# Six winter weeks



## DalesWanderer (Aug 14, 2015)

Myself and two friends have the opportunity to rent somewhere from mid Jan to end Feb 2016. They are looking at 3 bed coastal properties in the Altea, Calp & Benidorm areas but having looked at previous years weather it seems to average only 10C. Obviously warmer, and sunnier, than northern England but personally I think we should be looking at the Canaries, especially Tenerife. We are all active people, enjoy walking, sightseeing but at this stage I don't want to commit if it means wearing a fleece, albeit with shorts! I have not visited the Spanish mainland for 40 years, since a teenager in fact, and 6 weeks in Lanzarote or Fuerteventura does not appeal. 
Thanks for any guidance .. The odd days rain does not bother me. Cold nights & frost do!


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## Gazeebo (Jan 23, 2015)

We were just up the coast at Javea in February this year and I found it cold and it rained 3 days out of 7. It was what we expected for the time of year though.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

The definition of a Mediterranean climate - hot dry summers with a winter rainy season. The Canaries aren't exempt from winter storms, though they are less frequent.

Personally I find the winter months much better for hiking and other outdoor activities (except when it's raining). Temperatures often hit 18-20ºC on sunny afternoons. Houses are cold indoors though, so make sure wherever you rent has good heating!


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Go to Gran Canaria and soak up some rays, drink a little wine, eat cheese


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## DalesWanderer (Aug 14, 2015)

Friends have recommended La Palma. Great for walking, but two weeks max. As active people, I think even 6 weeks in Tenerife would be too much, especially as days will not be spent lying in the sun. We expect the odd rainy day during the Jan/Feb months bit I doubt we would have to endure constant days of rain! Maybe that would be the time to travel the coast, visit Valencia, a few days in Barcelona, even Madrid, or should we look further South on the mainland? Almeria may have slightly better weather than the Altea area?


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

Check average monthly temperatures for the different regions of Spain, plus London as a reference:

Monthly Climate Maps for Spain and Canary Islands

Be aware that Madrid often gets snow in those months, so if you're planning a visit, wait until you get to Spain and check the weather forecast first!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Despite what the property sales people say, YOU CANNOT PREDICT THE WINTER WEATHER ANYWHERE IN SPAIN!!!! You can get three or four days of solid rain on the Costa del Sol or anywhere else. One year (Jojo will remember!) it rained almost continuously from Christmas till Easter. If you're that bothered, check the long range forecast a week before and book at the last minute.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

That period of rain was extraordinary. It began on 18 December and stopped on 18 April and the damage around here was almost unbelievable. But, that was almost unheard of and winters aren't usually anywhere near that wet. In the five years we have lived here we've had one very wet winter (2010) and all the rest have been quite pleasant. The lowest temperature we've ever had here and during the night was 5C. We regularly have BBQs in December and January (in the daytime it feels like a really nice British summer's day) but from February through to end April the BBQ is packed away. As we live here through the incredibly hot summer months we really like the coldish winters we have experienced. Unlike northern Europe which sometimes seem to just drift on from Winter to Winter to Winter with a little break in the summer where you get to have more rain but some really lovely weather, in Spain, it seems to us, we get real seasons but nothing too cold. This summer was the hottest on record and we really struggled for the first time since living here.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Sounds like you need some warm island walking.

The three Western isles should appeal to you, La Palma, La Gomera or even where I live, the secret Meridian Isle of El Hierro. Here we are completely unspoiled, more or less crime free, and only five U.K. residents on the island. Few tourists arrive, but those that do come for the walking or scuba diving, the island is known for its many ancient footpaths, plus the unpolluted Ocean, for the diving

Also we are over 1000 Km south of Europe, hence a far better climate.

If you follow the link below there are photos, those with green landscapes have been taken between November and April.


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

If you asked me that if I were going to Spain for ten months seeking warmth, dryness and sunshine and what two months would I not be there I would have no hesitation in saying January and February. If you asked me what my favourite off season months I would say November and December although late December can be cold.

But, to answer your question in January and February you should expect some good sunshine until around 4.00pm where it begins to get cold and I mean cold.

If you change your mind and wish to go to Spain for November and December give me a PM.


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## DalesWanderer (Aug 14, 2015)

Many thanks for all the replies. We are constrained by mid Jan to end of February, which are probably the coldest & wettest months. My fault really because I love to ski early Jan when it is quiet and cold ( and the best chance of powder) then again in early/ mid March after the French school holidays and before everything turns to slush lower down.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

Granada, then. The Costa Tropical has about the warmest temperatures for Jan/Feb and the Sierra Nevada has the ski slopes.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Gazeebo said:


> We were just up the coast at Javea in February this year and I found it cold and it rained 3 days out of 7. It was what we expected for the time of year though.


how on earth did you manage to be here for 3 of the dozen or so days we've had rain in the past 12 months


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## Gazeebo (Jan 23, 2015)

xabiachica said:


> how on earth did you manage to be here for 3 of the dozen or so days we've had rain in the past 12 months


Well, I'm hoping I won't put the mockers on Javea! When we first got there the days were sunny, then it rained and was windy for the last of our days. We were sitting in the lounge of a rented townhouse wrapped in bedspreads. The sea between el Arenal and the el puerto was rough. 

Baldilocks gave a website for weather forecasts in Spain and I am pleased to see that on our first full day in Javea it should be 77 degrees F (old money). Unless, of course, I bring the curse of rain from Blighty.


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## Johnsmith999 (Sep 23, 2015)

I spent the whole of February and most of March just gone in a finca near Cartama (malaga area) 

I've spent the rest of the year in the UK waiting for the summer to start and I can tell you the weather we had down there in Spain in Feb/March was better than anything we have had this summer in Nottingham.

Was bloody windy at times and a jumper was required on occasion whilst out and about but it was spot on really.


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## DalesWanderer (Aug 14, 2015)

Thanks for the replies. Today we made a 6 week booking on an apartment at La Cala Bay. Nice sea view, unheated outdoor pool close close to amenities. About a 30 minute bus ride south of Benidorm, so fingers crossed we only need a fleece in the evenings, and there are plenty of blue sky days. Arriving late Jan until first week March. 
I foresee plenty of sightseeing trips along the coast....


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