SPAIN holds the European record for being home to the most bars per inhabitant, according to a recent EU study.
The southern region of Andalucía alone has as many bars – which include pubs and cafés – as Ireland, Denmark, Finland and Norway combined, a statistic which will cause many to do a double take, given perceptions of the Irish as being hugely fond of their native Guinness.
If Andalucía was the only region with any bars at all, at 47,000 in total, it would still have enough for each to cater for 1,000 inhabitants in Spain.
But in practice, Andalucía is home to fewer than a fifth of the country's bars – the total number recorded is 279,243 across the whole of Spain, meaning one for every 169 residents.
And this is even in spite of the hangover from the financial crisis leading to 70,000 bars and cafés in Spain closing down in the past four years.
Although the country's 350,000 bars has dropped to 280,000, their takings still account for 15% of the country's GDP.
The figure of 169 is only the national average, however – many towns far exceed this.
In fact, Mogán, near Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria, has 547 pubs and cafés for just over 23,000 residents – meaning one for every 43 people.
As a result, if every single person in Mogán went to the pub at the same time, there would almost certainly be enough space for them all to find a seat at once.
Anecdotal evidence from other countries hints Spain may be equalled in certain isolated areas – the port town of Harwich, in north Essex, UK, was in the Guinness Book of Records around 15 years ago for having the most pubs per square mile.
But 'pub life' in Spain is very different to in the UK: bars generally serve coffee, soft drinks and alcohol at any time of the day, typically from around 07.00 to midnight depending upon location, frequently offer snacks and sometimes ice-cream, the majority have pavement terraces at the entrance, and are used at every hour by everyone from workmen to families with children, for after-work drinks or afternoon tea, lunchtime coffees and late-night half-pints, or cañas.
Those referred to as 'working men's bars' still serve cakes and coffee, and tea and coffee shops still serve wine and beer, meaning the distinction seen in northern Europe between a café and a pub is very blurred in Spain.
NOT ALL 'life-hacks' you find on social media turn out to be useful, or even harmless – but when they're recommended by one of Spain's largest consumer organisations, you can probably safely give them...
ACTRESS Cameron Díaz has launched her own line of environmentally-friendly wine made entirely with organic grapes – from Catalunya. The and star, who will be 48 next month, has created the brand 'Aveline'...
A BAR customer in Granollers (Barcelona province) has paid the owners for 'all the beers he could not drink during lockdown'. Based upon the price charged of €2.50 for a (half-pint or 330ml glass), and the...
NEARLY half of Spain's residents have suddenly become more health-conscious in terms of their diets in the past year, according to recent research – although it is too early to say whether two months in lockdown...
31,927 found
CANARY Island president Ángel Víctor Torres says he is 'quietly confident' the UK will lift its quarantine restrictions soon – for this region, at least. Recently, the British government announced that...
A MOBILE phone contact-tracing application designed by Spain's government is about to become available to the public on a voluntary basis, having passed its first phase of tests. 'Radar COVID' is capable of...
THE CATHEDRAL in Palencia will be 700 years old in 2021 – on June 1, to be precise – and, beautiful though it is, it's often overlooked by the spectacular gothic version in Burgos and the majestic domed-roofed...
BANKS, shops and public transport, as well as healthcare, education facilities and a postal delivery service are 'key' to stemming Spain's rural exodus, says a recently-released report. According to...
A FAMOUS international artist has decorated a metro station in Barcelona as a 'thank-you' to healthcare staff who battled on the front line during the worst months of the Covid-19 pandemic. US-born Philip...
AROUND a decade ago, a law was brought into force setting minimum and maximum air-conditioning temperatures year-round – before then, it was fairly common, when popping out on a day when it was over 40ºC in the shade...
NOT ALL 'life-hacks' you find on social media turn out to be useful, or even harmless – but when they're recommended by one of Spain's largest consumer organisations, you can probably safely give them...
IN A BID to get passengers back on the trains again, rail board RENFE has launched a high-speed and long-distance ticket offer with discounts of up to 65% for August. With a reduction in foreign holidaymakers due to a...
A NEW line of credit totalling €40 billion has been agreed by Spain's government to help boost cashflow, capital and investment for businesses. An initial credit facility of €100bn created earlier this year has...
AN ENVIRONMENTAL association founder has warned against the global trend towards banning plastic – saying doing so is harmful to the planet. Alejandra Ramos Jaime of ('It's Me Who's The Solution',...
OWN-BRANDED goods in supermarkets have soared in popularity since the Covid-19 pandemic hit Spain, with their purchases accounting for 40% of the total and expected to continue to rise in the next few years. According...
NATIONAL hotel chains in Spain have offered to pay for foreign tourists to be PCR-tested before they return home to avoid their having to quarantine after their trip. The Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist...
Filter by Crime/Incidents [6370], Sport [4295], Politics & People [3691], Community/Public Services [1951], Transport (inc Motoring) [1888], Environment/Nature [1684], Travel/Tourism [1537], Leisure/Entertainment [1473], Business/Economy [1420], Health/Beauty/Fashion [1196], Education & Employment [1151], Legal & Finance [983], Culture/Art/Literature [921], Animals/Pets [750], Food & Drink [719], Property/House & Garden [671], Technology/Science [651], Religion [298], Clubs & Societies, Charities, Hobbies [278]
