haters cant touch this :D

  Spain is an amazing country full of wonderful cities and countryside.  It has an ancient culture that is both diverse and intelligent!

I know of no other place to live live to the full!!

Most racist motherfu*kers in the PLANET!!!!!!!!

If you like, or would like to try, different sports activities like kayaking, canyoning, riding, quad bikes etc I can highly recommend a sports activity holiday like www.totallysortedsports.co.uk. They'll sort out absolutely everything for you and your family, and show you some get great sights both on the coast and inland in the sierras.

I think an over-rated country which has some culture but not an outstanding sea (except the islands, but who think that Canarie are Spain?) and a people who are incomprehensibly raising their national pride only for some years of increase of their economy (new colonization of South America for this). Mah

Spain is great. It has everything for everyone! Beaches, Tropical Islands, mediterranean Islands, Cuisine, History, culture, art, architechture, has it ALL!

a country of two halves. The north is generally beautiful. Beautiful cities such as Santiago de Compostela and lovely green countryside. The south is being ruined by tourism and now much of its resembles a barren lunar landscape especially the coastal region stretching down from Alicante to Cartagena. Much of this is due to greedy developers who are destroying the natural environment by building vast housing schemes for German, British and Scandinavian expats. Then there are hundreds of lush green golf course which are sucking the rivers dry just so a bunch of well off idiots can hit little balls around with sticks. As a people i generally find the Spanish OK though i dont find them very progressive re the environment and animal welfare. The quality of food varies quite a bit. I've had some of the very best food in my life there, but I've also has some disappointing efforts.

I visited Madrid in Spain this weekend just gone for a hen weekend(batchelorette weekend) and unfortunately I wasn't impressed. I thought Madrid reminded me too much of New York and London. I thought that the food over there was the worst food I have ever tasted and I'm from England where we have the worst reputation for food so thats saying something. I did however like the way their lands were on split levels, I loved their parks especially Retiro Park, the weather was gorgeous (100 degrees when I was out there) and I thought the hotel we stayed in - Hotel Atlantico on the Gran Via was really outstanding for the price we payed. One restaurant we checked out was Parrilla on C/. Precaidos - it was ok, but the pasta was a little chewy. As for the Paella's - I've tasted better Paellas in London. Spanish people really loved their ice-creams and alcohol as every corner we went to either had a bar or an ice cream stand. If I went to Spain again I would most definitely want to check out Valencia or Barcelona as coming from the city the whole point of taking a trip or short break is to be somewhere thats different from where your from.

They have their very own terrorist organisation in their own back yard, the Basques and they give in to Muslim terrorists. What would you expect from a country right next to France.

why all this hate for the basques? ETA is a miniscule sepratist organization that is NOT supported by the majority of basques. the basque people just want to live their lives without so much spanish interference. anyways, spain is an amazing country.

I would have to say that spain is probably the best country in europe. I'm not just saying that because i'm spanish, but it truly is. One of the unique things to spain is diversity and variety which is not found anywhere else in europe. Spain has lush green forests in the north all the way to deserts in the north and everthing else in between ;D. Another great thing is the Culture. Spaniards are very cheerfull, layed back people. They enjoy living the momment and taking siestas in the afternoon. Life in spain is very relaxed in the day and fun at night. Spain is europe's Club capital. It has some of the biggest night clubs on earth and many great festivals such as the Running Of The Bulls in pamplona, where thrill seekers get to run beside bulls and try to tough them. Spain has alot of History. (You may say, "Yeah, well... so does the rest of europe" but thats where your wrong! Read on) Where else in europe can you find all different types of ancient cultures? No where. Spain's northwestern state, Galicia, is considered a Celtic Nation, Which means that it was occupied by the celts for some time and it still has a thriving celtic culture. Spain was also invaded by the romans and left alot of culture and great monuments. Spain was also under the Moors (arabics) which left many beutifull buildings and monuments which can still be seen today. I wish I could share 100% with you how it is to go to spain. Unlike other european countries, Spain is always a cheerfull and happy place to go. It is impossible to describe the feeling you get when you go there. You just ahve to take a look for yourself to find out. Here is a list of places and monuments to see when/if you to Spain. <-------------------------List----------------------------> - Madrid: The capital of spain, and a major european city. One of it's main attractions is the El Prado Art Museum, which is the most important in the world along with the Louvre museum in Paris. - Barcelona: The Capital of the mediterranean. It is a busttling city full of night life. The hippest place in europe. Many great beaches and beutifull fairyland-like buildings buildings by Gaudi. - Santiago de Compostella: The third holiest city on earth. The Santiago Cathedral is the tomb of Apostle Santiago (St. James) and one of the oldest cathedrals on earth. - Segovia: Segovia is one of the most beutifull cities in spain. Alot of history. Its main attraction is the Roman Aqueduct and the Alcazar Castle. The Alcazar is a fairy-tale-like castle which actually inspired Walt Disney to make his castle in Disney world. It has blue roofs and white walls and everything. - Toledo: A small medievel town on a hill. Narrow streets and cobbled stone (althought much of spain is like this). It is known worldide for its medieval weaponry and shields. - Andalucia: Andalucia is the one of the most historic and beutiful states in spain. It was the center of the moorish empire in spain. It is impossible to describe this very colorfull mediterranean area where the sun is always shinning. This is a must see if you want to visit spain. I reccommend all spain. Because even the smallest village in spain is full of rich history and sometimes its very own culture.

