Shopping and stores
Provisions are usually brought from Spain (cheeses, wine, jamon ham) and souvenirs with the symbols of the country (fans, skirts, flamenco shoes). Other popular crafts are wooden caps (hair bands, if anyone doesn’t know) and other wood carvings, as well as clay products – from whistles to sets. Spanish craftswomen weave amazing (and expensive) lace, as well as skillful embroidery on silk. It is also worth taking a bottle of sherry, sangria or malvasia with you from the country. Read more on the shopping in Spain page.
Now about shopping more seriously. Let it be known that Spain is one of the world’s shopping centers: there are many famous brand stores in the country, fashion weeks are regularly held, and in large cities there are a lot of outlets, sometimes even separated into separate “shop villages”. Read more here: shopping in Spain. See other countries beginning with S.
Siesta in Spain lasts from 13:00 to 16:00: at this time, most banks, shops and government offices are closed for lunch. There is no siesta in the Sierra Nevada.
Store hours are from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00 (large department stores often work non-stop). On Saturdays, shops are usually open until 13:00, Sunday is a day off. Discount period (Rebajas) in Spain happens twice a year – from January to March and from July to September.
Particularly interesting shopping in the capital of the country and in Barcelona. In Madrid there is a whole fashionable quarter – Argüelles. It is located near the Parque del Oeste and the Temple of Debod. In this quarter, modern shops organically fit into the ancient architecture of the 19th century. In the heart of the capital, in the Preciados and Sol area, you can buy everything from souvenirs to wedding dresses, and at the same time visit the Avenue of Arts.
In Barcelona, a whole bus route has been launched for shopaholics – blue Barcelona Shopping Line buses run around the city and stop at shopping centers. Having bought a ticket for 10 EUR, you can go shopping all day long. To help shoppers in the city, they produce a Barcelona Shopping Guide, which can be bought at bookstores or printed kiosks. In it, in thematic order, all the outlets that deserve attention are collected.
- When there are sales in stores in Spain
- Where is the best place to buy jamon in Spain
- What to bring from Spain
Spanish cuisine and restaurants
In Spain, there is a real cult of food – many restaurants and taverns offer to join the cuisine and wines of Spain. Some cafes, in addition to national dishes, have Italian, Mexican and Asian menus. In addition, the country has a huge number of markedly different regional cuisines.
The oldest catering establishment in the world operates in Spain – it is considered the Sobrino de Botín Madrid restaurant, which has been feeding its visitors since 1725. There is a legend that Francisco Goya himself worked as a dishwasher in it.
There are international eateries in the country – McDonald’s, KFS, WOK TO WOLK. For a moderate price, you can have a snack with national sandwiches in fast food establishments 100 montaditos. A good way to save on food is to take advantage of a business lunch. In Spanish, it is called “Menu del dia” and is offered from 12:00 to 16:00 in almost every restaurant. For the same price of 15-35 EUR, you can also dine in Chinese restaurants, which serve not only Asian dishes, but also ordinary European food – fresh and of good quality. Many cafes operate on the principle of a buffet without limiting the number of approaches.
A large number of visitors is the main sign of the popularity of the bar. If there are already a lot of people in it by lunchtime, then very tasty tapas are served here.
Special attention deserves the national gastronomic culture of tapeo and its strongholds – tapas bars. For Spaniards, this is not only a way to eat and drink, but a lifestyle and the process of communicating with friends. Before the main course, restaurants also serve tapas – a variety of snacks that are often drawn to a hearty meal on their own. Traditional soups are not very common, but gazpacho can be found almost everywhere.
An important “alcoholic symbol” of Spain, sangria is made from the usual semi-sweet red wine or red carbonated “cava”, adding ice and chopped fruit to the wine.
The most famous Spanish dish is paella (pilaf with seafood, which is very popular here and we will talk about it in more detail here), it is also worth trying “jamon” – dry-cured pork. Fish and seafood dishes are very common. From alcohol, Catalan white wines Penedès and Ampurdan are popular, sherry from the city of Jerez de la Frontera in the southwest of Andalusia is considered the pride of the country, and in the Canary Islands, excellent semi-sweet wine Malvasia is made from Lanzarote grapes.
- What are the prices in restaurants in Spain
- What are the prices in the Canary Islands for food
Entertainment and attractions in Spain
In Spain, as in a good fairy tale: if you go to the right, you will get to the gorgeous coast, if you go to the left, you will find countless sightseeing treasures. And in any case, wherever you turn, delicious food, friendly locals and beautiful nature await you everywhere. And if you consider that a trip to Spain sometimes costs only a little more than to the same Turkey, to a hotel of a similar level, you can really believe that you have fallen into a fairy tale. Among other things, a holiday in Spain can easily be combined with language courses: Cervantes’ language perfectly “lays down” when the beach is a stone’s throw away, and in the evening a glass of cava awaits.
Mainland Spain is a storehouse of excursion riches. Guests who come to conquer the peaks of the Sierra Nevada have a direct road to day trips to Granada, Cordoba or Seville. Well, vacationers in the north of the country, in addition to the “standard” Barcelona, can go to Santiago de Compostela, one of the most significant cities of medieval Christianity and just a very beautiful place. In addition, Spain is famous for its religious shrines. For example, the monastery of St. Pilar (Zaragoza), the monastic ensemble of Torreciudad (Huesca), Montserrat and Lourdes (France). Every year, these world-famous monasteries are visited by 10 to 12 million tourists. We also mention the wonderfulmuseums in Spain, where even the most fastidious tourist can find an exposition to his taste.
- What to see in Spain
5 things to do in Spain
- Visit Salvador
- Taste the legendary wine Vega Sicilia.
- Watch the fight between the matador and the bull.
- Go to tapas bars.
- Feel the magic of flamenco.
