The Journal · 40 stories

Notes on modern romance in Spain.

Long-form guides, city playbooks and cultural reporting from our editors in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga. No sponsored posts.

Featured
Guides · 8 min read

How to Meet Singles in Spain in 2026

A city-by-city breakdown of where locals actually meet — online, offline, and everywhere in between.

The Best Dating Spain Editors · 24 August 2023
Culture · 6 min

Dating Culture in Spain, Explained for Newcomers

Late nights, group dates, and why 'sobremesa' is the real first date.

15 May 2023
Expat · 10 min

Moving to Spain as a Single: The Honest Playbook

What to expect socially in your first six months in Madrid, Barcelona or Málaga.

12 August 2023
Senior · 7 min

Dating Over 50 in Spain: Apps That Actually Work

Our team tested every senior-focused platform. Here's what delivered real matches.

2 April 2023
Safety · 5 min

Online Dating Safety: A 2026 Checklist

Verification, red flags, and the one setting nobody tells you to enable.

23 May 2023
Guides · 9 min

20 Romantic Weekend Ideas Across Spain

From Ronda's cliffs to San Sebastián's pintxos — the itineraries we send to friends.

7 January 2024
City · 8 min

The 12 Best First-Date Restaurants in Madrid

Where to book — and where to skip — for the perfect first impression in the capital.

4 October 2023
Guides · 7 min

Long-Distance Dating Within Spain: A Practical Guide

Madrid–Barcelona is the world's most-travelled long-distance route. Here's how to make it work.

1 September 2023
Guides · 6 min

How to Write a Dating Bio That Actually Works

A copywriter's guide to Hinge prompts, Bumble bios and Meetic profiles.

3 February 2023
City · 8 min

25 Original Date Ideas in Barcelona

Beyond the Sagrada Família — the dates locals actually go on.

26 October 2023
Safety · 6 min

Red Flags on Spanish Dating Apps (and How to Spot Them)

Common patterns to watch for on Meetic, Tinder, Bumble and Badoo.

13 August 2023
Culture · 7 min

Ethical Non-Monogamy and Polyamory in Spain

A growing community, a small app landscape, and how to navigate both.

19 March 2023
Guides · 7 min

Meeting Someone on the Camino de Santiago

Why the pilgrimage remains one of Spain's best places to fall in love.

10 April 2023
Culture · 5 min

Do Language Exchanges Really Work for Dating?

The unspoken rules of the intercambio scene in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona.

22 February 2023
Expat · 8 min

Moving to Marbella as a Single: The 2026 Reality

What life really looks like on the Golden Mile if you arrive alone.

10 July 2023
Culture · 5 min

The Vermut Ritual and Why It Is Spain's Best Date

Sunday, noon, a copa de vermut, olives, sunshine — the case for the lowest-pressure date on earth.

22 December 2023
Guides · 6 min

How to Beat Dating App Fatigue in Spain

Delete one app, keep two, take Sundays off. A working framework.

12 March 2023
Guides · 6 min

The 15 Best Second-Date Ideas in Spain

You made it past drinks. Now what?

19 January 2024
City · 9 min

The 7 Best Dating Apps in Madrid Right Now

We ran active accounts on twelve platforms across Chamberí, Malasaña and Salamanca. Here's the shortlist.

19 November 2023
City · 8 min

The Best Dating Apps in Barcelona: A 2026 Field Report

Catalan locals, tech-scene expats and a huge student population. One app doesn't fit all.

27 January 2024
City · 7 min

Dating in Valencia: Which Apps Work Best in 2026

The city everyone under 40 is moving to has a booming, international dating scene.

17 February 2023
City · 8 min

Best Dating Apps in Marbella (and How Not To Get Catfished)

The Golden Mile has money, glamour and a surprising amount of noise. Here's how to filter for signal.

3 September 2023
City · 8 min

The 15 Best First-Date Restaurants in Barcelona

Where to book — and where not to — for the perfect first date in the Catalan capital.

10 December 2023
Culture · 6 min

The Definitive Sunday Vermut Guide to Spain

The lowest-pressure, most-Spanish date ritual there is. City by city.

1 August 2023
City · 9 min

Dating in Madrid vs Barcelona: The Honest Comparison

Two capitals, two rhythms, two very different single lives. Which one suits you?

5 April 2023
Expat · 7 min

The 30-Day Expat Dating Checklist for Spain

Day one to day thirty — the exact playbook we give new arrivals.

23 February 2023
Guides · 5 min

How to Plan the Perfect First Date in Spain

Location, timing, budget and the one question that changes everything.

14 August 2023
Culture · 6 min

Instagram Is the Third Dating App in Spain — Here's How to Use It Well

Almost every match will Instagram-check you within an hour. Make sure the grid tells the same story your bio does.

9 January 2023
Guides · 6 min

Winter Dating in Spain: Why November to February Is the Best Season

Fewer tourists, warmer conversations, better restaurants. The case for cold-season romance.

16 May 2023
Guides · 5 min

The Highest-Volume Dating Hashtags in Spain for 2026

The hashtags Spanish singles actually search on Instagram, TikTok and Google — ranked by real search volume.

5 March 2023
Cities · 7 min

The Best Neighborhoods for Dating in Madrid in 2026

From Malasaña rooftops to Chamberí vermut bars — where Madrid singles actually meet.

23 September 2023
Cities · 7 min

The Barcelona Dating Guide for 2026: Beaches, Bars, and Bikes

How to date in Barcelona without falling into the tourist trap on Passeig de Gràcia.

9 October 2023
Cities · 6 min

The Rise of Valencia as Spain's Best Dating City

Cheaper than Madrid, warmer than Barcelona, and full of remote workers looking for real relationships.

2 August 2023
Guides · 6 min

First Date Conversation in Spain: What to Ask and What to Avoid

The topics that open Spaniards up, and the ones that shut them down before the second drink arrives.

3 June 2023
Safety · 6 min

How to Date Safely Online in Spain: A Practical Guide

Photo verification, video calls, meeting spots — the small habits that keep online dating in Spain low-drama.

13 August 2023
Profiles · 5 min

The Profile Photos That Actually Work in Spain

Wide-lens over selfie, terrace over gym, dog over sunset — the Spanish photo hierarchy explained.

8 May 2023
Guides · 6 min

20 Second-Date Ideas That Actually Work in Spain

Skip the second coffee. Try a padel court, a Sunday paella, or a rooftop cinema instead.

23 January 2024
Relationships · 6 min

Long-Distance Relationships in Spain: The Madrid–Barcelona Playbook

Two and a half hours by AVE, one flight a week, and a very specific rhythm that keeps couples together.

22 October 2023
Expats · 7 min

Dating as an Expat in Spain: The First Six Months

Language, apps, friend groups — the timeline every newcomer follows whether they realise it or not.

18 May 2023
Social · 6 min

How to Turn Your Instagram Into a Spanish Dating Asset

Grid, stories, hashtags — the exact playbook Spanish singles use to convert matches into meetings.

25 March 2023
The Sunday Letter

One story, one restaurant, one date idea — every Sunday.

Written from Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga. Read in three minutes. Free forever.