Having lived, worked and traveled about Spain and related to its people and places for two years, it is my testimony that the country is beautiful, the tourist resources plentiful, the art, music and museums equal to many, the food exquisite and most Spanish congenial. No country has a monopoly on perfection or defects. After all, its people and experiences make a particular perception on visitors (the rudeness of New York City denizens in the 1980s made it unlivable; it is now almost unrecognizable in that regard). Countries in Europe certainly are much more cultured and have deeper traditions. Take in the best of Spain with resaonable expectations. The occasional blowhard cannot be avoided or is no different from those to be found in any country in the world.

Spain: Spain is too diverse to write down an review in a couple of sentences, but I'll give it a try. For tourism I think Spain has more to offer then any country. Mountains, semi-desert, beaches, culture, nightlife, food, adventure,sports, climate...you name it, they got it. I go to Spain since 1984 and saw it changing since then. I worked in Barcelona and Seville an travelled everywhere. Spain is an ancient country with a very rich culture in almost all cities. The Spain with flamenco, tapas and bullfights is more then anything the region Andalucia. Cities like Cordoba, Sevilla and Granada have excellent nightlife, and are very alive. Life is on the street and streets are crowded most of the time. The Mediteranean coast has beatiful beaches and if you're looking for some swimming and sun you'll be fine everywhere. Valencia has the pleasure of a big city together with nice beaches. Barcelona is a véry beautiful city with it's architecture, beaches and mountains nearby. Compared to nightlife in Southern Spain Barcelona is quite boring, considering that it's a big city. On weekdays after 24:00 there's not much to do. Spanish live for the weekend. To get to know the real Spain I think you should speak Spanish. In most regions where a lot of tourists come people are not really open to foreigners anymore. It's like an industry and you can't blame them. In all my time living in Spain I can say that it's hard to mix with the local people. The more north you go the more open-minded people are. If you want to work in Spain you probably have the best chance in Madrid, Catalonia or Valencia. Working conditions are a lot better overthere and the unemployment is considerably lower. The Spanish food served outside the tourist places is great and not expensive at all. They serve very fine wines, meat, fish, sandwiches. I love the breakfasts in the streetbars. A holiday in Spain is always nice, no matter where you go. The Basque region I find quite depressing compared to the rest of Spain, but San Sebastian is a very nice place with a beautiful bay for some swimming. Also good in Spain are the restaurants along the road. Specially in Andalucia, but also in other regions, you can buy great dishes while travelling.For tourism Granada, Seville, Barcelona, Santiago de Compostela, Madrid, Salamanca are all beautifull places, and for sun and swimming all costal resorts are fine. If you have only a couple of days maybe Barcelona is the best choice. In 20 years I saw Spain modernizing at high speed and if the economy keeps growing this will be absolutely one of world's best countries for holidays and to live in. One negative thing about Spain: The patriotism. So many Spanish think that nothing is better than their own country or region that is is annoying sometimes. They should feel more like one nation and stop thinking in regions. After all they are all European.....

