Worldschooling in Spain with Boundless Life: What It's Really Like (and What It Really Costs)
Updated: Oct 6
Heads up: this post includes my Boundless Life referral code. If you book with it, you get €600 off your stay and I may receive a referral reward. We paid for our program ourselves, and every opinion here is our own.
This fall, our family packed three suitcases (and one 80-pound Labrador) and moved to Estepona, Spain for three months of worldschooling with Boundless Life.
People keep asking us two questions. What's it actually like? And what does it cost?
This post answers both, honestly. It's been one of the best things we've ever done. It's also expensive, and getting here took real choices and real sacrifices. I want both of those things to be clear.
What is Boundless Life?
Boundless Life is a program for families who want to live abroad for a few months without figuring everything out alone. You get three things in one package:
School for the kids: an immersive worldschool with project-based, hands-on learning
A place to live: furnished apartments that Boundless operates and maintains in town, + access to a coworking hub and family lounge
A community: activities for the adults, family experiences on weekends, and other families from all over the world doing the same thing
Our Estepona group has 42 families. That's a lot of new friends, and a lot of kids for ours to play with.
Spain is just one option. Boundless Life has locations around the world, including Greece, Italy, Uruguay, Bali and Japan, with France and a second Spain location in Barcelona both opening in 2027. So if Spain isn't calling your name, there are plenty of other places to try this kind of slow, immersive family travel.
Estepona is a whitewashed beach town on Spain's Costa del Sol, between Málaga and Gibraltar. It has a long seaside promenade, an old town full of narrow streets and flower pots, and a real, lived-in Spanish feel. It's touristy in places, but it's very much a town where people live.
We're living in a teeny tiny apartment, and we love it
Our home for three months is a small apartment called Casa Margarita. It's really small compared to our house in Florida.
And we're surprised by how much we love it.
Less space. Less stuff. Less to manage. Somehow it feels like we have more life, because so much of it happens outside our front door.
Here's what I didn't expect: a small home changes how you spend your day. There's less to clean, less to organize and less to trip over. Nobody disappears into their own room for hours.
When we want space, we go outside, to the beach, the plaza or the playground down the street. In a lot of Spanish towns, that's just how life works. Apartments are for sleeping and eating, and the streets are the living room.
How we chose our home
One of my favorite parts of the Boundless setup: we didn't have to find housing on our own. Boundless operates and maintains a variety of apartments around town, and we got to choose from their options.
That made the decision so much easier. I was already a little intimidated by moving somewhere brand new where we didn't know the area. Not having to research and vet rentals from across an ocean took a huge weight off.
The Boundless homes are vetted and chosen for easy access to the school, the family lounge and the rest of the community. Everything we need is a short walk away.
That said, it's not the only route. Some families here found their own homes on Airbnb and similar sites, and you could possibly save a bit that way. For us, the convenience and peace of mind were worth it.
No car. Just our feet.
We don't have a car here. We live right in the middle of the city and walk absolutely everywhere.
School. Groceries. The beach. Playgrounds. Dinner.
Our feet are our transportation. For a family used to Florida car life, this has been one of the biggest and best adjustments.
To be fair, going car-free isn't the only way to do it. Some families here do rent cars, and we might rent one for a few weeks toward the end of our stay to make day trips easier. For everyday life in town, though, our feet do the job.
Walking everywhere changes more than your step count:
We grocery shop small and often. You only buy what you can carry home, so we pick up fresh bread, fruit and dinner ingredients a few times a week instead of doing one giant haul. Less waste, fresher food.
We actually see our town. We notice the shopkeepers, the murals, the tiled streets and the neighbors who say hola every morning. We've all noticed how much more we see when we're not driving past it.
The kids have more independence. They know the route to school, the playground and the bakery. That confidence in a brand-new place is a big deal.
Annie fits right in. Dogs are everywhere here, on the sidewalks, in shops and on café terraces. Walking her through town has become one of our favorite daily rituals.
Tip if you're planning a stay like this: pack truly comfortable walking shoes for everyone, and bring (or buy here) a foldable shopping bag or cart. You'll use both every day.
What school looks like for Sissy and Brother Bear
Our kids go to school every day, but it looks very different from what they're used to.
