1) Climate

If you love the sun, you’ll love the summer in Spain. Weeks at a time of pure blue skies with not a cloud in sight. The temperature varies depending on where in Spain you visit. If you love to sunbathe then you’ll probably want to be near a beach. The south coast and the lower east coast are the warmest of the coastal areas and temperatures average in the late 20s to 30 degrees during July and August. Higher up the east coast around Barcelona, the average temperature is a couple of degrees cooler at around 26 degrees.

If you plan to come inland, prepare yourself for some serious heat! Although not as humid as the coastal cities, the inland cities see soaring temperature during July and August. The capital city Madrid has average high temperatures of around 33 degrees and midday temperatures can go as high as 40 degrees. Sevilla (or Seville) is a popular city for those seeking some culture during their trip to Spain. If you’re planning on visiting in July or August, you better be able to withstand the heat, as average temperatures are as high as 35 degrees.

 

2) Beaches

Spain’s 5000 miles of coastline has everything; from unspoiled coves to golden stretches. Its beaches are loved by both water sports fanatics and sun worshippers. In fact, an incredible 480 of Spain’s beaches (far more than any other country) have been tagged with the European Blue Flag distinction. You can bathe in the Mediterranean Sea to the south and east, in The Bay of Biscay to the north, and in the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Here is a great link to find out about some of the best beaches in Spain.

 

3) Festivals

Spain is notorious for its array of festivals. Whether it’s a religious celebration, a film or music festival, Gay pride or just a very random annual tradition, there is always something happening in Spain’s biggest cities. Some of the best of these festivals happen over the summer months. Here’s a selection:

- Madrid Pride (3^rd – 7^th July): Full of colour and costumes, Madrid Pride Parade is the biggest gay demonstration in Europe, with more than 1.5 million people attending in 2009 according to Spanish Government.

- San Fermín (6^th – 14^th July): Taking place in Pamplona in the north of Spain, this festival is mainly known for the running of the bulls event. Probably the best known festival in Spain, it attracts over a million people a year.

- Benicàssim (18^th – 21^st July): An international music and arts festival with camping available. It’s very popular with British tourists due to its proximity to the beach and the weather July usually offers. Headlining this year (2013) are The Arctic Monkeys and The Killers.

- Festa Mayor de Gracia (15^th – 21^st August): Festa Mayor de Gracia is a huge block party in the barrio of Gracia in Barcelona. The streets are decorated with recycled materials and parties go on all through the night with stages erected for bands and performers.

- Tomantina (28^th August): Another of Spains better known festivals, Tomantina takes place in the town of Buñol on the last Wednesday of every August. It’s basically 50,000 people having a huge tomato fight!

If you’re looking for something a little more weird and wacky (but wonderful) to take part in, check out our blog on, ‘10 Crazy Spanish festivals where people throw stuff‘.

 

4) Food & Drink

Spain has a great light, fresh cuisine which is perfect in the summer months. Cool down with a gazpacho soup in the sunshine, treat yourself to some beautiful fresh fish and seafood and share some cold tapas with friends during the hot summer afternoons.

Like many Mediterranean countries, Spain produces lots of wine. This means that good wine is very cheap and there are many refreshing summer drinks to be made from it. Sangria is the tourists’ choice in the Spanish sunshine and for an even more refreshing taste, try white wine sangria. Tinto de verano, which consists of cold red wine and lemonade, is a popular drink in southern Spain. I personally like to sip a cold glass of cava to cool off when relaxing in a plaza in the summer.

 

5) Opportunity

Simply put, Spanish is a great language to learn! After mandarin, it has the highest number of native speakers in the world and it’s the first language in over 20 countries. Choosing to learn Spanish will open up a wealth of new opportunities both for work and for travel. It’s a great investment to make and as you can see from numbers 1 to 4 on the list, Spain is a great, fun environment for learning the language. You’ll have the opportunity to practice your newly acquired language skills with locals on the beach, in bars and in supermarkets. You’ll also learn all about the Spanish culture, which is really important when studying the language and helps you to put phrases into context. So don’t miss out on the opportunity to spend your summer doing something incredibly fulfilling, productive and fun!

 

To find out how much a Spanish language course would cost at one of the Babylon Idiomas schools in Spain, please visit our Easy price Calculator.

Not sure where in Spain you’d like to go to study? Read our blog entry on ‘Where to Learn Spanish this Summer?‘

 

Blogger: Nellie