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Spain Local Customs

Great Fair

by jol1y

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Great Fair
by jol1y
Food / Drink
by Roadquill
Not a perfect looking specimen
by jol1y
Jamon in window to be sliced
by BruceDunning
RAcks of hanging jamon-ham
by BruceDunning

Most Viewed Local Customs in Spain

126.

Food / Drink Barcelona

92 Reviews The locals flock to get all they can of the ham and pasteries that abound around the city. We saw the real store that only sold the jamon, and yes; it is expensive no matter how you cut it, or how...

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127.

Culture Madrid

56 Reviews In Spain, there's no need for a special reason to go out and celebrate, it's seems like the city is always prepare to go out and have good time. In Madrid, the official fiestas , by calender , are...

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128.

April Fair Sevilla

9 Reviews Next to the Feria you find a huge lunapark, called "Calle del Infierno" - Hell's street. When you walk around there you understand why it got this name. You can find merry go rounds but also some...

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129.

A matter of Lingo Palma de Mallorca

5 Reviews In Mallorca, anything goes. You will see old men at cafes drinking beer at ten in the morning, and young people going home from clubbing at four. There is supposedly a drinking age, but no one seems...

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130.

FREE TAPAS Granada

10 Reviews We'd read about this, but didn't expect it to be as good as it sounds ... but it is ! We went into 5 bars, and in each one we had different tapas with each beer. Now granted they were not all to our...

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131.

Food & Drinks Majorca Island

5 Reviews We just returned from Cala Millor resort and had been surprised to discover that practically noone was eating in the diners even as late as 9pm. Tourists and locals were mainly sipping on their drinks...

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132.

Carnival Cadiz

19 Reviews All week long there is always something different to do and see. On the First Saturday there is a Cabalgata (parade) and a kiddie pageant. the Goddess of Carnival is also elected. On Sunday there...

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133.

The Feria del Caballos Jerez de la Frontera

8 Reviews The Feria del Caballo - (Horse Fair) which is held annually in early May in Jerez was a highlight of our holiday. If you want to see a real Andalucian festival with flamenco dress, equestrian pride...

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134.

Language Barcelona

54 Reviews Catalunya is a bilingual community. Everybody in Catalunya do speak Spanish (or Castellano as we prefer to call it here), but in fact NOT everybody do speak Catalan (about 60% in Barcelona, less in...

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135.

Gastronomy Madrid

50 Reviews It's a fact that Madrileños love to stay out really late. They eat, they drink and dance till the wee hours, and then they eat chocolate con churros. (I guess they just dance off the fat.) San Gines...

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136.

Semana Santa Sevilla

10 Reviews In Seville, they take Holy Week very seriously. Every day, at different times during the day, there are parades, and here is what usually happens for each parade: Groups of nazarenos in robes with...

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137.

Luxury produce Palma de Mallorca

2 Reviews This street, storekeeper, is the equivalent of the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. Under the arcades one recovers all stores of luxury and the big dressmakers who settled in Palma. It is therefore there that...

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138.

FESTIVALS Granada

14 Reviews This is a free techno/dance festival that takes place every spring just outside Orgiva (although in 2010 it was held in Santa Fe and was much smaller). The site is a quarry and dried-up river bed that...

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139.

Language Cadiz

5 Reviews Angango: People that usually wear lots of gold and shout and fight about everything and anything. Aro- Shortened from the Castillano word claro which means 'of course'. Bastinazo- An extremely...

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140.

Language and Local Customs Jerez de la Frontera

6 Reviews In the Cadiz province no one pronounces the any S in any word. So for example Despues becomes Depue and Estoy becomes Etoy or even toy. This is very useful when you are trying to understand what...

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141.

City Highlights Barcelona

23 Reviews During the summer time from 15th to 21st of august, everybody are just waiting to celebrate the Gracia s Party called Fiesta major de Gracia. Gracia is a area in barcelona, this area seems to be...

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142.

Entertainement Madrid

45 Reviews During my weekend in Madrid, I enjoyed listening to, and watching the various musicians, playing on the streets of Madrid. Three of my favourites were the trio in my 1st picture, who played near El...

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143.

Alcoholic Beverages Sevilla

6 Reviews Sangria is lovely, because it has lots of fruit in it and I am a big fan of fruit. It is however, rather hard to get hold of Sevilla, if you don`t know where to go. On Calle Mateus Gago, the bar...

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144.

SIESTA Granada

3 Reviews Shops usually open fom about 9 in the morning and close at 2pm (in Spain the morning (mañana) is considered to be up to 2pm not 12pm). They then open again in the afternoon at about 5:30-6 until...

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145.

