The taste of southern Spain - delicious!
 The culinary traditions of southern Spain are as diverse as its landscape, from fantastic fish and seafood on the coast to delicious sausages, stews and game dishes inland. Eating out is a way of life in Spain – meal times are relaxed and social occasions, allowing plenty of time for the fantastic flavours to be savoured.
Breakfast
Spanish breakfasts are usually very simple, perhaps some fresh crusty bread and a strong coffee or hot chocolate. A tasty traditional breakfast dish in southern Spain consists of toasted rustic bread rubbed with a garlic clove, spread thinly with fresh tomato puree, with a couple of slices of Serrano ham and a drizzle of olive oil.
And if you can't get enough of the full English don't worry, you'll be able to enjoy a good fry-up at most of the coastal resorts.
Lunch
Lunch is the most important meal of the day in Spain, and a very leisurely, social occasion. It tends to begin around 2pm, lasting up to two hours. Dishes on lunch menus are much as you'd expect to see in the evening – a far cry from a quick sandwich pit stop.
After a hearty lunch many locals will head off for a siesta, and you'll find some shops are now shut until the evening.
Early evening - time for tapas
 Early evening is the time to fill up on tapas, which you'll find in abundance throughout southern Spain. These tasty snacks are shared over a relaxed drink, and can be anything from a dish of olives to paella. It's a great way to sample some of the region's many specialities.
Dinner
After a large lunch and a few tapas you're not going to want a heavy dinner, so evening meals tend to be fairly light. They're also eaten late – many restaurants don't start their evening service until around 9, and tables start to really fill up around midnight.
Evening meals in Spain are fun-filled occasions, often lasting long into the night as groups of family and friends enjoy each other's company over some fine food and wine.
Wine
Spain is famous for its Rioja wine, a full-bodied red wine often served slightly chilled. There are four classifications of Rioja, the younger joven and crianza, and the older reserva and gran reserva – all delicious. Southern Spain is famous for it's sherries, the most famous being "Jeréz" from Andalucía.
Best of all, a good glass of wine will usually set you back just 2€.
Food shopping
Food shopping in southern Spain is quite different from the rest of northern Europe. You'll rarely find ready-made meals. Pretty much everything you eat, you'll have to make fresh.
Luckily there are daily fresh fish markets in all the major towns, and every day a different town or village hosts its weekly street market selling the fantastic, cheap and locally produced fruit and vegetables.
 Most supermarkets stock familiar products from other countries. You can have your weekly shopping delivered to your door, and you can now even order online without leaving your sun lounger!
Food shopping is often much cheaper than other areas of northern Europe, as so much is grown here and produced here. A decent bottle of wine can cost from 2.50€, a crusty baguette from 0.50€ and a carton of milk about 0.90€. For more prices, check out For more prices, check out http://www.mercadona.es
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