Are shops in Spain open on Sundays near Gibraltar?
Short answer
Large shops and shopping centres in Andalucía, including those around Gibraltar, may open on only 16 Sundays and public holidays a year, set by the Junta de Andalucía. On other Sundays they stay closed, although small shops and some types of shop may open whenever they choose.
Detailed answer
Opening hours for shops in Andalucía are set by regional law. On working days a shop may open for up to 90 hours a week. On Sundays and public holidays, shops under the general rules may open on no more than 16 days a year. The Junta de Andalucía publishes these dates each year in an order in its official bulletin, the BOJA, and each town council may swap up to two of them for other dates.
Some shops are free to open on any day. They include:
- Individual shops of less than 300 square metres of sales space, unless they belong to a large company or retail group
- Bakeries, cake shops, shops selling prepared meals, newsagents and florists
- Petrol stations, where they mainly sell fuel and motoring products
- Convenience stores of up to 500 square metres that open at least 18 hours a day
- Shops inside stations, border facilities and tourist accommodation
- Shops in areas the Junta has declared tourist zones, during the periods set for each zone
None of the towns next to Gibraltar (La Línea, San Roque, Los Barrios and Algeciras) has a tourist zone, so the shopping centres there, such as Gran Sur in La Línea, Bahía Plaza and Leroy Merlin in Palmones and Puerta Europa in Algeciras, follow the 16-day calendar. The nearest tourist zones are Manilva, Estepona and Marbella, where shops may open every day in Holy Week and from the start of June to the end of September.
A shop that is allowed to open is not obliged to, so check the centre's own hours before you travel. Gibraltar Bites' free tool Is it open in Spain today? shows which shopping centres near Gibraltar are open today, tomorrow and this weekend.