Living in Oviedo, Spain: Six Things No One Told Me

When I moved from the United States to Oviedo, I expected a different language, different food, and a different pace of life.

What I didn’t expect were the dozens of features that make a qualitative difference. Together, they add to the city’s personality.

1. Dogs Rule

The first thing you notice is that dogs aren’t simply common—they’re everywhere.

They’re walking through parks, waiting outside cafés, riding elevators, and accompanying their owners into daily life with remarkable confidence. There are, in fact, more dogs in Oviedo than children under 15.

Double the dogs, double the pleasure

What fascinated me even more is the social network they create. Two dogs stop to sniff each other, their owners pause, and suddenly complete strangers are chatting as though they’ve known each other for years. The dogs become the icebreaker.

For someone coming from Los Angeles, where conversations between strangers can be rare, it’s a delightful piece of everyday urban life.

2. Living in Oviedo, Spain: Smoking Is Impossible to Ignore

This is the one surprise I’ve written about and still haven’t embraced.

Oviedo is clean, beautiful, walkable, and very livable. Yet cigarette smoke is a constant, pervasive, and for me, annoying companion. People smoke while walking, sitting at café terraces, standing outside businesses, at bus stops, in parks, doorways, and on apartment balconies.

Private break, public consequences

Secondhand smoke is not an occasional inconvenience—it’s a significant part of the environment. Deadly warnings on cigarette packs about what smoking can result in seems to be of little deterrence.

It is far the biggest blemish on an otherwise bright picture of a city.

3. Pharmacies Are Part Medical Center, Part Beauty Store

Spanish pharmacies (and “parapharmacies”) are places to browse.

Forget the image of endless aisles of over-the-counter medicine. Here, the medications stay behind the counter, while the shelves are filled with dermatologist-approved skincare, sunscreens, serums, and haircare products from brands like La Roche-Posay, ISDIN, and Vichy.

Stiff brand competition

But one difference stands out immediately: medications stay behind the counter, even those that don’t require a prescription like acetaminophen or cough medicine. You simply ask for what you need.

4. Fresh Bread Is a Daily Ritual

Many people buy bread the way others buy coffee. Instead of stocking up for a week, they’ll stop by the neighborhood bakery and pick up fresh bread for the day. Sold as a conventional loaf or a baguette, he bread, especially whole-grain, is delicious.

It’s a habit that fits well in the rhythm of life here: frequent walks, neighborhood businesses, and food that’s meant to be enjoyed fresh. I’m lucky enough to have a bakery just across the street from my apartment.

5. Sundays Really Feel Like Sundays

American cities rarely stop. Oviedo does.

Most small businesses are closed all day Sunday, and many also close by early Saturday afternoon. At first, it was a source of some annoyance that a large shopping mall should be closed on a Sunday. After almost a year here, it seems perfectly normal and forces me to relax for the day.

6. Fresh Orange Juice Is Everywhere

One of my favorite discoveries is zumo de naranja natural/fresco.

Whether I’m sitting down for lunch, taking an afternoon break, or simply stopping at a café, there’s a good chance someone will feed whole oranges into a machine and hand me a glass of juice a minute later.

No concentrate. No bottle. Just oranges.

Months later, it still feels like a small luxury that’s somehow become completely ordinary.

Bottom Line

Living in Oviedo, Spain has taught me that the biggest adjustments aren't only language or bureaucracy. They're everyday details: dogs that introduce strangers, pharmacies that resemble beauty boutiques, quiet Sundays, and cafés where fresh orange juice is squeezed to order. None of these experiences appeared in the guidebooks, yet together they define daily life far more than the famous landmarks.