This word defines a whole new philosophy for how Spaniards like to spend their time.
Tardeo is a relatively new word in the Spanish vernacular.
It comes from la tarde, the afternoon, not to be confused with the adjective tarde meaning late.
Tardeo is the act of spending time with friends, having drinks and tapas at local bars and chatting away, but doing so during the afternoon rather than at night.
In essence, el tardeo is when Spaniards bring forward their partying and socialising habits.
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If you’ve ever been out in Spain at night you’ll know that many city centres are buzzing with people having dinner and drinks, and that the biggest revellers will keep up the party at nightclubs until 6 or 7 am.
El tardeo is a solution to this for those who can’t afford to spend most of the next day in bed with a hangover.
That’s why often el tardeo is popular with 30, 40 and 50-somethings who have jobs, families and other responsibilities.
You’ll see them basking in the sun on bar terraces in their smart-casual attire and shades, sipping on gin and tonics or spritz, while all their kids play for hours in the local square.
In some senses it’s not too dissimilar from the concept of brunch, but tardeo obviously starts later in the day.
It’s also worth noting that these afternoon get-togethers usually happen at the weekend, with Sunday the preferred day for these hedonistic sessions.
El tardeo reportedly became a mainstay in Spain as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic’s restrictions and curfews, which forced hospitality bosses to change their opening times to keep their clientele.
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Now it’s as big a money-maker as nightlife, if not more.
Therefore, whereas 4pm used to be siesta time for much of Spain, now you’re more likely to see families out and about at that time.
There are even nightclubs exploiting the tardeo craze and turning themselves into ‘afternoonclubs’ with DJs, disco lights and everything else needed for a wild afternoon.
Strangely, this type of socialising in Spain hasn’t been included in the RAE, Spain’s most official dictionary.
There is another meaning for tardeo and the verb tardear though – “To linger too long over doing something for mere pleasure, entertainment or recreation of the spirit” – which in many ways encapsulates what Spaniards interpret as being tardeo.
Examples:
Marta y yo salimos de tardeo hoy, ¿te vienes?
Marta and I are going out this afternoon, are you coming?
Yo no soy muy de salir hasta las tantas, prefiero un tardeo.
I’m not into going out in the early hours, I prefer an afternoon get-together.
