What many people tend to forget is that Spain offers more than a 2-week summer vacation. Spanish cities are excellent for a weekend getaway! Opt for a city break in one of the busy cities, go hiking in the Sierra Nevada or choose to laze away a few days at the beach! Here are a few recommendations:

Madrid

The capital of Spain is famous for its museums. These include the Prado museum, the Museo Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. Spain's largest park, the Retiro Park, is also a very nice attraction. Furthermore, you will visit a lot of architecture during your city break in Madrid. What you should definitely not skip is Mercado de San Miguel, where you can choose from thousands of delicious snacks. And do you like to party? Then Madrid is the place to be!

Barcelona

In Barcelona you can go in all directions during your city break! Visit the Sagrada Família, Gaudí´s Parc Güell or one of the many museums with famous beautiful works. Barcelona is also a true paradise for the shopaholics among us! And if you are tired of the hustle and bustle of the city for a while, just head to the beach!

Seville

Seville, the city of hot summers and mild winters. You'll find everything here for an unforgettable city break! Spain's fourth largest city is teeming with sights. Royal palaces, ancient cathedrals, flamenco bars but also many modern buildings. Seville is the capital of southern Spain and is known for its artistic, cultural characteristics and the warm hospitality of the ´Sevillanos´.

Valencia

In this city bordering the sea there is a lot of modern architecture! There is also a southern European atmosphere. All year round you can enjoy beautiful weather, various meusea, different historical and modern buildings and of course the very best paella! Also in this city every year in March "Las Fallas" take place. This is a big celebration honoring the feast day of St. Joseph.

Of course, there are many other great Spanish cities for a city break in Spain. For example, visit Las Palmas, the capital of the Canary Islands. It is also fun to visit Pamplona. This is just a little bit different because of its French and Basque influences. Other impressive and fun Spanish cities are Salamanca, Tenerife, Cadiz or Alicante.
Book a weekend trip to Spanish cities now!

Not nicknamed the ´Costa del Golf´ for nothing, the Spanish Costa del Sol is a real paradise for the golfers among us! It is known for its high quality and sometimes very distinguished golf courses, and of course its eternal spring. Also, playing golf in Spain is a wonderful way to relax.

The ´Costa del Golf´ runs from Málaga to Gibraltar. There are many luxury golf resorts and high quality golf courses in this area. Although previously golf clubs were only open to members, nowadays it is possible to play at almost every club as a visitor. All you need is your CFP, and for some courses a low handicap.

The golf courses in Spain are the number one in Europe and when you are in the right place, you can enjoy a game of golf all year round in wonderful springtime temperatures. The golf courses are excellently cared for and are always equipped with every luxury. The courses are varied and different, sometimes watery or surrounded by palm trees and often overlooking the sea!

One of the places you must visit for a golfing vacation is Marbella. This famous golf resort is known for its always pleasant temperatures and beautiful golf courses. Marbella is visited by people from all over the world. There are many options for a sports vacation. Golf vacations are also offered in Marbella in combination with a Spanish course. A perfect combination!

But not only on the Costa del Sol can you enjoy a wonderful golf vacation, as Spain has more than 590 golf courses. Most of them have 18 holes, with the exception of a dozen courses that have 36 holes. But, the golf course at the Mar Menor in Murcia has no less than 54 holes! With this wide range of golf courses, the choice is easily made, a golf vacation is done in Spain. Often there are several courses close to each other which provides a pleasant variety during your golf vacation. And if you want something else than golf, this is of course no problem. Especially on the Costa del Sol you have everything within reach, the beach, nature or the city.

Enjoy a golf vacation in Spain now!

Study abroad, the big dream of many students. Choose to come to Spain and study at one of its highly regarded universities. Salamanca is home to the oldest university in all of Spain and the second oldest in Europe, which has made Salamanca a true student city.

Salamanca is therefore also the student city of Spain, it is not a big city and therefore has even more charisma. Furthermore, in the other Spanish cities you will also find very good universities as well as good opportunities for a top student life!

