Did you know that in Spain there’s an hour for everything? The Spanish take their schedules seriously and this is something that you should be prepared for, whether you’re planning a vacation or a move to Spain.
Let’s start with my favorite one and the inspiration for this blog post: La hora del vermut (vermouth hour in English). I personally think that any time of day is acceptable for “vermú” but the true “hour” is between noon and 2 PM. It’s like an apertif before the lunch hour.
Going back to the beginning of the day, breakfast will start around 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. Do not expect to find eggs and sausages. The most common breakfast in Spain is “Pan con tomate y aceite” (toasted bread with tomatoes and olive oil.) It sounds basic but let me tell you, you have to try it to appreciate it. The bread in Spain is delicious, the tomatoes are fresh, and the olive oil is flavorful. This classic Spanish breakfast is accompanied by a coffee (un café) or a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. I’m telling you – once you try the Spanish orange juice, good luck going back to any other orange juice.
Lunch (El almuerzo or “la comida”) is not acceptable before 1:30 p.m., even 1:00 p.m. is a bit of a stretch and you may receive a strange look. When I was living in Spain and working on the east coast time zone and starting work at 2 PM, I had a hard time going out for lunch during the work week. You may see that a restaurant may technically be open before 1:00 p.m. but you won’t be able to be served lunch until the kitchen is ready. Touristy places will tend to open around 12:30 p.m. or 1:00 p.m., but you may not get the best food at those places. If you’re dining with friends, expect a long sociable lunch, especially on the weekends.
Snacking hour! La hora de merienda. It could be churros & chocolate, a small bocadillo sandwich, perhaps a pastry. This is important because dinner will not be until much later into the evening.
Dinner time – la cena! Good luck finding a reservation before 8:00 p.m. Most restaurants do not open until that time unless you’re in a touristy area. Nowadays in touristy areas there are more restaurants with the kitchen open all day “cocina non-stop” popping up, but 6:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. is not the traditional dinner hour. I used to struggle with having dinner late at night but I grew to like it. It gives you something fun to do in the evening and even better if you’re going with a great group of friends. In most of the U.S., restaurants are closing by 9:00 p.m. In Spain, they’re just getting started. At night, during dinner hour, Spanish villages and cities come alive with outdoor dining terraces filled with people drinking and enjoying.
How about concerts? Expect a long, late night. I’ve been to several Spanish concerts in the summer and don’t expect for the main act to start before 9:00 p.m., maybe 9:30. This also has to do with the time zone Spain is in, which gives way to long summer days where it doesn’t get dark until around 9:30 p.m. I remember seeing a listing for a concert in Torre del Mar, in the Málaga province, and some of the main acts were not starting until 1:00 a.m.! The Spanish people have amazing stamina for late night events. I am constantly impressed by this. If you don’t believe me, visit places like Málaga or Sevilla during Semana Santa (Holy Week).
Grocery shopping? Don’t expect to start before 9:00 a.m. National chains like Mercadona or Carrefour will be open all day, but if it is a smaller, independent shop, a fruit shop or a butcher, they will also close during the afternoon for a couple hours. In-person banking, immigration or government offices? That type of business is only handled between 9:00 a.m and 2:00 p.m.
One more tip to remember – make sure you have the groceries you need for Sunday, by Saturday. Most grocery stores are closed on Sundays. In the summertime in tourist areas, such as the Costa del Sol, and in big cities like Madrid, you will find supermarkets open on Sundays but if you’re in other areas, it’s best to assume they will not be open on Sundays. Sundays are for enjoying with friends and family at the beach, restaurants, parks, movie theaters, museums.
Now, go ahead with your trip to Spain and embrace this very important schedule!
