GoAbroad shares the most epic adventures for studying abroad in Spain
Situated on the Iberian peninsula, Spain is one of the most beautiful, historically significant countries in Europe. It's eclectic heritage and long-time traditions also make it one of the most culturally rich places you can visit. As a country that holds on to ancient customs, studying abroad in Spain will help you discover what really happens during siesta time and why lunch is the biggest meal of the day.
Spain's 17 autonomous communities are as different as they can be. Whether you're looking for a relaxing green countryside filled with vineyards and rolling hills, a sunny beach with year-round mild temperatures, or incredible works of art and architectural feats dating back hundreds of years, Spain has it.
And we’re here to tell you about it with this list of things to know about studying abroad in Spain. Kick back and get your wheels turning, because you have tons of plans to make to complete our ultimate studying abroad in Spain bucket list!
Paella is a lunchtime tradition, best shared around one pan.
What makes Spain study abroad so great?
Whether you're a foodie, adrenaline junkie, or history buff, Spain study abroad will keep you occupied and thrilled for the duration of your stay. And if you do manage to do and see all Spain has to offer, hop on a quick flight to some of its island chains and explore more unique customs and cultures. Spain’s study abroad programs will have you perfecting your Spanish with new local friends, dancing flamenco during their long lunches, getting lost in the wide open Spanish countryside, and trying new foods like rabo de toro, or tail of a bull.
Studying abroad in Spain is a gateway to the rest of Europe, opening doors through the entire continent and world beyond. Each country in Europe is so closely connected, traveling from country to country is like traveling from state to state. Learning multiple languages is common, adhering to local customs is fun, and meeting new people is easy. It's hard to grasp the full nature of the country in a short time, but it's worth any amount of time you can devote to it. If you're going to study abroad in Spain, there are some tips to make sure you get the most out of your time there.
So, without further ado, here are the top things you must do/eat/see/drink/photograph while studying abroad in Spain.
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Must-Do’s for students in Spain
Spain is full of exciting and unique adventures and things to do. If you’re thinking about participating in a study abroad program in Spain, think about doing things that are completely unique to Spain! Remember not to neglect Spain’s most popular tourist attractions either, though.
1. Snowboarding and/or skiing the Sierra Nevada
Adrenaline junkies will love skiing or snowboarding the Sierra Nevada mountains of Spain. The Sierra Nevada, literally meaning snowy mountain range, is a soaring, rugged range. They're the highest mountains in Western Europe after the Alps. The road that once climbed almost to the summit of Veleta, the range's second-highest peak, was long called the highest paved road in Europe. It's now closed to private cars above the ski station, but you can still hike or cycle it. The slopes of the Sierra Nevada are wide-open, and the ski season usually runs from late November to early May.
2. Admire Gaudi’s architecture
Art buffs should head on over to Barcelona to see Antoni Gaudí's work come alive. Not only are Gaudí's buildings and home well-preserved around the entire city, but Casa Milà, nicknamed La Pedrera ("the stone quarry"), comes alive after dark during its night experience, when the rooftop becomes the stage for a video-mapping show.
3. Get tan on the coast
If you love the beach, head south to Andalusia's Costa del Sol, where locals joke that there are 364 days of sun each year. This is one of the best things to know about studying abroad in Spain! The year-round mild temperatures make almost any day a beach day. You'll also find some of the best seafood and paella Spain has to offer in some of these beach villages.
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In San Sebastián, the bar counter is the menu.
4. Speak only Spanish for a day
One of the biggest draws of a study abroad program in Spain is learning fluent Spanish. It can be scary when you’re thrown into a place where everyone speaks a different language, but it’s the best way to learn. One thing you *must try* is speaking only Spanish for a day. You might be surprised to learn you know more than you think!
5. Make a REAL friendship with a Spaniard
What is one thing you want to take away from studying abroad in Spain? Hopefully, relationships and contacts are high on your list. Global networking is a great professional outcome of living abroad. But making real friendships that last a lifetime is a great personal outcome. When you return home, you’ll have people to come visit your country and see your culture, and you’ll always have someone to go back to Spain to visit.
Your Spain study abroad bucket list should include making at least one REAL friendship with a Spaniard. This can take work, because making friends as an adult isn’t really as easy as it seems (*flashback to kindergarten and asking people to play with you*). However, with all those amazing Spaniards around you, at least one of them is cool enough to hang with regularly, no!?
Show the Spaniards you really appreciate everything they’re doing to help you acclimate into their culture by making a real friendship with them while you’re studying abroad in Spain.
6. View the Guernica (and get creeped out by Goya)
Madrid’s Golden Triangle of Art is famous for having some of the best collections of Spanish and European art in the entire world. Ready for a really epic afternoon? Follow this art-laden urban trail:
In one corner of the Golden Triangle, you’ll find the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, which houses the world-famous painted “Guernica” from Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (he created this in response to the bombing of the Basque village Guernica). It’s big. And gorgeous. Onwards — Walking north, you’ll come across the Museo del Prado, which contains some of the most well known and sought after art, like works from Spanish artist Francisco Goya’s — his creepy painting, The Third of May 1808, is a real show-stopper. Completing the trifecta is Thyssen-Bornemisza, which has a large private art collection, gathered over some 70 years by two generations of the Thyssen-Bornemisza family.
