I’ll never forget my first winter in Extremadura. Like every other house in the village, my apartment didn’t have heating. So, I went to my landlord Tino and pleaded,
“Tino, I’m turning into a snowman. Por favorrrr, get us some heat!”
Tino laughed in my face. Then, he said…
“Buy more sweaters!”
Reallllly Tino?! Thanks for nada! Somehow, I managed to survive that one fateful winter without my internal organs turning into rock solid ice cubes. However, I’ll never, EVER forget stepping out of those showers into the icy-cold tundra, waking up in the middle of the night to a bright red nose, or rolling out of bed in the morning with fear of leaving my 8 layers of blankets.
I mean c’mon Spain, you’re a first world country!!
It’s a common thing not to have heat here in Andalucia and other areas of southern Spain. Now, you might think: it doesn’t get that cold in southern Spain, right? WRONG! Winter days can get around 45° F (7°C) and nights can get down to 20° F (-6 °C). Now, those temps without heat? Your apartment feels like a refrigerator, keeping all the cold inside. In fact, I used to leave my house and stand in the street to warm up.
So, it’s the 21st century. WHY IN GODS NAME don’t they have heat?
There’s a few reasons. As we’ve learned by now, Spain is a country of tradition. And, believe it or not, traditionally, heating didn’t exist! Many Spanish people who grew up in households without heat are just plain used to it and the cold doesn’t bother them. Others say, “It’s winter. It’s natural to be cold!” And then of course, there’s the whole “electricity bill” controversy. Electricity is expensive in Spain, so they’d rather save a few bucks and freeze their little tortillas off.
Now, most houses do have “braseros“, aka these weird tables with blankets on top and a heater underneath. Spanish people live under these things in the winter…
You throw a house party? Everyone gathers under the table. Having dinner? Everyone eats under the table. Gotta pee? Everyone pees…
JUST KIDDING.
Anyway, I don’t like to live my life under a table. And I’m sure you don’t either! So you here have it:
12 hacks to surviving Spanish winter without heating.
1. Let that Spanish sun in!
Just ’cause the temperatures are low, doesn’t mean that the Spanish sun isn’t as strong as ever. Remember when I said I used to escape to the streets to heat up? That’s cause the Spanish sun was out! I then realized: why don’t I just let it in! Find the time of day that the sun is beaming directly into your window, and open it up. Only keep your windows open for about 10 minutes, as you don’t want it to get too drafty. Close it up, and trap that heat inside!
2. Boil up some soup
The math is quite simple. Hot liquid makes steam, steam makes heat! So kill two birds with one stone: Make yourself some toasty soup, all the while heating up your kitchen and warming yourself up from the inside out! Here 15 easy and delicious soup recipes to keep things toasty and tasty.
3. Layer, layer, layer
Think of yourself like an onion.
4. Long underwear has never looked hotter
What to layer with? That’s right! Get your lingerie collection lookin’ “hotter” than ever. Long-legging underpants, sleeved thermal undershirts…you might be waddling like you just had three Thanksgiving dinners, but you’ll be waddling in warmth.
5. Light candles. Yes, we’re going caveman style.
Desperate time calls for desperate measures, people. Buy some yummy smelling candles so you don’t feel like a complete neanderthal.
6. Get a really cozy “bata”
Spanish people love their “batas,” aka robes. And for a damn good reason! If you get a fluffy one, it’s like a socially acceptable snuggy (…remember snuggies?). I literally lived in my cheetah robe that one fateful winter. In fact, my parents began to think via Skype that I was turning into a cheetah.
7. Sweater socks are your best friends
Cold feet make a cold life. Keep your footsies warm by starting a collecting of sweater socks! Buy some cool ones on Etsy.
8. Have an oven but no heat? Open the door!
After baking yourself something hot n’ tasty, open the oven door. You’re not wasting unnecessary electricity, but using the “already used” to your heatvantage!
9. Have a space heater?
Lucky you! “Radiadores”, or space heaters definitely aren’t half as efficient as central heating. However, it’s sure better than nothing! To avoid those freezing mornings, set two alarms: set the first one an hour before you actually need to get up. Make sure your door is shut and turn on that radiador. This way, getting out of bed isn’t nearly as traumatizing.
10. Get rugs for the floors
This is such an easy fix and SO incredibly underrated! Spanish floors are usually made of stone. As you probably know, stone gets flippin’ COLD. In fact, stone floors retain the cold and make the whole space colder! So, for a super cheap fix, go to your local “chino” store and buy some big fuzzy rugs. Or, take a trip to the beautiful Alpujarra and buy a super cheap, gorgeous handmade Alpujarreño rug. Your body will thank you, from the bottom up.
11. Blow dry yourself.
Put your dignity aside and turn on that blow dryer. Not only will your hair be lookin’ hot, but you’ll be feelin’ hot! Disclaimer: It’s ok to feel ridiculous as you do this. I did…
12. Have a fiesta!
Body heat, body heat!! Invite all your amigos. Not only will it give you an excuse to bond, have a laugh or two, and maybe even practice your Spanish…but the more “gente”, the more heat!
