Spaniards

Thousands of Spaniards are obsessed with Hyrox. So Amazfit has launched two smart watches for them

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Crossfit is dead long live Hyrox. The other day a colleague asked me what the hell is that, and I had a hard time answering him in a simple way. So that we understand each other, it is basically a mix of running and seasonal exercises. You do one mile, move on to a station (sled pushing, burpees, rowing, weighted lunges), you do another mile, move on to another station for a total of eight. A boom that already brings together thousands of participants in competitions. Such is the Hyrox boom that one of the most relevant smart watch manufacturers in the world, Amazfit, has released two especially oriented for sports measurements of this discipline. Let’s take a look at the new ones Amazfit Balance 3 and Balance Ultra. Technical sheet of the Amazfit Balance 3 and Amazfit Balance Ultra amazfit balance 3 amazfit balance ultra DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 47.5 × 47.5 × 12.5mm 48.6 x 48.6 x 13.3mm MATERIAL Grade five titanium for the case Stainless steel and grade five titanium versions for the case SCREEN 1.5 inches AMOLED technology Resolution 480×480 3,000 nits peak brightness Supports glove mode sapphire lens 1.5 inches AMOLED technology Resolution 480×480 3,000 nits peak brightness Supports glove mode Sapphire Lens STRAP SIZE 22mm 22mm CONNECTIVITY Dual band GPS Bluetooth 2.4GHz WiFi Dual band GPS Bluetooth 2.4GHz WiFi SENSORS BioTracker PPG biometric sensor (supports blood oxygen measurement) temperature sensor Acceleration sensorGyroscopic sensorGeomagnetic sensorbarometric altimeterAmbient light sensor BioTracker PPG biometric sensor (supports blood oxygen measurement) temperature sensor Acceleration sensorGyroscopic sensorGeomagnetic sensorbarometric altimeterAmbient light sensor ENDURANCE 10ATM 45 meters diving 10ATM 45 meters diving processor ZPS3044S ZPS3044S memory 64GB 64GB BATTERY 780mAh 780mAh COMPATIBILITY iOS and Android iOS and Android SOFTWARE Zepp OS 6 Zepp OS 6 PRICE 349 euros for the steel version 449 euros for the titanium version 599 euros, unique titanium version Born for Hyrox Amazfit Balance Ultra vs Amazfit Balance 3 The most notable thing about the new Amazfit Balance Ultra and Amazfit Balance 3 is that they are specifically designed for Hyrox. It’s not that they have just one specific way to practice this sport, it’s that they have an entire library of hybrid training plans to prepare ourselves when making one. They are able to create strategies depending on the actual length of the track we are going to compete on, and even the size of the ROX Zone (the transition area between the running track and the exercise stations). The degree of analysis during Hyrox training is more than precise: We will see the weather in each of the stations in the apptarget pace, completed pace and average pace. In addition, a monitoring system called Hybrid Chargein which not only a measurement of physical parameters is made objectively: the watch will also ask us about our subjective sensation to track our recovery even more completely. These measurements will also analyze how we have performed in our training, to tell us if we have done better in the strength or resistance stations, with the aim that we are clear about the points to improve. Two great clocks with all the letters Beyond the specialization in Hyrox that Amazfit has wanted to provide to its Balance 3 and Balance Ultra, we are faced with two watches with more than interesting specifications. The panel is both 1.5 inches, AMOLED, with sapphire coating (it is quite difficult to scratch us due to the physical properties of this material), and with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Don’t you know if this is a lot or a little? It is the same brightness of a iPhone 17 Pro Maxwithout going any further. The main differences are in the battery. The Ultra model has 780mAh and lasts up to 30 days of typical use according to Amazfitwhile the Balance 3 has 658mAh and up to 21 days of typical use. Although in real use with GPS the figures go down, Amazfit is well known for offering one of the most complete autonomy in sports watches. There are also slight differences in the finish: The Ultra model is finished entirely in grade five titaniumwhile the Balance 3 has grade five titanium and stainless steel versions. Of course, the steel Balance 3 is not completely metallic (just the frame), the casing is plastic. These watches have something that their competition does not usually include: a Dual band circular polarization GPS antenna. This curious name refers precisely to how many GPS satellites transmit signals (circularly), which allows the signal to reach widely and with less interference. By the way As Amazfit usually does, there are dozens of sports modes, measurement of blood oxygen, heart rate, sleep and stress (among others), all through the app Zepp Lifewhose data can be synchronized with third-party apps such as StravaAdidas Running, Apple Health or Google Health. If you have never tried an Amazfit, it is worth knowing that incorporate ZeppOS 6. It is a hybrid between a simple java system and a complete system like WearOS either WatchOS. It has its own “application store” (a small repository), countless watchfaces (both official and third-party), and it works quite correctly. Besides, It is a system that allows callswith hardware that incorporates a microphone and speakers to be able to respond from the watch, just as we would do in the most advanced systems. Versions and price of the Amazfit Balance 3 and Amazfit Balance Ultra The Amazfit Balance 3 and Amazfit Balance Ultra are from the company’s most advanced watchesand they will arrive in Spain at the following prices. Amazfit Balance 3 in stainless steel case | 349 euros Amazfit Balance 3 in titanium frame | 449 euros Amazfit Balance Ultra in Titanium Case and Frame | 599 euros With the Ultra, Amazfit begins to look closely at the heaviest rivals on the market, looking for a niche in the Hyrox athlete that has not yet been covered. In Xataka | The Deportivo de la Coruña store knows how many people come in, … Read more

