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Where to go in December / Spain in December / Andalusia / December

Spain · Beach

Andalusia
in December.

Illustration of Sierra Nevada foothill landscape near Granada
Sierra Nevada foothills, AndalusiaDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Mild days.
Fewer overnight stays than November.

December averages 63°F afternoons and 63°F seas, with about 4 rain days.

Afternoons
63°F
Sea
63°F
Visitor demand
35%of August peak

Historical Andalucía regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Seville, Málaga, Granada, Córdoba and Costa del Sol; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

7.3/10 · scores & priorities

Planning to sightsee in Seville and Granada? The weather score rates beach conditions. Sightseeing rates very good (8.2/10).

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#9 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather6.0/10Good
CrowdsModerate seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, busier than most of Europe this month
CostModeratefor Europe

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your December

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 63°F (17°C): light layers; nights around 46°F (8°C): a warm coat. About 10 hours of daylight. About 4 rain days in a typical December.

Can I swim in December?

The sea averages 63°F. Our swimming guide: cold: short dips, or a wetsuit. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.

Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 10 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 08:25Sunset 18:0146°F63°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 08:25 and sets about 18:01 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 46°F (8°C); afternoons reach about 63°F (17°C). Expect rain on about 4 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
63°F (17°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
46°F (8°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
63°F (17°C)
cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
9h 36m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late December?

Early and late December have similar afternoon averages. The afternoon high averages 63°F on the 1st, versus 62°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 19% to 13% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

63°F

Typical afternoon high

19% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

63°F

Typical afternoon high

18% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

62°F

Typical afternoon high

13% historical wet-day frequency

Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.

Public holidays · 2026: 6 Dec Constitution Day; 8 Dec Immaculate Conception; 25 Dec Christmas Day.

Daily calendar & holiday datesDecember 2026 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

December 2026 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2026.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
163°263°363°463°563°663°
763°863°963°1063°1163°1263°1363°
1463°1563°1663°1763°1863°1963°2063°
2163°2262°2362°2462°2562°2662°2762°
2862°2962°3062°3162°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons hold at about 63°F (17°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 12–20%. Local schools are out 24–31 December 2026.

Schools here are off 24–31 December 2026 (Christmas holidays). Public holidays: 6 Dec Constitution Day; 8 Dec Immaculate Conception; 25 Dec Christmas Day. Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 39%, Germany 29%, Italy 35%, Netherlands 42%. (School holidays: official calendar, compiled by Bigfoot Wanders; other countries from OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Moderate season. December averages 35% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than November.

Overnight stays across Andalucía do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, busier than most of Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

Well below usual. Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €101 per occupied room-night. An average, not a booking quote.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Historical hotel average
€101
2024–2025 monthly average; hotel revenue per occupied room-night; not a current booking quote. −11% vs this region's usual month.
Spain as a whole
Below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 84 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.

The historical regional amount comes from INE Spain, EOH/IRSH table 2059: hotel average daily rate per occupied room; the country price level is national. Hotel averages are not live booking quotes.

Year-to-year variation

How much does December vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 60°F (16°C) and 67°F (19°C); in 14 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 63°F (17°C). Rain days ranged from 2 to 12; half the years had 2–7.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 2 rain days220112012: 4 rain days42013: 4 rain days42014: 3 rain days32015: 2 rain days22016: 8 rain days82017: 4 rain days42018: 2 rain days22019: 7 rain days72020: 6 rain days62021: 6 rain days62022: 12 rain days122023: 4 rain days42024: 2 rain days22025: 12 rain days122025
Rain days
4
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 10 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
12 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no December in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
14 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded DecemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201162°F2
201261°F4
201361°F4
201460°F3
201567°F2
201662°F8
201760°F4
201865°F2
201964°F7
202061°F6
202164°F6
202265°F12
202363°F4
202463°F2
202560°F12

Checked against 107 local weather stations. How we check

Compare dates

November, December
or January?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsNovDecJan
Afternoons67°F63°F61°F
Sea65°F63°F61°F
Rain days746
Overnight demand41%35%32%

November: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and more rain days than December. More overnight demand. November guide →

January: Cooler sea and more rain days than December. January guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with December Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. December stays as your reference.

April to October have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, but more overnight stays.

Your comparison

December or November?

Overnight stays are 41% of the busiest month.

Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €94 per occupied room-night. An average, not a booking quote.

Read the November guide →
December compared with another month
Typical conditionsDecemberNovember
Afternoons63°F67°F
Nights46°F51°F
Sea63°F65°F
Rain days47
Visitor seasonModerate seasonModerate season
Overall / 107.37.7
Month rank#9#5
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January7.2#1161°F44°F61°F65.4Low season
February7.3#863°F46°F59°F56.2Moderate season
March7.2#1067°F48°F60°F76.5Moderate season
April7.6#673°F52°F62°F68.0Busy season
May8.2#181°F57°F65°F39.7Busy season
June8.1#288°F63°F69°F110.0Busy season
July7.4#795°F67°F73°F09.6Peak season
August6.8#1295°F68°F75°F09.4Peak season
September8.0#486°F64°F73°F310.0Busy season
October8.1#378°F59°F70°F59.1Busy season
November7.7#567°F51°F65°F76.9Moderate season
December7.3#963°F46°F63°F46.0Moderate season

Near here

Nearby places in December

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Same dates, elsewhere in Europe

Andalusia's weather ranks 11 of 77 beach regions this month. We found no beach regions outside Spain with a weather score at least 1.0 point higher on these dates.

All of Spain in December · Everywhere in December

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's moderate season, 35% of the busiest month and 43% below its average month. That means about 121,000 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 46% of them from Spain itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 97,000 more: 80 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)65
How our weather was checked107 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.8°C), night lows within 1°F (0.6°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day14
Busiest month hereAugust · 40
Visitors as share of people present1.4%
Rank among Europe's regions this month77th percentile
Domestic share of nights46%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights80
Visitor share if every platform night were extra2.5%
Population used8.7 million
Statistical regionES61 · Andalucía

Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national; the first figure is regional (INE Spain, EOH/IRSH table 2059: hotel average daily rate per occupied room). Full method · this region's data.