Life in Spain: Living in a Country of Contrasts

With the diverging and sometimes contradicting elements in Spanish culture, many visitors simply cannot help but marvel at the sheer breadth of Spanish lifestyles and customs.

The easiest one to spot is likely the divide between urban and rural.  In the large and medium-sized cities like MadridBarcelonaValenciaSeville, Malaga, Zaragoza and Bilbao, where locals live according to metropolitan customs and modern mentalities, nightly parties and cosmopolitan glories abound.  However, the opposite can be found in the calmer, traditional life of more sparsely populated rural or town-like settings.

Still, Spanish residents (whether they are ethnically Spanish or not) enjoy a stable environment, from safety to modernity, from quality education to justice. Life expectancy and quality of life rank among the highest worldwide. These factors combine to ensure travellers to Spain have little to worry about.

However, no matter where you might settle in Spain, the common denominator is a unique historic and natural environment, excellent gastronomy, and a fabulous climate.

Visitors will find Spaniards highly sociable, ready for exchanges with foreigners, and fully prepared to accept other cultures and customs. This hospitality and peaceful coexistence are, without a doubt, one of the main features of the Spanish in general, making Spain an ideal place to live or visit.