The ever-present dream of falling in love with an exotic beauty from a far-away land, it exists in almost all of us yet not every body gets to realize it. You want to be part of that group that does find it, you want to find your perfect match while walking the crowded streets in Spain, on the beach under the scorching sun, while dancing flamenco on the side of a road under the moonlight.

The good news is it’s all possible, with a little luck and a lot of effort, the tricky part comes when you’ve found that potential partner…What do you do?

1. Be prepared to become a big part of the family. The Spanish are very committed to family, and if you want to keep your new-found love on your arm, you’ll want to make a good impression.
2. Be a romantic. It’s still very much appreciated, being a gentleman is not only recommended but almost expected; so break out the roses, chocolates and wine, candle light dinners and long beach strolls.
3. Pay for that meal. Following on from being romantic, it’s a good idea to take care of the bill for the meal, while it’s becoming more popular these days to split it, taking it on the chin will show that you’re willing to go the extra mile, that they mean a little more to you.
4. Go dancing. It doesn’t matter what type of dancing, it can be slow, to the soft guitar player in the corner, or at a club with bass-booming house music. The point is, the Spanish love music and dancing, so get in on it.
5. Loose the argument. We’ve probably all encountered one of those moments, maybe in person or on the screen, when someone looses an argument — right or wrong — simply because they were out-passioned. Don’t make the same mistake, if the conversation’s getting heated, let it go and enjoy the rest of your day.
6. Be careful of the subject. There are naturally good and bad things to talk about while you’re out together. Try to keep it polite and friendly at least in the beginning, don’t talk about your previous relationships or that time you had too much to drink.
7. Drop them off. If you hadn’t noticed, things are still rather traditional in Spain, so it shows good form to pick her up and drop her off, it can make or break a second date.
8. Learn some Spanish. It will make a great impression if you show a wanting to learn their native tongue; don’t be afraid of making a mistake, the Spanish are friendly and after a light chuckle will be more than happy to help.

On that last point, Spanish will come in very handy in more than one way, assuming that your date can speak English, there’s also the matter of talking with their family,  and getting yourself around the country when their not there to help. For this reason it might be a good idea to take some classes, or inquire about how you can get your Spanish up to scratch.