If Spain doesn’t impress you, what will?

As a Brit who has lived in Spain for almost a decade, I must take issue with Zoe Strimpel’s recent article arguing that it’s the ‘worst country […] in western Europe’, at least as a holiday destination. My four years in Granada and almost five in Malaga have shown me that it’s the best place in western Europe to live – but not because of anything to do with ‘progressive’ politics or a Gen-Z dating trend.

The ‘buzzing terraces’ that Strimpel praises for distracting customers from horrible tapas aren’t just for tourists – they’re an integral part of the Spanish lifestyle. Life in Spain is lived outdoors, not shuttered away in heated rooms, hiding from the cold and rain. This means that people aren’t isolated in the way they tend to be in countries with harsher weather.