One of the most popular questions asked by foreign visitors to Spain and Portugal- is water from the tap OK to drink? The short answer is ‘yes’. On the other hand, your body needs to get used to a country’s water and many tourists report that what they drink from Spanish or Portuguese taps doesn’t always agree with them for the first couple of days. Also, even if the tap water is drinkable, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily nice – in Granada or Madrid the local water tastes as good as mineral water, in Seville it’s not particularly pleasant.

“Drinking water supply is guaranteed throughout Spain and Portugal. We have stringent control systems that guarantee water quality. Nevertheless, in some Mediterranean coastal areas consumption of bottled water is widespread.”

Remember that ‘widespread’ doesn’t mean ‘essential’. In public restrooms and fountains, look out for the phrase ‘agua potable’ to make sure it is drinking water.