Destination guide
First Contact with Spain
Late dinners, distinct regions, and a country that lives outside
Spain is not one country and Spaniards themselves will tell you so quickly. Catalonia, the Basque Country, Andalusia, and Galicia have their own languages, food traditions, and rhythms. What binds them is a shared way of living outside. Terraces are full at midnight. Kids are still awake at 11pm at a Sunday lunch. The street is the living room.
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First Impression
Meal times will throw you first. Lunch at 2:30pm, dinner at 10pm, and nobody thinks that's unusual. If you turn up at a restaurant at 7pm expecting dinner, you'll find a chef prepping and possibly a small tapas menu, no more. Once you shift, the rest of Spain makes sense.
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Local Etiquette
- Two kisses on the cheek when meeting socially, left first then right. Not for business meetings.
- Never tip more than a euro or two. Rounding up is normal, 20 percent is confusing.
- Standing at the bar is often cheaper than sitting at a table.
- Speak the local language basics. Bon dia in Barcelona, egun on in Bilbao, hola works everywhere.
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Getting Around
The AVE high-speed rail network is one of Europe's best. Madrid to Barcelona is under three hours and stunning. Regional trains cover most of what AVE doesn't. Renting a car makes sense for Andalusia's white villages, the Pyrenees, or Galicia. Cities have excellent metro systems. Ryanair and Vueling handle the islands cheaply.
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What Everyone Should Try
- Pintxos in San Sebastian's old town, moving from bar to bar
- A proper paella in Valencia, at lunch, made with rabbit and chicken not seafood
- Jamon iberico de bellota, sliced thin, with sherry in Seville
- Churros con chocolate at 6am after a night out in Madrid
- Fresh octopus, pulpo a la gallega, in a Galician tavern
Budget snapshot
What things actually cost
Hidden gems
Places most guides skip
Cadiz
One of Europe's oldest cities, salty Atlantic light, empty beaches in the old town, and better tapas than most of Seville.
Ronda
A whitewashed Andalusian town split by a canyon. Go early in the morning before the day-trippers.
Ribeira Sacra
A wine region in Galicia with vineyards on impossible river cliffs and Romanesque monasteries in the folds.
Menorca
The quieter Balearic sibling, small coves called calas that you have to hike to, no mega resorts.
Extremadura
The empty west of Spain, Roman ruins in Merida, medieval Caceres, and jamon country in Guijuelo.
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Common Tourist Mistakes
- Booking a hotel next to Sagrada Familia. It's convenient for one visit and dead the rest of the time.
- Ordering paella for dinner. Locals eat it at lunch. Dinner paella is often reheated tourist food.
- Assuming siesta means everything closes. It's regional and less universal than the cliche suggests.
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Best Time to Visit
May, June, September, and October are ideal across most of the country. July and August are punishing in Seville, Cordoba, and Madrid, though Barcelona and the north stay bearable. Winter in Andalusia is mild and quiet. Skiing in the Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada runs December to March.
Gallery
Spain in three frames
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You've made first contact. Now start planning the trip.
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