Fitting your daily routine to Spain's hours and seasons

Terms used

• Horario continuo — Horario continuo means a shop or office stays open all day without a midday break.
• Jornada intensiva — Jornada intensiva is a continuous short working day, roughly 8:00 to 15:00, without a long lunch break.
• Comedor — The comedor is the school lunch service, offered by many schools.
• Tarde — Tarde means afternoon and early evening, from after the midday meal until about 20:00 to 21:00.

Key rules

• Midday break: Many small shops close between about 14:00 and 17:00, so plan errands for the morning or early evening.
• Sundays: Most supermarkets are closed on Sundays, and malls open only where the region allows it.
• Local holidays: Your town can have its own local holidays, so check the town hall before an errand or appointment.
• Summer hours: Offices and public bodies often work a continuous day in summer, and many small businesses close in August.

What a normal weekday looks like

Plan errands around a midday break. Spain's day runs later than you may expect: lunch is the main meal, usually 14:00 to 15:30, and dinner is around 21:00 to 22:30.

"Tarde" means afternoon and early evening. It starts after lunch, around 14:00 to 15:00, and runs until about 20:00 to 21:00. So 12:00 to 14:00 is still "mañana" (morning). "Buenas tardes" is the greeting from after lunch until dark.

• Small independent shops usually open from about 9:30 to 14:00, close for a midday break, and reopen from about 17:00 until 20:00 or 20:30, Monday to Friday. Many open Saturday morning only and close on Sundays. Some close on Monday mornings or one weekday afternoon.
• Supermarket chains usually open Monday to Saturday from about 9:00 to 21:00 or 22:00 with no midday break, and most are closed on Sundays. The exceptions are mainly small-format stores, convenience stores and large stores in tourist zones or Madrid.
• Department stores and shopping centres open about 10:00 to 22:00 Monday to Saturday without a break. They open on Sundays only where the region allows it.
• Banks and town halls often close their afternoons, so do these errands in the morning.

What changes by region and town size

The long midday break is strongest in small towns and in the south, where summer heat pushes the day later. Some shops there close in the afternoon and reopen in the evening. Small towns often close on Saturday afternoon as well.

In the north (Basque Country, Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia) and in Catalonia, the day is somewhat earlier and the break shorter. Big cities and tourist areas have more shops with continuous hours ("horario continuo"). In August, many small businesses close, especially in holiday towns.

Check closures before you go

Hours are set by each shop within its region's rules, so a quick check saves a wasted trip. The box below lists where to look. In short:

• Local holidays: your town hall's website and its online office list them. Each town can have up to two local holidays on top of the regional ones.
• The annual calendar of regional and local holidays is published by the regional labour department. Check the current year.
• Each region's commerce department publishes the Sundays and holidays when shops may open.
• Online map listings are handy for a shop's hours, but they are not always up to date. A sign on the door is more reliable.

For a public office or appointment, check the town hall's website for local holidays and market days. Market days can affect parking and traffic.

Seasons, weather and your home

In summer, especially in the south, the centre and the Mediterranean coast, the heat from about 14:00 to 18:00 keeps people indoors with shutters closed. Activity moves to the morning and late evening. Heat alerts can affect outdoor work. Air conditioning or fans are common.

Winters are mild on the coasts and in the south but cold in the interior and north. Many older homes have no central heating, so people use electric heaters, gas, butane or split units. Many homes are poorly insulated, so heating and cooling costs matter. Ask about this before you rent, and expect to close shutters by day in summer.

Fitting in work and school

• Offices commonly work about 9:00 to 18:00 with a one- to two-hour lunch. Many offices and public bodies use "jornada intensiva" in summer, from about 15 June or 1 July to 31 August or mid-September. Work runs continuously, roughly 8:00 to 15:00. Some firms also use it on Fridays all year. Dates depend on the employer's collective agreement.
• Schools typically run about 9:00 to 14:00. Many public primary schools use a continuous morning day and offer a "comedor" (school lunch) and after-school activities. Some private and subsidised schools run 9:00 to 17:00 with a midday break.
• Working from home or in shifts: plan calls and deliveries outside 14:00 to 16:00, when many people are at lunch. Shift workers should do shop errands in the morning, or use supermarkets, which have no break.

For regular errands, go to the shops in the morning or after 17:00, and keep Sundays for supermarkets that you know are open.

Where to check local opening hours and duty pharmacies

Where to check local hours and duty pharmacies

• Your province's pharmacy college (Colegio Oficial de Farmacéuticos): Look up today's duty pharmacies (farmacias de guardia) and current rotas in the finder on the college's website, using the college for your own province.

• National council of pharmacy colleges (Consejo General de Colegios Farmacéuticos): Use its national pharmacy finder to locate a pharmacy when you are away from home or your province's finder is hard to use.

• Regional health service: Follow the links on your region's health service website to local pharmacy lists and duty rotas.

• Pharmacy door sign: Read the sign on a closed pharmacy's door, which shows the nearest duty pharmacies for that day.

• Town hall (ayuntamiento) website and its online office (sede electrónica): Check local holidays and market days for your town before planning errands.

• Regional labour department's official gazette (boletín oficial): Find the yearly calendar of regional and local holidays (calendario laboral), which includes up to two local holidays for each municipality.

• Regional commerce department: Find the yearly calendar of Sundays and holidays when shops may open in your region.

• Online map listings and local business listings: Check a shop's or pharmacy's hours on a map listing, then confirm by phone or at the door if it matters.

• Tourist office or local chamber of commerce (cámara de comercio): Ask about local opening habits, closures and holidays in person if the online sources are unclear.

Frequently asked questions

Do offices and banks work shorter days in summer?

Yes, many offices and public administrations switch to jornada intensiva in summer, a continuous day of roughly 8:00 to 15:00 with no long lunch. It usually runs from about 15 June or 1 July to 31 August or mid-September, depending on the employer's agreement. Some firms also use it on Fridays all year, and town halls often close their afternoons.

Which days are local holidays in my town?

Your town's local holidays are listed on the town hall website, and each town can have up to two on top of the regional ones. The regional government publishes the full yearly calendar of regional and local holidays. Check the current year before you plan an errand or appointment.

Is Spain's long midday break the same everywhere?

No, the break is longest in small towns and the south, and shorter in the north and Catalonia. Big cities and tourist areas have more shops open all day. In August, many small businesses close altogether.

How do school hours fit with Spanish meal times?

Many public primary schools run a continuous morning day from about 9:00 to 14:00 and offer a comedor, a school lunch, plus after-school activities. Some private schools run 9:00 to 17:00 with a midday break. Lunch at home is usually between 14:00 and 15:30 and dinner is late, around 21:00 to 22:30.

How do I keep a home comfortable in Spanish summers and winters?

In summer, close shutters during the afternoon heat and use fans or air conditioning, since many homes are poorly insulated. Winters are cold in the interior and north, and many older homes have no central heating, so people use electric heaters, gas, butane or split units. Heating and cooling costs matter when you choose a home.