Don’t get me wrong, the food here in Spain is amazing, but as someone who drinks at least two cups of coffee a day, that’s what I’ve really been appreciating. After three months here, I think it’s fair to say Spaniards in general take their coffee seriously. You can find a busy café on every corner, serving pastries, breakfasts and coffees. Even the university itself has around four fully-equipped cafés for students, faculty and staff to enjoy. I often spend my time in between classes at one of these. After I’m done for the day, I tend to hang out in the city center and work on homework or read.

We’re quite close to Italy, so Spanish coffee culture has been heavily influenced and inspired by the Italian invention of espresso. Espresso is a way of brewing coffee which uses high-pressure, fine grounds and a little water in order to make a more concentrated, flavorful coffee. It’s the basis of a variety of drinks popular in the United States such as lattes and cappuccinos. Here in Spain, there are two extremely popular espresso-based drinks: Café con leche and cortado. A café con leche is pretty similar to a traditional latte, consisting of a shot of espresso with steamed milk, except that it generally doesn’t have much foam on top. A cortado is an espresso shot with a little bit of steamed milk added to take away the bitterness. Every coffee here will come in a proper mug or small glass on a plate with its own little spoon to stir in the sugar to your liking.

My drink of choice so far has been the café con leche and my host mom makes me some for my breakfast every morning. The cortados are great for when you’re in a rush, and easy to get in the automatic coffee machines that can be found in every building at the university. It’s been fun to explore the city through cafés, as each one has its own vibe and getting to know all of the baristas has been great. Locals here are generally pretty interested in talking with international students, and it’s always a good feeling to be greeted by name when walking into your favorite café down the street. I’ve actually been writing most of this blog post from a nice little place in the city center, although most places do not have free Wi-Fi at the moment, so I have to be selective when choosing a café to work at. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on any of the cool places I find here in Alicante. ¡Nos vemos!

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: ALI Abroad: University of Alicante