Shopping in Southern Spain (a guide for Americans in Rota)

Stores and Shopping

            Store hours can vary, depending on the time of year (slower during the winter months) or when the owner goes on vacation. Larger chain stores have longer and more predictable hours than a mom and pop stand. But in general, stores and businesses are open from about 10 am-1 pm, then they close for lunch and siesta. Stores re-open from about 5:30-8:30 pm. On Saturday, stores open in the morning, close for siesta, and often do NOT reopen in the evening. On Sundays, most stores are closed all day as the Spanish spend Sundays at church or with family.

            In January and July, most stores throughout the whole country have special sales, Rebajas, with discounted prices. This can be a great time to shop for gifts or souvenirs like leather and pottery items, but you will find deals at clothing and novelty stores as well.

Grocery Stores:

            Shopping for food in Spain can be a little challenging, since all labels will be in Spanish. For the most part, larger grocery stores are similar to any chain store in the United States. You can always wander the aisles and eventually identify the product you need by the picture on the label. There are a few important differences to be aware of. First, carts and baskets usually appear to be locked up in the parking lot or at the store entrance. You need to insert a coin to use them. But don’t worry, you are not being charged for the cart! You get your coin back when you return the cart to the line at the end of your trip. It’s just a way of keeping the carts orderly so they won’t be abandoned all over the parking lot. One thing you will be charged for is plastic bags. There are typically no baggers at the check-out lines. You bag your own groceries. Unless you bring your own bags, or put everything back into the cart, you will have to ask for bags: bolsas. Each one costs a few Euro cents, so you need to ask for a specific number of bolsas at the beginning of your order. The cashier will then scan them and give them to you so you can begin bagging.

            Another big difference about European stores is that milk is not refrigerated and not kept near the other dairy products. Europeans use a different pasteurizing process, so their milk cartons can be stored at room temp until opened. Then they should be refrigerated after opening. Some grocery stores have fresh meat or seafood counters. You usually must take a number to be served. You will notice that the Spanish do not form lines. If there is no number system, they form a group around the counter, and as each new person walks up they ask, “Quien es el ultimo?” (Who is the last?) Someone will raise their hand, and then the newcomer knows they will be served after that person. If you don’t ask the question or raise your hand, you could interfere with the system and take longer to get served. Grocery stores are great for getting a variety of assorted foods, but usually the best quality will be at smaller local stores specializing in each type of food.

·       Fruteria is a local fruit and vegetable stand, and the best source of fresh produce at good prices. Rota is known for its tomatoes and squash. Chipiona is known for good oranges.

·       Panaderia is a bakery, which mainly makes loaves of bread and sells snacks and convenience items. For richer desserts and pastries, go to a pasteleria.

·       Charcuteria is a butcher, where various cuts of sausage, pork, jamón, chicken, etc. can be purchased. You may have to look up words for particular cuts or specialty requests before you go, or just use hand gestures. Litchfield’s English Butcher in Chiclana imports a variety of British novelties and specialty cuts of meat. The owner currently delivers orders to the base once a month. Contact info: litch@hotmail.co.uk. You can also order cuts through the Commissary.

·       Pescadería is the fish market. There is one in Rota, Puerto, and Cádiz, right near the docks where the fishing boats come in with the day’s fresh catch. Seafood is sold by the kilo, and you may want to bring a dictionary to look up the names of different fish. Ask for it limpio if you want it cleaned and gutted.

·       Organic or Health Food stores are not easy to find, but much of Spain’s food is less processed and more natural than what is sold in the states. For truly organic food, go to Biolandia Tienda Ecologica (in Puerto), La Panacea (in Jerez) or La Alacena (in Cádiz). There are also some organic produce farms in the area, where you can place an order online, and either pick it up on location, or have it delivered to the base gate.

·       Carrefour, Hipercor, Lidl, and Alcampo are chain grocery stores located in towns all around base with fresh produce, frozen and canned items, and beer and wine, as well as a limited selection of household goods, clothing, and cleaning products. They are sometimes compared to Wal-Mart, though much smaller.