We talk to young Spaniards who reject consciously using AI

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While the AI is increasingly integrated into studies, work and daily life, a parallel and still minority phenomenon is brewing in the subsoil of public opinion and professional environments: that of a current of young people who view this technology with skepticism, fatigue or rejection. Some try to limit its use; others directly reject it. Although young generations have quickly embraced and integrated these tools into their daily lives, there are studies that point to the growth of a certain reluctance. A survey conducted in 2026 by the Walton Family Foundation, GSV Ventures and Gallup reveals how despite the fact that 51% of American Generation Z say they use AI weekly, “negative emotions towards it have intensified in the last year.” The study reflects concern about the “cost” that the continued use of this technology may have on “creativity or critical thinking.” Diego Castilla, member of the History Student Association of the Carlos III University of Madrid, is one of them. In his opinion, “AI stupidifies the mind.” Understand that the use of this technology is driven by increasingly academic and work rhythms. harder to hold. He tries to stay out of it and assures that he only uses it in a “very specific and specific” way, because he is convinced that “it creates bad habits.” For him, in addition, there is something easily recognizable in the content generated by AI: “It is noticeable. What is made by AI lacks soul.” Along these lines, Marcos, a 26-year-old graphic designer, believes that young people lead the “resistance” or “rejection” of AI. While he observes how the older generations feel a genuine fascination with this technology – “they love making songs, videos and images” – and accept its use without questioning it, he perceives a much more critical view among young people. Faced with the “devotion” that he detects in some older people, Marcos observes in youth a growing need to “escape from AI.” In fact, he considers that interest in “the physical” is gaining more and more strength: “I see more young people interested in having books, attending craft workshops or dancing…”. Activities that, in his opinion, respond to the desire to get away from digital, “rest” and “connect” again. “There are many valid reasons to reject AI” The ecological impact, the possible loss of autonomy, the potential risk for certain professionals, the power accumulated by large technology companies behind these tools… The reasons for distancing ourselves from AI are multiple. Marcos Escudero-Viñolo, professor at the Higher Polytechnic School of the Autonomous University of Madrid, knows several profiles that show a total rejection of AI: “Some for neo-Luddite reasons, that is, they reject AI for its social impacts; others for degrowth reasons, that is, they reject it based on its enormous ecological impacts; others practice resistance or active boycott of this technology, for example, as a criticism of heteronomy “Some combine these and other factors.” Although these positions seem to be a minority, they are present especially among young profiles linked to groups environmentalists either degrowth —as Ecologists in Action, beyondGrowth either Your cloud dries up my river—, but, according to Escudero-Viñolo, also among students, researchers or some professionals. (Unsplash) For Francisco José Estupiñá Puig, a contract professor at the Faculty of Psychology of the Complutense University of Madrid and co-director of the addictive behavior research group Controlab, “there are many valid reasons to reject AI,” and these can be framed in “ethical, political or ecological positions.” In some sectors, skepticism—which often does not reach rejection— is perceived with more intensity. “It is more common that from the artistic field they can feel threatened and even generate very strong rejection,” says César Poyatos Dorado, professor of educational technology at the UAM. This is corroborated by Marcos, a graphic designer, who finds in his professional environment a growing reluctance towards works generated entirely with AI.ç Paula Jimenez, content creator in a 27-year-old communications agency, he feels that “AI is making us idiots.” She is concerned about the widespread use of these tools to carry out “creative and human tasks,” and believes that this concern is becoming more and more evident among young people: “In fact, I consider myself one of those young people who claim not to do things with artificial intelligence.” Along these lines, Marcos, a 19-year-old History and Politics student, observes among his group of friends “a great rejection of AI,” and although he believes that this position is not the majority among young people, he does consider it to be increasingly common. Between rejection and critical use “It’s the same as when a smoker admits that tobacco is bad but continues smoking. Young people use AI because it is a very practical resource but they are afraid that AI can replace people in their jobs, they criticize that what is created by AI is not as creative or interesting…” This is how María Ángeles Gutiérrez García, teacher, explains the ambivalent relationship that many of her students have with this technology; They are “capable of making many arguments against artificial intelligence despite the fact that they use it.” Manuel Armayones, professor of Behavioral Design at the Open University of Catalonia, believes that this tension between use and rejection responds to a growing sense of discomfort. “They use AI, but at the same time they are not clear to what extent doing so is legitimate or harms them in the long term (…) We are facing a technology that not only changes how we do things, but also how we think, decide and perceive ourselves as professionals,” he explains. (Unslpash) According to Armayones, many young people feel that integrating AI is almost mandatory in order not to be left behind, but at the same time they fear being the ones who stop making decisions and taking on a supervisory role: “For this reason, rather than frontal rejection, many times what we see is a need to set limits and understand what role we want to have in that system.” This … Read more

We Spaniards are changing fishmongers for fish on a platter. And it is costing us very expensive

