6 Reasons Why Spain Should Be Your Next European Destination
It is the only European country with a physical border with an African country, and its official language, Spanish, is the world’s second most spoken mother tongue.
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It is one of the earliest Schengen and European Union Members and a member of the NATO, and the United Nations.
With numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites and more than 8,000 kilometers of beaches that are sunny most of the year, Spain is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the EU. And not only because of the heritage sites and beaches!
There are endless reasons why Spain should be your next European destination. With its mesmerizing nature, mixed gothic and moor buildings and Roman ruins, crazy festivals, vibrant nightlife, finger-licking food, and super friendly people, Spain will make every visitor fall in love with it.
In case you are wondering whether Spain should be your next destination or not, we have made a short list for you, of the main reasons why Spain must be the next country you step in.
There’s a Chance You Can Enter Spain Visa-Free
Having to apply for a visa before travelling to a country can be quite disheartening. If you are a national of one of the over 60 countries the nationals of which are Schengen visa exempt, then you are lucky as you can enter Spain without a visa.
Yet, make sure you have your passport with you, proof of purchased travel health insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000, and evidence that you have the financial means to support yourself during your stay. Without these three, you will not be able to enter Spain even if you are visa exempt.
On the other hand, if you have to apply for a Spain visa, you will need to follow several procedures with the utmost care. Having a valid US or UK visa, may make it easier to get a tourist visa for Spain.
There Is a Lot to See
Spain will leave you speechless! This is one of the most instagramable countries in the world, with a mixture of everything you would ever want to see.
The architecture in Spain is wonderful, with the breathtaking temple of Sagrada Família in Barcelona, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao that looks as if it has been built by superhumans, the masterpiece called Basílica de Santa María la Real de Covadonga in Asturias, the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, the old town of Ronda, and many many more.
Spanish nature is unlike anything you have ever seen in Europe. Among others, you can travel to the Gaztelugatxe islet on the coast of Biscay, which is connected to the mainland by a man-made bridge and has a small church at its top.
You can see the Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park, which has 15 small lakes, the As Catedrais beach with its natural arches and caves that can be seen only in low tide, or the historic gold-mining site of Las Médulas.
In Spain, you will be able to find two extremes. Wild noisy-night life in the bigger cities, and quiet, peaceful life in the Spanish villages, either by the mountains or close to the sea.
Moreover, you can always check museums of history, art, sports, etc., theatres that give a variety of performances, and you can as well go see bull-dodging.
Festivals All Year Round
No matter at what time of the year you are in Spain, you can always get to attend at least one festival. Spaniards love celebrating, partying, dancing, and even wearing costumes. As a tourist, you can easily attend any of the festivals, and become part of an unforgettable experience.
Some of the most famous festivals that take place in Spain are:
La Tomatina
The festival of tomatoes, where 20 thousand people gather and throw tomatoes at each other. This original and fun tradition dates back to 70 years ago, and many tourists save the date just so they can be part of it.
Semana Santa
The Holy Week takes place during Easter in Spain. It lasts for a full week and consists of religious celebrations, which are worth seeing no matter what religion you have. Men and women fill the streets, lighting thousands of candles and waiting for the parades of different church members and brotherhoods.
Carnival of Cadiz
No one does Carnivals better than Spaniards. Through humor, sarcasm, mockery and irony, the Carnival of Cadiz “purges” the most pressing problems of Spain and the world. People with fancy costumes fill the streets with pained faces, singing and dancing.
The Wine Battle of Haro
We get it, Spaniards love throwing food at each other. The Wine Battle of Haro is literally people pouring wine at each other’s bodies. People in white clothing join the battle, only to leave it looking all red.
Boloencierro in Mataelpino
You may have been planning to do some bull fighting in Spain, but that is not possible. Instead, you can join the Boloencierro in Mataelpino in Madrid where hundreds of people run while a 160 kg gigantic ball rolls chasing them.
Superb Food That You Can Only Taste in Spain
Travelling without tasting the food of the country you are visiting, is not even travelling. Food is a very important part of every trip, and to enjoy your trip, you must taste the most famous dishes of every country you are in.
Spain is known for being home to the oldest restaurant in the world, which is still open today. Moreover, restaurants in Spain often top the list of “World’s 50 Best Restaurants”, while many world-famous chefs are Spanish.
Some of the foods you must try in Spain are the tapas, the Paella dish, Calamari in freshly-squeezed lemon, Spanish Tortilla de Patatas, Spicy Chorizo, and churros con chocolate which is basically fried sugary sticks with hot chocolate.
Friendly People
All travel bloggers who have visited Spain, point out at least once in their blogs that people in Spain are super friendly. Unlike people in other Western Europe countries who can be a bit colder, people in Spain are very welcoming and friendly with tourists.
If you feel like asking something, you can just stop someone in the street and ask them. In bigger cities, most people know English, so it will be very easy for you to communicate. However, in smaller places you will have it harder to find English speakers, but you will still manage to get answers to your questions by doing some gestures and mumbling at least two or three words in Spanish.
Die Hard Football Fans
Home to two of the top football teams in Europe, Real Madrid and Barcelona, Spain gathers thousands of football fans every year. In particular, if you find yourself in Spain while a Champions League or Copa Del Rey match is about to happen, you will see crowds of football fans singing and shouting or even celebrating after a match.
