Why should I choose Spain for my year abroad?
Greeting the Cartegenians, Visigoths and the Moors through the ages, as well as Spain's European neighbours, the ham-shaped country has been seared silly with cultural marks, making it top dog for UNESCO World Heritage Sites (holding a cool 40 sites to its name). No wonder so many foreigners flock to the Iberian Peninsula each year, either to spend a relaxing weekend feasting on the finger-licking food, a couple of weeks exploring the plains and mountains, or even setting up camp in the country for as long as possible, to enjoy its siestas and sunshine.
Offering more than any tourist could wish for in terms of unabridged coastline, lashings of culture, sensual and mystifying local music, as well as a vibrant nightlife, the country that brought us Dalí, Buñuel and, lest we forget, Las Ketchup, has been a hotspot for expats from all parts of the world. So pack up your best dancing shoes and get living the vida loca in the land of jamón Serranoand acoustic guitars!
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Spain
Churros y chocolate, Franco, castanets, Almodóvar, party beaches, Dalí, Tapas, Moorish architecture, Flamenco, torreadores... and the list goes on. Spain is a country like no other, breathing passion and true Latin spirit from coast to coast, mountain to beach and throughout the culturally diverse cities in between!- Read reviews by students who spent their year abroad in Spanish-speaking countries
- Find out everything you need to know for your year abroad in Spain
- Extracurricular courses and classes you can do
- Living in Spain: things you need to know
- Culture shock in Spain
- Spanish red tape: the NIE explained
- Studying in Spain: A University Survival Guide
- Spanish language learning resources
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For those of you who have recently received an acceptance letter to study in Spain, you’re probably already daydreaming about la vida loca that awaits you: a new world where the hardest decision will be which tapas to accompany your glass of sangria, sunbathing on a beach as the sounds of flamenco and salsa music float through the air. For the most part, you won’t be disappointed. However, what the study abroad brochure fails to mention is that your year abroad will be soundtracked by the worst kind of music, that your favourite band would never dream of touring Spain… but also, that the music festivals back at home have been ripping you off for years.
Published in Spain -
Heather is a third year Modern Languages student currently living and working in Madrid, Spain, as English Language Assistant as part of her Erasmus year. Here's she sums up her views on Spain: the education, fashion, food and drink, football, time and the weather... -
Spanish graduate, Lisa, gives us an account of her year abroad in Madrid, with her top tips on how to get to grips with the language and what to pack in your suitcase. Teaching, notebooks and dictionaries ahoy! -
City of Clashing Cultures
The last Moorish enclave in Spain, until their official ousting in 1492, Granada owes a lot of its architecture to these dwellers. Lively markets recall past practices, and you'll be hard pushed to find a town more giving in its architectural delights and etchings of its culturally rich past. Local legends tell of the retreating King Boabdil, who was said to have let out a wistful sigh as he looked back on the majestic city of Granada — and you can easily see why. Be it the Moorish palace, the impressive cathedral, the Arab, Jewish and Gypsy quarters, this town has more personality than Gabriel García Marquez in an Almodóvar film. -
City of Festivals and Celebrations
Imagine for a moment whizzing scooters down orange tree-lined streets, the sound of chatter, laughs and singing from bars and cafes, the beating sun shining off the sparkling clear waters of the Mediterranean and the relaxing sensation as the pads of your feet sink into soft white sand... does it sound too good to be true? Well think again; this is Valencia.
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Why is Spain in a crisis? What is this ‘siesta’ nonsense? Why is the Mercadona jingle so catchy? These were just some of the seemingly unanswerable questions I asked myself when I started my Year Abroad in Spain five months ago, but perhaps the most pressing question, and the one that required the most urgent response, was: when is it socially/morally/ethically acceptable to give a besito?
Published in Spain -
Thinking about spending your time abroad in Spain? Don’t know where to start when it comes to accommodation? Check out these websites! -
Culture Shock: Spain
Written by Rachel GermanRachel German gives an account of what you should look out for when you land in the Iberian Peninsula. Beware of meatballs, siestas and dodgy haircuts...
Culture shock - a sense of alienation towards a host cultural environment on the part of a foreign visitor; the difficulty people have adjusting to a new culture that differs markedly from their own.Published in Spain -
City of Nightlife
Anyone seeking the true essence of Andalucía should look no further than the dazzling city of Seville. This chic city was home of not only the gateway to the New World but was also the setting of the passionate opera Carmen and birthplace of the romantic fictional rogue, Don Juan. Seville, home to bullfighting (Olé!) and frisky flamenco, is a beautiful whitewashed town, holding many a jewel to its Andalucian crown. -
City of Students
To the west of Spain about 200km from Madrid, is the charming renaissance town of Salamanca. Otherwise known as La Ciudad Dorada, a name garnered thanks to the distinctive illuminating glow that emits from its sandstone buildings.
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