Spain is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. If you are planning to visit Spain, then You must read this article so that you don’t make the mistakes that others do. There are a handful of mistakes and assumptions that tourists to Spain make over and over again. So today our mission is pure. Our goal is to give you a heads-up about the 18 most common mistakes that tourists make in Spain before you come to Spain and make them.
Well, In this article we will cover 18 Common Tourist Mistakes in Spain that you must Avoid.
18. Thinking you need to drink alcohol with Tapas
Look, If you got the idea that you have to drink alcohol with your tapas but let’s get one thing straight, you don’t have to drink alcohol when you’re going out for tapas and nobody’s gonna think you’re weird if you’re having a non-alcoholic drink.
Some of the most common and popular options are non-alcoholic options in tapas bars are tap water, sparking water, Agua con gas, Mosto (which is grape juice), and cero-cero (nonalcoholic beer).
17. Don’t say “Adios”
Adios is one of the most popular phrases in Spanish and it means goodbye, but it’s also very formal. This is a very Common Tourist Mistake in Spain.
In Spain, it’s much more common to say ciao or hasta luego. These are much more casual ways to say see you see you later see you tomorrow, And adios is only really used when you’re never going to see that person again.
16. Don’t expect to eat early
This one is one of the crazier ones you see in 1940 General Franco changed the time zone to be in line with Nazi Germanies this was supposed to be a temporary wartime decision.
But it was never changed back which means that they get sunlight a lot longer than the rest of us. For example in the city of Vigo, noon is at 2:40 pm and sunset is actually at 10:15 PM. Now this means that Spanish people eat really late with meals going all the way till 1 A.M, 2 A.M. So don’t be surprised if you see people eating around this time.
Recommended Read: Best Cities to Visit in Spain.
15. Don’t just drink Sangria
now sangria may be the most widely known drink in Spain but there are so many other specialty drinks that you have to try such as Tinto de Veranda which is a special drink made from soda like 7Up mixed with red wine or homemade vermouth with many bars having their own recipes not to mention agua de Valencia.
14. Don’t buy groceries on Sunday
Now this is a quick tip because most of Spain’s markets are closed on Sunday and the reason is that it’s a legacy of Spain’s Catholic culture when everyone is supposed to be at mass. Now this isn’t always true a lot of places today are still open on Sunday but just be prepared in case they aren’t. This is a very Common Tourist Mistake in Spain.
13. Thinking you need to dress up
There is a very interesting question, What the appropriate dress would be for men and teens in Botin, the oldest restaurant in the world? Back in the day, Spanish men used to wear a dress that looked like a little Dracula but it kept you warm and it was formal. Generally, you can wear what you’re comfortable in depending on the occasion and the season.
12. Calling flamenco to flamingo:
Okay, so let’s get one thing straight. The ancient and famous Spanish musical art form that developed over the centuries in the Guadalquivir River area is called flamenco, not flamingo. That’s a bird. This is a very Common Tourist Mistake in Spain.
Regardless, you’ll see many people make this mistake, and with good reason, Maybe, because the Spanish word for the bird flamingo is flamenco. However, this is not where the word flamenco, the art form comes from. And when in Spain and particularly Madrid, Seville, make sure that you do see flamenco in a place like Villa-Rosa, where they program fabulous flamenco every day.
11. Thinking Spain is underdeveloped
Many people sometimes don’t realize that Spain is a fully developed country with an advanced modern economy. People have questions about the quality of healthcare here in Spain.
Look, Spain did indeed take a while to develop in the 20th century, largely owing to a civil war and a 40-year dictatorship. But the healthcare here in Spain is world-class. Yes, we have taxis, we even have Uber and for our sins, we even have same-day Amazon delivery service. God help us.
10. Thinking Tap water is not drinkable
So in 99.5% of Spain, tap water is perfectly drinkable, especially if you’re visiting the big cities. This is a very Common Tourist Mistake in Spain.
So, the taste of the water will vary throughout Spain, right? So depending on whether it’s hard or soft or the different levels of chlorine. So maybe the water that you will drink in Barcelona is going to be a little bit funny. Just consider it a local flavor.
9. Thinking Spain is a Smoker’s paradise
Does the image of your time in Spain conjure scenes of smoke-filled taverns where you’re drinking red wine and everyone around you is smoking cigars?