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When your grandparents wanted to buy fish, they might have found more or less variety, but they had it easy: they went to the market or the fishmonger, asked questions, chose, paid and returned home with the purchase. Today things are somewhat more complicated. Or not. with consumption in low hours and food spending increasingly concentrated In supermarkets (to the detriment of neighborhood stores), it is increasingly common that instead of buying salmon, sea bream or any other fish on a counter, we take it from a refrigerator, already scaled, filleted and served on trays. The question is… Does that make it more expensive for us? What has happened? that the OCU just responded to a question that you may have asked yourself more than once if you usually consume packaged fish from the supermarket: Are you paying a premium? Would that filleted fish be cheaper if you bought it in the fishmonger’s section instead of on a tray? It is an interesting question if we take into account that Mercadona, the chain with higher market share of the country and agglutinator of more than 30% of the food distribution business in some parts of Spain, has decided retire their fish counters and bet on the sale of this product already prepared, packaged and arranged on trays. What has the OCU found out? In general terms, it is (indeed) likely that you are spending more money by taking home already packaged merchandise instead of buying it at the supermarket fishmonger. After carrying out a study in a dozen chains throughout April, the OCU concluded that “fresh fish sold packaged is up to 30% more expensive than that purchased at the fishmonger if they are small varieties, already cleaned and filleted.” That last nuance is important because the organization’s technicians verified that the percentage goes up or down depending on the type of product we are talking about. In some cases the extra cost of packaged fish compared to that sold over the counter shoots up to 45%. In others it narrows so much that it is almost imperceptible. “The answer is not as simple as it seems: in some cases, especially for smaller or portioned fish, we do pay a lot more to buy clean fish on a tray, but in others, for larger ones, there is almost no difference,” details the OCU. Can it go further? Yes. To begin, it is useful to know how your study was carried out. As recognizes the OCU itselfthe analysis is not as simple as writing down the cost (euros per kilo) of each product and then comparing. There are chains that only sell certain varieties of fish through a single channel (counter or trays). As if that didn’t complicate things enough, there is another key handicap: trays of filleted and packaged fish usually offer 100% edible product; That is, without bones, heads or any other disposable part, something that can happen with whole pieces from the fish market. And how did they calculate it? How can we compare the prices of trays of already cleaned fish with those we see in fishmongers, which usually show the cost €/kg of whole pieces? To solve it, the OCU was based on estimates from the Spanish Nutrition Foundation that they conclude that the edible part of the fish usually represents more or less between 55 and 67%, depending on whether we are talking, for example, about sea bream or sea bass. As for the chains, the OCU set in Ahorramás, Alcampo, Aldi, BM, Carrefour, Dia, Hipercor, La Despensa, Lidl and Mercadona. If we talk about gender, the analysis focused on four species frequently consumed in homes: sea bream, sea bass, hake and salmon. For referencethroughout the year between October 2024 and November 2025, we Spaniards consume 0.56 kg of sea bream, 0.55 of sea bass, 1.44 of salmon and 1.54 of hake. Do those details matter? Yes. Because thanks to them we can better understand how the gap between the price of fish on the counter and on a tray widens or narrows depending on the product we are talking about. The clearest cases are represented sea ​​bream and sea bass. In the first case (gilthead) the OCU calculates that merchandise sold packaged is on average 27% more expensive. And at the counter we also pay for the amount of merchandise that is wasted after weighing the complete piece. In some supermarkets that percentage even shot up to 47%. The case of the sea bass is even more egregious. The surcharge detected in filleted products served on trays is 45%. Is it always like this? Things change considerably when we talk about hake and salome. If we want some slices or loins, there are no big differences depending on whether we ask the fishmonger at the counter or go to the supermarket refrigerator to buy them in trays. A hake cut and prepared on the counter came out in April for €17-25/kgwhile on a tray it was charged at €18-25/kg. The salmon slices or loins also cost practically the same (€20-23/kg) both in the fishmonger and in boats. What is the conclusion? “The conclusion is clear: in small fish, the greater the handling, the more expensive the fish on a tray becomes compared to selling on the counter. In preparations with less handling, the premium is much lower, if not residual,” ditch the organization. In short: there is a premium, although it is not always nor is it equally forceful in all cases. It depends on the type of fish and also the level of preparation we want. “In small and filleted fish, convenience does pay.” Better one or the other? The OCU admits that the trays have “pros and cons” for both consumers and supermarkets. Among the first, the most obvious is speed and comfort. One of its biggest drawbacks is the loss of the figure of the fishmonger, crucial for advising the client, and the generation of waste. The organization also warns … Read more

Just Eat knows that we Spaniards are hooked on Delivery. This is how they have closed an agreement so that you can order on WhatsApp

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Spain it is delivery countryand Just Eat knows it. We are one of the European markets where food delivery has grown the most in the last decade. So much so, Just Eat has decided to make Spain one of the only two countries—along with the Netherlands—where it will debut in Europe something that no delivery platform had done before: allowing you to order food directly from WhatsApp. The alliance. Just Eat has become the first platform in Europe to enable an integrated ordering experience through WhatsApp in which the entire search and selection process occurs within the chat itself. The Just Eat app only comes into play for the last step: secure payment. WhatsApp is not going to replace the service app, but rather it is going to become one of the main entry channels. “With the launch of the first ordering system via WhatsApp in Europe, at Just Eat we are not just including a new channel: we are redefining the concept of convenience. This innovation is a key element in our evolution, going from being a menu-based transactional application to becoming a true intelligent assistant powered by AI, capable of understanding user intent in real time.” Mert Öztekin, CTO of Just Eat How it will work. Using a QR code or link, we will enter WhatsApp, we will start a conversation with the AI agent from Just Eat, and we can complete practically the entire experience from the messaging app. Unlike the existing WhatsApp chat options, aimed at customer assistance channels, the company ensures that its AI will be able to understand natural language, to talk with us about what we want to eat, what restaurants there are, what they have on the menu and their prices. The promise is clear: this is not a support chatbot or anything similar to what we have used so far. The buts. The proposal is striking, but it is inevitable to ask some questions. The first is a simple “why”. Explaining to an AI agent what you want for dinner when Just Eat has a highly optimized app in which you can order food in five or six touches of the screen, a priori, does not seem more comfortable. The second is that Goal is Goaland every WhatsApp conversation goes through its servers. That Just Eat has the necessary data for our order is logical, but all this information Now passing through Meta may not be so attractive. When. Just Eat has not given a final date for this service, although it assures that it will begin its trial in 2026. They will start in Spain and the Netherlands and, if it is a success, expand to more countries in the European Union. In Xataka | The delivery war is no longer about bringing pizzas home, it is about delivering in 10 minutes: ‘Q-commerce’