For those of you who have had a bad experience in spain, we apologize, but Madrid, Barcelona, and other big cities in spain don't have as much crime rate as other cities like rome or athens. It all depends on the time and place you were at. Most people don't like spain because we speak spanish and they see us as Spics whcih is a racial remark against hispanics which are the Spaniards, ITALIANS, FRENCH, & Portugese! I don't know why some americans (no offense to those who aren't. I live in the USA and there are alot of great kind americans) are so ignorant, they think everyone should speak their language and support them in every way. Spain has alot to more to offer than italy. In spain you can find something for everyone: great beaches in the south, great skii resorts in the northeast, and lush forests in the north. SPain is a land of contrast. It also has many different cultures, such as Galicians, Andalucians, Catalans, Basques, & Castillians and some other minor ones. In the north you will find ancient Celtic ruins and one of the holiest cities in the world; Santiago De Compostela which is the burial of St. James the Apostol. In the central part of the city you will find Castles, Roman Ruins, Moorish ruins, and more. And the south of spain is probably the best, which has tons and tons of Moorish architecture such as one of the greatest Mezquitas' in the world,one can be found in Cordoba. Now for those of you who are against bullfighting, read this: All of the bulls which are used to bullfight, lived their lives like kings. All of their lives before being killed, they spend in happines. Once the bullfighter is ready to kill the bull, he kills him humainly and instantly and the bull doesn't suffer much longer. In america, they treat their livestock with no consideration. If you go to this webpage: http://www.meetyourmeat.com you will see some of the most horrific seens you will ever see. As far as the ETA terrorist group goes, Spain is 100% against them. Plus the Basques aren't just in spain, they are part of france and spain. plus, ost of the people voting on this forums are other europeans from the UK or Italy who don't get along with other european nations because of their soccer teams or what not. trust me, if you go to spain you return with more than you expected, because most people don't know spain, but in my opinion it has more interesting cities to see and more culture than the rest of the european nations, because it was under the domination of various tribes such as the celts, iberians, vikings... visigoths, moors, romans, greeks... etc.

spain is great. it has more to offer than other european countries as far as climate, geography, and culture go. If you like mountains go north or northeast, if you like beaches go south and east. madrid and barcelona and other big cities aren't as crimminal infested as some other cities like rome or milan (most of the crimminals in spain come from the UK and eastern eu. countries). As far as polution goes, spain is heaven compared to rome or venice. and most people complain about the people which don't like americans: get used to it, it's europe, nobody there likes americans, not just spain. And I agree with RicardoDESantiago, Spain needs more popularity, for example: how many people know of Notredame cathedral in france? ALOT. Now, how many people know of Santiago de Compostela? Not many, considering it is one of the three holiest cities in the world along with rome and jerusalem, it also has one of the oldest cathedrals which serves as the tomb of St. James the apostol. Or how many know of spain as an ancient celtic land? or many other things. If you go to spain you won't be disappointed and you'll get more than you expected.

Culturally fragmented. First they identify with their local regions, then the nation. They like to pick on South American immigrants but seem afraid to stand up to the more dangerous immigrant population, the Muslims (Moroccans mostly). Unemployment is high, and they'll blame everyone (like the tourists, foreigners, the British) and everything but themselves. And stay away from the Basques (in far northern Spain). They think they live on their own little planet and probably won't like you.

free cheese?

yuk

The first official country to surrender to terrorism. Good thing we don't need their sorry ass help anyway. Expect countless terror attacks in the future. I'd rather live in Mongolia than in this dump.

Very passionate country and people...full of other Europeans who live there now, so avoid the coasts if you want a flavour of real Spain. Spain has become a clean and dynamic country, has the world's best health service, is open to a new and modern society, yet keeps many traditions and fiestas...you'll definitely enjoy yourself here.

Well hey at least they tried unlike France... don't feel too bad about them, they've been on a downward military slide since the Spanish Armada. They do have a Bourbon king though.. that's a plus.

Trying to take France's place as who can surender the fastest. Like Mexico without the diarrhea.

Culture cauldron, don't lose time take a visit to Ibiza.

Great for the sun and, when you can find it among the burgers and fries depots, Tapas.

for what they do to the bulls :D

italy has more to offer...much much better... Spain is not as beautiful as Italy. plus i dont go on well with spics

Spain's one of those countries that's too diverse too make generalisations about. On the one hand there are beautiful historic cities like Seville, Madrid, Valencia and Santiago. On the other there is the horrible moonscape stretching down from Benidorm down the Costas taking in such 'delights' as Alicante and Torrevieja. While the North contains forests and green landscape, the southern part is dry and arid covered with fast growing cramped housing developments along the coast. Go to some of the 'new' towns like Qesada -about 30 minutes south of Alicante -and its full of early retired builders from Essex UK and British criminals on the lam. On a wet grey day you might as well be in Basildon. Other pluses are the food, some great Rioja, flamenco decent football and the history. Other negatives? Cant say I approve of the way they treat animals such as bullfighting and the pollution's pretty bad. All in all I'd give Spain 3 1/2 stars if it was possible.