Get ready to be cool AND cultured. One of the things to know about studying abroad in Spain is there’s so much art to see, appreciate, and… get creeped out by (okay, Goya’s painting of the dog isn’t too scary) but still, be sure to enjoy art in Spain while studying abroad.
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Snacks and a siesta? Si, por favor!
7. Technology. Detox.
Thanks to good ol’ technology, we’re always connected to everyone, no matter how far. This can be a good thing (“Hi mom and dad!”), but also serve as a distraction from our surroundings. And who wants to be uber distracted with back-home-drama when we’re studying in Spain?!
For modern travelers, technology can be both an awesome tool or a serious crutch. We can never get lost because we always have a map at the touch of a button. Don’t know what to eat? Find some well-reviewed restaurants nearby.
But if you really want a good challenge, put the phone away for a few days while studying abroad in Spain and see what happens. Talk to someone — in Spanish of course. Ask for directions, or just get lost. Find the most out-of-the-way restaurant (bonus points for no English menus) and order the most interesting sounding tapa.
Go off the grid. Put the phone, iPad, or laptop away for one full weekend and get out and explore Spain the good old fashioned way. You might find that not having easy access to the rest of the world is the best thing that’s ever happened to you!
8. Stay out til sunrise at the discoteca
The party in Spain starts early and ends late—in fact, It’s not uncommon to see Spaniards leaving the discos after sunrise! For a lot of people, the night is more about dancing and catching up with friends than about drinking. It won’t take you too many dance parties and late nights out to understand why.
Whether you want to dance the night away with a glass of local Spanish wine or a Coca-Cola, every study abroad student in Spain should do as the locals do and stay out til sunrise at the discotecas at least once while in Spain.
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9. Fall in love with Seville
Head to Seville during your Spain study abroad, known by some as the most romantic city in Spain. In winter, you can ice skate on a pop-up ice skating rink, followed by a romantic carriage ride through the cobblestone streets. Then, visit the Real Alcázar, a royal palace whose upper rooms are still the Spanish royal family's official residence in Seville.
Seville is famous for flamenco dancing, and anyone who grew up in Seville knows the steps. Visit a flamenco bar and as soon as the music plays, everyone will start this loud yet seductive and sultry dance! You can catch a free show with dinner anywhere around the city.
Your summer, semester, or year in Spain will be full of bright colors and the BEST people.
Must-Eats while studying abroad in Spain
Are you ready to break the mold and try new and local foods? Spain has plenty of exceptional dishes. Some you may have heard of, like paella; others may be completely new to you, like criadillas. If you do get the opportunity to study abroad in Spain, make sure you try some of the local flavor. Be open-minded!
1. Iberian Ham
We double dog dare you to make an entire meal out of Iberian Ham. Look for jamón ibérico, cured from Spain's native black Iberian pigs, and have it sliced paper-thin at a market counter.
2. Paella
Paella comes from Valencia, and the traditional version, paella valenciana, is made with rice, chicken, rabbit, and green beans rather than seafood. Order it at lunch the way locals do, and fight your friends for the socarrat, the crispy layer of rice stuck to the bottom of the pan.
3. Tortilla española
This thick potato-and-egg omelet shows up everywhere, from tapas bars to picnic sandwiches. Just know that whether it should include onion is one of Spain's most heated dinner-table debates, so pick a side carefully.
4. Gazpacho and salmorejo
When the Andalusian summer heat hits, Spaniards reach for cold soup. Gazpacho is the light, drinkable tomato version, while salmorejo, from Córdoba, is thicker and creamier, usually topped with chopped egg and bits of ham.
5. Patatas bravas
Crispy fried potatoes with a spicy brava sauce are the unofficial tapa of every student night out. Every bar makes its sauce a little differently, so consider it your duty to try several and pick a favorite.
6. Croquetas
These breaded, fried bites have a creamy béchamel center, most often mixed with ham, chicken, or salt cod. Plenty of Spanish families make them at home, so if your host family offers homemade croquetas, say yes.
7. Pulpo a la gallega
A specialty of Galicia in the northwest, this dish is tender boiled octopus dusted with paprika, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with coarse salt, traditionally served on a wooden plate. It's one of those dishes worth trying even if octopus wasn't on your list.
8. Pintxos
In the Basque Country, especially San Sebastián, bar counters are lined with pintxos, small bites often served on a slice of bread and held together with a toothpick. Order a couple at each stop, and don't toss your toothpicks: in some bars, they're how your bill gets counted.
[PHOTO 2, production task: Shot: a bar counter lined with pintxos, a student's hand reaching for one, natural light. Horizontal, 765×450px. Caption: "In San Sebastián, the bar counter is the menu." Alt text: "A bar counter lined with pintxos in San Sebastián, Spain."]
9. Churros con chocolate
Finish strong with fried churros dunked in hot chocolate so thick you could almost stand a spoon in it. Spaniards eat them for breakfast, as an afternoon treat, or at the very end of a long night out.
That's a bucket list worth a whole semester, but it isn't a race. The moments you'll remember in Spain tend to happen when you slow down: a lunch that stretches into the afternoon, a festival you stumble into, a dish you ordered just by pointing. Bring an open mind and an empty stomach, and when you're ready to start planning, our guide to what to know before studying abroad in Spain covers the practical steps.
