Best Time To Travel To: Spain

Spain has, roughly divided, three climate zones. One speaks of a colder, temperate zone typical of Central Europe. This applies, for example, to the north coast or the north of the plateau of Leon and Castile, Alava Plateau. The second zone is an African-specific, almost subtropical zone. It can be found partially in Andalusia, Granada, Murcia and Valencia. The third zone is a warm temperate zone.

North and northwest

The north and northwest of Spain are mainly under Atlantic influence. This is particularly noticeable in autumn and winter. This region is generally the cloudiest and rainiest region in Spain. The summers are also comparatively cool and humid here. Nevertheless, the summers are still very pleasantly warm. The rainfall is relatively higher at the foothills of the mountains that face the sea and in the extreme northwest in G alicia. This climatically Central European zone has a very pleasant climate. Here, in the lower-lying areas, summer temperatures rarely rise above 33 ° C. On the coldest winter days it hardly drops below -3 ° C. Frost and snowfall are temporary. From a climatic point of view, the valleys of the north coast are among the healthiest areas in Europe. Relatively typical would be the climate table of La Coruna / Galicia.

The high altitudes of Old Castile are a little bit harsher. It can get very cold here and snow heavily. In the spring fog can depress the mind, the summers, on the other hand, can become oppressively warm. On the other hand, the short autumns are nice (especially September and partly October).

The coastal regions

Detailed information Andalusia / Costa del Sol / Costa de la Luz

The weather is much more pleasant in the coastal areas, which are classified as warm temperate zones. Here you will find the well-known holiday destinations such as the Costa Brava and the Costa Del Sol. In the region it is mostly sunny - in winter an average of 6 hours of sunshine are achieved, in summer up to 12 hours of sunshine per day. The winters are very mild. Summers get very hot, and the humidity is often quite high in summer. Only in the afternoon does the humidity become more pleasant in connection with pleasant breezes from the sea. It gets pretty hot when the Scirocco Leveche carries hot air to Spain from North Africa. Rain hardly falls along the Mediterranean coast from June to August. More rain falls around Barcelona, here the summer is rainier than the winter. The climate table of Barcelona / Costa Brava can represent the climate of the northern coastal area.

It gets warmest on the southeast coast to Alicante, Murcia and eastern Granada. Spring from February to May is very pleasant here. From June it will be very hot. From October to February it is then again very pleasantly spring-like. Typical for the southeast coast would be z. B. the climate table of Lloret De Mar / Costa Brava

Special case mountains

The mountain regions must be viewed separately from all other areas. Of course, the normal rule also applies to the mountains of Spain: the higher, the cooler and normally also more humid. The mountains of Spain are divided into five climatic zones. The lower to 800 mtr. with average temperatures between 18 ° C and 28 ° C. The mountain regions from 800 to 1,600mtr. show approx. 9 ° C to 16 ° C. The subalpine regions from 1,600 to 2,000mtr. have an average of approx. 4 ° C to 8 ° C, the alpine regions from 2,000 to 2,500 approx. 0 ° C to 3 ° C and the so-called snow regions over 2,500 mtr. have an annual mean less than 0 ° C.

When is the best time to travel to Spain

Determining the optimal travel time for Spain is not easy. The best travel time for the coastal regions (such as Costa Brava, Costa Del Sol, Costa Dorada) is of course the summer from May to September. For winter (sport) friends, the ideal travel time should be between November and April.

For the Costa Brava or for example Barcelona one can assume the period from May to October as the optimal travel time. From May it gets nice and warm, in midsummer it can get very hot. Summer is generally quite suitable for beach holidays. If you want to go on city trips, the region could even be interesting all year round (although you should avoid the very hot months of July and August for sightseeing). Experience has shown that it is a little colder in northeastern Spain. The well-known resort of Lloret De Mar is located there on the Costa Brava, where it is still relatively fresh from November to April. Temperatures only rise steadily from May onwards. Here it can rain from time to time, the best time to travel to Lloret De Mar is between May and September.

Also for a city trip to Madrid or the plains of the Andalusian interior, the midsummer is only partially suitable, because it is then already very hot. In general, spring (April, May) or autumn (September, October) are generally cited as the best travel time.

On the other hand, you can travel to Galicia (including La Coruna) in summer. It is not as extremely hot as in other regions. Therefore, the period from June to October can be named as the best travel time. Late autumn and spring can be quite rainy here.

The best travel time for the plains of Andalusia (with Malaga and Valencia) is particularly recommended late spring or the beginning of summer (May, June) and autumn (September, October). Then it's not that hot. The temperatures are then quite pleasant, the region often offers a beautiful play of colors in nature. The rainy days are limited, although experience has shown that it is rainier in Valencia than in Malaga. The coasts of Andalusia, on the other hand, are typical summer destinations. B. the Sierra Nevada are available almost all year round (in winter on the high altitudes for skiing, otherwise for active holidays)