Good!!! I remember many years ago traveling Europe in the Summer – and no A/C!!! And we survived = learn how – as you are doing to seek out the options – and I love the ones you included!!! You’re a winner!!! xoxoxox
You may or may not be surprised to know…there is STILL no air conditioning in most houses! Some things (especially in southern Europe) never change 😉 XOXO
I think you are describing how people live in the hard core country and pueblos. I remember winters with my SUPER RICH grandma in Sevilla all gather around el brasero. Electricity is still super expensive in Spain. So even in the cities people are very mindful of that but what you are describing is life in Spain 30 years ago as a general rule. Today unless you are in a village in the mountains where people own their homes but don’t have a lot of money for anything else really, people do have central heating and all the conforts you can find in the US.
Hey Sandra! That might definitely be so. I’m writing about my experience in the south of Spain. I know in the Northern end of the country, heating is almost always present! However, what has surprised me, is even public schools in Madrid didn’t use heat! They had a heating system, but chose not to use it (I worked in a colegio in Madrid last year). Bottom line? I guess I must move North!
I’m in the middle of a trad Spanish working village and I don’t know anyone with central heating. My older neighbours wont even waste a light bulb because of the leccy. I live in a big old 6 bedroom 300 yr old house and our only heating besides a big open fire are gas heaters…we wrap up in our house and hardly go out in winter especially rain.
Jan, the struggle is real! I feel you!! Hope this article helped, or at least helped you feel like you’re not freezing alone
Stay warm!!
Hi! Writing to you from Barcelona where my apartment doesn’t have central heating. So no, she is not describing rural areas or Spain thirty years ago. This is the second apartment I’ve lived in the past two years and neither had central heating.
Absolutely not true!
We have a very big and elegant apartment with no heating whatsoever in largish town of Denia
And this is not an exception!
Sorry to be that guy but… careful when you open the oven door, you might melt the knobs (the oven’s hehe)
Haha. Noted 😉
I face the same conundrum. My friends from the North of Spain complain about how cold it is indoors in the South, where houses are meant to protect you from the heat not from the cold, because “It’s going to be two cold days after all” That sucks. It is not that builders lack the technology, it is the attitude. I got my Málaga house totally isolated and people still ask me “What for, dude, it never gets cold here anyway” ….except when it does. My grandma used to say “Today it is cold even outdoors” (Hoy hace frío hasta en la calle)
You’re totally right Alberto! The technology is certainly available for those who want it. It’s the attitude! If you ask me, you’ve got the right idea… Málaga might not be Alaska, but it’s not Mexico either!
Cheers and stay warm!
AWC
I have the theory that the “mesa camilla” has been detrimental to the development of the South. In the north, people get stuck at home and they have to get something done, write a novel, finish a lego gothic cathedral, build ships inside a bottle. In the South you are confined to the mesa camilla don’t go around the house getting stuff done.
I never thought about it that way- wow, that’s a really good point! I’m DEFINITELY more productive when I’m not stuck under a table… 😛
Also don’t underestimate Mexican cold… The beaches are warm all year long, but if you spend a winter in Toluca or Puebla you will find yourself applying the tips from this article more than you can imagine!
I once went to pick up a cousin whose car broke down near Río Frío in the highway between Mexico City and Puebla. The air temperature was -8°C!
*Insulated
You don’t need to put a double alarm for the space heater, you need this: “Temporizador mecánico 24 h con enchufe”, you put the hours you like to be ON and OFF on a day, so you have at least 1 room of the house warm. 😀 Or buy a “estufa de butano” 😉
This sounds A LOT better than setting 2 alarms! Thanks for the insight 😉
Casie, my electric blanket is my best friend !
As in a portable electric blanket…not attached to a table?!? I like it.
Well I am from UK when I used to get a winter heating allowance of 200 GBP. My experience living in Spain in an unheated apartment on the side of a shaded mountain in winter is I live in a fridge. I agree with and have used most of the heating tips mentioned.
You get it, Peter. The fridge life is real. Glad to hear your made it through and didn’t turn into a popsicle! Curious, which tip do you find most effective?
That grant stopped years ago for us pensioners, ‘cos we live in a warm country, apparently!
Yes it’s true. Or if there’s heat it’s only allowed to be on for a few hours at night. My daughter is in Granada and is sick and she is very cold inside.
Teresa, I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter! I have been in Granada during the heart of winter without heat, I GET IT! I hope this article inspires a new idea to help her keep warm. 🙂
I loved this article! It’s so true. Really feeling the pain of winter right now in Barcelona.
Layers? Definitely. Rugs? As many as possible. See if you have a roof cavity (usually in houses, the roof supports are laid on a concrete slab and the voids between are hollow. So get someone to blow some fibre insulation up there. If you’ve got some money to spend (you’ll soon get it back through lower electricity bills) invest in some good German made double glazing. Get a log burner with a blower as part of it – 4Kw at the minimum. Ours does most of the ground floor in a 225 m/sq. house. Get a couple of butane heaters and put them where you mostly live in the house. Butane prices are controlled in Spain so no rip off. This is damp heat, but modern ones produce no CO2 into the room. Finally, pray for April to come around fast.
Yesss Martin! Great tips to add to the list. Stay warm out there!