Taking a Spanish immersion program in Spain will open the door to much more than your average beach holiday. Often thought to be just a typical tourist destination, Spain's range of fascinating historic, cultural and natural attractions are sometimes sadly overlooked.

The second highest country in Europe and second largest in Western Europe, Spain is full of high plateaus and rugged mountain ranges. The Pyrenees form a natural border with France in the northeast, whose snowy peaks reach 3000 meters, home to glaciers and beautiful mountain lakes. The country is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the south and east and the Atlantic to the west, affording long stretches of sandy beach and towering cliff faces.

Locals often refer to Spain as "Las Españas" ("the Spains") because it is split into 17 different autonomous regions, each with its own government. This allows for significant variations to culture and language, giving rise to Catalan, Galician and Basque dialects.

Spain has been populated since prehistoric times, as you'll be able to see from the famous cave paintings of Altamira in Cantabria, which date back to approximately 15,000BC. The country flourished under the Romans for over 500 years and later fell to Germanic rule from the 5 th Century. Muslim leaders took over in the 8 th Century bringing distinct Middle Eastern and North African flavors to the country's culture.

As well as learning Spanish in Spain, make sure you get time to soak in the intriguing history, culture and natural beauty of "Las Españas". The nation boasts 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the second largest number in the world, after Italy. Take a break from your Spanish language course to visit Antonio Gaudi's architectural masterpieces in Barcelona, or the Doñana National Park in Andalusía, in the southwest of the country, home to several endangered species, including the Spanish Imperial Eagle and Iberian Lynx.