Getting fed and settled in your first week in Spain

Terms used

• Farmacias de guardia — Farmacias de guardia are pharmacies on rota that stay open outside normal hours, including nights, Sundays and holidays.
• Mercado — A mercado is a local covered market where stalls sell fresh produce, usually open in the morning and closed on Sundays.
• Aceite de oliva — Aceite de oliva is olive oil, the standard cooking oil in Spain and cheap in supermarkets.
• Tomate frito — Tomate frito is cooked tomato sauce sold in tins, jars or cartons, used with pasta, rice and eggs.
• Bazares — Bazares are general shops, often Chinese-run, selling cheap household goods and often open longer hours.

Key rules

• Sundays: Most shops and many supermarkets close on Sundays and national holidays, so buy basics on Saturday.
• Always open: Bars, restaurants, petrol station shops, rota pharmacies and hospital emergency rooms are open when shops are shut.
• Small towns: Smaller stores may close from 14:00 until 17:00, and late options are few.
• Regional differences: Madrid, Valencia, the Balearics and tourist areas allow more Sunday opening, but rules vary by region and town.

Plan around Sunday and holiday closures

If you arrive on a weekend or just before a holiday, buy food before the shops shut. On Sundays and national holidays most shops and many supermarkets are closed. Each town also has its own local holidays, so check the calendar for where you are staying.

Some places stay open:

• Bars, cafés and restaurants.
• Pharmacies on rota (farmacias de guardia). Each pharmacy window shows a list of which ones are open, and there is a night pharmacy.
• Shops at petrol stations.
• Small convenience stores and some 24-hour minimarkets, often run as Chinese-run shops.
• Shops in airports and stations.
• Some supermarkets in tourist zones.

Madrid, Valencia, the Balearics and tourist areas allow wider Sunday trading. Some supermarkets there open in the morning or most of the day. Hospital emergency rooms are always open, every day.

Supermarket hours

Large supermarkets usually open Monday to Saturday from about 9:00 to 21:00 or 22:00. Mercadona is usually about 9:00 to 21:30. Lidl and Aldi are usually 9:00 to 21:00 or 21:30. Hours vary by store, so check your nearest one in a maps app before you go.

In small towns, smaller and franchise stores may close from 14:00 until 17:00. Do your main shop in the morning.

What to buy first

Start with food that is cheap and easy to cook: olive oil (aceite de oliva), salt, rice, pasta, tomato sauce (tomate frito), tinned tuna, jarred legumes, coffee, sugar and bottled water. Add bread, eggs, milk, potatoes, onions, garlic, fruit, vegetables, ham or chorizo, and cheese. Milk is usually sold as long-life UHT, and that is normal.

Buy cleaning supplies and toilet paper on the same trip. For fresh produce, go to the local market (mercado) in the morning. Markets close on Sundays.

If the flat has no kitchen kit, you need a frying pan, saucepan, knife, chopping board, cutlery, plates, a kettle or a moka coffee pot, and a tea towel. IKEA, Action, Primark Home and Chinese bazaars (bazares) sell these cheaply.

Delivery and late-night options

In big cities, delivery is easy.

• Delivery apps such as Glovo, Uber Eats and Just Eat bring restaurant meals. Some also bring groceries from convenience stores, even late.
• Many supermarkets deliver online, usually with next-day slots. Mercadona online covers only some cities.
• For late food, try 24-hour minimarkets, petrol station shops, restaurant chains such as VIPS, and kebab shops.
• Vending machines are common in stations, hospitals and metro areas. Some cities have 24-hour vending shops.

Small towns have few late options. If you are staying in one, shop earlier in the day and keep a few days of food at home.

A simple first-week plan

1. Arrival day: eat at a bar or restaurant, or order delivery. Buy breakfast and water from whatever is open.
2. First open day: do the main supermarket shop for staples and cleaning supplies.
3. Next morning: visit the market for fresh produce.
4. Before the weekend: on Saturday, stock up for Sunday.

The checklist and the questions below cover the shopping list and Sunday and late-night questions in more detail.

First-week food and shopping checklist for Spain

First-week food and shopping checklist

• Buy your basics on Saturday if you arrive on a weekend, because most shops and many supermarkets close on Sundays and national holidays.

• Do your main shop before 14:00 if you live in a small town, where smaller and franchise stores may close for part of the afternoon.

• Buy fresh food: bread, eggs, milk (UHT is the norm), potatoes, onions, garlic, fruit, vegetables, ham or chorizo and cheese.

• Look for cheap kitchenware at IKEA, Action, Primark Home or a Chinese bazaar (bazar).

• Find your nearest pharmacy on rota (farmacia de guardia); a list is posted on pharmacy doors, and one stays open at night.

• Note a late-night fallback near you, such as a petrol station shop, a 24-hour minimarket or a restaurant chain, for days when shops are shut.

• Set up a supermarket online order if you are in a large city, and book a next-day delivery slot before a closed day.

• Install a food-delivery app such as Glovo, Uber Eats or Just Eat for restaurant meals and late grocery orders in a big city.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get food if I arrive on a Sunday?

On a Sunday you can eat at bars, cafés and restaurants, and buy basics at petrol station shops, small convenience stores and 24-hour minimarkets. Airport and station shops are open too. In tourist zones and in places such as Madrid, Valencia and the Balearics, some supermarkets open in the morning or most of the day.

What is open on a Sunday or holiday if I need medicine or urgent care?

Pharmacies on rota (farmacias de guardia) stay open, and each pharmacy posts a list of the ones on duty, including a night pharmacy.

Can I get groceries delivered late at night in my first days?

Yes, in big cities you can order groceries from convenience stores through delivery apps such as Glovo, and restaurant food through Uber Eats or Just Eat. Supermarkets such as Carrefour, El Corte Inglés, Dia and Alcampo deliver online, usually with next-day slots, so order early.

Do supermarkets close in the afternoon in small towns?

Yes, smaller and franchise stores in small towns may close between 14:00 and 17:00. Large chains usually stay open through the day from Monday to Saturday. Check the hours of your nearest store on a map app.