Ever wonder why Spain is the best country to learn Spanish in your language exchange?

We’ll start you off with some facts and information so you can have a better experience as you learn Spanish in your language exchange:

If you plan t visit Spain, you ought to know where its name comes from! Spain comes from the Latin name “Hispania.” This is what Romans called the country. The official name is “Reino Unido de Espana.” Now you can share this information about your destination abroad where you will learn Spanish in your language exchange!

Spain is situated in the meridional Europe, occupying 85% of the Iberian Peninsula. The Spanish territory also includes the Canary and Balearic Islands and 2 cities located in the North of Africa called Ceuta and Melilla.

There are 17 autonomous communities. Comunidad de Madrid, Comunidad Valenciana, Andalucia, Pais Vasco, Principado de Asturias, Galicia, Aragon, Islas Baleares, Islas Canarias, Castilla – La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cantabria, Extremadura, La Rioja, Murcia, and Navarra.

Its climate is subtropical and mountainous. Spain has 4,964km of beaches.

Spanish is the official language of the country. There are other official languages in some autonomous communities, such as Catalan, Gallego, and Euskera.

It is one of the most visited countries in the world. In 2016 Spain received 75.6 million of tourists.

What are the top visited places in Spain?

1. Alhambra

While you learn Spanish in your language exchange you can visit this palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It was originally constructed as a small fortress in AD 889 on the remains of Roman fortifications, and then largely ignored until its ruins were renovated and rebuilt in the mid-13th century. This is when its current palace and walls were built. It was converted into a royal palace in 1333. After the end of the Christian Reconquista in 1492, the site became the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella (where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition), and the palaces were partially altered to Renaissance tastes.

2. Sagrada Familia

Large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. In November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica, as opposed to a cathedral, which contains the seat of a bishop.

3. Alcazar Real de Sevilla

Royal palace in Seville, Andalusia, Spain, originally developed by Moorish Muslim kings. The palace is renowned as one of the most beautiful in Spain, and is one of the most outstanding examples of mudéjar architecture found on the Iberian Peninsula. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence and are administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. It is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. The monumental complex has seven hectares of gardens and 17,000 square meters of buildings and was an authentic military and palatine acropolis that brought together several palaces and urban defenses.

4. Catedral de Santiago

This cathedral is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela, and is an integral component of the Santiago de Compostela World Heritage Site in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial place of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. The cathedral has historically been a place of pilgrimage on the Way of St. James since the Early Middle Ages, and marks the traditional end of the pilgrimage route. The building is a Romanesque structure, with later Gothic and Baroque additions.

5. Mezquita de Cordoba

This structure is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture. The site was originally a small temple of Christian Visigoth origin, the Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérins. When Muslims conquered the Iberian Peninsula in 711, the church was first divided into Muslim and Christian halves. This sharing arrangement of the site lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased and demolished. The grand mosque of Córdoba was then built on its ground. Córdoba returned to Christian rule in 1236 during the Reconquista, and the building was converted to a Roman Catholic church, culminating in the insertion of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the 16th century. This is definitely a place worth visiting while you learn Spanish in your language exchange.

6. El Museo del Prado

This museum is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It features one of the world’s finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of Spanish art. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture in 1819, it also contains important collections of other types of works. El Prado is one of the most visited sites in the world, and it is considered one of the greatest art museums in the world. The numerous works by Francisco de Goya, the single most extensively represented artist, as well as by Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, and Diego Velázquez, are some of the highlights of the collection.

7. El Museo Guggenheim

Museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. Built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Cantabrian Sea, it is one of several museums belonging to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and features permanent and visiting exhibits of works by Spanish and international artists. It is one of the largest museums in Spain.

8. Ciudad de las artes y las ciencias

An entertainment-based cultural and architectural complex in the city of Valencia, Spain. It is the most important modern tourist destination in the city of Valencia and one of the 12 Treasures of Spain. It situated at the end of the former riverbed of the river Turia. The project was designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela. Originally budgeted at €300 million, it has cost nearly three times the initial expected cost.

The amazing gastronomy:

1. The wine
2. The tapas – you can find the famous “tapas” in all of the bars and taverns in the towns and cities of the country.
3. Our ham
4. Yes, we eat reallyyyyyy late.
5. High Cuisine: Quique Dacosta, Diverxo, Martin Berasategui, El Celler Can Roca, Azurmendi, Arzak, Akelarre, Lasarte.

While you learn Spanish in your language exchange you can also learn about Spain’s culture!

Our fiestas:

1. March – Valencia, Las fallas
2. April – Sevillle, Feria de abril
3. June – Alicante, Bonfires of San Juan
4. July – Pamplona, San Fermin
5. August – Bunol, La Tomatina

There is nothing better than experiencing festivities firsthand. You can learn Spanish in your language exchange while also seeing the Spaniard festivities and culture!

Turn this into a reality by singing up with MyHOSTpitality to be a guest in the home of a native Spaniard!

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