Let’s just start by saying, Spanish nightlife is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
It’s not that it’s especially exclusive, super wild & crazy, or even particularly rowdy. It’s your pretty typical nightlife scene. You’ll find a diverse variety of bars and clubs, with a wide selection of music, both inexpensive and pricey options, lots of drinking & great dancing…
What sets Spanish nightlife apart is duration.
(Okay, I’ll admit, it’s pretty crazy too …. )
I’ve been out in Prague, Munich, New York and Vegas- and none of these notorious party cities have come close to matching Madrid’s, Barcelona’s, Granada’s, or even Valencia’s, I guess we’ll call it- nightlife endurance.
Spanish people drink to last. They drink slowly, over a long period of time and they know how to pace themselves (for the most part). Spaniards drink as much, if not more, than us Americans, the difference is they’re not “rippin’” shots, popping holes in the sides of their beer cans, or challenging each other to flip cup races. This doesn’t make them any less fun, it simply allows them to sustain themselves… all.. damn… night….
These people have some real stamina. They’re in it for the duration.
Sorry New York, I love ya, but I’ve found an entire country more deserving of your nickname.
Disagree? Check out my Spanish nightlife schedule below and decide for yourself.
The time of dinner in Spain is much later than the rest of the world, especially on the weekends. On week nights Spaniards will indulge in their nightly feast around 9PM, while on the weekends, dinner plans are made as late as 11PM or even 12AM! Some restaurants won’t even open their doors until around 9PM. Getting such a late start to the last meal of the day definitely pushes everything else back significantly.
Depending on when and where dinner is eaten, this is the time that Spaniards will prepare for the rest of the night. This includes showers, running to a nearby ‘chino’ to pick up alcohol, meeting with friends before going out and sometimes even, a quick nap is savored. Whatever it is, this is the time where Spaniards prepare for what is to come.
In Spain, if you’re lucky, you’ll have a friend’s apartment to go to for the ‘pregame.’ Still, as many people live with their parents, until later than us Americans are used to, the norm is still the botellón. A botellón is a Spanish tradition that involves young people meeting for their ‘before-disco’ drinks- usually in the streets or in parks. (If its cold or raining, they’ll head to a cheap bar). It stems from a sort of ‘protest’ against the rising prices of alcohol in bars and clubs, so young people will often spend a few hours drinking before heading out to avoid dropping some major cash later on.
*Drinking in the streets is NOT legal in Spain. (Still, no one seems to mind much …)
Anywhere from 3:00-4:30AM people will start heading to the clubs. Yeah, I know. In most parts of the world, this is when people are heading home from the clubs, or already happily snoozing off their blurry buzz. If you get to a club in Spain before 3AM, expect to warm up the dance floor for a while until the Spaniards start to trickle in.
*To anyone who didn’t catch the above Pitbull reference, that would be the newest song to hit Spain- ‘El Taxi.’
Finally, you’ve made it to the club. Most partygoers will stay at the discoteca until at least 6AM. After 6AM is when you’ll start to see people slowly begin to filter out. I’ve been in clubs that were pretty damn full until 7AM. With no windows to observe the rising sun and all the others still ‘going hard’ around you, you won’t even realize that it’s 7. Club owners will rarely turn on the lights and send everyone home. At least not until mid-morning.
Yet another English word comically incorporated into the Spanish culture. If you hear someone muttering to a friend that they are going to ‘an after,’ they are referring to an after party. This type of party is usually an occasional experience, but for some people, it has become just another part of their nightlife routine. You will find ‘afters’ back at apartments, on the side of the street, or there are even clubs specifically designed to host these ‘afters,’ only opening after the other clubs have closed. These after parties go late into the morning and can even last into the afternoon. If you’re not an after person, you mostly likely head to the nearest 24hr fast-food joint (Papizza, TaKo Away, McDonalds or if you’re classy- chocolate con churros at Madrid’s famous San Gines) before calling it a night… well morning.
What do you think of the Spanish nightlife schedule? How does it compare to the nightlife you’re used to?
Would you enjoy it, or do you think it would be too much?