Relics Cadiz

3 Reviews the business of the relics at the Medieval times was very important. A good church or cathedral with a relic had a promising future and many incomes. Here the one in Cadiz had two, this one is from...

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146.

Fiestas de Otono Jerez de la Frontera

1 Review During the autumn festival in September, the bars in Jerez participate in a competition called Tapa Centro. Over 50 bars take part, and a booklet is published giving the list of bars, their locations...

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147.

Sundays / La Sardana Barcelona

15 Reviews If you're in Barcelona on a Sunday, try to see the people dancing the Sardana, the Catalan national dance. Try near the Cathedral. When I saw people doing the Sardana it was in the afternoon in the...

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148.

Local Festivities Madrid

27 Reviews FORUM REPLY. I have been in Madrid in May as it is a fine period for the weather between cold winter and super hot summer. No particular problem with the Feria di San Isidro; Madrid is always full of...

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149.

Flamenco Sevilla

6 Reviews I am by no means an expert on Flamenco, so I would ask you to research a little yourself - you might want to start with the link I gave you below! Flamenco is not the happy, outgoing way of dancing,...

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150.

THE ALHAMBRA Granada

4 Reviews La Alhambra: es una roja fortaleza que domina la ciudad. En el Patio de los Arrayanes se reflejan los palacios y sus filigranas de piedra, en medio del perfume de las plantas aromáticas. Los...

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

open and friendly

by opinkie33

Size 2 to 22 Enjoyed the nude beaches and had a good time. Always take a gift when you visit your friends home and everyone shake hands. Make sure you clean your plate or the host will feel you did not like the dinner. And always compliment the chef on the cooking and choice of wine. Also the bath rooms are unisex. When I lived in Italy, there was no toilet to sit on, just a toilet in the floor to squat over. Everyone takes turn to go in male or female. Same for Japan. I love traveling. I went on a single cruise from Galvaston, TX with my friends to Mexico, Jamaica, Dutch Island, port of Cuba... beautiful sunset and pure blue water, great for boat jetting and skying. Don't forget to bring your own bottle water. That's me in the blue shirt in the picture with my friends from all over the world. We plan to go to the Bermuda Triangle in Oct. 07, I am not sure about this trip, I watch the...

Religious Holidays a Joy to Behold!

by deecat

NOTE: The photograph on the previous tip is what this information is about also.While staying in Guadalajara (the night before we flew out of Madrid and wanted to be close to the airport), we stayed in a hotel across the street from the town's convent and church. The hotel had a small balcony. That night (March 31) because of a pre-Easter Holiday, the whole town joined in this traditional ceremony of 60 Hooded men (who looked like KluKluxKlan members in USA) carried a platform that held the life-like statue of the Virgin Mary. The town members slowly walked behind the procession. There was a lone drummer who kept a slow beat. In addition, there was one woman who was in front of this "float" who was dressed all in black, including a veil over her face.We could only get the back view,so you cannot see Mary in the picture. It was quite interesting to view...A Joy To Behold!

Festivals in Spain

by deecat

The Spanish traditions and history contribute to the many fiestas [popular festivals] throughout Spain.Religious festivals are really important, and the most cherished religious festivals are Holy Week before Easter and Corpus Christi in May.The Seville Spring Fair [Feroa de Abril] is held each year at Easter. The main event is a horseback parade with men in broad-brimmed hats and women in wild dresses.Holy Week is made up of processions and sermons commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hundreds of robed and hooded people walk through the streets, and some carry heavy wooden crosses just as Jesus did.Corpus Christi is a religious feast that usually falls at the end of May, and it celebrates the triumph of good over evil with a parade through the streets that are carpeted with flowers and scented herbs We were told that even the young children stay up all night to...

Social Customs in Spain

by deecat

While traveling in Spain for 38 days, we learned a good deal about the social customs.In Spain an invitation to the home of friends is considered an honor because Spaniards generally open their homes only to family & close friends.. Therefore, guests rarely refuse invitations because to do so would be an insult. When visiting a friend, a guest brings a small gift such as sweets, flowers or a present for small children in the family.We discovered that Spaniards greet with affection and warmth. The men shake hands when they meet; the women give a kiss on each cheek.It is interesting & imperative to know that Spaniards consider small talk to be superficial or at least impersonal. Instead, Spaniards usually express their strongly-held opinions directly [sometimes even on the first meeting!]The Spanish are very proud people. They certainly take pride in their birthplace, their culture, &...

