The time has come to shatter these myths about the Spanish

If it´s your first time in Spain you need to know a few things if you do not want to be considered a naive ignorant. First of all forget easy old stereotypes and your prejudices. Soon you will find out you had the wrong concept about Spain. Spaniards speak Spanish, not English, or Dutch, or Russian. English is not the only langauge in the world. If somebody speaks English don´t criticize and expect it to be “perfect english”, Spaniards learn Romance languages easily, not Germanic, after all you are the one that has to adapt to the country and the language. Many foreigners are creating the same problem that many people always complain about in their country.

Spaniards are focus on family, real, genuine friendships and the creation of lasting memories is truly awe inspiring. You will discover in any Spanish village that people value time with friends and family much more than they do material things – that’s true wealth!. It is a much more human place to live… people still understand that people come first and economic development second and they preserve many values that have been lost long time ago in northern countries

Think about it, most of you trade 5 days per week to buy 2 days at the weekend which you then use in shops to acquire products that give us a sense of status – we’re trapped in this cycle. If you ask a Spaniard if he wants more pay or more free time, he will choose more quality time to spend with his family and this is good and it does not mean Spaniards are lazy, they just try to find the perfect balance. They are sure that we were born with a greater purpose than just going to work, paying bills and dying.

Myth: Spain is broke. While there’s no doubting many people are struggling, the IMF still lists the country as the 13th biggest economy in the world. The Financial Times also points out a few positives: Spain has a trade surplus, for one, and the debts of the regions only make up 17 percent of the national total.

Of course the world financial crisis has affected a lot the economy, specially the unemployment…but the numbers of unemployment ratio showed in the news are far from reality…not representative of the situation because there are lots of people working within the informal economy. So don’t imagine this like an Apocalipsis with people robbing everywhere and everyone to survive, because it is simply did not happen and it’s not happening. In fact is considered the 3rd safest country in the world.

Spain is not a poor country at all, although there’re poor people unfortunately,… but that happens even in the USA. Spain is the 4th economy of the European Union (after Brexit), holds the 14th position in the world GDP ranking, has one of the better public health system all around (1st position in transplant surgery), one of the best life expectancy, 1st touristic destination in 2017, etc. If you come to buy in Spain, don’t think you are coming to save the country.

Spain’s Economic Nightmare Finally Over https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/busi … ter=google


Is Spain a developed country?. Yes, very much so. By some metrics it leads the World. It’s part of the OECD, and OECD countries are all developed countries. According to the OECD Better Life Index, http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/spain/. Spain is a top ranking country for community and work/life balance, and is in the top tier for health care. Infrastructure, especially transport infrastructure, is some of the best in the World. Spain is very successful at developing high-speed rail networks ( for other countries also) compared to richer European countries like the UK and Germany. Regions of northern Spain, especially the Basque Country and Catalonia, are a hub for major aeronautic and energy industries. Southern agriculture fuels all of Europe.

Spain has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe, it feels very safe to walk around, and there are as many public amenities, e.g. children’s play areas, buses, and museums. So yes, not the absolute richest place, but with a lot going for it, and it’s very well developed. On the downside, it scores quite low for average personal income (although incomes are still well above the global average), and unemployment is still very high but reducing gradually.

Remember that Spain is the most complex and diverse country in Europe. People from Malaga and people from Barcelona are like from different countries, with different cultures and speak different languages. The north is totally different from the south, so don´t put everybody in the same basket. Corruption is in politicians that handle public funds. Bribery is not widespread in business or in the police as in other countries.

Most Spaniards do not like bullfighting and there are anti-bullfighting associations throughout the country. They are forbidden in some provinces.

It´s a Catholic country but only a small part of the population are practitioners. (13%). In fact it is a very liberal country and one of the first in the world to legalize gay marriages. They don´t eliminate womans last name when married and they can choose the order of children´s last names from father or mother first. This is more in tune with the 21st century than other developed and civilized countries.

The siesta is another stupid stereotype. Only retired people and children can do it. That does not mean people do not take a nap on weekends or in vacations. We have the longest day in Europe and we can take more time for lunch, if you are lucky and your work place is not far, you can go home for lunch with your family and relax 20 minutes, but no time for siesta.

Spaniards are always late. With friends they might not be so strict about being punctual. In a professional environment it will be considered rude to be late. In my job I make appointments and meet people from UK, Holland, Belgium, …every day. Some are on time, some are late and 2 out of 10 don´t even show up!!!???

“Mañana”. Correctly select the professionals and services you hire. There are good and fast ones and also slow bad ones, just like in your country I suppose.

Spaniards are lazy. According to statistics published by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), Spaniards worked an average of 1,665 hours a year. This is 100 less than the OECD average (1,770), but 300 more than in Germany (1,388) and France (1,489).

NO, all Spaniards do not know how to dance flamenco, only some people in the south.

Spain is not Mexico, just like UK is not USA. So don´t look for big hats, tacos, or other American stuff. The tortilla here is a totally diffent thing.

They all do not have dark skin, brown eyes and black hair. They come from Iberians and Celtics. During the arab invasion far less than 1% of the population mixed with arabs. Christians did not marry Moorish. So many Spaniards have green or blue eyes and most have light skin. All Nordics are not blond with blue eyes.

They cannot complain about the weather, but not the whole peninsula does not have a climate like the Mediterranean coast or the islands. No, Spain is not tropical and it´s not summer all year. there is a cold winter in some areas.

The more south you move, the more hot and laid back life. The more north, the more European, so the best area is in the middle. That is why Costa blanca north, Denia, Javea, Moraira, Altea, are some of the prefered areas.You might think heatstroke and sunstroke are not anything to worry about in this country, but you’d be wrong. Medical authorities recommend not to stay out in the open in the hours with more sun, from 14:00 to 18:00h. That´s why shops close, people look for shade or a fresh indoor place and drink a lot. So adapt to the schedule. Oh my God, a siesta maybe?

If you go to Rome, do like the Romans…

If you are a racist, xenophobic or a religious fanatic we do not want you here.