Have you ever wondered why Spain has such strange hours? Why do Spaniards eat so late? Why do they share the same time zone as Germany 🇩🇪 even though they’re far west of it? 🤔 Let’s dive into the fascinating world of time in Spain and how it affects daily life. 🌞
In this blog, we’ll answer some important questions:
✅ Is Spain GMT or CET?
✅ What time is it right now in Spain?
✅ Does Spain have 2 time zones?
✅ Is Spain 6 hours ahead?
And we’ll throw in some fun facts, like how Spain shares its time zone with Germany, the history behind it, and how it impacts your sleep 🛏️ and lifestyle.
Spain uses Central European Time (CET), which is 1 hour ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).
But, wait, there’s a twist…! Spain actually follows CET for most of the country, but this has not always been the case! 📜
To check the current time in Spain, just click the “time zone” widget or search it on the web. 🌍 But here's the catch:
Spain's time zone is CET, so, if you're in the UK 🇬🇧 (which uses GMT), Spain is 1 hour ahead.
But, what about the Canary Islands? 🏝️ They’re in a different time zone: Western European Time (WET), which is the same as GMT. This means the Canary Islands are 1 hour behind mainland Spain.
Yes! 🇪🇸 Spain actually has two time zones:
Mainland Spain (Peninsula) follows CET (Central European Time) 🕰️
The Canary Islands follow WET (Western European Time) ⏰
This geographical time gap exists because the Canary Islands are located much further west than mainland Spain, closer to Africa 🌍, so it makes sense to keep them in the same time zone as the UK 🇬🇧.
The Canary Islands are part of Spain, but they are in a different time zone: Western European Time (WET), which aligns with Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). 🌍
While mainland Spain uses Central European Time (CET), the Canary Islands' time zone is the same as the UK, so they are 1 hour behind mainland Spain. 🕑
This difference can be confusing when travelling from mainland Spain to the Canary Islands, especially when it comes to flights or scheduling calls. 🛫 But don’t worry — it’s easy to adjust once you’re there!
In short: No, not exactly. But it’s easy to get confused!
Spain is 6 hours ahead of New York (Eastern Standard Time), but this depends on whether it’s summer or winter. 🌞 In summer, Spain follows Central European Summer Time (CEST), so the difference with New York is 6 hours.
But the confusion comes when you realise that Spain is 1 hour ahead of the UK and 2 hours ahead of Portugal 🇵🇹, despite being geographically more westwards. 🤔 So why does this happen?
Here’s where history plays a role! 📜
In 1940, during the Franco dictatorship, Spain switched its time zone to align with Germany 🇩🇪, which was under Nazi rule at the time. This was to show solidarity with Hitler’s regime during the Spanish Civil War. 🙄
So, since then, Spain has kept this time zone, even though it makes no geographical sense. The result? Spaniards now work, eat, and live according to Central European Time, even though they are located far to the west of the ideal CET zone.
One of the most controversial consequences of this time zone confusion is sleep deprivation. 😴
Because of the late schedule and the fact that Spain's time zone is not aligned with its geographical location, Spaniards often have to eat dinner around 9–10 pm and go to bed at midnight or later. 🕙
This means that Spaniards get less sleep than most other Europeans, which is why many people in Spain report feeling tired during the day. 🥱 The late schedule also affects work-life balance, with long working hours and late evenings.
It’s all tied to the time zone issue! 🕒
🍲Lunch is usually around 2–3 pm, followed by a break 🛋️.
🍽️Dinner happens late — around 9–11 pm, which is much later than most other European countries.
This delay is part of the Spanish lifestyle, but it has raised concerns about health, especially when it comes to digestion and sleep quality.
The famous Spanish siesta (midday nap) 🌞 is also connected to the time zone confusion. Since Spaniards are used to eating later and working longer hours, a short nap after lunch became a natural part of the daily rhythm. 🛏️
While the traditional siesta is less common today in big cities, many people still take a break in the afternoon to recharge. ⚡ Have a look to our bog article about 🔗👉 Spanish Siesta
Did you know? A typical Spanish workday can be longer than in other European countries because of the late lunch and dinner times. In fact, many companies give a 2-hour lunch break to allow time for eating and relaxing. 🧑💼🍽️
However, this results in longer workdays, which can sometimes mean that Spaniards finish work late in the evening. 🤦♂️
Knowing how to ask and talk about time in Spanish is essential for daily life! Here are some useful phrases to help you out:
- ¿Qué hora es? – What time is it?
- ¿Tienes hora? – Do you have the time?
- ¿A qué hora es…? – What time is…? (e.g., ¿A qué hora es la comida? – What time is lunch?)
- ¿Me dices la hora, por favor? – Could you tell me the time, please?
- Es la una. – It’s one o’clock.
- Son las tres y media. – It’s 3:30.
- Son las cinco menos cuarto. – It’s 4:45.
- Son las diez en punto. – It’s 10 o’clock sharp.
- Son las seis y cuarto. – It’s 6:15.
- A mediodía – At midday
- A medianoche – At midnight
- Por la mañana – In the morning
- Por la tarde – In the afternoon
- Por la noche – At night
These phrases will help you navigate through the day, whether you’re meeting friends for lunch, catching a bus, or setting up an appointment! ⏰🌟
In Spain, there are plenty of fun and quirky expressions related to time! Here are a few common ones that you might hear often:
👉 "¡A buenas horas, mangas verdes!" – (When someone arrives too late to help, or does something too late.) Example: ¿Vas a llegar a las 10? ¡A buenas horas!
👉 Used when someone is not in a hurry. Example: No te preocupes, tengo todo el tiempo del mundo.
👉 Example: Estoy entre la espada y la pared, no sé si ir a la reunión o no.
👉 Example: Vamos al parque a hacer tiempo hasta que llegue el autobús.
👉 Example: ¡Vamos, no hay tiempo que perder! La película empieza en 10 minutos.
👉 Have a look to our reel on Instagram!
These expressions make Spanish language and culture even more fun and lively! Try using them in your conversations and feel more like a native speaker! 😄
💡Before you go, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! 👇