I live in Spain, and while I love the summer scent of stone pines and the hum of cicadas, winter has its own, quieter charms. Choose the right destination and you can enjoy wall-to-wall sunshine and mild temperatures with fewer crowds.
In winter, I’ve walked Malaga’s Senda Litoral coastal path from Torremolinos to Estepona, stopping at seafront hotels and chiringuito beach bars along the way. The Costa Blanca was another revelation in the colder months.
I’m not the only one who has realised the winter charms of Spain. A total of 281,778 Britons visited Andalucia in January and February this year, up from 206,530 three years ago. So, if you’re looking for mainland sunshine without swarms of travellers, where should you go? I find it’s best to follow the locals.
Official hotel data from Spain’s Instituto Nacional de Estadística (National Statistics Institute) shows that between November and February, domestic tourists head to sunny cities and coastlines that are sheltered from the coldest weather by mountain ranges. These places enjoy 150–170 hours of sunshine a month, according to the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (State Meteorological Agency), more than double the Met Office’s mid-winter average for London.
Here’s where to join them…
Barcelona, seafront Sitges and sparkling cava
Domestic winter visitors: 583,391
Average winter sunshine: 150h/month
Barcelona sees an average of nearly 146,000 domestic visitors a month in winter, compared to just 100,000 in the peak summer month of August.
They may be on to something. In winter you get crisp, cobalt skies and more space to enjoy the Gothic Quarter and Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia. Head to the bohemian Gràcia neighbourhood for a pre-lunch vermouth, combine a visit to the Joan Miró Foundation with lunch in the multicultural Poble-sec neighbourhood and follow the locals to Barceloneta beach for a late afternoon paseo (stroll).
The surrounding 100km of the Costa Barcelona is even more popular, with 720,000 domestic travellers in winter. Hop on the coastal commuter train for the 35-minute trip down to the whitewashed beach town of Sitges for a seafood lunch. Try warming rice with shellfish at Mediterranium, or head to El Pou for gourmet tapas, including soy-marinated sardines and cod fritters.
A 30-minute drive inland from Sitges, or a direct one-hour train from Barcelona, brings you to Vilafranca del Penedès, the handsome cava capital, to browse the Vinseum wine museum and tour the prestigious Familia Torres winery.
Fly to Barcelona. Stay at Generator Barcelona in the Gràcia district (doubles from £59, staygenerator.com).
Winter cañas, Seville palace and an Atlantic sherry trail
Domestic winter visitors: 395,733
Average winter sunshine: 160h/month
Savvy Spaniards avoid Seville’s blistering summer heat and instead explore in January and February, when the orange trees are heavy with fruit and daytime temperatures sit around a comfortable 19°C. It’s perfect for sitting at patio restaurants on sun-drenched plazas and joining locals for cold cañas (small beers).
Take in city views from the towering Setas de Sevilla, a vast mushroom-shaped structure that rises above the city’s rooftops, and visit Palacio de las Dueñas for a glimpse into the opulence of the city’s Golden Age.
Looking to extend your trip? Follow the 215,000 Spaniards who head to the Costa de la Luz in Cádiz for some winter sun. Sanlúcar de Barrameda is just over an hour away by train. The city’s palaces and historic wine cellars were funded by New World riches and you can enjoy a tasting of manzanilla at 200-year-old Bodegas Barbadillo. This bone-dry sherry pairs perfectly with crisp tortillitas de camarón (shrimp fritters).
Fly to Seville. Stay at Hotel Casas de la Judería in the Jewish Quarter (doubles from £87, lascasasdelajuderiasevilla.com).
Riverbed cycling, Valencia beaches and paella in El Palmar
Domestic winter visitors: 308,740
Average winter sunshine: 160h/month
I used to live in Spain’s third-largest city and it’s lovely in winter. The Turia Gardens are a 9km-long ribbon of green that connects the whole city, following the riverbed of the now-diverted Turia. Cycle between the Gothic old town and the gleaming, futuristic buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences. Head a little further and you’ll find more than 3km of golden beaches. My favourite is Patacona Beach.
