minimised by ordering carefully.

You can buy your optional extras at the Overview of the Weekend (you will need to bring euros cash with you to this meeting). Only then can we confirm the running of these as minimum numbers may be required. These are the optional extras that we anticipate running – actual details and prices will be confirmed on arrival.

Social Dinner: Dinner (catalan cuisine) at elegant, atmospheric restaurant with turn of the century modernist decor, situated at the heart of the Gothic Quarter. (£20)

Taxi dancers: One local tango dancer shared between maximum of four women, minimum of three women for two hours each night. This service is directed at beginners and improvers (£10 a night).

Feminine styling dance class: one hour class from local teacher in styling and choreographies for women (£6).

On Arrival: You will receive a detailed itinerary and annotated map, details of any optional extras and any extra classes we are running. We also include information on the local sights and recommended restaurants and other helpful tips.

Independence within the social activities: Although your holiday is fully hosted, we believe our guests do not like to be over-organised. So we give you quality information and an itinerary including a map and all the addresses of where we have organised social and dancing activities. You can decide for yourself if and when you want to turn up. You are fully independent on these holidays. If you are travelling on your own the tour host will be at all the meeting points on the itinerary and there is always company and normally the chance say to share a taxi back the hotel.

Tour Host: Over your holiday you will have a tour host who will be available to help you with any questions that you may have. They are present from the pickup at the airport until you go home, and also actively participate in the social events. Whilst it should be noted that tour hosts cannot be present at every moment (as they sometimes must prepare other activities for your holiday), their role is to facilitate as much as possible that you have an unforgettable holiday. They normally go to bed at around 1’o clock in the morning and you should continue to enjoy your evening.

Getting Around: You are responsible for making your own way to the dance classes and meeting points on the itinerary. When you arrive we give you all the addresses of all the venues you will be going to which you can give to any taxi driver to get to the meeting points. Barcelona is a big city and if you want to see the best of it you will have to move around by foot, metro or taxi. Taxis are cheap and plentiful and will allow you to visit the best of the city with the minimum of fuss. The metro is also easy to use.

Banks and Money: The easiest way to buy obtain euros is by using a credit card at one of the numerous cash points. You can buy small amounts, as often as you like, at any time, without queuing. You will need to know your P.I.N. Cash points are very easy to use and speak English. Bank opening hours are normally 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. Banks will change cash, travellers cheques and will sell you currency on your credit card providing the lines to Britain are open. You will always need to show your passport at a bank.

Tipping: is less common in Spain than in Britain. There is no need to tip taxis. Leaving one euro for a nice meal is sufficient. Tipping the dance teachers and tour host is a nice touch if you are particularly pleased with the service and is entirely at your discretion.

What to wear for dancing: We recommend that you bring shoes with a leather sole for the dance classes and the evenings. Your shoes should be comfortable and supportive. Wear lightweight cotton socks to avoid sweaty and blistered feet! It is probable that you may get through quite a few clothes in the classes and dancing at night (you can get quite hot!) so bring a variety of outfits. Wear comfortable loose clothing for the classes. The Barcelona tango clubs can be quite smart. They do not allow shorts or trainers. We advise you to bring one smart outfit with you – jacket and shirt for men, dress/smart trousers/ skirt for ladies.

Making friends with the Locals and people not on the holiday: If you make friends with a local and would like them to come along to the activities organised by us, then just ask your Tour Host and except for the dance classes and provided they pay their way there should not be a problem. We are here after all to interact with the locals. Generally, however, we discourage British people who are not on the holiday from coming out with us or joining the activities and we ask for your discretion is this respect.

The Tango scene in Barcelona is vibrant with various clubs and bars. We have intimate knowledge of the scene and will know what events are taking place so you make the most of your stay. In the past, there have been ‘Milongas’ (dance parties) with visiting Argentinian dancers. Entrance to the Tango clubs may cost about 8 euros (£5).

All Dance Holidays flights shall depart from one of the London airports. If you wish to travel from another airport, we can arrange this for you, though there may be a supplementary charge associtaed with this. If you want to make your own flight arrangements and find your own way to the hotel, we will discount your holiday by £95.

Dance Holiday Flight: Please check in at least one and a half hours before departure. Your flight lasts about two hours. Depending on the airline, a meal may be included. Your tour host will be waiting for you in the Arrivals Lounge in Barcelona with a Dance Holidays sign. When you have presented yourself to your tour host, please follow their instructions as to putting your luggage on the bus. Once everyone has arrived, your tour host will take you to the bus which will take you to your hotel. Those who are flying out independently from the rest of the group, please let us know.

Making Your Own Way to Barcelona: If you are making your own way to Barcelona, you can easily reach any of the hotels by taking a taxi from the airport for about 18€ (£12).

Books on Barcelona and Spain It may be worth your while reading up on your destination before you go. ‘Time Out Guide to Barcelona’ – the best local guide. ‘See Barcelona’ is an excellent glossy booklet sometimes available free in the reception of many hotels. Penelope Casas writes beautifully on Spain, such as The Blue Guide’ or “The Foods and wines of Spain” Ian Gibson’s ‘The Fire in the Blood’ and ‘Lorca’s Granada’ – Spanish culture.

Useful Things to Bring
Camera
Dance shoes
Shoes suitable for spending a long time walking around the streets
Summer clothing for day and light jacket for evenings if travelling between May and October.
Warm jacket for day and evenings if travelling between November and april.
Swimming costume suntan lotion and beach gear from May to October
This fact sheet and Joining Instructions
Passport, money, plane ticket.

Budgeting for your holiday: In our experience people vary enormously in how much they choose to spend on a holiday. So this is just an example, to help you do your own calculations.
Lunches: 3 meals @ 15 euros = £27
Op extra social dinner @ 22.50 euros = £14
Tapas and drinks at night: 1 @ 10 euros = £6
3 taxis per day @ 10 euros ÷ 3 people (shared taxi) = £6 per day on taxis
Entrance to monuments and museums = £6
Entrance to salsa clubs 2 @ 6 euros = £7
Plus any optional extras which attract you

Please note that these figures are dependent upon the exchange rate at the time of writing and therefore can only be approximate.

Health and Fitness: There are no particular health requirements for a dance holiday. However you should be able to dance for at least two hours a day in order to be able to enjoy the dance classes.

Insurance, Visa and Passport Requirements: Refer to the information supplement for full details. In brief, Insurance is a condition of booking. Visas may be required for non EU citizens. British nationals need a full passport to travel to Spain.

Joining Instructions: You receive these about five days before the start of your holiday. They will include your air ticket, confirm the address and phone number of the hotel, transfer details, and emergency contact numbers.