The most-read stories of 2015

Starting with the most-read, here are the stories that readers of the ENGLISH EDITION found the most interesting over the last 12 months.

1. Why do the Spanish “shit in the sea”?

A look at a book that explores the origins of puzzling Spanish idioms that can often sound shocking to outsiders. The story quickly went viral and made it into the top 10 most-read for the entire EL PAÍS website.

2.  How to sleep in the Spanish heat

A few simple tricks for surviving those sweaty summer nights – no air con required.

3. Parents of diphtheria-stricken boy feel “tricked” by anti-vaccination groups

The number three spot is occupied by the tragic story of a six-year-old who was fighting for his life in intensive care at a Barcelona hospital.

4. Spain’s top 20 nudist beaches

A summer guide to places where bathers can bare all.

5. The quiet devotion of Spain’s Sufis

At number five, an article detailing the 1,200 Spanish converts to this mystical form of Islam, whose biggest communities are in Granada and Cáceres.

6. Stephen Hawking: “We will have to find homes elsewhere in the universe”

The physicist reflects upon the origins of the universe and his illness in an exclusive interview

7. Cycle-route booby traps: a growing danger for Spain’s mountain bikers

A worrying trend for fans of two-wheeled transport.

8. Spain – A great place to live, a terrible place to work?

Spaniards tend to be less productive and more stressed than their European neighbors.

9. Six-year-old diagnosed with first case of diphtheria in Spain since 1987

Another vaccination story, again relating to the diphtheria victim in Catalonia.

10. Quarter of Spaniards think the Sun revolves around Earth, survey reveals

Strange, but true....