2015 has been a noteworthy year for the Balearic Island of Mallorca (Spain), since it was officially considered, the best place to live in the world by the publication The Times. It certainly has enviable weather, an exquisite quality of life and many cultural and leisure activities that make it a preferred tourist destination for people from around the world. But is it good enough to want to live there year-round? We’ll take a look at the five main reasons why Mallorca is the best place to live in the world.

Based on the analysis completed by The Times for considering Mallorca the best place to live in the world, the first thing to take into consideration is the climate. The average temperature on the island is 65ºF; with an average low of 46ºF and on very few occasions it drops below 41ºF. Or in other words, it has a mild climate all year, with highs in the summer that don’t exceed 86ºF except on hot Mediterranean days. This allows for very agreeable visits at any time of year, without the dreaded cold winters of other coastal areas, or the suffocating, hot summers of some of the other most famous tourist destinations.

Another one of the most important characteristics according to The Times is its international connectedness. It is important to take transportation into consideration when looking for a new place to live, and the Palma de Mallorca Airport connects the island with a large number of countries year-round. This means that both receiving visitors as well as traveling to other destinations is cheaper and easier than in other places in the world; something to take into consideration, most of all on an island where mobility is a vital factor.

The diverse social atmosphere is another aspect of Mallorca that stands out. Almost half a million people live on the island and the expat community, far from being mere visitors, has established itself.  With stores and businesses of their own they have grown both the economy and the cosmopolitan diversity of the island.

We should also value the island’s historic center which is just as impressive as those in other Spanish and Mediterranean cities. Its history has been perfectly conserved since the 13^th century. Although they display more recent history, it is also recommendable to see fishing areas with architecture that is typical of Mallorca, and exclusive to this area of the world.

Finally, Mallorca stands out for its cultural character. Because people from so many different places visit the island, the multicultural influence there is like no other in the world. This fact has made Mallorca an international place of interest for art without precedent. Museums, art exhibitions, theater, concerts… There are cultural activities to highlight on Mallorca almost every day of the year, making the island an irresistible place of interest for art lovers in general.

People are increasingly drawn to Madrid. The capital of Spain is starting be a city that can hold its own against other cultural capitals, in terms of both cultural interest and important museums. So what are the most essential museums to see in Madrid?

Museo del Prado: Don’t miss the chance to stroll through one of the best art galleries in Europe. The Museo del Prado was inaugurated in 1819, and in its almost two centuries of history, it has compiled over 27,000 referential works of art within its walls. It also includes an amazing collection of works by Spanish artists like Goya and Velázquez.

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía: More commonly known as the “Reina Sofía” it has an amazing collection of modern art including works by Dalí, Juan Gris, Joan Miró and of course, Picasso. In fact if you want to see Picasso’s masterpiece, Guernica, you’ll have to come here.

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza: This museum houses a wonderful private collection that allows visitors to stroll through different periods in art history. Flemish and Italian masterpieces and modern art stand out among the collection.

National Archaeological Museum of Spain: Recently reopened after remodeling that took six years to complete, this museum is all the rage this season. Its biggest draw is that it knows how to mix modernity into its exhibitions and technology with some of the most ancient pieces in our history.

Museum of Romanticism: This small, charming museum is home to a nice collection of works, furniture and decorative pieces from Spain’s romantic period, a tumultuous period both politically and culturally.

Of course there are many other museums in Madrid that we encourage you to see. A trip to the city dedicated to seeing its art collections, natural history and even geology museums can keep you more than entertained for the whole trip.

Menorca is known as one of the most relaxed islands in the Balearic Island chain. But in reality, this notion comes from comparing it with the louder, neighboring island of Ibiza. La isla blanca (the white island) is known internationally as one of the epicenters of electronic music in the summer, and by comparison, the almost nil party atmosphere on Menorca may make it seem “boring.” But it definitely is not.

Menorca offers many different exciting activities. The most well known among them, without a doubt, is snorkeling, a sport that anyone can take part in, and which can be enjoyed anywhere on the island. You can explore the underwater world with the help of a snorkel (although you can’t dive very deep) while you take in the rich abundance of sea creatures living close to Menorca’s beaches. Snorkeling anywhere on the island makes for an absolute visual spectacle, even if you’re only a few feet from shore. Many tourists have only had to get half of their bodies wet and dunk their heads under water to see huge shoals of fish swimming all around them.

Beach lovers will also find unique routes on Menorca. The most popular tourist beaches are accompanied by others that are less well known, or that are slightly more difficult to access since they don’t have access roads and getting to them can require long walks. Because of this, some of these beaches have maintained their status as unspoiled. Those great photos of white sand beaches surrounded by low mountains that can only be accessed by sea were taken precisely on this island.