·       Super Sol is similar to Carrefour, though somewhat smaller—affordable food and some basic household goods, available in several locations near base. There are 2 in Rota.

·       Mercadona is a chain grocery store with a large location in Puerto, and several smaller ones throughout the area—Rota and Costa Ballena. It has a fresh seafood counter, and all of the typical fresh and canned goods you would look for in a grocery store.

·       Makro, in Puerto, is the only type of wholesale store in the area. It requires a membership, and is mostly intended for restaurant owners. You can save some money buying spices and dry goods in large quantities, but you must have adequate storage room in your kitchen for bulk items.

·       Costco is now open in Sevilla. If you have a stateside membership, your card will still be honored here. If you do not yet have a membership, you will have to contact the store for details. You can use your EU drivers’ license to get a new card.

BAZARS (CHINO STORES):

          These are individual stores present in nearly every neighborhood with an inventory similar to the Dollar Tree or Dollar General. Although the sign typically says Bazar, locals call them Chino stores. The name is derived from the fact that the owners are typically Chinese, and many products are made in China. Visit them to get cheap items like toys, gifts, household goods, craft supplies, and even clothing. Each store is privately run and maintains its own unique inventory, so you never quite know what they will have, but the local chino store is a great place to search for a bargain, or for that one strange item you don’t know where to find anywhere else.

GYPSY MARKETS:

            They are called gypsy markets because they are usually run by the gitanos, or gypsy population. This is like an outdoor flea market, with each vendor setting up their own tent area and naming their own prices. Each local town hosts a Gypsy market one day every week, always on the same day and at the same location. Currently, the market can be found year-round, weather permitting:

·       Jerez (Calle Hijuela de Las Coles), Mondays

·       Chipiona (Avenida Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente), Mondays

·       Puerto (end of Avenida de la Bajamar), Tuesdays

·       Rota (Bus depot parking lot just outside and to the right of the Rota base gate), Wednesdays.

Gypsy markets are a great place to get new shoes, boots, purses, clothing, fabric, and curtains. You can also get fresh olives, spices, snails, nuts, and candy. You can attempt to haggle, but prices quoted to Americans are often higher than prices quoted to locals. The products are completely legal: vendors obtain a license and keep it displayed in their area. Police also patrol the grounds.

SHOPPING MALL LOCATIONS:

• El Paseo Mall, Puerto: Contains Toys R Us, Claire’s, a large Carrefour, Zara Home, and multiple clothing and shoe stores. GPS coordinates: 36°36'58.5"N 6°12'42.2"W.
• Luz Shopping Center, Jerez: Contains Ikea, Bricor, Decathalon, Prenatal, and numerous clothing stores. There is also indoor laser tag and Go Karting here, and an outdoor pirate playground in the center area. It has several restaurants, including Muerde la Pasta, which is a great buffet with a huge indoor play area for kids. GPS coordinates: 36°41'40.1"N 6°09'35.1"W.
• Bahia Sur in San Fernando: contains El Corte Ingles. GPS coordinates: 36°27'42.9"N 6°12'07.8"W.
• Las Dunas Mall in Sanlúcar: Brand names like Guess, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, and Mango. GPS coordinates: 36°45'09.5"N 6°20'18.6"W.

HOUSEHOLD GOODS:

·       Ferretería is a local hardware store. They are usually very small shops, and each carries a slightly different inventory. But they generally have tools, hardware, outdoor equipment, and sometimes household items. There are several bigger ones in the Rota industrial area.

·       Ikea in Jerez’s Luz shopping center is just like any Ikea in the states: affordable furniture, rugs, curtains, and household décor that you must carry away and assemble yourself. There is a supervised play area where you may leave your children for 1 hour, and a cafeteria.

·       Bricor in Jerez’s Luz shopping center is like a combination of Bed Bath & Beyond and Michael’s craft stores. They have a huge assortment of household appliances, tools and décor, as well as sections with hardware, paint, craft supplies, and some fabric.