They're in an immersive worldschool with project-based, hands-on learning, plus field trips and expeditions that turn the city into part of the classroom.
Instead of learning about a place from a worksheet, they're learning in it. A lesson becomes a walk through town, a visit somewhere new or a project they build and present. The city isn't the backdrop for school. It's part of the curriculum.
And maybe this is the most important part: they're learning how to exist somewhere completely new.
Different languages. Different routines. Different food. Different expectations.
They're out of their element, and they're thriving.
As a learning scientist, this is the part I can't stop thinking about. The things that stick with kids aren't the worksheets. They're the experiences where they had to stretch, adapt and figure something out themselves. Learning that's tied to a real place, real people and real emotions is the kind that lasts. That's happening here every single day.
The skills they're building, like adaptability, curiosity, comfort with not understanding everything and confidence meeting new people, don't show up on a report card. But I think they'll matter for the rest of their lives.
While the kids are at school, the grown-ups get to play too
There are optional activities for adults throughout the week, and they're actually fun: hiking, canyoning, wine tastings, bike tours.
Making friends with people from all over the world has been one of our favorite parts of this whole experience.
Let's be real: making friends as an adult is hard, especially as a parent. At home, our social lives mostly revolve around our kids' schedules. Here, it's built in. You're surrounded by other parents who made the same leap you did, so conversations go deep fast. We've swapped stories over coffee, on hiking trails and at the playground with parents from all over the world.
Good to know: many of these adult activities cost extra on top of the package. More on that in the cost breakdown below.
We're finding our people
If you asked me what I'll remember most from Spain, I don't think it'll be a beach or a castle. It'll be the people.
I've always really valued friendships, and I love meeting people from all over the world. Boundless has given us exactly that. We're not just meeting other families. We're finding our people, and I truly believe some of these will be lifelong friendships.
There's something special about the way friendships form here. Everyone arrived in the same boat: a new town, a new language, new routines and kids starting a new school. That shared leap breaks down walls fast. You skip the small talk and get right to the good stuff, like why you came, what you're hoping for your kids and what you changed in your life to get here.
And I'm learning so much from these families. They come from different countries and cultures, with different careers, parenting styles and ways of seeing the world. Every conversation over tapas or on a hiking trail teaches me something new, about the world and about myself.
Our kids' new friends come from all over the world, too. They're learning that friendship doesn't need a shared hometown, or even a shared first language.
My heart is so happy and full. Whatever else this season gives us, these friendships are the part I'm most grateful for.
Weekends are for exploring together
Weekends include family experiences built around getting out into the local community, like dolphin-watching boat trips and farm visits. We learn about the culture, visit new places, try new things, and experience this part of Spain together.
These family excursions also cost extra, but they're an easy way to see the area without having to plan everything yourself. That's a big help when you're new and don't speak the language well yet.
We're also using weekends and school breaks to explore more of Andalusia on our own. Estepona is a great base: Málaga, Marbella, Ronda and Gibraltar are all within reach for a day trip, and cities like Granada and Seville work well for a longer weekend.
After school looks different here, too
Most days you'll find us at the beach, at a playground, or meeting other families for tapas.
No rushing home. No carpool line. No packed schedule of activities.
Just… outside.
Spain runs on a later rhythm than we're used to. Afternoons stretch long, families fill the plazas and playgrounds into the evening, and dinner happens much later than it does at home. Kids are everywhere, and nobody bats an eye at little ones out with their parents after dark.
Tapas make all of this easy with kids. Everyone orders a few small plates to share, picky eaters can find something they like, and a casual dinner out with friends doesn't have to be a big, expensive production.
We're all learning, not just the kids
New plants. New foods. New words. New customs. New ways of moving through a day.
Living somewhere new has a funny way of making you question which parts of "normal" were ever actually necessary.
Do we really need that much space? That many activities? That much time in the car?
We're already talking about what we want to bring home to Florida: more walking, more unstructured time outside, less stuff and slower evenings together.
That's the heart of our Instagram series, Schooled by Spain: what living here is teaching us, what we're stealing for life back home and what we're happy to leave in Spain. Follow along if you want to see more.
