

This zone extends from Andalusia along the southern and eastern coasts up to the Pyrenees. It has the lowest amount of rainfall in Spain. When you think about the Spanish climate, you probably picture the kind of weather found in the Mediterranean Zone. Fortunately, many homes in this region come with central heating, which is a must. The mountains and foothills see the lowest temperatures, with the most amount of rain and heavy snowfall. This entire zone remains humid throughout the winter. The south also has two rainy seasons but the first one starts slightly earlier (March). The first wet season sees the most rainfall (April–June) compared to the second one in October-November. The north, center, and Ebro Basin have two wet seasons. You’ll find the perfect balance in the southern Meseta, where there’s an average daily temperature of 24–27 degrees Celsius. In the north, the summer temperature typically hovers around the low 20s. Humidity is highest around the basin, Ebro River, and central Meseta. The Ebro Basin is the hottest part of the Meseta plateau, where it can reach a sweltering 43c. Summers here normally consist of picture-perfect cloud-free days. If you’re all about sunbathing during the summer and playing in the snow in winter, cities such as Madrid and Zaragoza might be for you. Hot, dry summers and cold winters characterize the climate in Spain’s Continental Zone. But winter is still generally quite mild, with an average temperature of 9 degrees Celsius in January. There are a lot of clouds and rainfall throughout winter, occasionally turning to snow. October to December are the wettest months. Typically, you’ll see an average temperature of 21 degrees Celsius in this cooler region in July. So it won’t be a surprise to hear this is the region many locals head to when they want to escape the intensity of the summer weather in the rest of Spain. Summer in the Maritime Zone is comfortably warm, but not hot, offering respite to the fierce heat of land to the south.

July is the so-called driest month but always be prepared for sudden showers. There’s slightly less rainfall in the east of the Maritime Zone, as it’s further from the Atlantic Ocean. All the wet weather makes for incredibly verdant pastures but hikers frequently find the hills and fields around the coast wrapped in mist and fog. Santiago and Bilbao in particular are notoriously rainy towns, so don’t forget a raincoat and umbrella if you’re moving there. Lying over 1,600 kilometers from the coast of Spain and 108 kilometers off southwest Morocco, they have a subtropical climate.īetween the Atlantic and the Cantabrian or Galician mountain ranges, days are frequently cloudy and downpours are common, even during summertime. Canary Islands: these fall outside of Spain’s three main climatic zones because they’re so far away from the mainland.This zone includes the Balaeric Islands, too. Mediterranean Zone: the area adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, which runs along the entire southern and eastern borders of Spain, up until the land border with France and Andorra.Madrid is at its center, and the zone extends ouwards across an area of 130,000 kilometers. Continental Zone: covers the huge central plateau known as the Meseta.


Each of the three main climatic zones in Spain covers about a third of the country. Spain’s terrain stretches from the northeast Atlantic Ocean to just 13 kilometers off the coast of Morocco so it’s not surprising that the climate varies by region. In this guide, we’ll explain the climate in Spain and what to expect from Spain’s seasons with sections that include: As such, your life in Spain can be very different depending on where you relocate. Some parts of Spain have cloudy, wet summer days while the opposite end of the country is roasting in near-Saharan heat. If you’re moving to Spain, you might underestimate just how much the country’s climate can vary. We give you the lowdown on the climate and seasons in Spain. Much of Spain enjoys year-round sunshine, but it’s not all beach weather.
