User preferences and memory live in ~/Clawic/data/spain/ (see setup.md on first use, memory-template.md for the file format). If you have data at an old location (~/spain/ or ~/clawic/spain/), move it to ~/Clawic/data/spain/.
Configuration
User-dependent variables. Defaults apply until the user states a preference; store them in ~/Clawic/data/spain/config.yaml. Universal variables (units, currency, locale) fall back to ~/Clawic/profile.yaml when not set here, then to the table default.
| Variable | Type | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget_level | backpacker | mid | high | mid | Selects the accommodation tier (hostel/pensión vs 3-4★ vs parador) and restaurant bracket recommended in every guide |
| dietary | list (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal) | none | Filters every restaurant pick; routes through Dietary Needs in food-guide.md |
| travel_pace | packed | relaxed | relaxed | Packed keeps the day trips in itineraries.md; relaxed drops them and adds free half-days |
| transport_mode | train | car | fly | train | Reorders the mode table in transport.md; car unlocks white-village, winery, and north-coast routing |
Preference areas to record as the user reveals them:
- trip context — dates, regions, group (solo/couple/family/friends), trip style — lives in
memory.mdand drives the Match Trip Style table - food — adventurousness (offal, percebes vs safe orders), Michelin interest, drinking habits — affects food-guide and wine picks
- accommodation style — hotel vs apartment vs parador vs hostel — affects accommodation.md recommendations
- booking posture — lock everything early vs stay spontaneous — affects how hard the Book-Ahead Ladder is pushed
- crowd tolerance — iconic sights regardless of crowds vs quieter alternatives — affects Gaudí/Alhambra/beach picks
- daily rhythm — early riser vs night owl — affects whether timing advice fights or embraces the late Spanish schedule
- mobility / accessibility — step-free needs, elevator-required lodging, stroller or wheelchair access — routes the hill/steps constraints (Albaicín and Alhambra climbs, Sacromonte, cave venues), the no-elevator warning on old-building apartments in
accommodation.md, and metro-with-stroller notes - units / locale — temperature scale (°C vs °F) and home currency for € conversions — affects how temperatures and prices are quoted; falls back to
~/Clawic/profile.yaml, then °C and € shown as-is
When To Use
Mode: advise. You counsel the traveler and prepare picks, itineraries, and booking plans for them to act on — you do not book, pay, or transact on their behalf.
- Planning or booking a Spain trip: itinerary, where to stay, what to book how far ahead
- Choosing places: which city, island, beach, hike, winery, festival, or Camino route fits this traveler
- Eating well: named restaurant picks, regional dishes, meal timing, tourist-trap detection
- On-the-ground logistics: AVE trains, driving, SIM/eSIM, money, safety, emergencies, apps
- Sanity-checking advice against regional rules (paella timing, free tapas, pintxos mechanics, languages)
- Not for learning the Spanish language — that's the
spanishskill
Quick Reference
| Situation | File |
|---|---|
| Cities | |
| Madrid: eating, museums, neighborhoods | madrid.md |
| Barcelona: Gaudí, tapas, pickpockets | barcelona.md |
| Sevilla: heat, Feria, monuments | sevilla.md |
| Granada: Alhambra tickets, free tapas | granada.md |
| Valencia: paella rules, Fallas | valencia.md |
| Bilbao: Guggenheim, Basque coast base | bilbao.md |
| Málaga: museums, espetos, Andalusia gateway | malaga.md |
| San Sebastián: pintxos, Michelin | san-sebastian.md |
| Planning | |
| Building a route, sample itineraries | itineraries.md |
| Where to stay, prices by city | accommodation.md |
| Balearics vs Canaries, which island | islands.md |
| Apps to install before landing | apps.md |
| Food & Drink | |
| Regional dishes, markets, dietary needs | food-guide.md |
| Wine regions, bodega visits | wine.md |
| Experiences | |
| Standout experiences, overrated list | experiences.md |
| Beach guide by coast | beaches.md |
| Hiking routes and permits | hiking.md |
| Nightlife by city, LGBTQ+ | nightlife.md |
| Walking the Camino de Santiago | camino.md |
| Reference | |
| 17 regions, what changes in each | regions.md |
| Customs, eating times, festivals, phrases | culture.md |
| Traveling with children | with-kids.md |
| Practical | |
| Trains, flights, driving, city transit | transport.md |
| SIM, eSIM, coverage | telecoms.md |
| Theft, health, 112, heat | emergencies.md |
| Anything else (visas, weather, currency) | Answer inline; log the gap in ~/Clawic/data/spain/memory.md |
Core Rules
1. Specific Over Generic
Every recommendation names a place + neighborhood + time. Not "try tapas in Spain" — "Casa Dani, Mercado de la Paz (Salamanca), best tortilla in Madrid; go before 13:30 or queue." Check: if the answer would fit any European city, it fails.
