# Climate



## Garcelt (Apr 23, 2011)

Hiya! I'm looking at moving to Spain, and am now looking at the issue of the healthiest climatic area. For me, winters need to be as mild and dry as possible. I've done a little bit of research on the internet. So far, Torrevieja seems to be suitable. Yet, I recently spoke to a man who has been in that area in winter. He claims the winter weather there can be much cooler - compared to the info I've come across online. As my pension is also very modest, this of course is also a major factor. Any advice would be most appreciated. Thanks!


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Garcelt said:


> Hiya! I'm looking at moving to Spain, and am now looking at the issue of the healthiest climatic area. For me, winters need to be as mild and dry as possible. I've done a little bit of research on the internet. So far, Torrevieja seems to be suitable. Yet, I recently spoke to a man who has been in that area in winter. He claims the winter weather there can be much cooler - compared to the info I've come across online. As my pension is also very modest, this of course is also a major factor. Any advice would be most appreciated. Thanks!


Winters can be wet anywhere on the coast of Spain although it rarely gets very cold in the coastal south.

If you are flexible, consider The Canaries.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Hi Garcelt. When looking at temperatures of an area, they don't give the real feel. So for the summer if it's really humid, it feels hotter than it is, and it can climb as much as 10 degrees when you take the humidity into effect. The same for winter, with a humid environment it feels colder than it is.

For example, here's where I live:

Weather Averages for Malaga, Spain

The temperatures in Malaga feel actually much hotter in the summer and much cooler in the winter. So bear that in mind if you're looking along the coast, where it's more humid.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Wherever you live in Southern Spain, once you get used to the high summer temperatures you start to feel cold in winter once the temperature drops below 20C anyway! You may look at average daytime temperatures of 16C or so and think that seems warm, but once you are acclimatised it doesn't feel that way. It had been warming up nicely here but after almost a week of rain now, we are back in winter clothes.

Winter afternoons can be quite pleasantly warm but first thing in the morning and once the sun goes down it is a different story, it feels really cold then. Whatever you do make sure you have a good supply of warm clothes and a good duvet/electric blanket. You may not think you'll need them, but you will.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

I believe Murcia is supposed to have the driest winter climate. But as has been mentioned above, once you become acclimatised weather here in winter feels very cold indeed even though you'd probably be having BBQs in UK. I remember having a BBQ just before we left UK and the temp was 17C and we all thought that was fine. Couldn't believe having one now in those temps...


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## Garcelt (Apr 23, 2011)

Thanks for the info folks. For my particular needs - a dry (essential!) and as warm as possible winter weather is what I need. Any further suggestions would be most appreciated!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

You won't find anywhere in Spain that is dry all winter, you'd have to go to the Sahara desert or something. The definition of the Mediterranean Climate is hot dry summers and mild wet winters. The places with the lowest rainfall are in the southeast - Almeria, Murcia - but even there you will get torrential downpours and even the occasional flood.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

The eastern Canary Islands are somewhat arid, Lanzarote and Fuertventura. Here where we live on the most westerly isle, if we are very lucky we might get six days a year of good rain.

The climate is idyllic, no heating needed and due to the trade winds we have cooler summers, so no air conditioning.

Our IGC, purchase tax, is less, now only 7%. Canary island residents also qualify for discounted travel
throughout the Canary islands, and other parts of Spanish territories.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Agree about the Canaries. OH has arthritis in a couple of fingers and he finds it improves in Malaga area although it seems very damp in winter to me. A Spanish friend from Madrid swears her arthritis is worse in Malaga than Madrid in winter. Different types I suppose.


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## raynard (Nov 26, 2014)

Torrox Costa del Sol has supposedly the best weather in Europe .In my personal experience it is pretty good.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

No winter rain, no spring flowers. It's absolutely beautiful round here at the moment, the meadows and hedgerows are a riot of colour. And with the late spring rains we are getting now, they will be blooming right into June.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

Garcelt said:


> Hiya! I'm looking at moving to Spain, and am now looking at the issue of the healthiest climatic area. For me, winters need to be as mild and dry as possible. I've done a little bit of research on the internet. So far, Torrevieja seems to be suitable. Yet, I recently spoke to a man who has been in that area in winter. He claims the winter weather there can be much cooler - compared to the info I've come across online. As my pension is also very modest, this of course is also a major factor. Any advice would be most appreciated. Thanks!


We have Spanish friends who have a house close to ours in the Costa Blanca mountains, where the summers are very hot and the winters often pretty cold (we even had some snow in 2009!). They also have a house in Chipiona, in Cádiz province, where they spend the winter months because, they say, it has the mildest winters in mainland Spain and they don't need any heating. Never been there myself but it looks beautiful in their photos. They also tell me the cost of houses and living costs in general are much lower in this part of Spain.


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## Garcelt (Apr 23, 2011)

Thanks for all the replies folks. I now have several areas to explore!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

The Skipper said:


> We have Spanish friends who have a house close to ours in the Costa Blanca mountains, where the summers are very hot and the winters often pretty cold (we even had some snow in 2009!). They also have a house in Chipiona, in Cádiz province, where they spend the winter months because, they say, it has the mildest winters in mainland Spain and they don't need any heating. Never been there myself but it looks beautiful in their photos. They also tell me the cost of houses and living costs in general are much lower in this part of Spain.


We do have mild winters in Cádiz province, though I would love to be able to say we don't need any heating! Also there is quite high winter rainfall when the winds are coming off the Atlantic.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

The reason Torrox Costa has the best climate in Europe is because the Town Hall says so on all the ads!!! We live in the campo above Torrox Costa and our son goes to the local state school there. The weather here is definitely very very good, but the last 8 days and more to come have been exceedingly wet. Just bracing ourselves for another round of thunderstorms and driving rain although the farmers are really happy just now...


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I've known winters to rain and rain and rain.... we were flooded in our house for days one year. I always found winters were really cold - especially when the sun went in. Houses rarely have central heating, carpets or insulation and can be very damp.................

I'm known for not liking Spanish winters. I used to come back to the UK to warm up lol!!! 

Jo xxx


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

jojo said:


> I've known winters to rain and rain and rain.... we were flooded in our house for days one year. I always found winters were really cold - especially when the sun went in. Houses rarely have central heating, carpets or insulation and can be very damp.................
> 
> I'm known for not liking Spanish winters. I used to come back to the UK to warm up lol!!!
> 
> Jo xxx


Softy


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

thrax said:


> The reason Torrox Costa has the best climate in Europe is because the Town Hall says so on all the ads!!! We live in the campo above Torrox Costa and our son goes to the local state school there. The weather here is definitely very very good, but the last 8 days and more to come have been exceedingly wet. Just bracing ourselves for another round of thunderstorms and driving rain although the farmers are really happy just now...


Yes a few make the same claim and many claim to be a biosphere


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## soja (Apr 10, 2016)

I've always wondered, is it just the coasts that don't have heating? Are radiators common in households in Madrid and the North?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

The clean-up begins after torrential rain and flash floods in south-eastern Spain - Telegraph

Jo xxx


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

soja said:


> I've always wondered, is it just the coasts that don't have heating? Are radiators common in households in Madrid and the North?


Not just in Madrid and the North, but also in the inland areas of Andalucia where it is much colder in the winter. I have stayed in rented properties in both Granada and Sevilla which have had gas central heating with radiators. That was in the cities where natural gas is available, but woodburners or pellet stoves would be much more common in campo or village houses.


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