In all, there are 73 universities and colleges where you can study in Spain. In addition, there are also a number of American universities located in Spain. All classes at these American universities are taught in English. Good to know is that at all Spanish universities European students have as many rights as Spanish students, but for people from outside Europe there is only 5% place. In general, the higher education system in Spain is considered one of the better ones in the world.

Every year a world ranking of best universities is compiled. The best universities in Spain are: the Autonomous University of Barcelona , the General University of Barcelona, the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, the Autonomous University in Madrid, the University of Valencia, the Polytecnic Universidad de Valencia, and finally the University of Vigo.

These are a total of 7 Spanish universities on the list. The regions where most universities are located are Madrid (14), Barcelona (11), Andalusia(10) and Valencia (8). Also, the Madrid Business School was the best in Europe in 2012. This was revealed by the publication of the European Business School Rankings 2012 by the British newspaper Financial Times. A total of 3 Spanish programs appear in the top ten, this is the school in Madrid and two universities based in Barcelona, namely the Esade Business School and Iese Business School. The top 50 includes the fourth Spanish entry, also located in the Catalan capital; Eada Business School.

In addition to choosing a university in Spain, you can also choose to study Spanish in Spain at a language school. When you do this, you will learn the Spanish language and culture to perfection! Not only will you learn grammar and vocabulary, but you will also learn a lot about the country and its culture. Fun excursions are organized, you'll get to know other students in no time and, of course, you'll easily get to know the locals!

The Spanish Christmas Lottery (la Lotería de Navidad) is the most widely played chance game and every Spaniard dreams of being rich at the end of December. It is another trademark of Christmas traditions that one must live the excitement whether “El Gordo” (the biggest prize) will touch him this time.

The first contemporary lottery was created in 1812 in Cadiz to support the state revenue for public tax authority and in 1814 the first official drawing was held in Madrid which later has become the center and the day of 22^nd of December has been the official date for Christmas lottery, that is also acknowledged as the beginning of the holidays.  

The lottery tickets are official papers and counterfeiting is strongly prohibited. Each ticket is divided into series (195 series per number) and each series is divided into ten shares which is called decimos is at price of 20€. Since 2011 the number of series has been 100.000 started from 00000 to 99999. The biggest prize (the amount is 4.000.000€) is called el Gordo which literally means the fat one. It is not the biggest amount given considering the other lotteries though it is the most desired one among Spaniards even you should notice the phrase tocarle el gordo a alguien (to win el gordo) referring to get something you wish for with the help of luck. The winning numbers are chosen by randomly with two drums including boxwood balls on which the numbers are written with laser so as to keep the same weight. The first one contains 99.999 balls and the next drum is the prize drum that has all the 1807 balls determining the winners of the prizes. Since the beginning of the lottery, the students of San Ildefonso have the duty to sing out the winning numbers.

If you are staying in Spain during Christmas time, you should give a chance for el Gordo to touch you to start a prosperous year.  

Facts about the Spanish Christmas Lottery

It has been held every year without any cancellation not even during Civil War

The tickets are started to be sold in July

In 2002 the prizes are turned into Euro and the drawing took shorter 9 minutes less because it was not as long as the previous years when the prize was in pesetas.

The ticket ending with the number 1 is the unluckiest which has come out 8 times so far, the luckiest one is the number 5 coming 32 times.

Whoever thinks of Spain, often thinks of high temperatures, lying on the beach... And of course you are absolutely right, but this is not always the case! Because in winter (and often also in spring!) you can enjoy winter sports in Spain! In Spain you will find many slopes that are a paradise for winter sports enthusiasts among us.

Go winter in Spain and book a winter sports vacation! There are more than 30 winter sports resorts in Spain. It is a pity that many people do not know that Spain is such a good winter sports place. The Spanish slopes are really worth it and in the evening you can eat delicious tapas! They are not inferior to Italy, Austria, Switzerland or other ski resorts. For example, you can go to the Spanish Pyrenees to spend a nice vacation. The Spanish resorts are located on the French border.