In 2020, the Government quarantined millions of people. The question is whether he will be able to do it with the 14 Spaniards of the MV Hondius

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If Spain learned anything during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that when it comes to dealing with crises related to diseases, the borders between health, politics and law become blurred. With the hantavirus outbreak detected aboard the MV Hondius something similar happens. As the ship moves towards the Canary Islands, what began as a health alert turns into something more: reason for political dispute and a legal debate on how to treat the 14 Spaniards (asymptomatic) who travel on the ship. In the background there is a key question: What to do if the time comes, one of them refuses to undergo a quarantine? One word: hantavirus. Until a few days ago, the vast majority of Spaniards (Europeans, in general) did not know what hantavirus. And it’s normal. As remember According to the Ministry of Health, infections due to this virus are usually generated by contact with excrement or saliva of sick rodents and are “relatively uncommon worldwide.” In 2025 in America ‘only’ 229 cases in eight countries. The number of deaths rose to 59 due to the so-called “hantavirus pulmonary syndrome” (HPS). A bumpy ride. Things changed a few days ago, when the outbreak of a serious respiratory illness was reported on board the MV Hondius, a passenger ship that sailed on April 1 from Ushuaia (Argentina) to make a voyage through the South Atlantic with stops at points such as Nightingale Island, Santa Elena or Ascension Island, heading to Cape Verde. Just a few days after starting the voyage, one of the passengers, a Dutch septuagenarian, began to feel fever, diarrhea and headache. His health worsened alarmingly until he died after five days. The body remained on board the ship until April 24, when it disembarked in Saint Helena for repatriation. His wife, also Dutch and 69 years old, did it with him, who after showing similar symptoms ended up dying in a hospital in South Africa. A PCR confirmed the cause: hantavirus infection. Since then other passengers have shown similar discomfort. At the moment the outbreak has left, as far as is known, three deceased and at least another half dozen infected. On Sunday the ship arrived in Cape Verde, which “public safety”refused to moor in the capital. Next stop: Canary Islands. Now the ship continues its voyage towards where it was your final destination: Canary Islands. the ship sailed yesterday of Cape Verde after two key news events occurred. The first came around noon, when Tedros Ahdhanom, director general of the WHO, confirmed via X that the authorities had evacuated the three patients from the ship suspected of suffering from the disease. Their destination is Holland, where they will receive medical assistance. The second arrived from La Moncloawhich has confirmed Spain’s willingness to “meet the WHO’s request” to host the liner in the Canary Islands “once the evacuation of all symptomatic people is completed.” The Dutch shipping company Oceanwide Expeditions, responsible for the MV Hondius, assures that keeps monitored the situation on board the ship and in its last part, published this morning, it guarantees that “there are no people with symptoms on board.” And the controversy broke out. The announcement that the ship is sailing towards the Canary Islands, where it will probably arrive on sundaygenerated considerable debate. Moncloa’s initial plans called for the ship to arrive at the port of Granadilla de Abona, in Tenerife, where the workers soon arrived. threaten a blockade of the terminal. The reason? The staff denounced the lack of information and clear protocols on how they should act in the face of the viral outbreak. In the archipelago he also jumped the debate on whether the region has legal (or at least political) margin to reject the scale. With that backdrop, Health has confirmed today to the Canarian president, Fernando Clavijo, that the MV Hondius will not dock, “it will only anchor” so that passengers can evacuate with the help of boats. The idea is that they will be transferred to the airport, from where they will be repatriated to their respective countries. When the ship left Patagonia it had some 147 travelers of 23 nationalities. Who travels on board? That’s the key. The idea is that, once in the Canary Islands, the passengers are repatriated to their countries; but there are 14 who will not need that operation. The reason? They are Spanish. Specifically, there are 13 passengers and a crew member of Spanish nationality on board the MV Hondius who have opened another debate just as interesting. Once on land the plan goes through transport them on a plane military to the Torrejón de Ardoz air base and, from there, to the Gómez Ulla Defense Hospital. The idea is that they spend a quarantine period in individual rooms. How much exactly? Today it is difficult to know. It is known that the incubation period of the virus is around 45 days, but the question remains as to what day it should start counting. The outbreak probably arose between the 6th and the 28th. “They will remain cared for and will remain in quarantine for as long as the clinical protocols require,” guaranteed on Wednesday the Minister of Health, Mónica García. His department insists that, even if some of the Spanish passengers presented symptoms or had to attend to other patients, the risk for the population “it is considered very low”. The big question. The question that flies over In recent days the ministries of Health and Defense have been… What would happen if any of those 14 Spaniards are reluctant to undergo quarantine? Could they refuse? And in that case, would the State have tools to demand that period of controlled isolation from them, something reminiscent of what happened during the State of alarm of COVID-19? It is not a whimsical question if one takes into account that the Government already has recognized that the will of the patients will be key. In fact Mónica García has appealed directly to “common sense and responsibility” of Spanish … Read more

