When is the best time to go to Spain?

When is the best time to go to Spain? Here's some information to help you in your decision:

  • In Spain, the weather is good everywhere in May, June, July, August, September and October
  • The best months to go to Madrid are May, June, July, August, September and October
  • On average, the warmest months in Madrid are July and August, and the coldest month of the year is January
  • The rainiest months in this city are March, April, October and November
  • The cities with the best climate are Alicante, Malaga, Cartagena, Marbella, Nerja, Torremolinos, Arenales del Sol, Ayamonte, Barbate and Cádiz, with good weather at least 11 months a year
  • August is the best month for swimming in Alicante


Annual weather in Spain

For information about the climate and the weather city by city in Spain for a specific month, click on the corresponding line below:

January 29°F to 63°F
1 to 12 days*
February 29°F to 65°F
0 to 11 days*
March 32°F to 68°F
1 to 9 days*
April 38°F to 74°F
1 to 11 days*
May 45°F to 85°F
0 to 12 days*
June 52°F to 94°F
0 to 12 days*
July 58°F to 101°F
0 to 10 days*
August 58°F to 103°F
0 to 8 days*
September 50°F to 92°F
1 to 7 days*
October 45°F to 83°F
1 to 9 days*
November 36°F to 68°F
2 to 13 days*
December 32°F to 65°F
1 to 11 days*
* weather varies across the country

Best time to travel to Spain by cities

Chargement en cours
Madrid

Madrid

The best months to go to Madrid are may, june, july, august, september and october.

Alicante

Alicante

The best months to go to Alicante are february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, october, november and december.

Barcelona

Barcelona

The best months to go to Barcelona are march, april, may, june, july, august, september, october and november.

See full list of cities


Climate and Weather in Spain

In general, the climate in Spain is dry and mild in all regions. In this country, located on the border of France and Portugal and not far from Morocco, there are differences in the weather and temperatures, especially with the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees. From an Andalusian drought all the way to a Castilian freshness, changes are indeed varied within the Iberian Peninsula.

Spain: La place d'Espagne de Séville

Climate in Castillia

Castilla has a continental climate, where the air is very dry and especially hot during the summer. In return, the winters are quite cold, especially in the capital, Madrid. It can sometimes get very cold, as in Salamanca, where it is not uncommon to see snow falling in the spring! The climate is quite close to that of Lisbon in Portugal and Bayonne in France.

Climate in Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria

The Atlantic coast of this part of Spain is particularly influenced by G. Thus, winters, like the summers are fairly mild and there are sometimes very high temperatures inland. The coasts are often watered by rain due to the presence of the ocean and it is not uncommon for the cold to arrive when evening falls, whether it be fall or spring.

Climate in Andalusia

Very hot, Andalusia offers very mild winters on the coast, but cold enough inland, as in Seville. In general, the weather offers very dry summers that are particularly long, stretching from May to October, with lots of sun. To the southeast of Andalusia, the rains are rare, which offers a fairly barren landscape.

Climate in Catalonia

A pleasant region, Catalonia offers mild winters and hot summers. In summary, one can find in Barcelona or Tarragona, a pleasant Mediterranean climate. The climate in this part of Spain is embellished with over 300 days of sunshine per year and a delicious sea breeze that wonderfully cools the Costa Blanca.

The Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are renowned for the warmth of their air, which offers a pleasant climate throughout the entire year. In the mountains however, at over 1900 meters high, it is not uncommon to observe the arrival of frost. Note that this is a generalized reputation because the climate change brought by the trade winds is not taken into account, which have the possibility of changing everything in an instant. Moreover, there are different microclimates on the islands, such as subtropical, sub-desert in the south of Lanzarote and subalpine in Tenerife.

The Balearic Islands (Ibiza)

Most of the Balearic Islands, a small Spanish archipelago, enjoy a warm Mediterranean climate with dry, rather mild winters. Note that there is much less rainfall in Ibiza, Formentera or the south of the island in Majorca, as in comparison to the rest of this region of Spain.


Temperatures and rainfall in Spain

On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Spain and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Madrid, Alicante, Barcelona, Bilbao and Granada, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.


Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in Spain

Find out when Spain has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.

Tourist seasons in Spain

The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March, April, November and December. The number of visitors to Spain is high in: May, June, July, August, September and October.

  • Very low season in Spain: January, February, March, November and December.
  • Low season in Spain: April.
  • High season in Spain: May, June, September and October.
  • Peak season in Spain: July and August.

Figure: Visitor index for Spain month by month


Average price for flights to Spain

A return flight between New York City and Barcelona is generally cheaper if you go in october ($ 455 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 542 more for your airline ticket to Barcelona if you go in august.

Find the best price for your flight



Where to go in Spain?

This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).

Cities jan.feb.mar.apr.mayjun.jul.aug.sep.oct.nov.dec.
Madrid52°F56°F61°F67°F76°F86°F94°F94°F85°F74°F59°F54°F
Alicante59°F61°F63°F67°F74°F81°F86°F86°F81°F76°F67°F61°F
Barcelona58°F58°F61°F65°F72°F79°F85°F85°F79°F72°F65°F59°F
Bilbao54°F56°F58°F61°F65°F72°F76°F77°F76°F70°F61°F56°F
Granada54°F56°F59°F65°F74°F83°F90°F90°F81°F74°F61°F58°F
Lloret de Mar56°F58°F59°F63°F68°F76°F81°F83°F77°F72°F63°F58°F
Malaga61°F61°F63°F67°F74°F79°F86°F86°F81°F76°F67°F63°F
Salou54°F56°F59°F63°F70°F77°F81°F83°F77°F70°F61°F56°F
Sevilla61°F65°F68°F74°F85°F94°F101°F103°F92°F83°F68°F63°F
Valencia61°F63°F65°F70°F76°F85°F88°F88°F85°F77°F68°F63°F
A Coruña56°F56°F58°F59°F63°F67°F70°F72°F72°F67°F59°F58°F
Almeria61°F61°F65°F68°F76°F81°F88°F88°F83°F76°F67°F63°F
Bardenas Reales49°F50°F56°F61°F67°F76°F81°F83°F76°F67°F56°F50°F
Benidorm59°F59°F61°F65°F70°F77°F83°F83°F79°F74°F67°F61°F
Cáceres54°F58°F63°F68°F77°F86°F95°F95°F86°F76°F61°F56°F
Cartagena61°F61°F63°F67°F72°F77°F83°F85°F81°F76°F68°F63°F
Costa Brava56°F56°F59°F63°F68°F76°F81°F81°F77°F70°F63°F58°F
Costa del Sol61°F63°F65°F68°F76°F83°F88°F90°F83°F77°F68°F63°F
Gibraltar58°F58°F59°F63°F68°F74°F79°F81°F77°F72°F63°F59°F
Gijon54°F56°F59°F61°F65°F68°F74°F76°F74°F68°F61°F58°F

Legend:

perfect weather

good weather

tolerable weather

bad weather

very bad weather



About Spain

What can I do in Spain?

Beaches / swimming

Nature and countryside

Culture and heritage

Sports

Family travel

Crafts / shopping

Gastronomy

Nightlife



Is this weather information for Spain reliable?

Climate data for Spain has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for Spain allows us to determine the average for each month in Madrid, Alicante, Barcelona, Bilbao, Granada, Lloret de Mar, Malaga, Salou, and 92 other cities.

So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.

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