What Boundless Life cost us: our exact numbers
Here's exactly what we paid for our three-month package for two adults and two kids:
Education, 1st child (€2,300/month × 3): €6,900
Education, 2nd child, 10% sibling discount (€2,070/month × 3): €6,210
Registration (2 kids): €800
Community access, 2 adults (€1,200/month × 3): €3,600
Accommodation, Casa Margarita (€4,330/month × 3): €12,990
Pet cleaning fee: €250
Standard protection plan: €1,486
Subtotal: €32,236
Bundle savings: –€1,800
Coupons: –€600
Total: €29,836
That works out to about €9,945 a month for school, housing and community.
What's NOT included
Flights for the four of us (plus Annie)
Getting to Málaga. Boundless provided our transfer from Málaga to Estepona, but getting to Málaga was on us.
Groceries and eating out
Adult excursions like wine tastings, canyoning and bike tours, which cost extra
Family excursions like the dolphin boat trip and farm visits, which also cost extra
Our own side trips around Spain
All in, we expect to land somewhere around €40,000 for the three months.
Note that pricing does vary from one location to another, and can fluctuate based on seasons. So the above info is what we paid for Fall of 2026 in Estepona, Spain. It is not necessairly what each Boundless Life location costs. Bottom line: do your research. :)
Booking soon? My code KATHIX07 takes €600 off. Details at the end of this post.
Yes, it's expensive. Here's how we made it work.
I'm not going to pretend this is cheap or easy. It's not.
We planned and saved for this for a year. We cut costs everywhere we could. In fact, part of the reason we moved from Colorado to Florida two years ago was to lower our monthly expenses so we could afford to travel like this.
We're working while we're here. This isn't a vacation. While the kids are at school, we're often at our laptops. Squeezing in work when there are so many fun things happening is hard. I get real FOMO when I have to skip an outing to work. But I'm also so grateful we get to be here at all.
We're not the exception, either. Most of the 42 families here are working too. Many are self-employed or remote, and I've met several parents with traditional 9-to-5 jobs who telecommute and juggle their schedule around the time difference.
Plenty of families made huge decisions to get here: switching careers, quitting jobs, taking a gap year. A few recently sold a business. But most are doing what we're doing: working, and making it work.
What they all have in common is that they chose to prioritize travel and experiences, and rearranged their lives around that choice.
Who Boundless Life is (and isn't) right for
It might be a great fit if:
You want to live abroad, not just vacation, but don't want to build it all from scratch
You can work remotely, run your own business, or take extended time off
Your kids are adaptable, or you want them to become adaptable
You value community and want to meet other traveling families
It might not be right if:
The price would stretch you past what's comfortable. Remember to budget well beyond the package price.
You need a lot of space at home
You'd rather find your own housing, activities and schooling- and plan everything yourself to save money
You're hoping for a pure vacation. If you're working, you'll have to protect your work time and accept missing some of the fun.
Is it worth it?
For us, absolutely yes! It took years of planning, a cross-country move, and a lot of saying no to other things. But walking our kids to school through the streets of a Spanish beach town, watching them thrive somewhere completely new, and learning right alongside them has been worth every euro.
I'd just never tell another family it's the right call without showing them the full price tag first.
Want to try Boundless Life?
If this post has you dreaming, you can get €600 off your stay with my referral code: KATHIX07
And if you have questions before you commit, ask me in the comments or send me a DM. I'm always happy to talk worldschooling.
Have questions about worldschooling, Boundless Life or living in Spain with kids? Drop them in the comments. I'll answer every one.
The world is the best classroom there is. It just takes a little courage (and a lot of planning) to show up for class.
About Me
Hi, I'm Kate! I'm the mom behind Sunshine Fam Guide, a family travel blog rooted in Florida and growing into the wider world. I live in Venice, Florida with my husband, our two kids, Sissy and Brother Bear, and Annie, our 80-pound Labrador who goes just about everywhere we do.
Before Florida, we spent 12 years in Colorado, skiing all winter, climbing 14ers and camping off-grid in a travel trailer we built ourselves.
I'm also a learning scientist with a PhD in learning sciences. I've designed teamwork training for astronauts at NASA, and my specialty has always been making experiences stick. Now I bring that same lens to family travel: helping you plan trips your kids will actually remember, with real costs, practical tips and honest takes along the way.
Follow along on Instagram at @sunshinefamguide for our Schooled by Spain series and more.
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