Spanish has the second highest number of native speakers in the world and is the most popular choice in the UK for adults wanting to learn a foreign language.

With its amazing food,  architecture and culture, Spain has long been the UK's number one holiday destination with islands such as Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Tenerife being among the first choices. It helps that they are often the cheapest and closest places to go to in order to catch some sun even in the winter.

But you do not need to travel abroad to speak the language. There are plenty of Spanish language meetups and exchanges in the region and the widespread tapas restaurants let you sample the food right at your doorstep. The popularity of salsa dancing is constantly growing in the UK adding to the many facets of Latin American culture you can now experience in your vicinity and driving an increasing number of people to visit more exotic countries such as Cuba. This island is one of many hidden jewels in the Spanish speaking world which are hardly touched by Americanisation, but what many view as a welcoming change in their holiday ambience has one small side effect: You will not get very far without learning some Spanish first.