When to travel in Spain?

Among all European countries, Spain is perhaps the most priviledged and diverse geographically.  From the windy and wild coasts of the Bay of Biscay in the North to the typical warm and silky shores of the Mediterranean stretching all the way from South in Malaga to North East in Girona.  The country is second only to France of the European Union member states in sheer geographic landmass, and due to its more southern general position, enjoys a broader range of climate types than it's Gallic neighbour.

Climate map of Spain

Here is a guide on the types of climate you are likely to encounter in the various regions of Spain:

The interior

In the meseta provinces clustered around Madrid, the climate is most characterised by dry weather all year long, with cold temperatures in winter that can dip below 0ºC and hot summers that can reach 35ºC-40ºC. Spring and autumn, on the other hand, are very pleasant but typically short.  Rain is infrequent or even rare during most years.  In general this type of system is sometimes called continental mediterranean weather. 

There are really two mesetas, the region of Castilla y León lies on the northern meseta which is quite a bit higher up and noticeably cooler in the summer than the southern meseta upon which Madrid and the region of Castilla La Mancha is located.

Photo from our Best of La Rioja tour 

The La Rioja region has typical continental mediterranean weather in general; however, if you climb a bit in altitude at the Sierra De La Demanda natural park, you will find a fresher and rainier, if milder, mountain climate.  Keep in mind that if you travel to La Rioja in July and Aug it can get quite hot, particularly close to the river Ebro basin (where it also gets humid), so it may be wise to avoid these months and ideally visit during spring or autumn.

Sepúlveda, from Walking in Segovia's Natural Parks

Segovia, located one hour north of Madrid, is on the higher meseta at an elevation of over 1000m above sea level.  As a result, its surrounding areas are relatively cooler in general, sometimes by as much as 5-8 ºC, while maintaining cool nights (15ºC - 20ºC) in all but the hottest parts of summer.  This also means that the air is a bit thinner and it is easier to get a sunburn during this time of the year.   Even though it can still get quite hot in the heights of summer, the dry air makes travelling much more bearable, meaning that tours in this area are perfectly appropriate from April to late October.

View from the Walking tour Sierra de Francia

To the west, where the Sierra de Francia is in Salamanca, travellers can expect to straddle high and low mesetas and go through dramatic elevation differences.  This affects the temperature you experience in a single day by as much as 5 or even 10 degrees, such as when going from La Alberca (1300m above sea level) down to Mogarraz (at 600m).  On the other hand, those going from Segovia to Ávila are likely to experience fairly steady continental mediterranean climate, but if you continue to heads towards Salamanca itself away from the mountains and descending to the Rio Tormés, it warms up again.

Further southwest into the Extremadura region, the heat is further amplified during the summer,

making for a delightful tour in mid spring and mid autumn, but too hot to recommend doing during July and August.

Client photo of Cycling from Seville to Cadiz

More southwards still, Seville has decent weather for cycling in the winter but it is best to go in the early spring and late autumn.  On the other hand, the summer months of July and August can get far too hot.  Even June or September is not for the faint of heart, if you do want to try going during this time, make sure your hotel has air-conditioning and a swimming pool.  Seville can also be very humid in the summer, as it is positioned next to the river Guadalquivir.  Those travelling to coastal Cadiz and nearby Jerez will pass through solar farms taking advantage of the abundant sun and once at the coast, the temperature is more bearable while maintaining the humidity.  Cadiz tends to experience strong winds though, something to keep in mind especially if you're cycling.   The best times to do the Sevilla to Cádiz route are in March or November.

Northern Spain

A shot from our Cycling Spain's Green Coast route

In general, the weather pattern of the northern regions of Spain can best be described as an Atlantic climate, with an abundance of rain which is unusual for the country in general.  For areas especially close to the coast, temperatures tend to be mild and fresh all year, with winters rarely dipping below 5ºC and summers topping out at 25ºC. 

If you start the legendary Camino de Santiago route from fresher León or Astorga, you will descend into Bierzo valley, where the warmer temperature makes spring arrive earlier, as evidenced by the growth of orchards and vineyards there.  From there, pilgrims typically go up to O'Cebreiro, with its colder mountain climate and then back down to Galicia where it is milder again.   Galicia itself is particularly green and Atlantic in climate.   In general, keep in mind that some especially low elevation areas can get surprisingly hot in summer. 

The northern mountains separate the green north from the northern meseta; bridging Atlantic and Continental Mediterranean climates.   If you were doing our Asturias Mountain to Sea route, you will experience a fairly unique change in weather.  Starting with continental style Mediterranean weather, you would go through cooler mountain areas with altitudes over 1000m, then pass through Potes where it can get quite hot and humid and finish off by the sea where it is mild and the humidity is lower..

From our Walking Somiedo "The Land of Bears" route

Somiedo also has a very interesting climate profile, being a blend of Atlantic and cold mountain weather systems.   Here it can snow into April, meaning the recommended main season for touring is from May to the end of October.  This is a particularly high route to do, starting out at 1750m above sea level, and descending from there.  In Somiedo there is a high incidence of rain all year around, with

cold nights and fog frequently appearing, especially in the summer.

Mediterranean Coast

What most people image as typical mediterranean weather covers the coastal areas of Spain along the Mediterranean sea as well as the Balearic Islands.

These areas enjoy long and hot summers with mild winters.  Humidity varies but rain does tend to fall sporadically in the middling seasons of autumn and spring.  The average annual temperature is approximately between 14ºC and 18ºC, but summers can get up to 40ºC, with an even higher thermal sensation due to humidity.

From our Valencia & Costa Azahar route

Valencia province is a good example of this weather system, although if not far away from the coast you rise up to 1000m above sea level, getting somewhat colder than expected.  Mallorca has the same climate as well, although the humidity makes July and August often too uncomfortable to travel unless you can cool down regularly in a nice swimming pool or directly in the sea.  This means March and November are ideal times to go for active tourism in either of these destinations.

Alicante has areas that are drier than neighbouring Valencia.  It has arid landscapes such in and around Biar and Bocairent where there is hardly any precipitation and the cultivation depends on plants that require little water such as olive and almond trees.  South from Bocairent, however, at the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park, things get greener with pine woodlands and aromatic plants.   From Alcoy you can follow the Serpis River along sandstone canyons down to the sea  and along the way pass through almost arabic-style landscapes heading to Denia.

In general it is recommended to avoid Valencia and Alicante areas during peak summer months, as much because they get too busy with crowds of tourists as because of the combination of humidity and heat.  Autumn and spring are the best times to enjoy these routes

Another typical example of mediterranean coastal weather is in the province of Girona, particularly close to the sea and due to being being further north, travelling during peak summer months is still a viable option.

The great variation of both altitude and proximity to the sea always make travelling across Spain an interesting proposition.  To conclude, one should never assume that because you are in a Mediterranean country you can always count on being warm or dry! 😊

- Iván from Away From The Crowds