Spain lifestyle, pros and cons?

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Emily

I am not from Spain, but I studied abroad there for a year. Off the top of my head the five best things are:
1. The slow pace of life (including the siestas)
2. Less commercialism and materialism (compared to the U.S.)
3. Free tapas with drinks (in some parts of Spain)
4. The beautiful old buildings and history behind everything
5. The nightlife is a lot of fun

Things not so good:
1. The economy isn't great so it can be hard to find a job
2. The abrupt attitude of Spanish people can seem rude.
3. The food isn't my favorite

Bonnie Ayr

best things are,
great weather, good food, outdoor lifestyle, friendly people, and compared to the rest of Europe it,s slightly cheaper to live.
I would change,
the mountain of red tape needed to do anything official , bad drivers and the maÃ±ana mentality ( always do something tomorrow instead of today) oh and they are never on time.

JillPinky

I have lived in Spain (North Costa Blanca - Javea) for just over 4 years. The 5 best things from my point of view are :

1. The slower pace of life with much less crime than U.K.
2. The weather (but not the Gota Frias)
3. The scenery, i.e. mountains, lakes and beaches.
4. Mediterranean diet and all those lovely fresh oranges and market fresh vegetables.
5. Much less materialistic than U.K.

The 3 things I would change :

1. Bureaucracy - This drives you to distraction.
2. Spanish drivers - (I don't think they know what car indicators are supposed to be used for.)
3. Corrupt mayors and Town Hall Administrators.

Mya

Best things : People, the mediterrano diet, the weather, a lot of place in one country ( beach, mountain, dunes, forest), and the night life.
The thing that I change: The racism of radicals, the education of traffics, there are a lot of traffic accidents, and the politic of the PP.
Kisses from Madird,
Sorry my english is terrible.

SwampFox

I lived there for a year, and the list of things I love about Spain goes well beyond five, but since you limited it:

1. Great food
2. Great people
3. Great scenery, both natural and man-made
4. Lots of history
5. Great climate

1. Too close to France
2. Virtually everyone smokes
3. Religion and politics are not subjects for polite discussion

Kelbid

I'm not from there, but my husband is & I lived there a few years..

Best things: Food (fresh orange juice everywhere, amazing pastries, fresh seafood..), architecture (Jewish quarters in the south with narrow cobblestone streets), nightlife (bars on every corner & discos that open at 1 am), very friendly people, & great variety of scenery (rolling red hills & olive trees in south, mountains in north, green in Galicia, dry & flat in the center)

Worst things: trying to get anything done/bureaucracy--getting money changed can take hours. Everything closes down in the middle of the day. Still a lot of racism (heard a lot of anti-black jokes)

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