Hello Everyone,
In Spring of 2008 I will be studying abroad. I am a Spanish minor and my main goal is to become fluent in Spanish. I like warm weather, shopping, visiting beaches, going to museums, and fine dining. Can anyone suggest a city that would meet my interest? Thanks guys!

Seville

Thanks for the reply. Why Seville as opposed to...let's say Madrid?

Seville's closer to the beach?

closer to beaches - Madrid high and dry and miles from sea. Much warmer winter weather - two of your criteria. Madrid has lots of museums that are but 2 hours from Seville by train.

Seville is a delight - Madrid a blight IMO

Madrid i guess may have the purest Castillian Spanish however if that makes a difference

My cousin is living in Salamanca - long way from beach, but he says that as a university town he is amazed by the number of foreign students studying spanish.

Being a young groover, if he says it's a cool place, I believe him. My daughter is going work for him there during her gap year (perhaps she may even take it upon herself to do some spanish courses while she is there - and pigs may fly).

Seville or Malaga?

Will the weather still be warm during the months of Feb, March, and April?

I know it may sound like the beach is important (and it is) but I do also want the other cultural attractions.

My daughter had to choose between Salamanca, Malaga and Barcelona for a year of university study and chose Salamanca because they speak Castillian there. She had absolutely no regrets, because it is such a student town - very 'cool' and beautiful as well. We visited her in late March and the weather was lovely. It is very hot in summer and she had snow there in winter. There are some interesting museums and nice shops but no beaches. She did find one excellent restaurant but after we left! We enjoyed a great bottle of red wine though!

Not Malaga - it is not so nice. Full of highrises etc. Also large tourist numbers so not sure you would find good language schools. Seville is gorgeous and not just by comparison with Malaga!

Of the places mentioned , I would suggest Salamanca. Another great place with a very good Spanish program is Santander, in Northern Spain (the UIMP). It has a beautiful beach right in the city but in the Spring it will be too cold to swim.