Quick answer
We choose host families for teenagers in Málaga by having our staff visit every home to check it meets our standards, then matching your teenager at booking on diet, allergies and medical needs. All our hosts are native Spanish families with experience hosting students. Homestay, from €239 a week, is the only accommodation a teenager under 18 can book alone.
In this article
How are host families chosen and checked in Málaga?
Two facts sit behind every placement we make, and both are stated on our homestay page. First, our staff have personally visited each home to check that it is well-equipped and meets our standards. Second, every host is a native Spanish family who has already hosted travellers and students from other countries, so your teenager is not the first guest they have welcomed into Spanish conversation at the dinner table.
That is the honest scope of what we publish about vetting the home itself. We do not publish a public checklist of exactly what “meets our standards” covers room by room, and if that level of detail matters to you, ask us directly before you book: we would rather answer the question than have you guess at an answer we have not actually written down anywhere.
What does my teenager actually get placed with, and how?
At booking, you tell us about diets, allergies and medical needs, and we place your teenager with the family best able to accommodate them. This is the same matching process our Teens & Juniors and High School pages describe for every under-18 booking, whether your teenager is travelling alone or as part of a school group. It is a matching step, not a guarantee that comes with a written profile of the family: we do not publish host family biographies, photos or reviews for parents to browse before booking, so if seeing that in advance matters to your family, it belongs on the list of questions to ask us directly, covered further down.
What we can say plainly is what the match is based on: dietary requirements, allergies and medical needs declared at the time of booking. Anything else you want matched, such as a quiet household, a family with younger or older children of their own, or a specific neighbourhood, is worth raising with us when you book, because our pages do not state that these are standard matching criteria.
Can my teenager share the house with someone else?
Possibly, and it is worth knowing this before arrival rather than discovering it on day one. Shared common spaces, such as kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms and bathrooms, may be shared with the host family or with other students who happen to be staying in the same home at the same time. In a private room your teenager has the bedroom to themselves; the cheaper shared room means sharing the bedroom too. Bed linen and towels are included either way, but the household around your teenager is not necessarily made up only of the host family.
Our homestay page calls shared housing part of the immersive experience, and it can be where good informal conversation practice happens, over breakfast with another student who is also working on their Spanish. If you would rather know in advance whether your teenager’s host family is currently hosting anyone else, ask us when you book: it depends on the season, the size of the home and which family is available for your dates, so we cannot promise a fixed answer for every week of the year.
Who can book a homestay, and who looks after my teenager day to day?
Homestay is not one option among several for an under-18 travelling alone: it is the only one. Students under 18 booking an individual place can only book homestay, not our student residence, which is reserved for older students and, for school groups, for places that depend on the season and the students’ ages. If your family is travelling to Málaga together, you do not need our accommodation at all: your teenager simply joins the morning classes and goes home with you each evening.
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Day to day, three different people look after three different parts of your teenager’s stay, and it is worth being clear about which is which before you book. Our own teachers run the morning lessons. Our own team runs and supervises the school’s scheduled activities in the afternoon, not a third-party provider. The host family looks after your teenager at home: breakfast, dinner and the household routine. Parents have one named coordinator throughout, reachable by WhatsApp, phone or email, with emergency contact channels for the whole stay. What this is not is a residential camp with round-the-clock monitors watching your teenager’s free time, so it suits a teenager who can already get to school and back on their own at home. If that does not describe your teenager yet, coming to Málaga together as a family, with your teenager in the morning classes and you nearby, is the gentler option.
Plan a solo week or come together as a family: try the free level test · see the homestay page · WhatsApp us
What does a week with a host family in Málaga actually look like?
Arrival is on the Sunday before the course starts, and departure is on the Saturday after it ends, with a minimum stay of one week. We ask families to book at least two weeks before arrival, which gives us time to confirm the right match rather than placing your teenager with whichever family happens to be free that day. Bed linen, towels and Wi-Fi are included at no extra cost. After class, the school’s weekly programme runs with our team: a tuk-tuk ride on Monday (small fee), a workshop on Tuesday, an old town tour on Wednesday, an introduction to flamenco on Thursday and tapas on Friday, where everyone pays for their own. The evenings belong to the host family: dinner at home and Spanish conversation at the table.
A housing deposit may be required, and we tell you within 24 hours of your booking; once housing is confirmed, that deposit is non-refundable. Homestay is refunded if you cancel 14 days or more before arrival; with less notice, one week is charged. If a concern comes up once your teenager has arrived, contact us immediately: our terms ask students to bring accommodation concerns straight to us for resolution, and a student who leaves the housing without telling us gets no refund. What our pages do not spell out is the step-by-step process for actually changing a family mid-stay if the placement is not working, so that is a fair question to put to us before you book, not after.
What does homestay cost, and what is not included?
There is one price for a shared room and one for a private room, and both include breakfast and dinner.
| Room | Price | Meals |
|---|---|---|
| Shared room | €239 a week | Breakfast and dinner |
| Private room | €290 a week | Breakfast and dinner |
Lunch is not part of either price, so build a small daily lunch budget into your teenager’s spending money alongside the Monday tuk-tuk ride and the Friday tapas afternoon, which students pay for themselves. There is no enrolment fee and no materials fee added on top of the course and the homestay. The course itself, 20 hours of Spanish a week, Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 13:30, costs €200 for one week, and an airport transfer to the host family is €65. For the full picture of a week or two in Málaga with homestay and a transfer, our Málaga prices page and course calendar show every published figure and closed date.
