As I sit down to write this at 3:30 in the afternoon, I find myself in quite an appropriate state to write this blog post. Today is a holiday here in Spain, meaning no work. That also means that I went out last night. So I sit here still in my pajamas with an un-washed face and disheveled hair. I’m nursing a tiny hang over. I think the coffee is helping.
Going out here in Spain is quite different than going out back home in the United States. If you really go out, don’t plan anything around 10 a.m. the next day. You will likely come home between the hours of 6-8 a.m.
For the past year, I have always thought a diary-style post about a typical night out in Spain would be fun to write. Several weeks ago, my friend Carolina invited myself and some friends to have dinner at her house and then go out. I documented the entire night. Enjoy!
8 p.m. Location: my house
Going out always requires the best attire. In Spain, many clubs will not let you in if you’re wearing a t-shirt, for example. For me, this is never a problem. I’m the girl who always wears a dress. A dress will always get me into a club with a dress code.
Another thing I love about going out in Spain is that women wear exactly what they want. In the US, I feel like we might shy away from a dress or top that’s more revealing for fear of what others might say. Here in Spain, women do not care. I love that. They wear what they want to the club. It may be a top that shows all the cleavage or none of the cleavage. But they don’t seem to have that apprehension of what others may think.
The men dress differently as well. In general, European men are just more metrosexual than American men. All the men here seem to really fix their hair, and put on a nice pair of skinny jeans and button-down shirt (ironed of course). Sometimes I joke that they might have spent more time grooming than me.
This night, I chose to wear a blue dress, a black leather jacket and my favorite floral boots from Gamiss.
This is all the makeup I wear. I recently started using a primer and it makes all the difference. My skin feels softer and my foundation goes on easier. I do a combination of foundation, concealer and powder to make the world think I have flawless skin. I then use the bronzer to do a little contouring. By contouring I mean that one day I went to Sephora and told the girl I wanted to learn about contouring. She showed me a few things I could do with bronzer. Now I do them. I finish off my cheeks with some blush.
Then for my eyes, I do some eye shadow, eyeliner and mascara. It’s nothing too crazy. I’m not a beauty blogger. I then finish it all off with a setting spray. The setting spray is very important when you go out in Spain. You have to make that makeup last until at least 5 in the morning.
This photo was taken at my friend’s flat. My favorite part of my look was the boots. They are my favorite pair of shoes right now. I added one of my favorite party dresses and completed the look with a leather jacket.
9:30 p.m. We head to Carolina’s flat
My friend Eva was coming out with me. She lives in a town about 20 minutes outside of Granada and the bus stop going out there around 9 p.m. So I offered for her to stay in my flat. She came over around 8:45 to drop off her things. We then caught the fancy new Granada metro down to the Recogidas stop which is just a 3-minute walk from Carolina’s flat. She’s truly in the center of it all.
10 p.m. We eat dinner
Dinner time in Spain is way different than the United States. They eat dinner around 9-10 p.m. Also their biggest meal of the day is lunch which is eaten around 2:30-3 p.m. I realized that while I was eating on the Spanish schedule, I was still eating a big meal for dinner. I suppose that’s because after a long day of work, I come home starving.
So our night out included a dinner in Carolina’s flat. It’s very important to eat well before a night of drinking. Everyone brought something to share. I brought a rice, chicken and veggie mixture. It’s not Spanish but it’s what I eat all the time, so I figured why not bring it. People ate it, so I assume it was enjoyed by all.
The famous tortilla de patatas was there. It’s made of a mixture of potatoes, egg and sometimes a few other things like meat and vegetables. It’s super good.
11 p.m. drink drink drink
After dinner, we have botellon. It’s basically the same thing as pre-gaming. I think drinkers everywhere like to save money and drink at home before they go out. In Spain, that simply means drinking at home until maybe 2 a.m.
We drank wine, beer and liquor. We played music and had a good time.
I was on my Instagram story game this night. Hence why there are so many videos in this post. Also the majority of these videos are hilarious and the world needs to see them.
1 a.m. still drinking
I mentioned that Spaniards go out really late. Around 1 a.m., we were still happily drinking and laughing.
2 a.m. we start thinking about going out
2:30 a.m. we head to the club
At 2:30 a.m. is when we leave the house and head to Backstage, a club in Granada with free admission. But before that, we stop at La Casa for a drink. It’s a bar that stays open to about 3 a.m. Basically in Granada, there are three types of places to drink. First, you have restaurants. In Granada, every restaurant offers you a free tapa with a drink order. So we will often get tapas for dinner. Then there are bars where you can get a drink. Those stay open until about 3 a.m. Sometimes rather than drinking at home, we get a few drinks at a place like that. Then finally there are discotecas. These are dance clubs that open around 1:30 a.m. and stay open until 7 a.m.
So on our way, we decided to stop into La Casa for a drink. I had a rum and coke. Typically when I go out, I stick to rum and coke or gin and tonic.
3:30 a.m. Arrive at Backstage
These were all shot on my iphone of course. I wouldn’t want to take my fancy camera into a club. Backstage is one of the few clubs in Granada with no cover charge. Others will charge you say 6-12 euros at the door but give you a drink ticket for one or two drinks. We always buy a few drinks anyway, so it ends up evening out in the end.
A club in Spain usually plays mostly reggaeton. Basically think “Despacito” in varying forms all night long. For an evening out, I don’t mind it. I suppose it’s to be expected as it is Spain. There are a few clubs in Granada that don’t play reggaeton if that’s not your thing.
5:30 a.m. Return home and sleep
While a lot of people return home around 7 a.m. or later from a night out, I usually get tired around 5-5:30 and return home. My bed is just too good. This is me … and my lovely boots around 5:30 a.m. in my flat.
My tips for a good night out in Spain
Overall, a night out in Spain is quite the experience. Whether you are traveling through the country or you plan to live there for a bit, a night out takes some energy and preparation. Here are a few of my tips:
- Take a nap if you can. Around the hours of 5-7 or 8 p.m. is perfect. You will wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go.
- Eat a solid dinner and hydrate. You will be going all night.
- Bring a few makeup items to touch-up throughout the night.
- Bring your own tissues. The bathrooms often run out of toilet paper.
- Stick to one type of drink. I usually do rum and coke all night.
- Pace yourself and don’t get too sloppy. I have never seen a Spaniard get sloppy drunk.
- Hungry at 5 a.m,? Get a kebab. Most of the kebab places stay open late.
So there you have it! Do you think you could stay out until 5:30 a.m.? Would you try to experience a Spanish night out if you were in Spain?
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