Winter in Spain

jhe

i have been to benidorm in november and although it was sunny there was a cold wind,night time we needed our coats on.
just came back from costa del sol. spoke to a retired couple who moved there 10years ago,in their own words 'they have never needed de-icer since they moved there'.

gallygirl

Eurostar to Paris.

Overnight train to Madrid. Few days there to explore.

Train to Almeria. Hire a car and rent a villa - there are loads available for rent, so you will find one cheap & with central heating.

Almeria is the warmest & driest part of Spain. Yes, there will be cold days and it will rain, but generally the weather is warm. I've been out 3 or 4 times in winter and only had a cardi on during the day. Sweatshirt, scarf & gloves at night but no coat. Sunbathing in sheltered areas on New Year's Day & Feb.

Glad I've booked for New Year :T

brodev

I have spent the last 20 years wintering in Costa del Sol and the Algarve. The weather is better than our summers. You don't get 24/7 sunshine and it can get chilly at times especially if you go to the Sierra Nevada mountains where some of the best skiing can be had. I drive there as I go for some months at a time. As I have my car I can bring a good selection of clothes and I am prepared for all weathers.

Pollycat

Hi McKneff :hello:

It might be an idea to think about what you would want to do during your stay in Spain.

Do you want to stay in a secluded villa in the mountains or would you want to be close to a bustling town?
And if you want to be close to a town, would you want to be near a tourist resort or near a local town?
Maybe that would depend on whether you can speak Spanish or not as you might struggle with the language in more out-of-the-way places.

Do you plan on hiring a car? (that is, if you don't take your own).
That may determine where you decide to stay.

If you do hire a car, will it be for the whole time?
Are there any places you really want to visit e.g. Barcelona, Seville, Granada, Madrid?
Can you get to places using public transport?

McKneff wrote: »

I have just retired and for some reason my OH has asked me to look into the possibility of spending the winter in Spain:eek:

You say 'for some reason' - is this something you've discussed at all, either seriously or 'wouldn't it be nice to be spend winter somewhere warmer'.

What would your family say if you were gone for 6 months?

Would you have anyone to keep an eye on the house for you?

Sorry that my reply is all questions rather than answers but maybe it will help you think about things.

jamsandwiches

jhe wrote: »

i have been to benidorm in november and although it was sunny there was a cold wind,night time we needed our coats on.
just came back from costa del sol. spoke to a retired couple who moved there 10years ago,in their own words 'they have never needed de-icer since they moved there'.

Bet they didn't tell you they needed the fire on every night - quilts on the bed - overcoats when they go out in the evening etc.
We have a place on D del S and would not stay another winter there, some of the properties are built for sunshine not cold - we stopped doing it years ago as it was too cold and too wet. C del S has just had the wettest winter for many years.

It is lovely in the Summer but the winters are not brilliant.

Bet they havn't got a car.

The drive down there is quite easy - the roads are better than ever and getting through Madrid is a breeze now.

jhe

jamsandwiches wrote: »

Bet they didn't tell you they needed the fire on every night - quilts on the bed - overcoats when they go out in the evening etc.
We have a place on D del S and would not stay another winter there, some of the properties are built for sunshine not cold - we stopped doing it years ago as it was too cold and too wet. C del S has just had the wettest winter for many years.

It is lovely in the Summer but the winters are not brilliant.

Bet they havn't got a car.

The drive down there is quite easy - the roads are better than ever and getting through Madrid is a breeze now.

well i did meet them at a bus stop lol. have been benelmadena in feb/march myself and it was hot but a cool wind out of the sun,maybe we were lucky with the weeks we were there.
the oap we spoke to was complaining about the heat in summer said they rarely go out july/august.
winter, they did mention rain and cooler weather but said it a whole lot warmer than england they had a beach front villa.

Leper

From mid December to the end of February in the south coast of Spain some form of heating would be required especially at night. Yes, you would need duvets also and winter clothes. The daytime should show some sun though. Spain is a gret place in which to relax as the Spanish are more laid back than us in western Europe.

March, April, May would be great months in which to chill out in Spain as the weather improves by the day. Thousands of Brits go to Spain for some winter warmth and most seem to enjoy the experience.

Costa Almeria is reputed to have the warmest and driest climate of mainland europe.

jamsandwiches

23rd September - it was raining heavily yesterday during the day in Nerja and when we went out for dinner at 7.30pm it was cold - we ladies had 3/4 trousers - long sleeved tops and also had a wrap. This is September not January.
We did not have the fan on during the night - AC was discarded 3 weeks ago.
Spain - like other countries - is not the winter country it used to be.

Oldernotwiser

We've spent a month or so in Spain for the last few winters and have generally had lovely weather in the day, although cold at night. You can get some really cheap accommodation when you're planning a long stay and we've never paid more than £100 a week, which would've been lower if we'd been there for the whole winter.

I can heartily recommend it.

iaps

Now, don't go to Spain in winter for a beach holiday... Whilst the south coast of Spain is the most southern point in Europe, it's still not warm enough in winter to think about a break at the beach. So, ignore all beach resort towns... they'll be dead.
While you might find visiting hours are a little shorter and a few minor sites closed, major cities, such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Granada, Bilbao, Cordoba, Toledo etc offer their cultural riches throughout the year. Winter is as good a time as any for taking in Spain's famous landmark monuments and museums. Visit the Alhambra in winter and you get the extra treat of snow capped mountains in the background. The Mezquita in Cordoba, the Prado museum in Madrid and the Guggenheim in Bilbao are all fully functioning during winter. The bonus of visiting these cities in winter is that hotel rates are much lower so if a sun tan is not important but experiencing Spanish culture is, don't delay!

http://www.travelinginspain.com/spain_winter.html