·       Zara, or Zara Home offers quality furnishings for bedroom, bathroom, living room, and table ware. Zara is the clothing line. Closest locations are El Paseo Mall in Puerto, or Area Sur (next to Luz Shopping Center) in Jerez.

·       El Corte Ingles is a department store with sections including dishes, bedding, and home décor. Nearby locations are in Jerez, Cádiz, or the San Fernando Mall.

·       Furniture stores are also in shorter supply in Spain than in the United States. Americans typically find Spanish furniture to be very expensive, though sometimes quite worth it for a hand-crafted item. The biggest furniture store in Rota is Meubles Arjona, in the industrial area, visible from the road towards Chipiona. You can also try Muebles Marin in Avenida San Fernando (in Rota). Furniture is also sold at Ikea or Jysk, in Jerez’s Luz Shopping center.

CLOTHING STORES:

·       There are numerous small shops throughout Rota and Puerto specializing in particular brands, styles, seasons, or formal clothing. The Spanish generally dress very smartly, with class, even to run every day errands. Ask a local for a good recommendation for moda (clothing).

·       Al Campo, Carrefour, or Gypsy Markets are good places to find cheap simple clothing and accessories for children or adults.

·       El Corte Ingles is a department store like Sears or Macy’s, with locations throughout Spain. The closest are in Jerez, Cádiz, and the San Fernando Bahia Sur Mall.

·       Primark is a British brand of affordable children’s, women’s, and men’s clothing. Closest location is Jerez’s Area Sur (right next to Luz shopping center).

·       The El Paseo Mall in Puerto has clothing stores like a large Carrefour, C&A (like Old Navy), PePe Jeans, and Mayoral (children’s clothes). There is also a Claire’s store for jewelry and accessories (and ear piercings).

·       Luz Shopping Center in Jerez has several clothing stores, as well as outlet stores for brands like Mango and El Corte Ingles.

·       Las Dunas Mall in Sanlúcar has Guess, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, and Mango, among others.

SPORTS:

·       Decathlon is a huge sports store with locations in Puerto and Jerez’s Luz Shopping Center. They have every kind of sports and outdoor equipment and apparel, for adults or children. They also do repairs for bikes, tennis rackets, etc.

·       Nike Factory Store in Jerez’s Luz shopping center is the place to get a properly fitted shoe.

·       Intersports in El Paseo Mall, Puerto, is a good source of athletic apparel, moda deportiva.

BABY ITEMS:

·       Gypsy Markets are a great place to get adorable baby clothing and shoes. Spanish styles are a little different from American styles, so they are sometimes pricey, but very charming.

·       Prenatal is a chain store specializing in maternity and baby products. The closest is in Jerez’s Luz Shopping Center.

·       Toys R Us is located in the El Paseo Mall in Puerto

·       Toy Planet is a small store in Jerez’s Luz shopping center with a variety of cheap toys and accessories.

BEAUTY SALONS:

·       The Beauty Salon at the NEX offers haircuts, styling, and coloring services, as well as manicures, pedicures, and waxing.

·       Azul Salon, just outside the Fuentabravia gate, is popular for manicures and nail design. They also offer pedicures, hair coloring and styling services, massages, and facials. Some English is spoken, and monthly specials are offered. They also have a location in Rota.

·       The Sanlúcar Fish Spa is a unique experience of receiving a pedicure from a pool of tiny fish that nibble all the rough skin from your feet. They also offer a full range of spa and massage services, facials, hair, nail, and skin treatments, including chocolate therapy. Address is Calle Hermano Fermín, Local Nº6 in Sanlúcar.

·       There is a full-service spa in Rota’s Hotel Espadaña, and several spas in Costa Ballena.

·       There are always Americans on base with home businesses offering hair styling services, nail designs, and make-up, as well as massages. But these depend on who is stationed here, and change frequently.

