Four Reasons To Visit Spain
Spain is arguably one of the most popular countries to visit in Europe and ranks as one of the top European countries in terms of student visitors. Why do so many students go to western Europe to visit the Iberian Peninsula and why is it a great place for schools to visit?
We believe that their rich traditions, great weather, one of the world’s most spoken languages, and access to other countries with different cultures are the general reasons why young people consider Spain as their destination. The truth is that there is so much more beyond their tasty tapas, history bull fighting, delicious paella and siestas that make it a wonderful country to visit.
Here are four reasons why you should consider visiting Spain:
1. Worldwide Sports Influence
Spain won the World Cup in 2010 and “La Liga”, the Spanish soccer league, has two of the world’s top five sports franchises in terms of total revenue with both powerhouses Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. Many people don’t realize the power and influence that these franchises have worldwide.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Hennessy
Both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are in the ten top of the world’s biggest franchises in terms of total revenue. Not to mention, FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is one of the twenty most followed famous people on social media around the world. Additionally, former FC Barcelona star Neymar and former Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo won some of their most prestigious trophies and biggest tournaments while they played in Spain. In the past, we’ve done a visit to the Real Madrid stadium to see first hand their history of winning that goes back almost a century.
A unique piece of Spain’s sports culture is that they have produced some of the NBA’s biggest basketball superstars, such as Ricky Rubio, the Gasol brothers, and Nikola Mirotic.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Hennessy
2. Art and Music Influence
Simply put, the art that hangs on their walls has survived wars and some classic pieces are older than the United States itself. Students can get easy, and sometimes even free, access to see some of the world’s most famous art collections and experience some of the world’s most recognized music. Famous artists, such as Dalí and Picasso, have left their mark on history and their art continues to be shown around the world.
We embrace the Spanish guitar, and flamenco, but in the past we haven’t just shown you what they look like and how it sounds - we want you to experience it. We’ve had a professional come and show some basic steps and give a look what makes it so special in southern Spain.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Hennessy
Along those same lines, the different regions around Spain embrace their own music. In each major city, they bring bits and pieces of all these regions together so you can see and feel so many different vibes.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Hennessy
3. Pintxos - The Godfather of Tapas
Restaurants and bars around Spain allow people of all ages to enjoy a slice of heaven, or in this case, a slice of fresh bread with a topping of meat, fish, or vegetables similar to a tapa but bigger. Typically known in the Basque Country in Northeastern Spain, these pintxos to take a tapa to another level.
In the past, we’ve done a pintxos tour coupled with an olive oil tasting that allows both teachers and students to try some of the Spain’s freshest ingredients and some of the world’s best olives.
Fun Fact: When Italy had a drought years ago, they didn’t have a big enough of a supply of their olives to meet demand so they imported oils from Spain. Your Italian olive oil from Italy might have used olives from Spain!
Photo courtesy of Christopher Hennessy
4. Food Quality
Some of the best chefs in the world are Spanish, such as Jose Andres, and other top chefs from around the world have come to Spain to learn their traditional techniques and style.
Do you love seafood? In Spain, the coast is no more than a 7-hour drive from the coast in any part of the country! The food comes in fresh and the quality of the food is noticeable.
Are you ready to take the first step toward making a trip to Spain a reality for your school? Send us your trip preferences and we can start planning to make it happen!
