Stereotypes are the worst enemy for travellers who really want to discover the culture and people from a country. This happens with paella, bullfights and flamenco in Spain, they turned into internationally recognized symbols, that not always match the reality. So if you want to fully immerse yourself in Spanish customs, develop a clear understanding and share their Mediterranean lifestyle, here you have these five things to do if you want to live like a local in Spain for your next trip.
1-Eat Dinner After 9:30. Hungry at 7 pm? If you’re in Spain, you might just be out of luck, because Spanish dinner time doesn’t start until after 9 pm. The good thing? You won’t go to sleep hungry. But the best thing is that you can…
2-Have a pre-dinner snack or merienda. As there are plenty of hours between lunch and dinner, the Spaniards have what they call “merienda“, which is usually taken between 5 and 7pm to satisfy their hunger a bit. The good thing about this snack, is that it can be some refreshing drink with some delicious snack like spanish table olives. What would you want more?
3-Do not limit yourself to the beach. Although Spain is famous mainly for its incredible coasts and their big cities like Madrid, Barcelona or Seville, there are endless picturesque villages less visited by foreigners, that will give you a new perspective of the cultural variety of this country, offering you the opportunity to enjoy the real Mediterranean lifestyle.
4-Eat tapas while standing. Do not expect to find a table and a place to sit in taverns and tapas bars of Spain, because frequently, if you go at tapas peak time when there’s more people, it is normal to have your drink and your tapa or pintxo directly standing or leaning on the bar at best. Tapas are usually small portions of food, like olives, so eating them standing is simple. Relax, it’s the Spanish way!
5-Enjoy the moment. Do not plan too much your trip, leave free time to improvise and lose yourself in the town or the city where you are, to enjoy a pleasant talk with some local neighbour, share some beers and olives or simply marvel at an incredible sunset.