Spain has so much going for it and is the ideal place to study Spanish. Great weather, cuisine, culture, history, friendly and relaxed people, and great nightlife combine to make Spain an unforgettable study abroad destination.
After France, Spain is the most popular country in the world for tourists and a hugely popular choice for language travel students who want to study Spanish. Spain is best known for its good weather, its many beaches, its great food plus wines and sangria, and for its vibrant cities. But Spain has even more than this to offer students on a study abroad program as there’s great history and culture here too.
The Spanish mainland is in Western Europe on a large area of land known as the Iberian Peninsula. To the north of Spain is France and the tiny country of Andorra, and to the west is Portugal. A short distance away, across the Strait of Gibraltar is Africa. Also a part of Spain are the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Spain is only a little smaller than France though it has a substantially lower population at around 46 million people.
Spain has long been a popular destination for its great beaches and the great weather, but the country has also been gaining popularity for its vibrant cities and its cultural and heritage sites. After Italy, Spain is the second country with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world.
The capital and largest city is Madrid and this is a very popular choice with language travel students, though Barcelona is also a great choice for studying Spanish too. Both cities are known for their lively nightlife! Other popular Spanish cities include Bilbao, Valencia and Seville.
Spain is renowned for its relaxed lifestyle and the Spanish are friendly people who are welcoming and easy to get along with, making the perfect environment for a foreign language school! As you might expect, Spanish is the official language here though across the country there are recognised variations of Spanish, including Catalan, Galician and Basque. Spain uses the Euro as its currency.
Spain is famous for some great food, and the most famous dish of all is Paella! The city of Valencia is the birthplace of Paella, though you’ll now find this popular dish served over much of the country with regional variations on what goes into it. Paella’s main ingredient is rice plus it might contain seafood, chicken, vegetables, seasoning and more. Other popular dishes include meat, fish or vegetable stews. In Spain’s cities and large towns you’ll never be far away from international restaurants and fast-food places too.
One of Spain’s big selling points is the weather! Imagine studying Spanish in Spain whilst soaking up the sun on the beach! This could well happen if you choose a foreign language course in a coastal city like Barcelona. Spain also has quite a varied climate though – the northern coast, around Bilbao can be quite rainy in comparison to the southern Mediterranean coast, whilst inland cities like Madrid have a more continental climate with colder winters.
Ready to study Spanish! Have a look at these Spanish language schools in Spain.