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:
Iberian Peninsula
Balearic Islands
Canary Islands
The administrative regions of Spain are divided into 17, and each region has its own distinctive charm.
Andalucia
Aragon
Asturias
Balearic Islands
Basque Country
Canary Islands
Cantabria
Castile and León
Castilla la Mancha
Catalonia
Madrid
Extremadura
Galicia
La Rioja
Navarre
Murcia
Valencia
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Getting to Spain via bus is an affordable option.
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.
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.
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.