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Why This European Country Is Exploding In Popularity With American Travelers

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There’s a lot of competition between European countries when vying for the attention of American travelers.

Italy has Rome and Venice, the U.K. has London and Edinburgh, and France has Paris and Nice.

But there’s one country that remains hugely popular with American travelers despite that competition even into the fall, and that’s Spain.

alhambra fortress castle in granada spain

It’s so popular in fact that a recent report has revealed that flight bookings to Spain from the U.S. are up more than 11% this September.

This makes Americans the largest non-European traveler group visiting Spain after Mexico.

So, just what is it about Spain that keeps Americans coming back all year round?

There’s Something For Everyone

Many tourist boards make claims like this about the country they represent, but Spain can make a genuine argument for having a little bit of everything.

There are famous and historic cities such as Madrid and Barcelona that are globally renowned tourism hot spots.

street in spain

There’s a dazzling array of coastal beach resorts, stretching from Catalonia in the northeast all the way down to the Costa Del Sol in the south, including iconic destinations such as Malaga, Marbella, Almeria, Cartagena, and Alicante along the way.

Spain also has its fair share of island paradises, such as Ibiza, Menorca, and Mallorca in the Balearics, and also the fantastic Canary Islands – a Spanish territory that lies off the coast of the Western Sahara that’s home to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote.

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papagayo beach in lanzarote spain

In total Spain boasts around 3,000 miles of coastline.

The country even has some magnificent mountain ranges such as the Pyrenees in the northeast, the Cantabrian Mountain Chain in the North, and the Sierra Morena range in the south.

It’s Digital Nomad Friendly

Spain’s digital nomad visa has proved extremely popular among Americans, especially in trendy cities such as Seville.

The visa is open to anyone outside of the European Economic Area and only requires you to earn double the current Spanish minimum wage (roughly $2,300 per month at the time of writing).

orange trees in seville

It also allows you to work for Spanish companies while you are based there, so long as the income from that never becomes more than 20% of your overall earnings.

With the possibility of working in awesome livable cities off the beaten path like Seville, Bilbao, and Valencia, it’s easy to see why this is one of Europe’s most sought-after digital nomad visas.

Popular With Solo Travelers

Spain is an easy country to get around with a reliable and relatively affordable train network, which makes it simple for solo travelers to see plenty of its destinations.

It is also a generally safe country – it ranks inside the top 32 safest countries in the world and top 25 safest countries in Europe according to the 2023 Global Peace Index.

Spain is also super popular with our team of travel experts, with the coastal region around the city of Valencia being a particular favorite.

palau de les arts in valencia spain

Comfortable Climate

According to the official tourism board, Spain boasts more than 3,000 hours of sunshine every year.

While the mid-summer can be rather sizzling, the fall and spring are considered better times to visit due to milder temperatures.

Contrary to popular belief, it does actually rain in Spain sometimes. The worst of the country’s rainy season occurs in the north and is worst in the winter months from December to February.

traveler in spain

Fascinating History

Spain has a long and interesting history that includes relics from many different civilizations and cultures.

Spain has the fourth largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the planet, including iconic sights such as the Alhambra Palace in Granada, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, and the Great Mosque of Cordoba.

guggenheim museum in bilbao spain

The culture in Spain is not only historic, but the country also has a thriving modern art scene that can be best viewed at venues such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao or the Valencian Institute of Modern Art (IVAM).

Barcelona and Malaga are also home to museums dedicated to one of Spain’s most famous artists, Pablo Picasso.  

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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com

Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.