During your vacation in the Spanish Pyrenees, you will find 520 meters of ski slopes and usually a lot of sunshine here, too! Things are a little different here than in the ski resorts in Austria, for example. Where in Austria you can apres ski day and night, this is not the case in Spain. Of course there are some entertainment possibilities, but you go to Spain mainly for skiing or snowboarding.

You can also take a different approach. Because did you know that there are ski resorts near Barcelona, Madrid and Salamanca? Take a language course and spend a weekend skiing in between! The most famous Spanish ski resorts are Sierra Nevada, Formigal, Baqueira - Beret - Bonaigua, La Molina, Cerler, Masella, Candanchu and Panticosa.

Feel like skiing in the summer? Then just go to Spain's indoor Snowcenter, located in Madrid! This indoor slope is the only indoor ski facility in Spain, but it is the largest in all of Europe. You can find more information on Madridsnowzone. Note that this website is only available in Spanish, so good to practice!

What you can also do is opt for the best of both worlds! Skiing down the mountains during the day, and in the evening sitting on the terrace 25 degrees warmer and in your summer clothes! It's all possible when you go to Sierra Nevada in the spring. You have views of the sea and Africa from the slopes. The Sierra Nevada, "snowy mountain range" in Spanish, contains 85 km of ski slopes. The mountain range is close to the Costa del Sol, where winter temperatures average 18 degrees! Book now and enjoy a winter sports vacation in Spain in a few months!

Those who think that Spain only has something to offer on the famous, crowded Costas are wrong! If the nature on the coasts is already fantastic, inland Spain is overwhelming. For the Spain lover who wants to get away from the masses and wants something completely different from sun, sea and beach, there are no less than 10 national parks and 700 protected natural areas.

The island groups of the Balearic and Canary Islands also offer beautiful natural areas. For example, did you know that the highest mountain in Spain is on Tenerife? Of course, you can discover all this beauty with organized excursions by bus, but much more fun is to do it on foot.

Besides being very relaxing, hiking in the mountains is the way to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and get in touch with nature. There are beautiful hiking trails all over Spain, but Andalucía is the province par excellence to practice this sport. For the beginners there are short and easy routes and for those who have been hiking for some time there are longer and tougher routes.

All the trails are beautiful and some feature a theme. Like the shepherd's walk, for example. For about 3 hours or so, you will slip into the skin of the shepherd and be absorbed by the flock. Feel the energy of simplicity, unity, romance and take a peek into the world of the shepherd. There are further mountain walks in the Sierra Tejeda where you will encounter mountain goats and king eagles or the culinary routes where you will make stops to taste the local wines, cheeses and hams.

And, even in hiking, modern technology cannot be left behind and GPS routes are now available. This may not seem like the most adventurous solution, but it does have some advantages: getting lost is a thing of the past and you hardly ever look at the map to determine your route. So you do enjoy the hike much more. Another great thing about this type of hiking is that you can keep track of the distance you have walked, how fast you are walking or how high you have climbed.

All in all, well worth thinking about a hiking vacation in the beautiful surroundings of Sierra Nevada in Granada, Sierra Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama in Málaga, Sierra de las Nieves in Málaga above Marbella, Sierra Grazalema in Cádiz...

Volunteering in Spain and Latin America has become increasingly popular among the Dutch in recent years. More and more people and especially young people go to developing countries during their vacations to help with different projects. This can be building an orphanage, teaching in Latin America or going on a volunteer trip in Spain.

There are many organizations offering volunteer work and this number will continue to grow in the coming years. Many companies also volunteer both at home and abroad. The relative distance (distance in time, money and effort) has become smaller in recent years, making visiting developing countries more and more accessible now. Relative distance has been reduced by development of land, sea and air transportation.