Linkin’ up with Caity, Marcella, Michelle, Amanda & Bonnie for Travel Tuesday today!!
Wow, I knew that Spain took their time and had a later schedule than most, but I had no idea that they only start really going out at like 3am! On most nights I don’t have the stamina to stay out all night like that, but I did appreciate one thing about this schedule when I was in Spain…late breakfast! I am NOT a morning person, and love to sleep in a little. I loved that whenever I would roll out in the morning, there would be others eating breakfast too, so I never felt like I was missing the morning or the only one wanting breakfast mid-morning.
Well thats for sure! On the weekends the streets are very very quiet and almost deserted until late afternoon! I love sleeping in too, but I must admit, I don’t like wasting a whole day. A late breakfast is okay, but I don’t like sleeping until dinner! But hey, after staying out all night, you need some recovery time, right?
This is *crazy*! And definitely sounds like something I’m way too old & boring for, lol! The whole schedule is like 5 hours behind the typical LA clubbing schedule. In LA clubs, lights start turning on at like 1:45 am and at 2:01 am, they’re literally shoving you out the door! If I ever make it to Spain (and I really really hope to), I’m probably going to be the lamest person there and demand dinner at 6 pm!
I’ve questioned my ‘coolness’ many times here in Spain. Sometimes I just don’t have it in me to stay out all night. If anything I’ve realized that that’s okay! I don’t force myself to go out anymore. If I’m not feeling it, if I’m tired or if I’ve had a long week, the couch with a warm blanket and relaxing movie is just so much more appealing…. 😀
I think this might be to much, especially as we get older, but it is a little similar to nightlife in mexico, at least the late dinners and such.
Sometimes that is exactly what it is …. too much!
Ok, this must be why I never get Spain in those silly tests about where you are suppose to live. I am NOT a night owl! I’m waking up long before they are ever going to sleep!
I am so back and forth … If I’m not in the mood … NO WAY
This sounds like Chile! I found it hard to stay awake, eeek! In the UK we tend to get to a club around 10-11pm and so when I arrived in Chile I kept thinking “Can we leave now?!” but still had so many hours more to go!
Right! Most of the time I’m feeling ready to go home before the pregame even ends ….. guess I’m getting old ….
Hah! So true. But for a nation so great at partying, they’re sadly lacking in the drinking game department. Good thing us Americans can teach them a thing or two about kings, beer pong and flip cup!
Seriously! I’ve tried to teach some of my Spanish friends some drinking games now and again and it’s honestly just hysterical. It’s also hard to play cames properly when no normal sized cups exist over here in España haha
Holy smokes! That is one intense schedule! When do they sleep?!?! I can see managing for a few nights on a vacation, but no way I could maintain that lifestyle long term. This girl loves to get her zzzz’s 🙂
Samezzz girl! I try to do this a few times a month, but other than that my weekends are for relaxing, traveling and sleeeeeeeping in!
I love your layout in this post, and you’re totally accurate! I think I could pull this off IF I slept the entire day BEFORE. 🙂 Honestly, it sounds like a really fun thing to do after landing in Europe from the USA – great way to have other people awake with you when you’re struggling through jetlag! Super cool post, and I can’t wait to attempt getting to “the after” someday!
I’m still attempting to make it to the after a year and a half later …. ahha I always need an entire day after going out to recover .. hard work over here in España.. what can I say 😀
I’ve made the mistake of turning up to Spanish bars at around 10 or 11pm before, only to be virtually the only people on the dance floor! I would love to dance the night away in a Spanish club, it’s been a little while since I was out until sunrise – and that was in Copenhagen when the sun started super early around 4am!
I showed up wayyy to early a few times when I studied abroad. I just couldn’t accept the late start times. After a while I realized no matter how early I wanted to go out.. the rest of Madrid would not follow …. oops
I love the laid back atmosphere in Spain! The laid back lifestyle is right up my street 🙂 I love coming off of the beach at 7pm, going for dinner at 10, follower by a late night bar. It’s so much fun and the benefit is nobody over-drinks as everything is very spaced out.
I really like Spain, visited Cala D’Or in Mallorca last year and loved it ever so much.
Laura http://www.shehearts.net xx