For generations, we Spaniards embraced the three-course menu. Now that model has entered into crisis

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Christianity has its holy trinity. The theater has its classic structure in three acts, just like the traditional novel. Even life itself can be divided into three blocks: youth, adulthood and old age. For a while (centuries, actually) food also participated in this obsession with triads. When you sat down to eat, whether in your own home, that of a family member or in a bar, you expected to be served three courses: something light to start, like a soup or a salad, a heartier second and dessert to finish the job. Now that model has gone into a spin. Goodbye to three dishes? That is the reflection that left bouncing a few days ago The Country in its section on food: after generations and generations settled in homes and hospitality, meals structured in three courses (first, second and dessert) are in decline. He is not the first to point it out. More than a decade ago it already launched a similar warning Adam Liaw, a chef, presenter and author of gastronomic books who in 2015 warned in Guardian about the gradual “disappearance” of three-course menus. Even Dr. Nicolás Romero issued a warning in 2019, in an interview with The Basque Journal: “We should start by recovering a custom that we are abandoning in Spain, that of three dishes on the menu.” He was so convinced of this that he even encouraged transferring the same formula to dinner, “as the Mediterranean diet dictates”, opening the menu with vegetables and closing it with fruit. Is it really in crisis? It is difficult to find studies that confirm this, but, as Liaw signalif we do not look at our surroundings we will realize that the meal in ‘three acts’ seems to have “fallen from favor”. And that is something that can be transferred both to our homes and to restaurants. In fact there are those who now slide that menus with starters, main courses and desserts risk becoming something extraordinary, a luxury reserved for weddings, New Year’s Eve or other special occasions. Just like silverware or old wine. And why this change? The explanation varies a little depending on whether we are talking about what we do at home or what happens in the hospitality industry, although in both cases a common denominator can be seen: a change in consumer habits. In an increasingly busy society we are less willing to spend hours between the stoves, selecting fresh food…or even sitting in front of a plate, which explains the growing success of snacks. Cooked less? It seems so. In 2003, experts were already warning that, in a matter of a few years, we Spaniards had reduced three hours a week the time we spend cooking. Other surveys most recent show that 48% spend about 90 minutes cooking and 41% barely spend more than 60. There are still the majority of those who prepare their own food, but the Spaniards who barely set foot in the kitchen They are counted in millions. With less (or no) time between pots and pans, it is difficult to prepare meals divided into several dishes. Does everyone lose? “Households are spending less and less time cooking, reducing processes and complexity to optimize the time spent cooking. This implies that people are increasingly opting for single-course occasions, which are 71.3% of the time at dinner and 55.7% at lunchtime,” commented recently Eduardo Vieira, from Worldpanel by Numerator (Kantar), who pointed out that this represents an “opportunity” for the industry. Our tendency to spend fewer hours in the kitchen is giving wings to a business that has been growing for years: that of pre-cooked and ready-to-eat foods. The Spanish Association of Prepared Meal Manufacturers (Asefapre) estimates that in 2025 the consumption of precooked meals in the country’s homes grew by 3.8% and that sales exceeded 4.3 billion, with a growth of 5%. What happens in restaurants? There another extra factor comes into play: the economy. Although the menu of the day has been implemented for decades in Spain, where it is quite an ‘institution’, the formula is in crisis. And not only because of cultural changes or the snackficationa trend that leads us to spend less and less time on food. In recent years it has come under cost pressure. The rising cost of raw materials, energy, labor… has forced hoteliers to review their rates, increasing them by 19.5% between 2016 and 2024. The problem is that the sector assures that this increase is lower than the CPI, which makes it difficult for them to make their menus profitable. “It is in danger, fortunately because it is not a sustainable model,” recognize to The Country Paco Cruz, The Food Manager. Given this situation, it is necessary ‘reinvent’ the menucutting costs. As? Exactly: putting the scissors in and leaving it on a single plate. Do more factors influence? Yes. As if the above were not enough, the hoteliers have to deal with a new rival: the merchantssupermarkets that, like Mercadona, have a wide range of ready-to-eat dishes and spaces in which to consume them. Customers can often choose dishes and devour them in just a few minutes, putting pressure on traditional menus where a waiter serves starters, mains and dessert. Images Michael Clarke Stuff (Flickr), Diogo Brandao (Unsplash)F.arhad Ibrahimzade (Unsplash) In Xataka More and more Spanish bars refuse to let you pay at the table. Its objective is very simple: greater rotation

It is so expensive that Spaniards can no longer spend the summer there.