What should parents ask us, because our pages do not say?
Our published pages are specific about some things and genuinely silent about others. Where they are silent, the honest answer is to ask us directly rather than have us guess at a process we have not actually written down. Worth asking before you book:
- Do host family members undergo a formal background check? Our pages state that our teachers and staff undergo background checks, and that group programmes are delivered by staff who hold the certificates Spanish law requires for working with minors; they do not make the same statement about host family members, so ask us directly what, if anything, applies to the family itself.
- Can I see a description, or speak to the family, before my teenager arrives? We do not publish host profiles for parents to browse, so ask what we can share with you in advance.
- What exactly happens if the placement does not work out? Our terms describe contacting us immediately for resolution; ask us what the actual options are (a different family, a refund, a credit) before you need the answer.
- Who else, if anyone, is currently staying in the same home? This depends on the season and the specific family, so ask for your exact dates rather than assuming either way.
- How far is the home from the school, and how will my teenager get there? Most homes are close to bus lines or within walking distance, but “most” is not “all”, so ask for your teenager’s specific address or neighbourhood once it is confirmed.
- What are the house rules for free time and evenings? Every student follows the school’s code of conduct. Tell us your own rules for free time and evenings when you book, and ask us how we handle them for your teenager’s age.
What good-practice questions should parents ask any provider about host families?
Beyond our own process, these are sensible questions for parents to ask any school offering a homestay placement for a minor, not only us, before signing up.
- Ask how long the organisation has worked with its host families, and how it checks a home before using it for the first time.
- Ask who you, personally, contact in an emergency, and how quickly they typically respond outside office hours.
- Ask what happens, step by step, if your teenager is unwell, homesick or simply unhappy with the placement.
- Ask whether siblings or close friends can be placed together, and what that depends on.
- Ask exactly what is and is not included in the homestay price (meals, laundry, Wi-Fi, a key, extra nights) before you compare it to another provider’s number.
- Ask about the cancellation and refund terms for the accommodation specifically, since these are often different from the course’s own cancellation policy.
- Ask whether your teenager’s level of independence (getting to school alone, managing money, handling a mild disagreement with an adult) is a good match for a homestay, rather than a school group with on-site activity monitors.
None of these questions have a wrong answer that should automatically rule out a provider, including us. What matters is getting a clear, specific answer in writing before a deposit changes hands.
Frequently asked questions
How does Vamos Academy choose host families in Málaga?
Our staff personally visit each home to check that it is well-equipped and meets our standards, and every host is a native Spanish family with experience hosting travellers and students from other countries. We do not publish a detailed room-by-room checklist beyond that, so ask us directly if you want more specifics before booking.
Do host families undergo background checks?
Our pages state that our teachers and staff undergo background checks and first aid training, and that group programmes are delivered by staff who hold the certificates Spanish law requires for working with minors. They do not make the same statement about host family members specifically. Ask us directly what checks apply to a particular host family before you book.
Can my teenager choose a student residence instead of a homestay?
No, not for an individual booking. Students under 18 booking on their own can only book homestay; our student residence is for older students and, for school groups, depends on the season and the students’ ages.
How is my teenager matched to a specific family?
We match on the diet, allergy and medical information you give us at booking. If you want other preferences considered, such as a household with children of a similar age, tell us when you book: it is not stated as a standard matching criterion on our pages.
What is included in the homestay price?
Breakfast and dinner, bed linen and towels, Wi-Fi and use of the shared common spaces, for €239 a week in a shared room or €290 a week in a private room. Lunch is not included, and an airport transfer is €65 extra.
Will my teenager be the only guest in the house?
Not necessarily. Shared housing is part of the experience: common spaces, and sometimes the home itself, may be shared with the host family or with other students staying there at the same time, depending on the season and the family.
Who supervises my teenager outside the host family’s home?
Our own teachers during lessons and our own team during the scheduled activities, not an outside provider. Parents have one named coordinator with emergency contact channels for the whole stay. It is not a residential camp with round-the-clock monitors, so it suits a teenager who can already get around on their own at home.
How far ahead do I need to book a homestay?
At least two weeks before arrival, so we have time to confirm the right match rather than whoever is free that day. A housing deposit may be required (we tell you within 24 hours of booking), and it becomes non-refundable once the housing is confirmed.
What if the placement is not a good fit once my teenager arrives?
Contact us immediately: our terms ask students to bring accommodation concerns straight to us for resolution. Our pages describe contacting us for resolution but do not set out every possible outcome in writing, so ask us about the specific options before you book.
Ready to ask us the rest?
Download the course syllabus to see what your teenager will actually study, then send us your questions about host families before you book, not after. We would rather spend ten minutes answering them in writing now than have you wonder about them while your teenager is already in Málaga.
Related reading - Homestay in Spain or Argentina: Is It Worth It? - Is My Teen Ready to Go to Spain Alone? A Readiness Checklist for Parents - High School Spanish Programs in Spain: A Parent’s Guide
Sources: host family vetting, matching, prices and booking terms from our own pages, checked on 28 October 2026: homestay in Málaga, Teens & Juniors summer course, High School programme, Málaga prices, course calendar 2026 to 27.
Updated 28 October 2026.