You can now take a Spanish course first and then volunteer in a Spanish-speaking country, such as Mexico. At don Quijote they can arrange this for you, as it is important to have a certain level of Spanish before you can help people. The only condition don Quijote sets is that you take a Spanish course for a minimum of 4 weeks to improve your Spanish, during which you will stay with a host family to improve your Spanish even faster. The course should bring your Spanish up to a level that will allow you to become a volunteer. When you start volunteering, you can choose to stay with your host family or you can choose different accommodation, which does not have to be don Quijote.Neem hier makkelijk deel aan door je zelf in te schrijven bij don Quijote. Een ervaring voor het leven zal het worden die je nooit zult vergeten!!

All income goes directly to the volunteer project. This way you can see for yourself right away where the money is going. Nowadays you can also volunteer in Spain, put together your own trip and help the less fortunate. Helping to build orphanages and schools gives you a fulfilled feeling!

We will look for a good volunteer project for you. During your volunteer work you will be accompanied so that we can keep track of how you are doing and help you when needed. For each volunteer, don Quijote will donate a contribution to the project in question.

So have you always wanted to do something for those people who are less fortunate in their lives than you? Now you have the chance to do something for this, become a volunteer in a Spanish-speaking country in Spain or Latin America. There are many projects in Latin America that help in orphanages and schools. Improve both your Spanish and the lives of those less fortunate by volunteering!

Toledo is the capital of the Castile-La Mancha region of central Spain and is located 70 kilometers south of Madrid. Toledo is also on UNESCO's World Heritage List due to its rich history and diversity of cultures.

Toledo was the capital of Spain until 1561 and is still considered one of the most important cities of the Spanish church today. The city is also known for its many daggers and swords that you will find all over the city. Toledo is also the city of El Greco, a famous painter.

Ancient Toledo was owned by the Romans who called the city Toletum until 192 B.C. Furthermore, Toledo was also part of the Visigoths from 534 to 712 A.D. In Moorish times, 712 to 1085 A.D. the city was called Tolaitola. After this time, Toledo experienced a prosperous time through the silk and wool industry and also through arms manufacturing.

Although Toledo is not a large area, it is an important hub economically and socially. The city is rich in culture and Spanish history. Toledo can also be easily visited on foot. All sights, monuments, museums and other places of interest are close together. However, it is advisable to wear good shoes or sturdy slippers since, as in all other cities in Spain, the streets are usually lined with small stones.

Toledo is generally known as "The City of Three Cultures." This is because Christian, Muslim and hebrew cultures lived within the city walls and this has left its mark on the city. This is particularly evident in the extraordinary architecture where all three cultures come together and give it its own personality.

During the Spanish Civil War, Toledo became truly famous for the siege of the Alcázar. At the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, the siege of the Alcázar of Toledo took place, this was an important military confrontation between opponents and supporters of Francisco Franco. From July 21 to Sept. 27, 1936, the city of Toledo and particularly the Alcázar was besieged by citizens loyal to the leftist government. The Alcázar was defended by Colonel José Moscardó. On July 25, the besiegers captured Colonel Moscardó's son, Luis, and wanted to kill him if the Alcázar did not surrender within ten minutes. The colonel asked his son on the phone to address him, telling him, "Dedicate your soul to God and cry loudly Long live Christ King! Long live Spain!" The son replied, "That is something I can accomplish!" After this refusal to surrender, the son was bloody murdered a month later. On Sept. 27, after two months of siege, the Alcázar was unseated by Franco.

Toledo's rich history in particular makes it a wonderful city to visit. Transportation to Toledo is easy from Madrid. It is definitely worth visiting Toledo once if you get the chance. After all, you can really enjoy walking in this city!     

Traveling through Spain, enjoying Spanish life under the sun! Travel in general has become one of the most popular leisure activities of most people in recent years. This year, an estimated 1 billion people will go on vacation! Spain is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Europe.