Menorca also offers a unique cultural experience. You can visit the taulas (meaning “table” in Catalan), architectural concepts built by the Talaiotic Culture, originating on Mallorca and Menorca in approximately 2,000 B.C.E, or in other words, more than 4,000 years ago.

Lastly, Menorca, as we’ve already mentioned, is an island that has been unjustly categorized as “boring.” Its village fiestas and many tourist attractions give color to almost every day of the year. Furthermore, the disco Cova d’en Xoroi sits atop one of the islands cliffs, and offers one of the best views to tourists in a real cave in the mountains that has been climatized. There are morning, afternoon and night sessions, and music practically from Monday to Friday during the entire season. It is one of the most lively and beautiful places to see the sun set high above the sea.

Cova d’en Xoroi: Menorca’s most spectacular night club

The Balearic Islands of Spain are made up of four main islands: Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera. They also include Cabrera and several other islets. This Mediterranean archipelago is a highly valued tourist destination and the capital, Mallorca, has recently been recognized as one of the best places in the world to live in by the British journal The Sunday Times.

If you’ve chosen these islands as your vacation destination, you may be wondering which one is the best one for you to visit. That will all depend on what you’re looking for during your Mediterranean getaway.

Mallorca, the best city in the world

The city’s ranking as “the best place in the world to live in” has attracted many tourists from around the world to see for themselves what makes it so special. In essence it’s an enormous island that encompasses all the comforts of a city with the appeal of an exotic island, which is what most attracts attention.

It’s important to keep in mind however that Mallorca gets crowded throughout nearly the entire summer season. This makes it an ideal place for vacationers looking for a destination with many extensive beaches and many other visitors like themselves. This is reflected in the price of the accommodation, which is sensibly more economic than the rest of the islands. The entertainment options here are quite varied as they are on Ibiza.

Ibiza, the white island

Ibiza has been considered an island paradise since the mid 20^th century, where alternative social and musical trends have originated and expanded across the small surface area which is characterized by scenic white-sand coves.

The period between the end of the 20^th century and the beginning of the 21^st saw the height of Ibiza’s youth tourism, which concentrated on partying that lasted all night and all day. Despite the current legal restrictions on the opening of night clubs, and although the island also offers scenic coves and natural landscapes, it continues to be a destination recommended for those looking for a place to party.

Menorca, the wild sister

The island of Menorca is a nature paradise with many large coves where tourists can go snorkeling and diving among all types of fish and mollusks. The protection given to natural areas makes this a lush and scenic island; many coves can only be accessed after a long walk. Nightlife is not as active here as Ibiza: there’s only one large night club on the island and it’s tucked away in caves overlooking the sea, which gives it a magical ambience. This island is clearly the best destination for nature lovers.

Formentera, the little island

Finally, Formentera (like Cabrera) stands out as an ideal destination for a different type of vacation. It’s extremely small, the entire island is protected from external contamination and only naturalists and lovers of the most primitive islands find the vacation of their dreams here. If you’re one of them, this is the destination for you.

Flamenco is a typical Spanish music and dance style which originally comes from 18^th century Andalucía. The singing, dancing and the guitar constitute the main elements of Flamenco. There are four main styles of Flamenco: Fandango, Soleá, Seguiriya and Tango. The Fandango is a dance in pairs often with castanets and lively, passionate movements. The Soleá is danced by a single female dancer with great expression. She dances slow and difficult movements with her arms and body all accompanied by tap dancing. The Seguiriya is a solemn and melancholic style which is also demonstrated in the dance. The movements are similar to the ones of the Soleá but are generally even heavier. Lastly, the Tango, which should not be confused with the Tango Argentino, is danced in couples and is characterized by many hip rolls, flowing arms and hand gestures.

Madrid is the ideal place to learn Flamenco. The city is a stronghold of this passionate and romantic dance and offers many opportunities to perform, listen, or watch Flamenco. Why not combine an intensive Spanish course with Flamenco classes at one of our language schools in Madrid? This is the best way to dive into the Spanish culture and to experience what it is all about to live and study in Spain. The dance is not only a good medium to get to know the culture as well as equal-minded people, but also a very good form of exercise and fantastic way to have fun at the same time. The flamenco course is adapted to your Spanish course schedule and consists of several hours a week in order to teach you this fantastic dance during your time on the Spanish immersion program.

Grab your dancing shoes! Madrid is waiting for you!

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