When people come to Spain to learn Spanish, they often spend quite a while in the country - often staying for three to six months in an attempt to get a good grasp of the language. So you need to choose your city wisely.
One of the key things worth thinking about is whether the region you're visiting even speaks Spanish as a first language. There are a number of regions where this isn't the case. Read more about Languages Spoken in Spain.
Once you've checked Spanish is the first language in your chosen region, it's time to think about accent. Accents in Spain vary wildly. Some are more comprehensible than others. What's the point in learning Spanish in Spain if you can't eavesdrop on conversations in the street to improve your listening skills? And, worse still, you probably don't want to return home with a heavy regional accent!
Lastly, you need to decide if the city is to your liking. Spending three or six months in a city is different from a quick visit. You will probably care less about the tourist sights and more about the lifestyle in general. Is there a bit nightlife culture? Will you get contact with other foreigners (do you even want contact with foreigners?). These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself.
Narrowing Down - Where Not to Learn Spanish in Spain
As mentioned above, not every region in Spain speaks Spanish as a first language. This rules out much of northern and eastern Spain. In the north-western region of Galicia, the local language is Galician. In the north, in the Basque Country, they speak Basque. In the north-east and east (in Catalonia and, to a lesser extent, Valencia) they speak Catalan.
Then comes accent. You can cross off most of southern Spain due to their hard-to-understand accent. Much of Andalusia, Extemadura and Murcia speak with quite strong accents. (The Galicians, too, when they speak in Castillian Spanish, can be difficult to understand).
Which leaves only really the central Spanish cities, such as Madrid, Salamanca, Valladolid and Burgos. Salamanca isn't a bad choice, but you might get a little bored after a few months in other two cities.
So Where Should I Learn Spanish in Spain?
So where do I recommend you learn Spanish in Spain? My first choice would be Madrid. (I wish I knew now what I knew then - I learned my Spanish in Seville).
Why Madrid? Because they speak standard Spanish there (Castillian Spanish rather than Basque, Galician or Catalan) and their accent is one of the purest. It is also a big city with all the amenities you could look for. With so many people, including foreigners, you could as easily hide from contact with people from your own country as you could seek it out.
Read more about Which City in Spain to Learn Spanish In.
Read more about learning Spanish from my sister site, About.com Guide to Spanish.
