12 Things to Avoid to Do When Visiting Spain

Updated: Dec 30, 2023

Spain is a beautiful country that will make you fall in love with its people, arts, culture and obviously with its food. In this article, you will find all the things to don't do or better avoid to do in Spain.

If you know somebody who has been there already, they indeed told you how wonderful was their holiday in the country of Paella.

If you are reading my article, you are probably thinking or (even better) already started to plan to visit this great Mediterranean country.

Valentina's Travel Guide, 12 Things to Don't Do When Visiting Spain

I have been many times in Spain. Three times to Barcelona, Madrid, the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and I have spent my first solo travel exploring the south of this incredible country for 22 days.

I have learned a lot about Spain. Unfortunately, I haven't written about all the places I have visited (not yet, but all those fantastic destinations are on their way).

I have travelled a lot before finally deciding to start a travel blog to share all my tips and information about all the places I visited, so now I am busy as a bee while writing about all these places.

With that said, let me tell you more about beautiful Spain.

tenerife, beach palms — Tenerife Island in the Canary Islands

*Disclosure: This article contains a few affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you, I guarantee, if you purchase through my links. See it as a way to thank me and support my travel blog for all the information I provide.

Read 12 Things to Don't Do When Visiting Spain Below

Enjoy!

If you will like this article, feel free to leave a comment below and share it with your friends, maybe someone you know is planning to visit Spain.

*All links in every article open on a new page, so you won’t lose this page while looking around!

1. Don't have an English Breakfast while in Spain:

English breakfast is good and gives you a lot of energy to start the day, but there is so much delicious breakfast food in Spain that you cannot miss it. They have pastries made with almonds and homemade jam, ham that will melt in your mouth like butter and much more.

Do you want to see everything Spain has to offer and save money at the same time?

Check here all the activities and tours available. You won't regret it!

2. Don't act and Eat like you are still in your country:

You are travelling in Spain, so I highly recommend you live like a local, that is the best way to experience a new country fully. Respect meals time, don't have lunch at noon and dinner at 6 pm. Restaurants open for lunch at 1.30 pm and for dinner at 8 pm.

If you want to eat earlier, you will probably end up in a tourists trap, where they will serve you warm up frozen food that has nothing to do with authentic Spanish food, and it might also be overpriced.

If you are hungry, have a coffee and a little sandwich or a pastry to keep your stomach quiet and trust me that in a couple of days your body will get used to living like a Spanish while in Spain.

3. Don't eat Paella for dinner:

Spanish people eat Paella mostly at lunch because it is a pretty heavy meal and because they have dinner pretty late (after 9 pm), they tend to choose something lighter.

This is more of a piece of advice for you guys. You can eat it for dinner if you want to, but don't complain that you feel too full and have problems digesting it (make sure to go for a walk afterwards).

4. Don't expect to have a fast lunch or dinner:

Spanish people love to have their meal at their own pace, like Italians. A lunch or dinner will last at least 2 hours between ordering and leaving the restaurant.

The best way to enjoy delicious Spanish food is to do it slowly.

Find a nice place, maybe with a good view, get a couple of tapas with a glass of wine, get your main course, wait a bit for the coffee, and maybe share a dessert with your travel mate (if you have one).

Don't be in a rush, you are on holiday, after all, enjoy Spain!

5. Don't ask people you just met information about their job:

For many Spanish people, talking about their job is not something they like to do when they are not working and mostly not with someone they just met.

I found this quite different from English or Italian people, who are usually very open to talking about it.

So please don't be rude, don't ask them what they do for a living, ask about where they are from, talk about why you are in Spain and maybe ask for some advice about places to visit, most people I met were delighted to give me some precious advice when talking about their country.

6. Don't grab an orange straight from the tree:

This is a mistake I made. Spain is full of orange trees everywhere (or for sure in the south that is the area I visited the most), and they look so lovely that you will feel the curiosity maybe to grab one and eat it. Please don't do it!

They are very sour and uneatable.

Oranges trees are everywhere in Spanish streets because, in the 12th-century, people thought that bitter oranges would bring them luck, so they planted them everywhere.

7. Spanish speakers don't constantly repeat "please" and "thank you":

I don't speak Spanish perfectly, I understand better than I talk, but I would love to learn it as soon as I have some more free time (now I am busy writing about all my travels in this Travel Guide). I know the basis for ordering food in a bar/restaurant or buying something in a shop/market.

I used to constantly repeat "muchas grasias" and "por favour" in every sentence, like when I spoke English or Italian. A friend of mine I visited in Barcelona (who lived there) told me that Spanish people prefer to talk more kindly.

So the "please" and "thanks" are not needed. What is important is the tone of voice, so add some kindness to it, and you will be all right.

Plan Your Vacation in Spain in the Best Way

Check out all my articles in the "Most Complete Guide of Spain" and get all the information you need to make your next travel a success.

8. Don't expect to go shopping on Sundays:

Sunday is the rest day, so most shops and supermarkets are closed.

If you are staying in a flat and need to buy food for the weekend because you want to save some money, don't forget to buy it on Saturday or you will end up going to eat out (also on Sunday most of the bars where to have breakfast open very late so you will end up starving).

Most bars and restaurants will be open, but the opening time might be different from the other days of the week.

9. Don't talk about the Civil War:

Unless someone starts the conversation about it, I have been told that it is better to avoid it. It has been a terrible period for Spanish people, so they avoid the subject.

10. When meeting with a local in the afternoon, you will primarily meet up to drink a coffee:

You have to remember that in Spain everything happens at a different time. They have lunch around 2-3 pm and dinner after 9 pm.

So if you meet a local after lunch around 5 or 6 pm, you will probably meet up for a coffee and not for a beer or an aperitivo like in other countries. Don't forget that aperitivo/tapas time starts around 8 pm and dinner after 9 pm.

11. Don't think that every region of Spain is the same:

You will be surprised to see how different are regions from one another, it is still Spain, of course. Still, the dialects or languages (like Catalan, is a language, not a dialect), local recipes, architecture and scenery are entirely different.

Do you want to know more about Rome?

Check out all my articles in the "Most Complete Guide of Spain" and get all the information you need to make your next travel a success.

12. Don't miss a Flamenco Show:

Flamenco is original from Andalusia, but you can enjoy a show everywhere in Spain. These shows are magical. The movements, sounds, songs, and voices will make you feel the dancers' passion.

I attended an incredible Flamenco show in a Flamenco school in Cadiz (south-west side of Spain), and it was unbelievable.

Do you want to see everything Spain has to offer and save money at the same time?

Check here all the activities and tours available. You won't regret it!

13. Don't get scared when Spanish people raise their voices:

I never had a problem with this because, as an Italian, I tend to be laud too. We are cousins, after all!

But for people from other countries, it might be a surprise, and if you are not prepared about it, you might also get scared and think that they are arguing or fighting.

Not at all. Spanish people (as Italians) are just quite lauded.

14. Don't Feel Forced to Leave a Tip:

In Spain, people don't use to tip like in other countries. If you go to an expensive restaurant, a tip is more than welcome, but in a bar or a local restaurant, just leave a couple of euros if the service has been excellent.

There is no service charge in Spain (like in the Uk). You decide how much to leave as a tip.

More Destinations Travel Guides and more Travel Tips are added regularly, so hit the subscribe button at the end of this article to be always updated about new articles (and get all the giveaways).

15. Don't Eat Only Paella:

Yes, Paella is one of the most famous Spanish dishes.

Still, Spain has so many delicious local recipes that you will be surprised by their variety.

Try everything is local, do some research about the local food, if I have been there, I wrote an article about the best food of that city or region that you cannot miss to try.