A major change is taking place in some parts of Spain. Some shops are moving away from the country’s long-standing jornada partida, a key part of Spanish culture, in favour of continuous 9am to 5pm opening hours. The jornada partida, Spain’s traditional split working day, typically divides the day into two distinct blocks with a morning shift, followed by a long midday break for lunch and rest, often including the iconic siesta, and then a return to work in the late afternoon evening. This rhythm has long shaped daily life in Spain, especially during the hot summer months, with many shops and services closing for about two hours.
Often, shops will open from 10 to 2pm and then reopen around 5pm to then cose at around 8pm or 9pm. In several towns and seaside spots that are popular with British expats and tourists, however, the old routine appears to be changing.
More and more businesses are opting for uninterrupted hours, opening from 9am to 5pm, a schedule that mirrors what many foreign residents and visitors are used to in the UK and northern Europe.
Shops are opening to avoid missing sales from travellers and local residents who plan errands during what would traditionally be break time.
In towns like Alicante, Málaga, Granada, and stretches of the Costa Blanca, businesses from hardware stores and supermarkets to veterinary clinics are trading midday breaks for these uninterrupted hours, Euro Weekly News reported.
Madrid is also seeing a similar change in the restaurant scene as well. Traditionally, lunch typically runs from 2pm to 5pm, with dinner not starting until around 9pm and extending late into the night.
Some spots in central areas have already begun opening earlier at 1pm for lunch and 8pm for dinner to better serve tourists.
President of the Community of Madrid since 2019, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, previously championed a more tourist-friendly approach.
She said: “We want to attract tourists by being flexible, opening our establishments earlier at midday and at dinner time.”
Critics, however, have warned that this could erode Spain’s cultural fabric, particularly the siesta and family-focused mid-afternoon routines. For many, these are cultural pillars that help maintain well-being and community cohesion.