The Spanish summer habits all foreigners should adopt

Summer is most definitely upon us here in Spain. In order to survive the season, do as the locals do and adopt these habits.

Leave the city for the beach or mountains

Most people in big Spanish cities during summer are in fact tourists, all the locals leave for the small villages, coastal areas or mountains. Firstly, it’s generally too hot to stay in these heat domes during the whole summer, and secondly most businesses close and everyone’s on holiday so there’s not much point staying at home. Head up to the north of Spain or to villages at high altitudes in the mountains to catch some respite from the heat.

Find your pueblo

Alternatively to heading to the beach or the mountains, many Spaniards head back to their villages. This may be where their parents grew up or perhaps where their grandparents still live. It's an opportunity to leave the city, but also for people to reconnect with their roots and spend more time with extended family. If your family lives abroad and you don't have a pueblo to go to, then you can always find the one that suits you and make it your annual getaway.

Close all the windows and blinds

If you’ve been in Spain at all during the summer, you’ll know that opening your windows will in fact not make the air cooler, but hotter instead. Do as the locals do and close your shutters, blinds and windows during the heat of the day to help stay cool.

READ ALSO: Why are Spanish homes so dark?

Drink tinto de verano

There are lots of refreshing drinks to enjoy in summer in Spain, but one of the most popular is tinto de Verano or summer wine. Spaniards don’t often drink sangría – this is mainly for tourists. Instead, they’ll drink tinto de verano made from red wine mixed with fizzy lemonade.

Don't dare go outdoors in the middle of the day

In many smaller towns and villages in Spain you’ll find that the streets will be completely quiet and empty between around 1pm – 5pm. The shops that are still open during summer will likely be closed and everyone will be home hiding from the sun. It may even feel like you’ve stumbled across a ghost town but it's just that Spaniards know that it's way too hot to spend time outdoors.

Take a siesta

Siestas during most of the year in Spain are actually a bit of myth – people are too busy working, kids are at school and life is as hectic here as it is in any other country. But in summer, siestas are almost a necessity in many parts of the country because it's simply too hot to get anything done, especially with a full stomach after lunch.

Keep an abanico fan with you at all times

Take a leaf out of the book of the Spanish abuelas (grandmas) and carry a handheld fan with you during summer. You never know when you’ll need some extra cooling down, like in the metro tunnels which are not cooled and often suffocatingly hot in summer.

Take as many home comforts as possible to the beach

Spaniards don’t only take a towels and buckets and spades with them to the beach, no they come laden with as many comforts as possible to sustain them during the whole day. Think deck chairs, small tables, huge parasols, cool boxes, homemade food – the works. You are likely to feel quite jealous of everything they’ve brought, so come prepared.

Enjoy local festivals

Summer is a time for going away, shutting up shop and having siestas, but it’s also a time for celebration as many towns, villages and neighbourhoods celebrate their annual festivals at this time. Some of the biggest include the Moros y Cristianos festival in Villajoyosa, La Tomatina tomato fight in Buñol and the San Fermín bull runs in Pamplona.

August 15th is the day with most local festivals, as 1,205 municipalities across the country hold their local fiestas patronales.

Take advantage of all of Spain's cold soups

Forget trying to cook a hot meal in summer, it’s far too hot to turn the oven or the stove on, instead do as the locals do and live on a variety of cold soups. Spain has several traditional cold soups – which are mostly from different areas in Andalusia. The most famous is of course gazpacho made from tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, garlic and olive oil. salmorejo is thicker with the addition of bread, boiled egg and ham, and is most typical from Córdoba. Porra is again even thicker and can be found in the historic city of Antequera. Other cold soups include ajo blanco found around Málaga and Cádiz and made with almonds, bread, garlic and sherry vinegar. There’s also la pipirrana from Jaén and variations of gazpacho made with watermelon or cherries.

Spend la tarde al fresco

When evening comes and the day finally begins to cool a bit, Spaniards start to head out outside again to catch some breeze. As many people don't have air-con or can't afford to run it all the time, going outside is one of the only ways to get cool again. You'll often find that locals in their barrios (neighbourhoods) grab a chair and sit outside their houses when the sun goes down, making it an extension of their living rooms as they chat to their neighbours.

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