This trend starts especially with the youth between 18-25 years old. Taking a year off to work or going on a year of travel is increasingly becoming a popular option. This is a result of reducing the relative distance between 2 places. The relative distance between two places is the time it takes to get from one place to another. This has become shorter over the years through technological advances of land, sea and air travel.

Because the distance between different places is smaller, the ability to travel is also easier. It used to be special if you went abroad for vacation. Nowadays, we don't do anything else and most families go on vacation abroad at least twice a year. Many study trips are also taken, whether it is studying abroad or learning a language abroad, nowadays anything is possible! A study trip is an experience for life, you learn from it and you meet many different people. Study trips to Barcelona, Madrid, Granada and Salamanca are the most visited study destinations.

Accessibility in a country is very important. Therefore, in Spain there are many buses and trains that can take tourists from one city to another for relatively low prices. From Madrid the trains in Spain run in all directions, Madrid is located in the middle of Spain which ensures the many directions. The roads in Spain are also good, making a car vacation to Spain easy to do as well. This allows you to see a lot of the country while being independent of any buses and/or trains. You can easily rent a car from the airport.

Did you know that the Madrid - Barcelona flight and vice versa are the most frequent flights in the world. Daily flights go from the largest city in Spain to the second largest city and back again. Because there are so many flights going every day, the airline tickets also have pleasant prices. Furthermore, many domestic flights go from the north to Andalusia and also to Catalonia. Because of this, many Spaniards also enjoy a vacation in their own country.

All in all, traveling to and through Spain is quite doable. There are many pristine spots of nature where mass tourism has not yet set its foot. It is therefore definitely worth doing a tour of Spain, especially with the pleasant climate that we Dutch are always so envious of!

Summer in Spain varies, inland it can get very hot while on the coast it can be a pleasant temperature. The weather is determined by the altitude and the surrounding sea. Spain borders three seas that determine the summer in Spain these are the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Sea and the Cantabrian Sea. These seas are important for wind flow to and from the Iberian Peninsula.

It can also rain heavily during the summer in Spain. The chance of rain is less in the south than in the north, where sometimes large showers occur. In the south an average of 10 mm falls where in the northeast sometimes hundreds of millimeters fall. The Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca are therefore very popular vacation destinations. The wettest area in summer is San Sebastian, where about 300 mm of summer rain falls. The record summer rainfall in Spain is 720 mm in Gandia in Valencia, this was on November 3, 1987.

Spring is also a perfect time to go to Spain for a vacation or to work in Spain. Some advantages are that the days get longer then, the weather is more stable and there is a gentle breeze. In spring the temperature is around 20 degrees while in summer it is around 30 degrees. On average, in summer in Spain, the sun shines 11-12 hours per day.

Summers in Spain can be very hot, this is especially true inland. Nights can also be cool inland where temperatures can fall below 10 degrees. Compared to the Netherlands, summer in Spain is warmer, but the differences between day and night are great. The temperature by the sea can sometimes stay 30 degrees all night. In the summer of Spain, daytime temperatures can run around 21 degrees on the north coast and around 33 degrees in Madrid and even 36 degrees in Cordoba. The highest temperature ever recorded in Spain is 47.8 degrees in Murcia on July 29, 1976. During summer in Spain, some places see the sun 300 to 370 hours per month. In our small country, this average is around 200 hours per month (our sunniest month). The area with the most sun in Spain and Europe is the Gulf of Cadiz in southern Spain. Here the sun shines annually over 3000 hours and the north coast, on the other hand, only 1700 hours.

Especially the east coast and the islands are crowded in the summer by both tourists and students as seasonal workers. Many students go to work in Spain during the summer vacations. These are usually temporary jobs in Spain in the hospitality industry or in the tourism sector, for example, in a hotel or at a campsite. Many families also enjoy their summer vacations in Spain.

Spain is a perfect country to enjoy your vacation or to work in the summer. Spain is one of the busiest vacation countries in Europe. Many tourists stay in Spain during the summer to enjoy the wonderful weather, among other things. I don't blame them!