Spain

Location:

Western Europe

Climate Description:

Generally hot and dry in Summer (30ºC), cool and wet in Winter. Climate varies throughout the country - Northern Spain is very mountainous and has extremes of temperatures, whereas Southern Spain tends to be more consistent and mild, similar to southern coastal Queensland.

Is it likely that residents in this country will speak English?

Many Spanish people speak basic English but be prepared to test out your language skills. There are two main forms of Spanish - traditional Spanish and Catalan (spoken in Northern Basque regions through to Barcelona), which are fairly different dialects. Catalan is more difficult to understand.

What are the staple foods of the country?

Cured ham (Jamon), seafood, Paella, Tapas, olives and of course Sangria.

What is a typical daily intake and timing for each meal in this country?

All meals are served later in Spain. Don't expect to eat out for dinner before 8pm! Similarly many shops close in the afternoon for Siesta (from about 12.30pm) and do not reopen until about 5pm, closing at around 8pm.

Breakfast is generally bread, cheese and ham. The main meal is usually at lunch, with a lighter dinner.

Restaurants may not be open on a Monday night (especially in smaller places out of tourist season)

What food items are readily available?

Breads and Cereals: Breakfast cereals and bars are readily available from supermarkets but tend to be low fibre and highly sweetened.

Fruit & Vegetables: are best purchased from markets rather than supermarkets which tend to stock tinned rather than fresh varieties. Most places will have fresh produce markets at least once a week.

Dairy products: Milk is available in all varieties but more often in long-life forms. Full range of yoghurts available, and cheese.

Meat & Seafood: this mainly comes in cured varieties eg ham although in supermarkets you will find plenty of fresh produce. Eggs and seafood form a large part of many dishes, and legumes are quite popular.

What food products are not readily available?

Sports products such as sports drink, Sustagen etc are not readily available. See "sports products in Europe" for more ideas on how to find these.
Vegetarian meals in restaurants can be hard to find. Many dishes that appear not to contain meat on the menu may arrive with egg, seafood or ham as a topping.
You may have trouble getting low fat milk in drinks (e.g. café con leche) and "diet" soft drinks in restaurants / cafés.What are typical methods of preparation of foods in this country?

What are typical methods of preparation of foods in this country?

Many foods are fried in olive oil. Meat is often cured. They do a lot of omelette-style foods. In coastal places, there's plenty of seafood to choose from.

Is food reasonably priced in this country?

Food is generally cheap in Spain. Supermarket and market prices are particularly reasonable. Fresh foods are best purchased from markets (which will occur once or twice a week in most places) where as packaged or tinned foods are available from the supermarkets.

Wine and cider is very cheap (between $5-12 AUS per bottle) whereas drinks from the bar will average $12 AUS

Are there any food safety concerns?

Tap water tastes of chlorine and is high risk for Giardia and other unwelcome bugs. Bottled water is cheap and often available in 1.5 L bottles from vending machines or 10L bottles from supermarkets.

Can you see any likely issues/concerns regarding nutrition for athletes traveling to this country?

Water, opening hours of shops, availability of sports nutrition products and suitable breakfast cereals and bars.Can you recommend any restaurants (please supply details) that prepare foods that are suitable for athletes?

Can you recommend any restaurants (please supply details) that prepare foods that are suitable for athletes?

There will usually be a pizza / pasta restaurant which are usually pretty good, and the local fare is worthwhile trying.

What are the customs requirements for this country regarding food? That is, what food items can athletes safely and legally bring into the country?

No major problems bringing any types of food in - if you follow Australian customs requirements you'll be fine.

What sports supplements foods are available in this country?

See Sports Products for details.