You know, this is the country that brought tobacco to Europe. In fact, 23% of male Spaniards say they smoke daily and 16% of women, which makes it natural to lead to the assumption that you’re gonna be surrounded by smokers constantly. Well, not quite.
You see, in 2005 Spain was one of the first countries in Europe to ban smoking in workplaces and public transport. And in 2010 that ban was extended to bars and restaurants. Nowadays you can’t smoke in any indoor public spaces but you are often surrounded by people smoking when you’re on a terrace.
A law is currently going through parliament that means that soon it might be illegal to smoke in outdoor public spaces like terraces like this one and also beaches throughout Spain. In fact, there are beaches already where you can’t smoke such as the beaches of Barcelona. So what’s the upshot? Soon your trip to Spain might be one of the most smoke-free trips you could take in the world.
8. Stereotyping “Gypsies”
So a common refrain that you’re gonna hear is you’ve gotta watch out for the gypsies. The gypsies in Europe are gonna rob you. Also, understand as a completely separate issue that you’re concerned about the high incidence of pick-pocketing in some of the real central parts of the tourist centers in Spain. But these are totally different things. First of all, a more appropriate term for gypsies or Gitanos, as they’re often called in Spain, is Romani or Roma people.
They’ve been marginalized within Spanish society through much of those 500 years. But despite that, they have brought and continue to bring richness to this culture. The most obvious example of that is flamenco.
We would encourage you to be careful with your belongings when you’re here and read up a little bit about some of the scams and traps that can, befall you in some of the main tourist centers in Spain.
7. Obsessing about “Paella Success”
The time has come to talk paella and people, the situation is bad.
Okay, so one of the most distressing things in Spain is people having bad paella. It’s kind of goopy rice, with bland flavors and this fluorescent yellow color that tells you that it’s full of food coloring and not saffron.
If you want to get a great paella in Spain, you have to go to a restaurant that specializes in rice. There are so many dishes that are equally or not potentially more delicious. So here’s our tip. Don’t get hung up on paella success when you’re here. You can have an incredible gastronomic trip to Spain with or without the perfect paella experience.
6. Thinking Spain Has a Cash Economy
People wondering about the best place to get cash out or to exchange money. The presumption is that you are going to be paying for everything in cash. And it’s a fair assumption.
Spain was the country in the European Union before COVID where cash was most commonly used to pay for purchases. Nowadays, 93% of all businesses accept debit cards. 82% accept credit card. 50% accept Tap & Go.
5. Thinking Tapas is a food
Okay, so tapas is so much more than just a plate of food. It’s a rich social activity that’s full of unwritten rules and that changes kind of all over Spain a little bit.
But in short, we think of tapas almost as an activity. In fact, in Spanish, there is a verb, tapear. So you go to tapear with friends or family. Once you get your head around the fact that tapas is an activity versus a food, you’re gonna have a much more delicious time when you go out for that activity.
4. Misusing Bread
Let’s break down the bread. So there are two ways how the Spaniards used bread. So the first way is we use it as a utensil. So you break a small piece of bread and you use it to help food onto your fork. And the second use is you use it to dip in whatever delicious leftover sauce is on your plate. This is a very Common Tourist Mistake in Spain.
3. Thinking you can’t take kids for Tapas
Not only are your kids going to be allowed into tapas bars and restaurants, but they’re gonna be celebrated in these places. Your little boy or girl is gonna be the king or queen of the restaurant that you’re in, of the tapas bar you’re in. We’re talking fawning waiters, little gifts, and a generally high tolerance for any running, shouting, or high jinks.
2. Thinking the siesta is Widespread
Siesta is an old Spanish tradition that goes back to Farmers trying to escape the hottest part of the day. But nowadays, only 18% of Spaniards have a siesta regularly. And then 60% never have a siesta. What’s more common, especially in small villages, is that shops will close from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM for some sort of downtime, you know, maybe catching up with the house or homework. They’re not having siestas.
1. Calling Barcelona…Barca
Okay, so this last one is small, but kind of huge. So many people call Barcelona Barça for short. Barça is not the short form or the nickname of Barcelona. It’s the short form for the football team of Barcelona.
The actual short nickname for the city of Barcelona is Barna, B-A-R-N-A. So if you’re speaking English, just say, “I’m going to Barcelona.” This is a very Common Tourist Mistake in Spain.
Make sure you enjoy Spain from the culture of the food the friendly people the weather. It’s an amazing place with so much to see and we’re sure you’ll have a fantastic time while you’re there.
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