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With summer almost (almost) around the corner, we Spaniards begin to think about where to spend our holidays. That has little new. What is curious is what the INE reveals about our behavior when planning these trips: we think less and less about national destinations, without leaving the country, and we look more abroad. The question is… Why? The low cost they make it easier for usTrue, just as true is that the tourism market is no stranger to generational change and changes in trends. There is however another key factor: the cost of spending the summer in Spain. It has risen so much and so fast that sometimes it makes more sense to travel to the Caribbean either Indonesia. Where do we Spaniards travel to? The question arises, but fortunately we have a valuable tool to answer it: the INE. Recently its technicians published a report on “resident tourism” that leaves a couple of curious conclusions. When we travel, we Spaniards do it above all through our own country. In fact, ‘domestic’ (national) trips meant in 2025 87% of the totalfar from the 13% destined abroad. That’s logical. The surprise comes when we go down to the detail, to the trend. What does the data say? The INE estimates that in 2025, residents in Spain will carry out 175.7 million trips4.7% less than in 2024. However, the ‘puncture’ did not affect all trips equally. The drop was concentrated in those that had a domestic destination, whose flow contracted by 6.1%. Those made abroad experienced the opposite trend, with a growth of 5.2%. The trend was even more pronounced during the last quarter of the year: between October and December the flow of trips to destinations within the country itself fell 7.1%. Those made abroad rose 7.2%. Year Spanish trips without leaving the country Spanish trips abroad 2020 96.45 million 5.07 million 2021 135.69 million 7.20 million 2022 155.25 million 16.13 million 2023 166.60 million 19.29 million 2024 162.81 million 21.62 million 2025 152.94 million (-6.1% year-on-year) 22.75 million (+5.2% year-on-year) Is it the only indicator? Perhaps Spanish tourists think less about Spain when planning trips, but in return foreigners do so much more. In 2025 they visited our country almost 97 million of international tourists, a historical figure that maintains the growing trend registered since the health crisis. They increased over all visitors from the United Kingdom (19.1%), France (12.8%) and Germany (12%). As for the most popular destinations, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Andalusia and the Valencian Community stand out above all. This flow was in turn reflected in the money billed by the sector. Last year, direct spending exceeded 175 billion euros, 5.2% more than in 2024, although the trend is again very different depending on whether we are talking about national or foreign tourists. While spending associated with foreign tourism grew at a rate of 7% the national one stagnated, declining a slight 0.3%. Is it something new? Yes. And no. The data itself is new and updates the ‘general picture’, but the trend comes from behind. If the hotels in Spain have already managed to increase their flow of overnight stays about 5% In 2024 it was not due to the greater dynamism of domestic tourism, but rather due to the avalanche of foreign clients, whose demand skyrocketed by 7.5%. The same thing happened (although more cushioned) in 2025: the Spanish hired 0.2% less of hotel rooms while travelers from other countries demanded 1.6% more. They are not the only clues that tell us about a new reality: as tourist destinations in Spain become more expensive, driven in part by travelers from countries with greater purchasing power (in the case of the United Kingdom, France or Germany), more and more Spaniards choose to go abroad. It is not at all surprising if we take into account that sometimes spending a week in a country of the Southeast Asia or the Caribbean It costs them the same as doing it in the Balearic Islands or the Canary Islands. Are the prices that close? That’s how it is. At least if we go to the most extreme cases. In 2025 Mabrian made a study which demonstrates it with a specific case. After searching different options, their technicians concluded that the average price of the plane ticket to visit the Balearic Islands amounted to 142.77 euros. Added to this was an average price per accommodation of 285.72. In the case of Bali the ticket rose to 238.97 euros, but in exchange the cost of the hotel remained at 99.26. The agency made similar comparisons with Sicily, Algarve and Atalya. The conclusion was always the same: flights abroad were more expensive, but the difference with the Balearic Islands was compensated by including accommodation. Other similar analysis from Destinia, also published last year, showed that the 2,726 euros paid per couple in Menorca or 2,694 in Mojácar barely differed from the 2,883 in Punta Cana or 3,094 in the Riviera Maya. Is there price data? Yes. And from different sources. One is the INE, which calculates that in 2025 the hotel price index increased on average by 5.1%which raised the average daily billing of the accommodations per occupied room to 127.7 euros. The other indicator is offered by the firm Cushman & Wakefield. According to your calculationsin 2025 the average price per night in a hotel in Spain rose to 166.1, 4.8% more than in 2024 and (above all) “a new all-time high.” In the Balearic Islands, Marbella and Benidorm the increase was around 10%. It’s not just that hotels are becoming more expensive in Spain, it’s that they are doing so faster than those in the rest of Europe. “Spain’s 4.8% growth is well above that of Europe as a whole (1.2%) and is also higher than that of southern Europe (3.5%). In terms of revenue per available room, Spain continues to be one of the leading destinations, with an increase of 5.5%, surpassing European growth … Read more