Spain is not only one of Europe's most fascinating countries, but is home to some of the world's greatest treasures of history, culture, charm, and beauty. I lived in Spain for 3 years and during that time I had a chance to explore the many historical gems and diverse regions that the Iberian Peninsula has to offer. (Portugal is pretty cool too ya know) For one, you won't find any other country in Europe that is as rich in cultural influences as Spain is. The Romans and the Moors left a signigicant mark on Spanish society with their language, culture and architecture. Incredible Roman ruins can still be found throughout the country, the best being in Merida, Segovia and Tarragona. Fascinating Moorish palaces and mosques, such as the Alhambra of Granada and La Mezquita of Cordoba, are two incredible must see places for anyone traveling through Andalusia. Cathedrals...WOW! Some of the finest in the world. Medival, Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance-era...it's all here. Enchanting castles can be found in nearly every part of the country. The geography is quite diverse, with the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains in the south, only a few hours drive from the amazing beaches of the Costa Del Sol. From the deserts of Almeria, to the lush green Ireland-like Asturias in the north, Spain has the climate and geography to satisfy anyone's desires. The people of Spain share one very common virtue in life...eat well, drink well, and enjoy every day as if it were your last. They are notorious for their never-ending festive spirits and many celebrations throughout the year. The running of the bulls in Pamplona , the April Fair of Sevilla, and Holy Week are just a few of the more famous of these Spanish traditions. Great food, wonderful people, awesome nightlife, enchanting cities, historical treasures...what more could you ask for? Spain is truly a place like no other.

Spain has replaced France in the heiarchy of strong, capable, free nations in Europe. They are growing in leaps and bounds when it comes to influence within the free world. Great job Spain.

a great country!

HOSPITALITY SUCKS

I've seen Ibiza on televison and I must say it looks interesting!I also once saw that Spain had a big tomato fight,now that looked like fun.

A wonderful vibrant country where you can really chill out. DO go to Barcelona/Catalonia. People are very warm, especially the Catalans - however the only reason I didn't give Spain 5 is because of the Basque Country, which is a nasty place with really rude people.

Out of all of the Western European countries, Spain would have to be my least favorite. It is a dusty, dry country with uncourteous people and dirty, crowded cities. Try to head to the north of the country. Barcelona, the Basque country and Galicia are nice. But the "heart and soul" of Spain is in the south. That part of the country is hot and dirty. Don't go to Torremolinos near Gibraltar; it is a tourist trap where wannabe Euro-trash go to get the Meditteranean look. Sevilla, Corboda, and Granada are very highly overrated in the south. If you go to this country, your best bet would be to go off the beaten path.

Dry. Brown. The Ebro is incredibly polluted. Shades of the fascist Franco still abound in certain cities. They seem to have this problem with the Basques (as do the French). The Balearic Islands are tourist traps and are frequented by pale northern Europeans striving for that swarthy Mediterranean look. Madrid is frenetic and too populated for me. They need to stop taking all those siestas and learn to wait on Americans the right way, which is the AMERICAN way. Bull-running in Pamplona? Don't think so. That's plain idiocy. The rain in Spain is water on their brain.

Today, 01/04/2002, the three most rated Western Europe attractions are in Madrid, Barcelona, Granada. There must be an explication. I'm far from being Spanish...and nevertheless I do think Spain (maybe also Portugal...) is the only country a non-native could fall in love with, because it's full of magic. Magic in the real meaning of...feeling the magic around you, and in you. And in the middle of all this, you find some of the most beatiful attractions the entire world has to offer.

Pamplona here we come - 7 de julio, San Fermin!!!!!

It has some nice scenery, but its inhumane and barbaric treatment of animals is appalling.

The rain in Spain falls mainly on my head.

Definitely the most interesting country in the world. Modern and tradicional at the same time. Barcelona is the best city in the world too!

7 de julio, San Fermin!!

This is a country that I would like to get lost in for a while. I have only had the chance to be in Spain for one week of vacation, but I loved every minute of it. The cities - Madrid, Barcelona, Granada - are magnificent. Tons of cultural stuff to do, a great nightlife, beautiful friendly people, etc. The beaches are pretty, with a cultural scene all their own. Spain has all of the beauty and history of other parts of Western Europe without the stodginess of England, the arrogance of France, or antiscepticness (this is not a word) of Switzerland. The only other country that would compare, in my opinion, is Italy.

Spain is a beautiful country. From the hustle and bustle of Madrid to the gorgeous beaches of Costa del Sol to the rich history of many cities including Toledo (my personal favorite), Spain has it all. It also has an extensive rail system which makes it easy to get around without a car.

I have never traveled to Spain, and have no real desire to do so.

Everything about this country is fantastic - what can I say I was impressed

excelent beaches, especially in the islands: Ibiza, Mallorca, costa del sol, tenerife...

great! do u want culture, business, architecturte? then visit madrid or barcelona. Or do u wanna have fun? ibiza, mallorca, all the "costa del sol"... sincerely, great!

The most interesting European country! Maybe I'll settle there once in the future? :o)

I think Spain is full of free-spirited people - at least the area I visited.

Madrid is one of my favorite cities on the planet. It's got it all; great sites, cool nightlife, excellent architecture, nice people. I totally recommend it.