I agree that the whole swarthy “Latin lover” stereotype is instantly what people think of as Spanish-looking (or Italian for that matter). The reality is that most Spaniards are brown-haired and rather pale (they just tan well), the same applies to Italians. Only in certain southernmost regions of Spain or Italy (i.e. Andalusia or Sicily respectively) do people have a close resemblance to southern and eastern Mediterranean populations (i.e. Lebanese, Israelis, etc.), and even in those regions, that look isn’t outright dominant.

If people think Spaniards are dark, read about how the Aztecs of Mexico called them white-skinned bearded foreigners. Everyone in Latin America knows that light skin is a result of European (usually Spanish) ancestry. Most Latin Americans have varying degrees of Native American and/or African ancestry in addition to Spanish ancestry, accounting for the darker looks one sees. Since almost all Spanish-speakers in the U.S. are obviously of Latin American origin, this is why Americans think that if they a white guy with the last name “Martinez,” something must be amiss lol.

Spaniards in the U.S. are assumed to be white (probably Italian in most cases) until they reveal their surnames or open their mouths. The only Latin Americans of any size in the U.S. that has members tracing a majority or all of their ancestry to Spain are Cubans. Even among Cuban-Americans though, quite a few have visible African influence in their phenotypes (more than they’d like to admit).

This map is quite faulty. I’ve done quite a bit of traveling throughout Europe and can tell you that the central to northwestern end of Iberia (both Spain and Portugal) have quite a bit more light eyed people than presented. There may also be parts of France that require revision, some areas up and some down.