Spain’s Mediterranean coast - How far south for sun in mid-September?

Spain_2013

Hi, all,

I’d really appreciate some personal experience and local advice about how far south one needs to travel down Spain’s Mediterranean coast to find reliable sunshine and agreeably warm sea in mid-September.

This will be a break by car, taking the ferry to and from Santander/Bilbao.

Effectively, we’ll have thirteen full days in Spain (possibly fifteen days. if commitments in Britain enable an earlier sailing outward) so the question that arises is how far south it is sensible and practical to head within that timescale and still have a relaxing week or ten days somewhere pleasant in the sun.

My companion favours the Costa Brava but I wonder if mid-September would be a little too late in the year for there?

ViaMichelin, moreover, indicates that, by road, from Santander, Valencia is actually closer (440 miles, 7hrs 45min) than, say, Girona (490 miles, 8hr 30min) and that even Alicante (520 miles, 9hr 15 min) is not much further distant than that. Yet both are considerably further south than the Costa Brava.

Andalusia, however, and nice though it would be, does seem too far logistically for the time that we have available on this particular trip.

In terms of destination, I should, perhaps, add that we’re not looking for a booze-fuelled, clubbing nightlife in a party town full of headbangers. A week, or so, chilling out in the sun at a civilised beachside hotel somewhere small and charming is what we’re after!

But, how far south, on mainland Mediterranean coastal Spain, do we need to go to find that, reliably, in mid-September? :huh:

Your advice and, especially, any specific recommendations in regard to resorts, routes and hotels would be a great help and much appreciated.

Thanks, guys!

budgetflyer

We have had fab weather Costa Brava mid Sept.

mcfisco

I wouldn't worry about a temp, it takes quite a while to warm up and cool down, Sept will be one of the better months as far as that's concerned

Spain_2013

Thanks, budgetflier and mcfisco. :beer:

One of the things that appeals about the Costa Brava, from Santander or Bilbao, is that we could stopover in the Pyrenees on the way there and/or back.

Which seems more agreeable and scenic than simply thundering 450 miles across undulating northern Spain in a day. And is the sort of thing that makes taking the car worthwhile.

It also means we could drive one way through France, on the north side of the Pyrenees and one way through Spain, on the south side.

In the Costa Brava itself, Llafranc has been highly recommended by a friend.

But we’re open to, and would welcome, any advice in regard to other destinations, further south. (Well, as far south as Alicante, by car!)

geri1965_2

We went to Barcelona in mid September one year and it was scorching - far too hot for us! Although this year temperatures are way lower than average in most of Europe so far, it seems. Friend went to Italy and it was only 15 degrees there, last week.

Spain_2013

I have to admit that the poor start to this year, weatherwise, throughout Europe is one of the reasons we’ve been looking at places further south than the Costa Brava for September.

On the Mediterranean coast, the sun usually does get its act together by the end of June. Our fear, though, is that if the overall weather pattern is unstable this year, summer might break earlier than usual…

Bob_the_Saver

Spain_2013 wrote: »

I have to admit that the poor start to this year, weatherwise, throughout Europe is one of the reasons we’ve been looking at places further south than the Costa Brava for September.

On the Mediterranean coast, the sun usually does get its act together by the end of June. Our fear, though, is that if the overall weather pattern is unstable this year, summer might break earlier than usual…

My fear as well as I sit here looking at the rain when I should be dining outside,
basically who knows!

budgetflyer

You could probably knock 100 km off your journey from Santander by heading south of Barcelona to Costa Dorada area.

Spain_2013

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

My fear as well as I sit here looking at the rain when I should be dining outside, basically who knows!

Nobody knows. What I am pondering is how much further south – within practical driving distance from Santander in a thirteen day break – we would need to look for a safer sunshine and sea-swimming prospect if the weather on the Costa Brava bears any risk of turning British in September.

We, too, want to be able to dine outdoors!

budgetflyer wrote: »

You could probably knock 100 km off your journey from Santander by heading south of Barcelona to Costa Dorada area.

Quite so. Indeed, that is something I mused upon in my original posting.

But this is exactly why I am requesting help on here: we have no knowledge whatsoever of the coast from Barcelona down to Alicante and would appreciate – very much – advice from those who do, especially in regard to agreeable destinations and hotels on that stretch of the coast in September.


Thank you all for your replies!

richardw

Perhaps look at places mid way between Reus and Valencia.

interstellaflyer

Costa Dorada area can be hit and miss, we went to Salou last week in September/first week October 2011 and it was scorching, the only rain we had was one short thunder storm at 2am on our second night, by contrast, we did the same 2 weeks last year in Salou and the weather was horrible, most of the time it was cool and cloudy, on top of that it rained almost continually for 3 days, out of the whole 2 weeks I reckon we got 3 days of decent weather.