Seasons of Change: Notes from the Costa del Sol - Part 3 Daily Rhythms, Spanish Style

Some changes are small, some are sweeping — but all of them shape the way we live each day. Here on the Costa del Sol, I’ve discovered a whole new rhythm of daily life, one that feels both unfamiliar and surprisingly natural.

This three-part series is a glimpse into how life here has reshaped me:

1. Autumn on the Calendar, Summer on the Beach – A September day at La Herradura, and the surprising ways the seasons feel different here.

2. Learning to Live Like a Local – From wardrobe shifts to the mañana lifestyle, and what it means to slow down.

3. Daily Rhythms, Spanish Style – Small rituals, open windows, and the unexpected joy of savoring everyday life.

I hope you’ll join me for these reflections on what it means to adapt, adjust, and truly live in a new place.

Our daily rhythms here in Spain look very different from the ones we were used to in the U.S. Most of our groceries are bought locally, in small shops that have become part of our routine. If I plan to cook, I’ll make a trip to the frutería for produce, the carnicería for meat, the pescadería for fresh fish, and sometimes the panadería for bread. It feels personal — not just shopping, but a ritual.

This is usually our first stop after brunch to pick up the produce needed for the day.

We’ve gotten to know the shopkeepers, and the same is true for the owners of our favorite restaurants. We greet each other by name when we pass in the street, often stopping right where we are — on the sidewalk, in the crosswalk, even in the middle of the street — to have a chat. Cars wait. No one honks. In fact, most honks here are just friendly greetings. It’s a rhythm of connection, and it still amazes me.

This is usually the second stop on the way back up the hill, unless we're eating vegetarian meals that day.

Meals are another adjustment. Dinner at home is rarely before 7:00 PM, and if we go out, most restaurants don’t even open until 8:00. Lunch, usually around 3 or 4, often pushes everything later. It feels indulgent, but also practical. Life unfolds at a slower pace, and somehow, there’s still plenty of time.

The door and window to the terrace are open, allowing a wonderful breeze to flow through the house. And waiting for me on the terrace is an empty pot waiting for re-potting day.

At home, our doors and windows stay open almost year-round. There are no screens, just fresh air flowing through, and we rely on breezes more than air conditioning. Spanish houses are built to stay cool in summer, with heavy blinds — more like storm shutters — that we close during the hottest part of the day. In winter, those same features make the house feel colder, but since winter is short, we don’t mind.

This bakery sells a large variety of sourdough bread! The bread is baked fresh daily.

Even these small daily shifts — open windows, later meals, local groceries, stopping to chat — have changed the way I experience time. Life isn’t about rushing from one thing to the next; it’s about being present where you are.

Sometimes it’s the smallest details that make the biggest changes. I’m learning that here in Spain, daily life isn’t something to manage — it’s something to savor.

What are the rhythms that give shape to your days?

This post is part of my Seasons of Change series about adapting to life on the Costa del Sol.