CRAFTING SUPPLIES:

·       Craft stores like Michael’s and JoAnn’s do not seem to exist in this area, so it is always difficult to find specific fabric, thread, yarn, and crafting items. The chino stores all carry an assortment of basic craft items. Sometimes specialty items can be ordered online. Michael’s does not ship to APO addresses, but the following stores do: AC Moore, Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann, Oriental Trading, and Party City.

·       Fabric, tablecloths, curtains, and ribbons can be found at gypsy markets (ordered by the meter), or Ikea in Jerez.

·       Bricor has a small selection of paints, craft supplies, and accessories like googly eyes, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, etc.

·       EN Home Markets in Puerto (near Casa) and Jerez (near Leroy Merlin) has a variety of craft supplies, including yarn.

·       MerkAsia in Jerez’s Luz Shopping Center sells costumes, accessories, and beads, as well as crochet and yarn supplies.

·       Baking and fondant supplies are found at Megasilvita in Rota.

ELECTRONICS: (remember everything sold here will be 220 volts, unless you go shopping in Gibraltar)

·       Worten, in Jerez’s Luz Shopping center, is a large electronics store similar to Best Buy or Circuit City.

·       El Corte Ingles is a department store whose electronics section includes everything from TV’s, computers, phones, kitchen appliances, and cameras.

·       You can also find items in smaller stores in Rota’s industrial area.

GARDENING SUPPLIES:

Viveros is the Spanish word for a greenhouse or garden center. There are many in the area, but the most accessible is Viveros El Lago, just outside the Puerto gate, off the first roundabout. It does not offer the best prices, but has an excellent selection of seeds, indoor and outdoor flowers, decorative pottery, fencing, soil, fertilizer, and some silk flowers too. They also sell live Christmas trees in December. There is a much larger Viveros in Chipiona (heading toward Sanlúcar) called Rivera Garden, which is like a warehouse full of garden furniture, patio accessories, and a wide variety of plants and seeds, as well as a cafeteria and children’s playground. 

FERIA DRESSES:

New feria dresses can cost 200 Euros and up. They are custom made and tailored to fit. New dresses can be found at several shops in Rota or Puerto, and of course there is a good selection in Sevilla. For more affordable options:

·       Second-hand dresses can be purchased at the store in Rota, Cambalache de Rota.

·       Gypsy markets sell Feria dresses, shoes, and accessories for adults and children starting in March.

·       The Rota community uses the Yard Sale Facebook page to sell and exchange dresses every spring.

·       The NEX now processes orders for Feria dresses throughout the spring.

CERAMICS:

            Spanish pottery is gorgeous, and one of the most popular gift and souvenir items. It can be shipped to the States, but make sure it is carefully bubble wrapped, packed in newspaper, and possibly even shipped in double boxes. The pottery is all hand-painted, but chips easily and is very fragile. There is a selection at the NEX, which is gathered from all over Spain, and the selection changes constantly. However, their prices are not very competitive. For more affordable and authentic selection, visit the following locations:

·       Viveros El Lago, just outside the Puerto gate, has a great selection of all kinds of pottery, from serving platters to specialty dishes to flower pots and planters.

·       Triana is the ceramics district of Sevilla, about 1.5 hours from base. Prices and selection are good here. There are numerous shops along the streets San Jacinto and Calle San Jorge. Parking is available in Plaza del Altazano. See samples from one shop at www.ceramicatriana.com.

·        La Rambla is THE location for pottery shopping, but it is near Cordoba, about 2.5 hours from base. The town is renowned for hand-crafted items, bright painted patterns, and the largest selection with the best prices. You can take tours to learn about the pottery-making process, or just spend the day shopping. Many stores close for siesta from 2-5 pm. Samples from one shop can be viewed at www.ceramicaeltiti.com.

·       Ceramics from El Titi in La Rambla are also available in Arcos, about 40 minutes from base. They are more expensive than in La Rambla, but the location is more convenient. It is called Arx-Arcis, located at Calle Marques de Torresoto #11.

All of the above info is an excerpt from the book 'Welcome to Rota,' published by Lizann Lightfoot in 2014.