Best Time to Travel to Spain
The Weather in Spain
The climate in Spain varies across the country. The main factors that influence the climate are geographical location and altitude.
The Costa del Sol (Malaga, Fuengirola) has a warm subtropical climate. Summers are dry and warm, winters are mild and humid. The climate is drier in the regions near the equator than in the north.
It is very hot from June to the end of August or even September. If you want to enjoy the sun, warm sea water and the beach, I recommend mid-September to the end of November.
Winter and spring are the ideal time for various activities such as cycling, golf, padel etc. when the air is warm but not hot.
On the Costa Blanca (Alicante, Valencia), summers are hot and dry, winters are mild. Temperatures are almost similar to the Costa del Sol, but with less rainfall.
See Costa del Sol from above
In Barcelona, summers are hot, autumns are pleasantly warm but rainy, and winters are mild and quite rainy. Temperatures are about 2-3C lower than on the Sol or Blanca. August in particular is very hot and humid, but the summer and autumn months are usually more pleasant than on the more southerly coast.
As it rains more in winter than further south, I don’t recommend Barcelona as an outdoor destination in winter, but it’s great for city life and culture even then.
For outdoor activities, I recommend April-June.

The Pyrenees (La Molina) have a mountainous climate. Winters are cold and snowy, summers are cool. Winter is the best time for skiing, downhill skiing and enjoying the snow.
In summer, there is excellent access to hiking and cycling.
Northern Spain (Galicia, Basque Country) has a maritime climate. Winters are mild and rainy, summers are cool and humid.
If you don’t like the heat or the tourists, this could be the place for you!
Winter temperatures are similar to Barcelona, but due to the rainfall, the weather here is often unstable. Summers are certainly more pleasant than on the Mediterranean coast, although rain can be a nuisance at times.
The Canary Islands are subtropical. The climate is dry and warm all year round. The difference between the average temperatures in the coldest and hottest months of the year in Maspalomas, for example, is a mere 7C! (compared to Barcelona’s 14C)
Inland Spain, like Madrid, has a continental climate. Winters are cold and snowy, summers are hot. However, due to the dryness of the climate, both the cold and the heat are not as extreme as one would think from looking at a thermometer.
I recommend avoiding the hottest summer and also Christmas and January.
