Spain

Art & Culture
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Meet SpainFurther Reading
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Indulge your senses in art galleries, museums, and experience the cultural side of Spain

Top Spots for all Things Creative

Are you ready to get inspired by a world of art, design and culture? From creative hubs filled with the best galleries, museums, and ongoing exhibitions, to imaginative centres and workshops frequented by locals - check out the coolest curated spaces in Spain. The scene here is dynamic and endlessly evolving, whether you're an architecture admirer, a culture vulture, or an art and design enthusiast. Feed your creative side and dive right in!  Explore activities on the map Paint brush icon

Explore the Map

Meet Spain

Spain is a country that takes the time to enjoy life. Its people pride themselves on taking things slowly, a 2 hour siesta to devour amazing tapas between work, anyone? They’re proud of their culture, like their delicious cuisine, distinctive architecture, and beautiful, romantic language. It’s a nation that has learned life is too short, as they say in Spanish “La vida es corta. Vive apasionadamente y siente la felicidad” (Life is short, live passionately and feel happiness).

Spanish values base themselves on love, family, and community, and the love will be extended to its visitors. Hospitable and kind, Spaniards are known to be some of the friendliest and most welcoming people in the world, making its visitors feel welcomed. Spaniards take care of their cities and their heritage. In all cities, streets are deep cleaned every morning, and renovations are constantly done to protect older buildings. Spaniards respect their nature, cities, and art, which can be attributed to the strong community values, and love for their culture.

The country is filled with historical and natural gems. Spain ranks 3rd in the world for having the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with 48 total. The country also is home to 16 national parks, and a whopping 226 Michelin-star restaurants. Whether looking to explore famous sites like Plaza Mayor and El Alhambra, hoping to uncover the natural gems of the country, like the beautiful beaches of the Balearic Islands, taste the variety of intricate gastronomy, or even attend some of the hottest clubs in Ibiza, hoping for a celebrity spotting. Whatever it may be, there’s destinations that will intrigue all different types of travellers.

There are three major geographical regions in Spain:

1

Iberian Peninsula

2

Balearic Islands

3

Canary Islands

The administrative regions of Spain are divided into 17, and each region has its own distinctive charm.

1

Andalucia

2

Aragon

3

Asturias

4

Balearic Islands

5

Basque Country

6

Canary Islands

7

Cantabria

8

Castile and León

9

Castilla la Mancha

10

Catalonia

11

Madrid

12

Extremadura

13

Galicia

14

La Rioja

15

Navarre

16

Murcia

17

Valencia

Of great artists and minds

When thinking of Spanish artists, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Diego Velázques, Francisco Goya, El Greco, and many others have made lasting impressions on the international art scene. Exploring art galleries such as El Prado in Madrid, and you’ll get to ravish the well-known paintings, as well as appreciate the amazing works that never had a rise to fame, but are equally as impressive.

Another art form, architecture, dominates the Spanish art scene. Inventive architects like Antoní Gaudí dominate the Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca skyline. In fact, Avinguda Diagonal in Barcelona is filled with impressive and different buildings, as all the different architects were trying to compete against each other to create the most beautiful building, creating an incredible walk for visitors.

Cultural catch-up

Rich Mediterranean culture with influences from Northern Africa has been passed down for generations in Spain. Since there are multiple nationalities in Spain, exploring the cultural traditions varies by region. In Catalonia, every festival will have “el castells”, which translates to human towers, a quirky tradition in the region. When exploring the Basque region, you’ll run into unique dances and celebrations that represent the region. In Pamplona, people gather to get chased down the street by bulls in the Running of the Bulls. All these distinct celebrations from different regions and nationalities are what makes Spain the country it is today. Lively with a lot to learn and discover.

Religion has been an important part of Spanish culture since the first Catholic monarchs in Spain. With incredible churches like the Sagrada Familia dominating the skyline, and important pilgrimages, like the Camino de Santiago, a walking route that has been a pilgrimage since the Middle Ages to pay respects to St.James, whose remains are in the town of Santiago de Compostela.

When to go

Spain is great to visit year round. During summertime, visit the coastlines and the beaches. During Spring and Autumn, explore the cities without overheating. During winter, ski in Sierra Nevada, or escape the cold in Andalucia or the Canary Islands, who’s Mediterranean climate makes winter feel non-existent.

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Tourist Season: Jun - Sep
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Best Weather: Apr - Oct

Essentials

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Time-Zone: Central European Standard Time (CET)
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Currency: Euro
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Currency: Euro Cost/Expense: $$$
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Languages: Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Basque
Dates for your calendar
Jan - Epiphany Day
Apr - Good Friday, Easter, Easter Monday
May - Labour Day
Jun - Feast of Corpus Christie
Aug - Feast of Assumption
Oct - National Day of Spain
Nov - All Saint’s Day
Dec - Feast of the Immaculate Consumption, Christmas, New Year’s Eve

Languages 101

While there are many languages spoken in Spain, Spanish is the main language used. Spanish is a romance language, and shares a lot of similarities with Spanish, French, and Portuguese. There are over 500 million Spanish speakers worldwide, and besides being the official language of Spain, it is also the official language of 20 other countries.

Essential Spanish phrases

In Western Europe, Spain has the lowest percentage of fluency regarding speaking English. While at most popular landmarks and restaurants, workers will speak English, you may run into some situations where English is not spoken. Because of this, we have provided a simple guide of Spanish phrases to help you out with some quick and easy words in Spanish.

Speak the local language
Englisharrow
Hello
Hola
Thank you
Gracias
Please
Por Favor
Excuse me
Perdonáme/Disculpe
I am looking for
Estoy buscando para…
Can you show me on a map?
¿Me puede mostrar en un mapa?
What is this?
Qué es esto?
How do you say...?
Como se dice…?
How much?
Cuánto cuesta?
My name is...
Me llamo...
Do you speak English?
Hablas ingles?
I don’t understand
No entiendo/No comprendo
What does that mean?
Que significa?

Transport

Getting There

By Plane

There are several airports in Spain that have flights from Continental Europe and the rest of the world. The biggest airports are the ones in Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Alicante, Valencia, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife.

By Train

Most major cities and towns in Spain are connectable by train, as well as smaller ones, although it can be difficult to reach them from international destinations.

By Bus

Getting to Spain via bus is an affordable option.

Getting Around

By Car

In Spain, people drive on the right side of the road and overtake on the left. In order to drive in Spain, visitors must be 18 years old with a valid driver’s license. However, rental car companies in Spain require the renters to be 21.

By Public Transport

Spain has a decently connected train system, although a lot of destinations may be difficult to reach without stopping in a major city and switching trains in stations like Madrid or Barcelona. There is a solid bus system between cities in Spain, which is a great alternative if there is not a direct train between the two places. Most cities have a good bus system, but don’t be surprised if you have to wait at the bus stop for 20 minutes longer than the scheduled bus times. Some major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Seville, and Valencia have a metro system which is easy and convenient to use, and more reliable than the bus schedules.

On Foot

Going on foot is the easiest way to get around cities, as they’re all very walkable. Use our map to find out what’s near you, or combine it with the bus or metro for an easy, hassle-free day out.

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