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

Spain_2013

richardw wrote: »

Perhaps look at places mid way between Reus and Valencia.

Thanks for your suggestion.

It’s prompted me to do some more detailed researching along the Costa Dorada and (next one south) the Costa del Azahar.

Currently using the tried and trusted process of looking up the entry of every coastal hotel in the region marked on the maps in the back of the Michelin Red Guide, checking out their own websites and then seeing what TripAdvisor has to say about them. Tedious process but it usually works!

interstellaflyer wrote: »

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.

Wow! Thanks for your reply; a salutary warning and very helpful.

We’ll be going for the fortnight prior to yours – namely the second and third weeks of September – and cool, cloudy and rain are definitely not on our wish list. We can get that here. Dammit, we do get that here. It’s what we want to escape from!

Perhaps we should aim further south than Salou to be safer.

On the Costa del Azahar I found a hotel at Benicassim that appears to be of the type and setting that appeals to us: it’s called the Voramar.

www <DOT> voramar <DOT> net/en (Can’t post live links yet.)

Could be nice for a few days.

Anyone know it or stayed there? Or can recommend any others?

All advice appreciated! :beer:

notsurewhereIstand

Btw http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/voramar.en-gb.html?sid=82dbfd801fa60960ff77136a9a62a7d0;dcid=1;srfid=e3484b48eb14238d9f7f713de2e73588b860c90aX7#hash-blockdisplay4

Doshwaster

I don't think that there's anywhere on the coast where you will be guaranteed hot weather, especially if you want it to be "sunbathing hot". However, if you are happy enough with warm during the day and the risk of cooler evenings then you should be OK. It can be a little unpredictable - I've seen people sunbathing on Christmas day but also UK-like in September.

Bob_the_Saver

budgetflyer wrote: »

We have had fab weather Costa Brava mid Sept.

I've been very hot on the beach there in December but I wouldn't put any money on it, especially this year. It's not GUARANTEED.

PompeyPete

Had a week in Lloret last October, and the weather was generally very pleasant, apart from a damp day in Barcelona.

Went to Malgrat 3 weeks ago, and the weather was very changeable and blustery.

interstellaflyer

Spain_2013 wrote: »

Wow! Thanks for your reply; a salutary warning and very helpful.

We’ll be going for the fortnight prior to yours – namely the second and third weeks of September – and cool, cloudy and rain are definitely not on our wish list. We can get that here. Dammit, we do get that here. It’s what we want to escape from!

Perhaps we should aim further south than Salou to be safer.

To be fair I believe the 2 weeks previous were good, however, once you get in to September you start to take a chance with the weather, we've had similar experiences in Menorca and Tunisia, though to be fair Tunisia was wet but still quite warm.

melb

Peniscola is a lovely very Spanish place if you're looking at the Costa Azahar area. Also Alcossebre but that's more touristy. LaFranc and Calella de Palafrugel are also both lovely on the Costa Brava and there wouldn't be too much to pick between temperatures between those two areas. Going further south doesn't always mean hotter weather anyway - quite often the temperature near Valencia is higher than the Costa del Sol area although this might differ by month. have a look on Wunderground where you can compare temperatures month by month over several years to get an idea of the "norm" although you'll always get some years which bear no relation like 2013 so far!

deva

I would recommend cambrils just below salou, sounds perfect for you

Spain_2013

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

I've been very hot on the beach there in December but I wouldn't put any money on it, especially this year. It's not GUARANTEED.

I’ve no wish to enter into a philosophical debate with you but nothing in life is ever guaranteed except one’s eventual demise.

It was Benjamin Franklin (in a letter, written in French, to Jean-Baptiste Leroy during the French Revolution) who famously remarked “…mais, dans ce monde, il n’y a rien d’assure que la mort et les impots.” (“… but, in this world, there is nothing that is certain except death and taxes.”)

I’ve always felt he got it half right but needed a better accountant.

(And, personally, I’ve also found the laws of physics to be pretty reliable. But let’s not digress into those.)

In the meantime, however, and before my own demise, I shall indeed be putting money – several thousand Euros of it – on where to go on Spain’s Mediterranean coast in mid-September this year and I am attempting to establish where the odds of finding sunshine and warm sea are most in my favour.

Doshwaster wrote: »

I don't think that there's anywhere on the coast where you will be guaranteed hot weather, especially if you want it to be "sunbathing hot". However, if you are happy enough with warm during the day and the risk of cooler evenings then you should be OK. It can be a little unpredictable - I've seen people sunbathing on Christmas day but also UK-like in September.

Perhaps it was Bob the Saver whom you saw sunbathing on Christmas Day.

I take your point, and I thank you for it, but it would be helpful if you could indicate just where on that coast you reckon we are most likely to be OK,

interstellaflyer wrote: »

To be fair I believe the 2 weeks previous were good, however, once you get in to September you start to take a chance with the weather, we've had similar experiences in Menorca and Tunisia, though to be fair Tunisia was wet but still quite warm.

Yes: my instinct too. I tend to feel that stretching into the last week of September would be pushing our luck. Any additional days we are able to add we would take in the first week of September rather than the final week of September. Seems wiser.

Thanks for this further comment and clarification.

PompeyPete wrote: »

Had a week in Lloret last October, and the weather was generally very pleasant, apart from a damp day in Barcelona.

Went to Malgrat 3 weeks ago, and the weather was very changeable and blustery.

Thanks for this. Specific and helpful; much appreciated. :beer:

notsurewhereIstand wrote: »

Btw

(Sadly, not yet permitted even to quote others' links. )

Thanks for this.

Main criticisms appear to be directed at the cheaper rooms. Folk seem mostly happy with the balcony rooms at the front.

It does have a lovely setting.

melb wrote: »

Peniscola is a lovely very Spanish place if you're looking at the Costa Azahar area. Also Alcossebre but that's more touristy. LaFranc and Calella de Palafrugel are also both lovely on the Costa Brava and there wouldn't be too much to pick between temperatures between those two areas. Going further south doesn't always mean hotter weather anyway - quite often the temperature near Valencia is higher than the Costa del Sol area although this might differ by month. have a look on Wunderground where you can compare temperatures month by month over several years to get an idea of the "norm" although you'll always get some years which bear no relation like 2013 so far!

That’s very helpful indeed. I’m most grateful to you.

Peniscola was already on my research list. I’ve been looking at the Hosteria del Mar. Michelin and TripAdvisor also commend the Mare Nostrum but its universally listed webpage doesn’t work.

The Hosteria del Mar seems very well located and equipped. A small but particularly useful feature is that it has on-site parking (free, too). Bizarrely, its tariffs and pricing are only shown on its Spanish webpage: they’re missing on the English, French and German pages. But it’s definitely worthy of further investigation!

Ever stayed there, yourself?

I take your point about further south not necessarily being hotter. Much depends on microclimates; particularly, I imagine, in protected little coves such a Tamariu and Llafranc.

I’ll certainly check out Wunderground.

You’ve really assisted me a lot. :beer:

deva wrote: »

I would recommend cambrils just below salou, sounds perfect for you

Yes, I’ve been looking at Cambrils-del-Mar, as well.

Mainly at the Hotel Rovira.

I’d be interested to know of any agreeable hotels in the Salou/Cambrils area that are in a more tranquil (but beachside) setting than right at the heart of a busy town. On-site parking is also an aspect to consider when travelling by car.




Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions: they all are much appreciated. :A

melb

I'm afraid we stayed in an apartment in peniscola so can't help you on the hotel front.