The Spanish Guitar

by deecat

I have always loved classical guitar music, and the Spaniards play it well.The most characteristic instrument of Spain, by the way, is the Spanish guitar. It is derived from the Roman cithara. It was brought to Spain around the time of Christ.The Spanish guitar has gone through many forms before evolving into the instrument we see today. When the Moors were in charge of Spain, the Moorish musicians used a type of guitar that was rounded and resembled a lute. But, by the 16th century, there were all kinds of guitars being made and used. Some of these guitars had as few as four strings while others had as many as seven strings.By the time the Spanish guitar started to resemble a large fiddle, it was commonly called vibuela de man[vee-HWAY-lah day MAHN-oh"]. This meant 'fiddle played by hand instead of bow".After many years, the six-string guitar that has a large sound box and a...

Olives, Oranges, Saffron and Dates in Spain

by deecat

Despite the rugged terrain, about 60% of Spain's land is used for farming. Spain exports produce such as olives, oranges, peaches, cherries, strawberrris, and dates..The four that I noted the most were: olives, oranges, dates, and saffron.Olives . . .I love all kinds of olives; so, of course, I learned as much about them as possible. Spain has one of the largest olive crops in the world! Olive trees [which can live for more than 2,000 years] grow throughout this country. They can grow olives most anywhere, even in areas with little water because the tree's roots spread over large distances to absorb any trace of moisture in the ground.They grow both black and green olives for eating, and they also make Spanish olive oil, a big export item. I noticed lots of locals eat a popular snack at tapas bars: olives stuffed with tuna or anchovies.Dates and Saffron Dates grow on palm trees. Around...

Food-Related Customs in Spain

by deecat

When we first arrived in Spain, we had no idea about anything in the country. By the end of the 38 days, we had learned a great deal, thank goodness.In Spain, the people generally follow continental customs when it comes to table manners. Spaniards eat with the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand. The knife is used to push food onto the fork, and then the fork is raised, upside down, to the mouth. Usually neither fingers nor bread are used to put food onto the fork or into the mouth. I discovered after some "looks" that wrists are kept on the table, and diners never rest their hands in their laps.I liked the idea that there is no pressure put on guests who do not partake of a certain food or drink. Spaniards do not feel insulted; they hate to see food wasted so they consider it more polite to decline extra helpings than to leave food untouched on the plate.Table...

Paradors: Network of Government Run Hotels

by deecat

Photos of Paradors We Used:1. Parador Cardona2. Allan in Pub at Parador Alcaniz3. Dee in Catacombs at Parador Cardona4. Parador De Vic5. Parador de TeruelWhen planning our 38-day trip to Spain in 1999, I knew little to nothing about the country. So, I used every available source to plan the best trip ever. Along the discovery route, I found out an interesting fact: Spain's government, starting in 1928, took such places as monasteries, palaces, castles, royal hunting lodges,and other monuments and turned them into hotels called "Pardors". The name comes from a Spanish word for "a lodging place for travelers of respectable rank."At the time, there were not too many hotels in some remote places, so the government stepped in and solved the problem. Now, these Paradors are not always in town, but you can be sure that they will have an interesting history, a good location, and a predictable...

Spanish Tradition: Tapas Bars

by deecat

Before going to Turuel, we went to a whimsical little town called Albarracin. "It looks as if it were carved into the living rock below the ruined castle." We found it to be a medieval gem with twisting, narrow cobblestone streets for pedestrians.In this town we found a small tavern (as seen in the picture) that serves delicious Tapas.What is Tapas and what is its history?The name Tapas stems from bartender's practice of covering a glass with a saucer (tapa, which means cover) to keep out flies. Soon, food such as cheeses and olives were placed on the platter to go along with the drink. At that time, the food was free; however, today one pays for Tapas. Tapas are also called "Pinchos"...they are small snacks to be eaten with a drink. There is a wide range of tapas to choose from:cheesescold meatshot dishes of seafoodmeat and vegetablesfried salted almondsroasted peppers and tomatoesdeep...

The use of Pack Animals in White Villages

by deecat

While in the "White Village" of Frigiliana, we were amazed to see so many people using mules and horses as a means of transportation and for carrying supplies. The "White Villages" are usually on steep hills, and the mules and horses serve this situation well.The picture shows a man on horseback; another shows a mule (or donkey) pulling a cart.When Allan was going back to purchase a rug, Sandy and I sat at the bottom of the village and just watched the everyday activities. This is where we observed so many mules.We enjoyed the slow pace which these animals portray...they are efficient, reliable, and do not pollute (unless you count manure as pollution!)

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Questions and Answers

Q: Hi everyone, I really need some help to decide where to bring my young family this year for holiday. I am keen on going to the...

A: all there is child friendly catering to families like yours. Great area indeed. y ou can check on destination above tips by posters like us or the tourist office...

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