Costa Brava, Catalonia, Spain FAQ

Money

Spain uses the Euro
Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents
Notes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 200 and 500 euro
(The last two are seldom seen in normal day-to-day transactions. It is wise not to bring these denominations as many traders will not accept them. It is not a good idea to accept these bills either. If you bring some anyway, exchange them at a bank)
One side of all Euro coins has the same design throughout the Euro zone. The other side of the coins will have designs that sport important figures or landmarks from any of the various countries within the Euro single currency zone. Notes all have the same design, front and back. Euro notes and coins issued by any country can be used in Spain

Spain is in the Central European Time Zone
Central European Standard Time (CET) is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Central European Summer Time (CEST) is 2 hours ahead of Greenhich Mean Times (GMT)
Daylight Saving Time (Summer Time) in Spain begins on the last Sunday in March at 1:00 am GMC and ends on the last Sunday in October at 1:00 am GMC.

Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day
Jan. 6 – Epiphany
Mar/Apr (dates differ from year to year) – Good Friday, Easter Monday
May 1 — Labour Day
Jun. 24 — St. John’s Day
Aug. 15 — Assumption of the Virgin
Sep. 11 — National Day of Catalonia / Diada Nacional de Catalunya
Oct. 12 — National Day of Spain / Día de la Hispanidad
Nov. 1 — All Saint’s Day
Dec. 6 — Constitution Day
Dec. 8 — Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Dec. 25 — Christmas Day
Dec. 26 — St. Stephen’s Day
On these days most offices, shops and banks are closed, and museums observe Sunday opening times

Throughout Catalonia shops are allowed to be open for a maximum of 12 hours a day between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm, up to 72 hours a week at the most
Shops open at 10.00 am and close for lunch at around 1.30 or 2.00 p.m. for siesta. They reopen at 4:30 or 5:00 pm.
Many restaurants open at 1:00 or 1:30 pm to cater to the lunch crowd, and close at 3:30 or 4:00 pm. Later at night they open at 8:00 or 8:30 pm and close between 12 midnight and 1:00 am

Article 3 of the Statute of Autonomy recognized Catalan as the official language of Catalonia, with Spanish and Castilian as accepted co-languages
From 1939-1975, during the period of military dictatorship under Franco, Catalan was banned
Catalan is an independent language, and not a Spanish dialect
Catalonia is a dual-language, autonomous community of Spain. Almost all Catalans speak Spanish as well
To most Catalonians the Catalan language is a source of pride. If you learn a few basic Catalan words and phrases you will greatly endear yourself to the locals — often bringing smiles, better service and an overall more positive experience

Check these fantastic tours (and more) at the Costa Brava and throughout Catalonia: