Your vacations in Spain

Spain – officially, the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España) – is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea, except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal. Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa (Ceuta and Melilla) that border Morocco. With an area of 504,030 km², Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France.

Since prehistoric times and through the dawn of Spain as a country, the territory of Spain was subject to many external influences, often simultaneously, because of its location.. Conversely, the country itself has been an important source of influence to other regions, chiefly during the Modern Era, when it became a global empire that has left a legacy of over 400 million Spanish speakers today.

Spain is a democracy that’s organised in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy. It’s a developed country with the ninth largest economy by nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and high living standards. It’s a member of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation (OECD), and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Official language

Spanish

Currency

Euro

Electricity

230 volts, 50 cycles

Shopping

In Barcelona, visitors should not miss the city’s 5-kilometre shopping line, which runs from the top of the Ramblas, through Placa de Catalunya along Passeig de Gràcia and up Avenue Diagonal.

Useful information

Among Spaniards, lunch time is usually between 13 and 14:30, while dinner time is around 21. However, in special celebrations, lunch can be delayed up until 15 in some cases, while dinners can even be as late as 22. Almost all businesses close between 14:30 and 17:00, so plan your shopping and sight-seeing accordingly.

The climate in Spain

Mainland Spain is divided into four main climatic zones:
1. Atlantic climate of northern coast. Average temperatures here are 9ªC in winter and 18ªC in summer. This is the wettest part of the peninsula, particularly in autumn and winter. Although summers are cooler and wetter here than the rest of Spain, there is a marked summer drought and plenty of warm, sunny weather.
2. Continental Mediterranean climate of interior central plateau (mesetas). Low temperatures in winter, with temperatures under -15ºC not uncommon, and under -20ºC occurring regularly. Summer offers an average of 24ªC. Heavy snowfalls in winter. As the Castilians say "nueve meses de invierno y tres meses de infierno" ("nine months of winter and three months of hell".)
3. Mediterranean climate proper. Eastern and southern coast and much of the Guadalquivir Valley, with average temperatures of 11ºC in winter and 23ºC in summer.
4. Subtropical climate. Canary Islands. Average winter temperatures above 14ºC. Average summer temperatures around 22ªC.

Official language

Spanish

Currency

Euro

Electricity

230 volts, 50 cycles

Shopping

In Barcelona, visitors should not miss the city’s 5-kilometre shopping line, which runs from the top of the Ramblas, through Placa de Catalunya along Passeig de Gràcia and up Avenue Diagonal.

Useful information

Among Spaniards, lunch time is usually between 13 and 14:30, while dinner time is around 21. However, in special celebrations, lunch can be delayed up until 15 in some cases, while dinners can even be as late as 22. Almost all businesses close between 14:30 and 17:00, so plan your shopping and sight-seeing accordingly.