PLACE ESSENTIALISM IN SPAIN - It's More Than Just It's Beaches

As this post is about how a country is misrepresented, I hope you'll allow me to shift the focus and instead, talk about Spain as a whole, rather than just the Catalonian region.

Now, when you search "Spain" on Google Images, the entire first page is guaranteed to look like tourist heaven. It will most likely ONLY include imagery of sunny island landscapes, beaches and Spanish architecture with a sun-filled sky as the backdrop. This is closely aligned with what tourism agencies promote and sell about Spain, thus how most people imagine Spain when prompted.

Elche | Source: Wix

As the title suggests, however, Spain is more than just the glossy images that come to mind.

There are areas within Spain, especially in the Northwestern region, Galicia, that often experience very rainy days. So much so that in 2016, some destructive floods took place across towns in Galicia and many had to evacuate their casas.

There are also snowy mountains within Spain, like The Valle de Arán that often go unnoticed by most tourists.

Valle de Aran | Mountains in Snow | Source: Flickr

Place essentialism is problematic in this context as the people of Spain have been misconstrued as lazy people.

Spain, just like any other country, has its share of real problems and is not just a loosey-goosey place to hang about with a Sangria jug in tow. Especially since the people of Spain are reportedly quite annoyed with the number of tourists that cause havoc and problems within its vicinity.

Spain has so much more to offer than just the holiday stereotypes placed upon it.

It's important to be mindful that Spain is not merely a playground but a home for many.