Toledo Travel Forum

Greeting all,

One website I read indicates that many restaurants, shops, and museums (things of interest to tourists) are closed daily between the hours of 14:00 to 16:00. Although I'm aware of siesta (and it seems like a great idea to me!), I have difficulty believing that everything shuts down in the afternoon given the touristic orientation of Toledo. Can someone please illuminate?

Many thanks.

yes shops do close for lunch, as many go back to their families to share the meal. ITs custom in Spain. There are museums that close a particular day for the whole day.
so make a list of those you want to see, and check online the opening hours before arriving.

Its not really a siesta anymore, as that old tradition involves getting rest and sleep, now its mostly a meal with the family.
Planning is part of traveling ::)

Hope it helps

bookmark

Italy used to do a similar thing (although less so now), and you simply rearranged your day to match.

First, since Italian places tended to have the hours of something like 08:00 to 12:30 or 13:00, then 16:00 to 19:00, you made the following adjustments:
1. you were up early and at the museum or whatever by 08:00
2. you toured such places until they threw you out for lunch
3. Then you had a later lunch than you would, say, in North America, leisurely dining, replenishing water, and perhaps having an extra glass of wine
4. if you found yourself with excess time before places re-opened at 16:00, you (1) went back to your room and lay down (and good reason to NOT stay at a hostel, where ingress and egress are limited), or (2) you pulled out your prepared list of sites open all day (in Italy, these were the outdoor sites) and went to go see one.
5. after 16:00, you hit more tourist places/museums/places of edification.
6. you do this until they throw you out again
7. in the autumn, it will be dark by 19:00, so, especially on a Saturday, you go down to the main town square and join everyone else in walking around, seeing and being seen. I hope they still do that in Toledo (it's been many years since I was there, but way back then, the square was packed on Saturday evening).
8. if you're tired of walking, then sit in a cafe, having a drink, and always seeing and being seen. at some point, you go eat, but late like the Spanish do (like after 22:00 - yikes!).
9. then around midnight, you crawl off the bed, and in the morning get up and do it again ;-)

Really, it isn't that hard to get used to...but having the list of things open all day will be helpful on that occasion where you're stuck for something to do ;-)

Bill

something that definitely will NOT close from 14:00 to 16:00 are the restaurants.... this is the Spanish lunch time!

Now that is good to hear :)

From my experience hardly any stores close at noon anymore, especially around the tourist areas (Calle de Comercio, Cathedral, San Juan de los Reyes).