The surrounding Costa Valenciana logs 360,000 domestic winter visitors. Explore a section of it by hopping back on your bike and pedalling the 10km cycle route to Albufera Natural Park, a freshwater lagoon fringed by pines, sand dunes, and home to wintering flamingos. Don’t miss El Palmar, the village where paella was invented. Its restaurants fill with valencianos on weekends (head to Nou Racó), and you can take boat trips across the glowing water at sunset.
Fly to Valencia. Stay at the Hotel Marqués House (doubles from £100, myrhotels.com).
From Benidorm’s mountains and bodegas to artisan Altea
Domestic winter visitors: 255,052
Average winter sunshine: 170h/month
Benidorm is known for package tours and the eponymous TV series, but in winter, it experiences a cultural shift. More than a quarter of a million Spanish holidaymakers enjoy the microclimate created by the Sierra Helada and Puig Campana Mountains.
Exchange Levante Beach for the Golden Mile of Poniente Beach, with its glitzy new skyscrapers. Combine smart restaurants with the eateries of Calle Santo Domingo, known as Tapas Alley, and explore Sierra Helada Natural Park. You can visit the nearby Bodegas Enrique Mendoza winery, which pairs rich reds with cheeses and the estate’s own olive oil.
It’s not just Benidorm that attracts the Spaniards, more than half a million winter visitors explore the broader Costa Blanca. If you’re looking to explore further afield, the Tram narrow-gauge railway rattles along the Alicante coast, head 30 minutes north to Altea where cobbled streets in the old town are lined with art galleries, workshops, and independent boutiques, leading up to the square of a village’s distinctive blue-domed church (Església de Santa Maria del Consol d’Altea). Sip vermouth at a terrace bar in the square, before walking to the Shiraz Wine and Gastrobar for a sharing platter.
Fly to Alicante. Stay at the new Nomad Resort and Spa Cala Finestrat (doubles from £67, nomadhotelcollection.com).
Art, beach walks and barbecued sardines on Malaga’s coast
Domestic winter visitors: 211,061
Average winter sunshine: 165h/month
Living in Malaga, I get to enjoy the mild, sunny winter first-hand. Spaniards visit for the blend of culture and coast. You can explore the Centre Pompidou or Picasso Museum, then wander east along the seaside promenade to the chiringuito beach bars of Pedregalejo and El Palo.
Malaga anchors a coastline that sees nearly half a million domestic winter visitors. Follow the Senda Litoral de Málaga long-distance coastal path three hours east from the city, along cliffside boardwalks to traditional Rincón de la Victoria area. Dine on fresh clams, scallops, and octopus at sea-view Lacaliza, before hopping the 30-minute bus back.
Fly to Malaga. Stay at the Room Mate Valeria in the buzzy Soho neighbourhood (doubles from £106, room-matehotels.com).
Baroque plazas, tapas and wild coastal dunes in Murcia
Domestic winter visitors: 149,511
Average winter sunshine: 170h/month
Few Britons think of visiting Murcia, but Spaniards know it sits in the almost rain-free shadow of the Baetic Ranges, giving it some of Europe’s driest, sunniest winter weather. It also offers a real slice of Spanish life. Pedestrianised lanes weave around the Baroque cathedral and sunlit Plaza de las Flores.
Head underground to discover the medieval city walls, or stroll among the archaeological remains of the Islamic royal palace beneath the San Juan de Dios church.
The Costa Cálida draws 155,000 winter visitors. Drive 45 minutes south-east to the village of Cabo de Palos. Hike the wild fossil dunes and secret coves of Calblanque Regional Park, then return to harbourfront Bocana de Palos restaurant.
Fly to Murcia. Stay at the Hotel Cetina Murcia near the Cathedral (doubles with a balcony from £57, certinahotels.com).