1. Improve your Spanish (or Catalan or Basque etc)
Photo: The LEAF project/Flickr
If you're looking to learn some offbeat vocabulary a class might not teach you, perhaps start with our list of 'false friends' you need to watch out for when speaking Spanish.
And if you want to work on sounding a bit more local when you speak, try these outrageous, rude expressions.
2. Take up the sport of padel:
3. Cook up a storm:
Photo: Pierre-Philippe Marcou / AFP
Make 2018 a culinary watershed by learning how to make a new Spanish dish every month of the year. Set yourself the target of making a sublime salmorejo, a terrific tortilla and perfect pincho. Then invite your friends over and amaze them with your cooking prowess.
You may not be able to compete with some of the world's top chefs who reside in Spain, but at least there is plenty of inspiration. And while it's still chilly, cold weather tapas could be a good place to start on your culinary education.
4. Volunteer:
Photo: Josep Lago/AFP
One of the few positives to come out of Spain's economic crisis is a renewed passion among Spaniards for volunteering, or giving back something to the community. You could try working at a local soup kitchen or a food bank. Or you might want to volunteer with Age Concern España which helps older English-speaking people living in Spain.
And there are also many opportunities to get involved in helping newly arrived refugees in the country through donations, volunteering and more. Madrid for Refugees holds regular fundraising events.
5. Walk (or cycle) the Camino de Santiago:
Photo: Miguel Riopa/AFP
Say Camino de Santiago and most people think of the 800km 'French Way' from southern France to the city of Santiago de Compostela. But you can start the route from pretty much everywhere in Spain, with major routes linking Seville, Madrid and Barcelona with the pilgrimage city. You can decide to do just part of the trail too. So whether your motives are religious, spiritual, or just sightseeing, this is a great way to experience Spain.
Just follow the signs and don't get lost like this British couple–
6. Learn to do something typically Spanish:
Photo: Arnaud Guillaume/AFP
7. Head to a crazy Spanish festival:
Photo: Rafa Rivas/Flickr
You’ve seen all the pictures and you've heard the stories, but you’ve never quite managed to get there. So why not take the plunge in 2018? With everything on offer from getting splattered with tomatoes at the Tomatina festival to watching people swing from the necks of dead ducks in in the Basque fishing town of Lekeito, there is a wacky Spanish fiesta for everyone.
READ MORE: 12 epic festivals to attend in Spain in 2018
8. Read Don Quixote:
Photo: Davidd/Flickr
9. Get off the beaten track:
Photo: the secret valley/Wikimedia Commons
We also recommend stopping by small, undiscovered villages, or perhaps some quaint seaside ports. And don't forget about Spain's 44 different Unesco World Heritage sites.
10. Meet the love of your life?
Photo: MandyGodbehear/Depositphotos
Or at least, have some fun along the way.
Navigatating the dating scene can be a minefield especially if you are looking for love in a culture different to your own. But don't let that put you off. Follow the Local's dating guru Sally Fazakerley's tips to dating online in Spain.
