With a warm, sunny climate, a relaxed lifestyle and a healthy Mediterranean diet including lots of olive oil, vegetables and fish the Spaniards typically enjoy good health and longevity - the average lifespan for women is 80, and for men it is 74 - figures which are among the highest in the world. A World Health Organisation (WHO) report in 2000 ranked Spain in sixth place for highest level of health, and seventh for best health care in the world. Improvements have been made over the past 20 years to the healthcare in Spain and it hasn't taken long for the medical tourist to target Spain as a top place for good quality treatment; be it cosmetic surgery, dentistry or other elective surgery.
One of the great advantages for medical tourists and visitors is that Spain is just a short-haul flight (around two and a half hours) from the UK and many Brits have retired by the coast, or invested in Spanish property for holiday homes. As a result of the tourism and property boom there is an abundance of low cost airlines flying from the UK with flights from as little as £19.99 one way, and due to the large expatriate population there are plenty of English speaking facilities so communication is not usually an issue.
Many surgeries and clinics are located in some of Spain’s sunniest spots so medical tourists can benefit from a warm and soothing environment to recover post-op, such as in the sandy and exclusive resorts of Marbella, Torremolinos and Fuengirola in the sunny Costa del Sol, returning home well rested, healthy and quite probably tanned!