a million Spaniards continue to watch it every year

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Each Easter weekWithout fail, something happens that defies any logic of the audiovisual market: millions of Spaniards sit down to watch a film that they have already seen, which lasts almost four hours, which was filmed 65 years ago in Rome and which is not recommended by any algorithm. A chariot race that, for some reason, continues to draw viewers as if it were a recent release. The figures. Since 2008, the film ‘Ben-Hur’ has been broadcast on Spanish channels (free and pay) a total of 85 times over 17 Holy Weeks. That is equivalent to an average of five passes per holiday period, according to data from the consulting firm Barlovento Comunicación. has provided ‘El País’. No other religious-themed title has accumulated so many broadcasts in that interval. It is followed by ‘Quo Vadis?’, with 73 appearances on the grid, and ‘The Ten Commandments’, with 61. Completing the usual group are films such as ‘Barabbas’, ‘Spartacus’ or ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’, almost all of them produced between the 1950s and 1960s. It doesn’t sound familiar to me. Well, they are all titles from a time in which Hollywood turned the biblical epic into an industrial venture, with million-dollar budgets and excessive technical ambition. ‘Ben-Hur’ cost $15 million in 1959 (the largest budget of any film up to that time) and grossed approximately $80 million worldwide. It won eleven Oscars from twelve nominations, a record that only ‘Titanic’ (1997) and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003) have equaled. Why do they still work? ‘Ben-Hur’ has an advantage: Jesus appears in it as a peripheral figure, with his back turned or in the distance, which turns the film into an epic adventure production with a Christian subtext, rather than a typical religious film. The chariot race, filmed in five weeks with 15,000 extras and on a gigantic set in Cinecittà, works as a hook regardless of the viewer’s beliefs. ‘Quo Vadis?’ places Saint Peter fleeing Rome during Nero’s persecutions, but a vision of Christ appears to him asking where he is going, and Peter turns around and returns to the city to remain with the martyrs. It is the only scene in which Jesus has a direct presence, since he always appears mediated by his apostles, or with the conversion process of the Roman commander Marcus Vinicius. But the spectacle that the film sustains for the non-believing public is another: the burning of Rome, the circus with the lions, the megalomania of Nero… The hearings. Since 2021 La 1 has programmed ‘Ben-Hur’ every year on the after-dinner meal on Thursday or Good Friday. The results: screen shares of 11.4%, 10.7%, 12.5%, 11.3% and 11.1%, with figures around one million viewers in the three and a half hours that the film lasts. Today few programs achieve those numbers on a regular basis. The record remains the Holy Thursday screening of 2012, when more than two million people watched it on the night of La 1. For this year, RTVE has confirmed that La 1 will broadcast ‘Ben-Hur’ and ‘Pompeya’ on the afternoon of Good Friday, and ‘The Ten Commandments’ during the weekend. La 2 will offer ‘The Sacred Robe’ on Holy Thursday at 10:00 p.m. The private ones, less pious. Since 2018, La 1 has broadcast a total of 45 films with religious themes or those linked to Holy Week. Antena 3 barely reached seven. Telecinco, four. Atresmedia and Mediaset are betting on other types of programming on these dates, leaving the religious field almost exclusively to RTVE… …and the autonomous ones. These have turned this niche into their own asset. Between 2018 and 2025, Telemadrid programmed 99 films with religious themes, Canal Sur 82 and CMM (Castilla-La Mancha Media) 72. These are figures that reflect both the cultural harmony of these stations with their territories and a very economically efficient programming strategy: the rights to these classic titles are considerably cheaper than those of recent productions. And Channel 13. This is what takes logic to its ultimate consequences. The Episcopal Conference network has broadcast almost 300 religious films during Holy Week over 17 years. In 2025 alone, it programmed 19 different titles in that week, with more than 50 hours of special content that included broadcasts of processions, connections with the Vatican and film series ranging from Cecil B. DeMille classics to premieres such as ‘His Only Son’ (2023). Thirteen seems like a television built specifically for these dates. Last stop: ‘The Life of Brian’. There is a case that deserves separate analysis: ‘The Life of Brian’, the 1979 Monty Python film, has been broadcast at Easter on Spanish channels on 22 occasions over 17 years. In most cases it was on thematic channels, and La 2 only dared to program it in 2020 and 2021. The results were clear: a 7.4% share in full confinement and 5.5% in 2021, figures well above the channel’s usual average. Neox issued it the last two Good Fridays with equally notable results for its usual figures: 2.6% and 3.4%. The data is revealing because it makes it clear that the viewer of Holy Week is not necessarily looking for devotion, but rather cultural markers of the period. ‘Life of Brian’ fits that way just like ‘Ben-Hur’, albeit from the opposite end of the spectrum. In Xataka | We believed that Generation Z was returning en masse to the Church. An error in a survey is to blame for the mirage

We Spaniards love low-cost telephone operators. So PcComponentes has gotten on board

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In the middle of the operators’ war to offer low cost ratesthe Murcian PcComponentes has decided to enter the battlefield. The company debuts with fiber and mobile rates thanks to Likes Telecom, a Spanish company focused on the creation of telecommunications brands and with the support of XFERA MÓVILES (MásOrange). A new participant. From the PcComponentes website You can now contract fiber and mobile. At the moment, there are three fiber and mobile packages, and three possibilities to contract a mobile line. To stand out from its rivals, PcComponentes ensures that customer service support will be especially taken care of. The rates. At its launch, these are the three rates offered by PcComponentes. Core rate oNers rate hyperuser rate fiber 300MB 600MB 1GB mobile 30 GB cumulative + another 30 GB gift line 100 GB cumulative Unlimited additional Basic TV +3€/month Additional mobile lines from €5/month Basic TV +3€/month Additional mobile lines from €5/month Premium TV +5€/month Additional mobile lines from €5/month permanence No 6 month stay 6 month stay In the case of mobile line only rates, we have these three options. 30 GB Mobile Line for 6.90 euros per month. Mobile Line 100 GB for 13.90 euros per month. Unlimited Mobile Line for 19.90 euros per month. All of them have MásOrange 5G coverage, unlimited national calls, Roaming Zone 1 in the EU, the possibility of eSIM and cumulative gigs without permanence. The conditions. PcComponentes only sets a six-month permanence for two of its rates, which is conditional on the quality of the service. In the event that the client suffers more than two connection incidents for which the operator is responsible, it will be cancelled. Likewise, in rates like Hyperuser, there is a commitment to quality. If there is an incident caused by the operator that prevents the client from connecting to the internet, nothing will be paid during the current month. Go deeper. The company adds that, as customers of its mobile and fiber service, we will access discounts on the PcComponentes website. At the moment, there is no concrete data on how they are going to raise them or what exactly they consist of. The challenge. Digi is staying with practically all the ports in Spain, stealing customers from Telefonica, MásOrange and Vodafone. A fight for low prices that practically no rival is able to match, including PcComponentes. Despite this, it remains to be seen how this small proposal on PcComponentes’ “own MVNO” coexists with Digi, Lowi, Simyo or Finetwork. In Xataka Mobile | The uncomfortable truth about fiber: the speed that the operator promises us can never be maintained

