Shopping

Where to go for Food (and Alcohol)

Grocery shopping in Pamplona is pretty straight forward for the everyday grocery shopping.  However, some things, especially for newcomers, are tough to find.

As a general rule, always try to shop and run errands on weekdays or Saturdays.  Sundays in Spain were not intended for this kind of thing.

THE EASY STUFF :
For those everyday groceries, your neighborhood Eroski or Caprabo are your target.  Eroski just bought Caprabo so you’ll see many of their products on both of their shelves.  The selection is decent but you won’t find many gourmet options here.  These stores are only open until 9 or 9:30, lines can be long when the rest of the town is shopping.  They are closed on Sundays.

CARREFOUR :
This Carrefour (technically a Hipermercado – Big Supermarket) is located in Barañáin (see map) and within walking distance from most points in Pamplona.  Here you’ll find all of the common groceries, but it also sells appliances, sports equipment, computers, electronics, and has a great huge selection of cold cuts.  Many things can be bought in bulk here as well.  It is open until 10 (see website for holiday openings).

EL CORTE INGLES :
On the north side of the Ciudadela you might have noticed silver, shingled, sparkly building about eight stories high.  This is El Corte Ingles.  The bottom floor is all supermarket and the other 8 floors are all a blend of every other store you could think of (department store, computers, CDs & DVDs, etc.). The supermarket will stock higher quality, gourmet and imported stuff, and everything will be more expensive as a result.

Typically, Eroski and Caprabo are the first options, Carrefour the second, and El Corte Ingles the last for most items.  But it is always recommended to check your neighborhood, there are many great fruit and meat shops (fruterias and carnecerias) around that will have better quality then you’ll find in the supermarkets.

FOR ALCOHOL: Your first option here in Pamplona should always be the supermarkets, or Carrefour, you will have more options and volume, and the prices are cheaper.  But you should aim to pick up your provisions before 9pm (closing hours) on Friday and Saturday night, after that your options are only the stores affectionately known as Chinos which are more expensive and sometimes harder to find.  More on Los Chinos in another entry, but they are usually start closing around 11.