Christmas & Three Kings' Day Shopping Hours
A new guide details varied Christmas and Three Kings' shopping hours, outlining specific closures for most supermarkets on major holidays but noting exceptions for tourist areas and some leisure facilities.
Christmas is a time when shopping really picks up. We stock our fridges for festive family meals and, of course, buy lots of gifts.
Whether you're shopping for Santa Claus, the Three Kings, or a Secret Santa, most of us end up visiting the stores. While some organised people might have finished their shopping, many others probably haven't even started.
If you're in that second group, or just need a last-minute item, here's a guide to store opening hours this Christmas.
Shops usually have specific rules about opening on Sundays and public holidays, with 10 such days allowed annually. For the busy shopping period leading up to Three Kings' Day, there are three key dates when shops can open: December 21st, December 28th, and January 4th. Luckily, shops are traditionally allowed to open on all these dates.
Most supermarkets will operate their usual hours during the holidays, but they will be closed on Christmas Day (December 25th) and Three Kings' Day (January 6th). Mercadona, however, will not open on any Sundays or Christmas public holidays.
As usual, December 24th and 31st will have special, shorter hours. For instance, Alcampo will be open from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
There's another exception for areas popular with tourists: supermarkets there might stay open on public holidays. For example, Hiperdino has announced that some of its stores in the south of the island will open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on these days.
Shopping centres will have mixed opening hours on the main Christmas holidays. For example, at Meridiano or La Villa La Orotava, the shops will be closed on December 25th and January 1st, but the leisure, cinema, and restaurant areas will remain open.
Siam Mall is a notable exception, as it opens every day of the year, from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.