Spanish lifestyle is made around the time they eat.
Local businesses and offices open around 9 or 10 am
They work until lunch time and then close their shop for a couple of hours usually from 2 to 5 pm.
In restaurants, kitchens are open from noon to around 4 pm but then they close the kitchen and you can’t order anything until after 8pm at dinner time. Dinner normally ends around midnight
The time period between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. is the warmest portion of the day. The majority of companies and retailers close at this time which sometimes frustrates tourists. For Spaniards, lunch is the biggest meal of the day which results in them feeling sleepy and exhausted so they take a quick 30 minute nap, or as they call it - siesta.
The siesta is an old and well-known custom in Spain that originated back in times of the Roman empire when they took a break at the sixth hour from dawn. It’s a brief 15-30 minute nap which refers to the Roman tradition to take a break.
BANKS
While visiting Spain, keep in mind that Banks are only open from Monday to Friday in the mornings between 8 am and 2 am. However, there are some branches that keep their doors open 1 afternoon a week for the workers who are unable to go to a bank in the morning. And they usually make a prior appointment or cita previa. And by the way if you do have a prior appointment you should arrive on time, in some places if you are 5 minutes late they will skip your turn and you will have to make another appointment and come some other day.
POST OFFICES
For smaller towns the Post Offices or Correos remain open from Monday to Friday in the morning between 8.30 am and 2.30 pm. In the bigger cities, the opening times are extended until 8.30 pm. Saturday and Sunday are usually off. But some offices have a short day on Saturdays from 9.30am to 1pm and they are even open on Sundays in the case of the office in Santiago de Compostela which is famous for being the final destination of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.
SUPERMARKETS
The places that are open continuously from 9 am to 10 pm are the supermarkets like Mercadona and LIDL. Also the big shopping malls like Arenas in Barcelona, are open from 9 to 9. And Pakistani and Chinese shops are usually open too.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Public transport works pretty well in Spain, there are 3 cities with a Metro: Madrid, Bilbao and Barcelona. In Madrid it runs from 6 am to 1.30 am……. In Bilbao from 6 am to 11 pm. On Fridays and public holidays it runs until 2 am and it runs all night on Saturdays….. In Barcelona, the metro is open from 5 am to midnight from Sunday until Thursday. On Friday it opens until 2 am and on Saturday and other public holidays, the metro operates 24 hours non-stop. Additionally, there are buses that operate at night.
NIGHT LIFE
Speaking of night time. As I mentioned earlier, Spaniards eat dinner from 8 pm to midnight. And after dinner if they aren’t tired they go out to a bar or a disco. Bars are usually open until around 3 am and discos are open all night until 6 in the morning.
HOLIDAYS
You should also be aware that most companies are closed on weekends, especially Sundays and Spanish national holidays. Even some buses and railways operate on different schedules.
The national holidays in Spain are:
Jan 6 Epiphany (or day of 3 kings) ,
April 15 Good Friday ,
April 18 Easter Monday,
June 6 Easter Granada,
June 24 Sant Joan day ,
August 15 Assumption of Mary ,
Oct 12 Spain’s National Day ,
Nov 1 All Saints’ Day ,
Dec 6 Spanish Constitution Day ,
Dec 8 Immaculate Conception,
Dec 25 Christmas,
Dec 26 Saint Stefan day
Also there are regional holidays, so be aware of that.
In addition there is a phenomenon known as bridge puente. It happens when a holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday and employees take four days off, like a small vacation.
I hope you have a better idea of the Spanish lifestyle and schedule. Take care !
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