Spain has always been a popular destination for TEFL teachers. The good weather and the more relaxed way of life attract both qualified teachers and those seeking to get their initial TEFL qualification. With the opening of new markets for English teaching such as China, perhaps Spain has lost a bit of it's attraction, but demand for English remains high and TEFL teachers shouldn't have to make too much effort to find a language school to hire them.
In the past, the price of TEFL courses in Spain, and the cost of accommodation, was often significantly lower than in English-speaking countries. While the rise of the euro has eliminated some of the price difference it should still work out cheaper to study a 4-week TEFL course in Spain rather than in the UK or USA. But keep checking those exchange rates!
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Barcelona is the number one destination in Spain for TEFL teachers. In fact, Barcelona seems to be the number one destination for just about everyone. See our special section for more information on TEFL courses in Barcelona. It has a map too!
Madrid is bigger then Barcelona and is economically more important (though don't say that too loudly around Catalans) As a result, there is generally even more English teaching work in Madrid than in Barcelona.
There are also fewer TEFL teachers in Madrid than in Barcelona and this difference in the balance between supply and demand means that TEFL salaries in Madrid are higher than those in Barcelona. While living costs are more or less the same.
See our map of TEFL courses in Spain for TEFL schools in Madrid.
Regardless of what other Spaniards will tell you, the two most important cities in Spain are, by some distance, Madrid and Barcelona. Below the big two, you'll find large cities such as Valencia and Bilbao, and smaller cities such as Santiago de Compostela, Pamplona, Seville and Zaragoza.
If you are looking for well-paid TEFL jobs then the larger, more industrial (uglier!) cities like Valencia are a good bet. If location is important and you prefer smaller, prettier cities like Seville, remember that many other TEFL teachers make a similar decision, so competition for teaching positions is tougher and wages are consequently lower. Remember also that the TEFL job situation is constantly changing. Some places may go from an excess of TEFL teachers to a shortage within the space of two or three years.
See our map of TEFL courses in Spain for more details on TEFL programmes..