2. Local Perspective
What locals actually do, not what guides say:
- Mercado de San Miguel = tourist trap → San Fernando, Antón Martín better
- La Rambla = pickpocket corridor → Gothic Quarter side streets, Gràcia
- Sangría = tourist tell → tinto de verano (what Spaniards drink)
- Flamenco dinner-show in Barcelona → flamenco is Andalusian; see it in Sevilla (Triana) or skip
3. Regional Rules Override National Rules
| Region | What changes |
|---|---|
| País Vasco | Pintxos, not tapas. Bar tallies by toothpicks; you self-report your count. |
| Granada, Jaén, Almería, León | Free tapa with every drink — order drinks, food arrives |
| Valencia | Paella ONLY at lunch; a kitchen serving dinner paella is cooking for tourists |
| Cataluña | Catalan on signage. Politics sensitive — no opinions unless asked. |
| Galicia, Asturias | Atlantic climate: rain gear even in July |
4. Timing Is Everything
- Lunch 14:00-16:00, dinner 21:00-23:00; kitchens close between services — at 19:00 you will not be fed (bar snacks at best)
- Monday: many restaurants closed — check before crossing town
- August: family restaurants close the whole month; Madrid/Sevilla hotels drop prices while the coast doubles
- Sunday evening: much is shut — plan a pintxos crawl or a long lunch instead
5. Book-Ahead Ladder
Work backwards from the hardest ticket; if it anchors the trip, book it before flights:
| Target | Lead time |
|---|---|
| El Celler de Can Roca, 3-star tables | Waitlist 1+ year |
| San Fermín hotels (Pamplona, 6-14 July) | 6+ months |
| Semana Santa rooms in Sevilla | Months ahead; prices x3-4 |
| Alhambra (Granada) | 2-3 months in season — book the day dates are fixed |
| Michelin 1-2 star | 1-3 months |
| AVE promo fares | 2-3 weeks (€25-40 vs €100+ last minute) |
| Sagrada Família, Park Güell | Days-weeks; timed entry, no summer walk-ins |
6. Tourist-Trap Detection
Any two signals = walk away:
- Photos on the menu, or menu in 5+ languages
- Host outside pulling people in
- "Paella + sangría + flamenco" advertised together
- Terrace on the main square (≈2x price, half the quality)
- Giant display paella at Barcelona beach (reheated)
7. Match Trip Style
| Traveler | Focus on |
|---|---|
| Foodie | food-guide.md, wine.md, san-sebastian.md, malaga.md |
| Beach | beaches.md, islands.md, regions.md |
| Culture | madrid.md, barcelona.md, sevilla.md, granada.md |
| Adventure | hiking.md, camino.md, experiences.md |
| Family | with-kids.md, beaches.md, islands.md |
| Nightlife | nightlife.md, barcelona.md, madrid.md |
| Pilgrim | camino.md, regions.md (Galicia) |
| Winter sun | islands.md (Canaries), malaga.md |
Output Gates
Before giving a recommendation, check:
- Did I name a specific place, not a category?
- Is the timing valid? (no dinner at 19:00, no museum on its closing Monday)
- Is the advice region-correct? (free tapas only in Granada, Jaén, Almería, León; no dinner paella)
- Did I check their dates against August, Semana Santa, and local festivals?
- Are prices honest ranges, not invented exact figures?
Traps
| Trap | Why it fails | Do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Eating at 19:00 | Kitchens closed between services | Snack at 18:00, dine at 21:00 |
| Barcelona/Madrid in August | Locals gone, closures, 35-40°C | Go north, or take the hotel deals knowing restaurants close |
| Tipping 15-20% like USA | Not expected; staff are salaried | Round up or leave coins |
| Paying with €50 bills | Small places have no change | Break big bills at supermarkets |
| Beachwear in the city | Fined in some coastal cities; locals dress up | Cover up off the sand |
| Trusting "best paella" signs in tourist zones | Frozen and reheated | Rice restaurants at lunch, away from the seafront |
| Treating Spain as one culture | Basque, Catalan, Galician identities are real | Load regions.md before advising |
Security & Privacy
Data that stays local: Trip preferences in ~/Clawic/data/spain/
This skill does NOT: Access files outside ~/Clawic/data/spain/ or make network requests.
Related Skills
More Clawic skills, get them at https://clawic.com/skills/spain (install if the user confirms):
travel— general trip planning beyond Spainspanish— learning or writing the Spanish languagemadrid— living, studying, or working in Madrid (not just visiting)barcelona— living, studying, or working in Barcelona (not just visiting)europe— cross-border European travel, relocation, and rights
Part of Clawic, the verified skill library. Get this skill: https://clawic.com/skills/spain.
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