Spaniards, the price war at gas stations has begun. And Repsol is the first to launch its attack

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The price of gasoline has skyrocketed. Diesel is through the roof. It has already been dropped that The Government has studied discounts on purchases of fuel as it already did in 2022. And while the Spanish are looking for the cheapest gas stations to refuel, service stations have just opened a war to continue attracting customers. through the clouds. If we talk about average prices, we are still far from the figures that we end up paying for gasoline and diesel in 2022. In the days that followed the first stages of the Ukrainian War, gasoline came to reflect an average price in Spain of 2.152 euros/liter and diesel 2.106 euros/liter, according to the portal dieselgasolina.com which monitors the price of all service stations in the country. Today, March 19, gasoline reflects an average price of 1,784 euros/liter on average. 98 gasoline already scales at 1,938 euros/liter. The basic diesel is already paid at 1,906 euros/liter and the “premium” at 1,988 euros/liter. With these data, gasoline is about 40 cents/liter of what was paid in 2022 but diesel is already at 20 cents/liter. Not only that. If we look back we find a brutal increase in prices. On March 1, the average price of gasoline was 1.495 euros/liter. That is, in 19 days the average price has increased by almost 30 cents/liter. Diesel is even more worrying, rising almost 50 cents/liter from the 1,447 that it reflected on average on March 1. A relief to the pocket. At least cosmetically. That is what happened in 2022 when the Government applied a fuel reduction of 20 cents/liter. It was a flat rate for all drivers which partially alleviated the effect of rising fuel prices, without taking into account if the client was doing it for recreational useto go to work or because he was a professional who needed it to provide his services. However, prices continued to rise and just a few days after the aid began to be applied, which arrived when gasoline was 1.84 euros/liter, we were already paying the same than before the subsidy. Did the marketers take advantage to continue raising prices and increase their business? The CNMC suspected so. Repsol tightens. Although rumors point to a possible subsidy again, oil companies have already begun to take positions in the face of a new price war. The most ambitious has been Repsol, which has in its Waylet program the best tool to build customer loyalty. The company has announced that double your discounts with Waylet. That is, now they deduct 10 cents/liter for each refueling. But Repsol has turned Waylet into its own ecosystem from which it is difficult to get out. If you have electricity contracted with Repsol, the savings double and go from 10 cents/liter to 20 cents/liter. And if you have other contracted services, such as car or home insurance, the discount is 40 cents/liter. Added to this are the discounts with every electric car recharge and domestic rates or subscriptions outside the home, which is why they have managed to position themselves as a very attractive option for those who have both technologies at home, combustion and electricity. A price war. Repsol, yes, is the company that has the highest prices on the market, according to dieselgasolina.com. On average, gasoline at Repsol costs 1,763 euros/liter and diesel 1,861 euros/liter. Moeve, the second most expensive supplier, is very far away, with an average price of 1,693 euros/liter and 1,760 euros/liter for gasoline and diesel respectively. The gap with low cost is gigantic. Alcampo currently sells gasoline at 1,594 euros/liter and diesel at 1,706 euros/liter. However, Repsol has a reason to push: low cost. They explain in Expansion that these service stations are more sensitive to price increases because the volume of each purchase is smaller. They do not have the storage capacity of large companies, which forces them to buy more often and, therefore, increasingly more expensive when the price skyrockets. This reduces your profit margins. And although in the middle they assure that the low cost ones continue to be cheaper, the truth is that the margin is narrowing. When the difference is small, it is easier for Repsol to gain followers and build customer loyalty with large discounts since “cheap gasoline” loses much of its appeal. This loss of competitiveness translates into the results of dieselgasolina.com that collects that Ballenoil has, right now, gasoline more expensive than Moeve, just one step below Repsol. under the magnifying glass. The aggressive discounts on gasoline have fueled the debate about the extent to which oil companies are taking advantage of the situation. In 2022, Repsol has already taken the opportunity to make aggressive discounts. Those, according to the CNMCthey took advantage to try to take smaller gas stations out of the market. Those days, low-cost service stations already assured that the Government subsidy was suffocating them due to the particularities of their business model. Just a few days ago, The OCU has already filed a complaint with the CNMC that the increases that were occurring in the price of fuel were being abusive. They noted that according to the Official Gazette of the European Union, Spain was the third country in which prices had increased the most and that the cost of diesel was higher than the European average. As in the case of Expansion According to his calculations, the low cost ones were the ones that reflected the most striking increases. It remains to be seen what the response of the rest of the service stations is. Repsol has already shown that it has room for maneuver. In 2022, the oil companies that entered the game did so in the same way, with wide discounts within their loyalty plans. And that has some clear losers: the low cost ones. Photo | Juanedc In Xataka | Fear of gasoline at 2 euros per liter: the sector is already preparing for the worst after the start of the war in Iran

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