In lands where sunny breaks are at the whim of Celtic and Animistic deities, you’ll find the happiest people in Spain. Modern meteorologists might prove useless, but feeling spirits in the rivers and mountains doesn’t. I’m talking, of course, about the North of Spain. Isolated from the sun, frequent transport networks, and major cities, these people are happier than those living the Mediterranean life, according to the Happy City Index. The index focuses on quantitative research in 24 different areas of activity, divided into five key categories: Citizens, Governance, Environment, Economy, and Mobility. Of course, happiness is subjective, and the somewhat arbitrary selection always causes Europe's cold, rainy, and expensive cities to come out on top. Yet, unlike the Northern Europeans who flock to the South when SAD (Seasonal affective disorder) kicks in, many of us who live in sunny Spain escape to the Northern regions when the sun’s summer rays strip us naked and triple our energy bills. That’s one reason I wasn’t shocked when Pais Vasco’s capital, Bilbao, came up on top in 2023. However, Galicia’s most industrial and blue-collar city, Vigo, taking the lead in 2024 was more surprising, yet equally useless for those not using the happiness index for their real estate and tourism sales.Although most towns and small cities don’t make it into the Happy City Index, other methodologically problematic but nonetheless entertaining happiness studies confirm that Spaniards living in northern autonomous communities are happier than those in the south. The study also highlights that urban areas remain the ideal place to live, with a higher degree of happiness in cities that aim to reduce pollution and improve mobility. However, despite the appeal of urban areas, rural areas with resources, adapted to technological innovation, and offering nature and proximity have a higher happiness index than cities.Other studies point to Andalusia (the southern region that’s hot as balls) having the happiest towns. So, before we get to the academic argument where we hurdle papers and studies at each other, let’s turn to what humans base their decisions and opinions on—an emotional experience told with passion, charisma, and unearned conviction. The trip started in Andorra, a little tax haven with cheap alcohol, cigarettes, and accessible mountain lakes you’re not supposed to swim in—legally, that is. Aside from the capitalistic hell where brand logos further destroy the graffiti-free and soulless capital, the building-code regulations make for beautifully quaint towns tucked into the majestic yet suffocating mountains. Three days was more than enough for me since I’m not an influencer or YouTuber cheating Spain’s oppressive tax system.Even if I were, I’d gladly keep flushing half my salary into the s**t-talking mouths of corrupt Spanish politicians if it meant being on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. Here, where the rich must scheme to avoid taxes and the poor must pay extra to truncate their lives with tobacco and booze, the world feels real. The mountains are equally high but less closed in, giving you room to breathe. The towns not only accommodate tourists looking for an escape but raise people who have called the mountains and rivers home since birth. There’s a sense of community where people share their struggles and pleasures in a way a tax haven can never replicate. Yet, even here, where my fellow white-water kayakers and adventure lovers could start their days with traditional bakeries and end their nights sharing world-class tapas, I knew it wasn’t a place I would live. I craved staring out at the horizon where the bleeding sun drips behind the ocean.That’s where the party was.With a ‘camperized’ van, my partner and I unwittingly drove into San Sebastian’s Semana Grande (Aste Nagusia in Basque)—a festival held annually in San Sebastián, Spain, during the week of August 15th. The tradition dates back to the 19th century and celebrates the city's patron saint, the Virgin of the Assumption.Highlights include nightly fireworks competitions, concerts, traditional Basque sports like stone lifting and wood chopping, parades, and street performances. The most difficult street performance of all was finding parking. Every parking lot was full, and after an hour, we joined a lineup of cars entering an underground lot that said “full.” Somehow, we found a spot that allowed us to sleep for a few hours under the concrete slab and eerie video game music the security guard refused to turn off.So, at six in the morning, we headed towards Bilbao.To be honest, I didn’t realize we experienced Semana Grande (Aste Nagusia) until writing this article. That also explains why I had no idea the laid-back atmosphere we were hoping for was nothing other than naivety. It turns out that Semana Grande is also celebrated in Bilbao, and at a much larger scale, with marine-inspired parades, ...
