Spain welcomes millions of British tourists every year. In 2022 alone, the sun-kissed country saw more than 15 million arrivals from the UK.
There are a few areas particularly beloved by British holidaymakers in Spain – including the Canary Islands, the Balearics and the Andalusia region.
There, the tourism market has adapted to the large influx of British expats as well as tourists and sees many local workers speaking English.
Other areas in Spain less frequented by Britons tend to have a lower number of English speakers. One city, however, proves to be an exception.
Vigo, located in the Galician region, had the highest English proficiency across Spain in 2023, according to language learning company Education First.
The organisation – which provides language courses, cultural exchanges and learning programmes around the world – publishes its English Proficiency Index every year, in which it usually ranks test results from 2.2 million adults in 113 countries.
The city of Vigo, which sits on the southern shore of an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, earned an overall score of 579, indicating high English proficiency.
This positive result marked an exception within Spain, as the country as a whole scored below the European average, ranking 25th out of the 34 countries part of the continent that have been surveyed by Education First.
Vigo counts some 293,000 residents and is home to one of the biggest fishing ports in the world. While it is a bustling economic centre, it is also well worth a visit thanks to its old quarter, home to the neoclassical Church of Santa María, and the Castro de Vigo archaeological site.
The drastic traffic restrictions introduced in the city centre in recent years are a plus for tourists who want to discover Vigo just by wandering around, savouring fresh oysters from street stalls and visiting local markets.
While Vigo itself is a perfect destination for a city break, it also offers visitors the chance to visit Rodas Beach, one of the best beaches in the world. Located in Monteagudo, part of the Cíes islands, the beach is just a short boat trip away from Vigo.
While Britons have largely been snubbing it, the Galician region as a whole is of rare beauty, thanks to its rugged coastline and lush green landscapes.
Just a two-hour flight away from the UK, Galicia guarantees a holiday in the sun on most days between June and September.
Unlike in southern Spain, however, the Galician weather is less blistering and more windy, making the sun pleasantly warm rather than scorching hot.
