Spain
participants
The main objective of the gymkhana was for the Erasmus students to discover the essence of Cantabria through a fun tour of downtown Santander. During the activity, they explored emblematic places, learned typical local words, and became familiar with the most representative traditions of the region.
Logistics and Kick-off of the Gymkhana: The activity began at 4:30 p.m. in Porticada Square. To ensure the smooth running of the event, the activity coordinators met half an hour in advance to go over the final details.
Once all registered participants had arrived, the structure of the activity was explained to them. The teams were to face a series of challenges distributed throughout the city center, each one designed to explore a different facet of Cantabrian culture:
- Mercado de la Esperanza: "The Cantabrian Hangman"
Participants tested their knowledge of local cuisine with a version of the classic "Hangman" game, adapted to feature typical regional products. The challenge was to decipher as many words as possible within a 5-minute time limit. - The Cathedral: "Climbing the Steps of Knowledge"
In front of the Cathedral stairs, teams answered general knowledge questions about Cantabria. Each correct answer allowed them to climb one step. - Centro BotÃn: "Santander in Emojis"
This challenge tested creativity and local knowledge. Participants had to decipher the names of iconic Santander locations represented solely through emojis. - Mercado del Este: "The Cantabrian Lexicon"
This challenge introduced students to the local lexicon. Through a multiple-choice quiz using flashcards, teams had to discern the correct meaning of unique Cantabrian words, fostering internal debate and consensus in just 20 seconds per question. - Porticada Square: "Cantabrian Charades"
To conclude, the gymkhana finished with a game of charades where one team member had to mime a tourist landmark or a traditional activity without using any words. The rest of the group had 30 seconds to guess it.
Upon successfully completing each challenge, they were presented with a riddle they had to solve in order to advance to their next destination.
At each station, teams earned points based on the number of correct answers or successfully completed tasks. After tallying all the scores from the different challenges, the winning team was awarded a prize: a typical regional product for them to share and enjoy and a Diploma.
