Early January 1 January
57°F
Typical afternoon high
34% historical wet-day frequency
Spain · Beach
Cantabria
in January.
Is January a good time?
Cool days.
Fewer overnight stays than December.
January averages 56°F afternoons and 56°F seas, with about 14 rain days. Check seasonal openings.
- Afternoons
- 56°F
- Sea
- 56°F
- Visitor demand
- 7%of August peak
Historical Cantabria regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Santander; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
3.7/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#12 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather1.7/10Poor
CrowdsOff seasoncheck seasonal openings; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostCheapfor Europe
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your January
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 56°F (13°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 43°F (6°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 14 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 9 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in January?
The sea averages 56°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. 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 9 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 08:45 and sets about 18:04 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 43°F (6°C); afternoons reach about 56°F (13°C). Expect rain on about 14 days in a typical January.
Typical afternoon
56°F (13°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Januarys
Night low
43°F (6°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
56°F (13°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
9h 19m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late January?
Early and late January have similar afternoon averages. The afternoon high averages 57°F on the 1st, versus 56°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 34% to 48% between those dates.
Mid January 15 January
55°F
Typical afternoon high
45% historical wet-day frequency
Late January 31 January
56°F
Typical afternoon high
48% 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.
Daily calendar & holiday datesJanuary 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
January 2027 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 157° | 257° | 357° | ||||
| 457° | 556° | 656° | 756° | 856° | 956° | 1056° |
| 1155° | 1255° | 1355° | 1455° | 1555° | 1655° | 1755° |
| 1855° | 1955° | 2055° | 2155° | 2255° | 2355° | 2455° |
| 2555° | 2655° | 2756° | 2856° | 2956° | 3056° | 3156° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons hold at about 56°F (13°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 34–49%. Local schools are out 1–10 January 2027.
Schools here are off 1–10 January 2027 (Christmas holidays). Elsewhere in January 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 21%, Italy 20%, Poland 17%, Greece 23%. (School holidays: official calendar, compiled by Bigfoot Wanders; other countries from OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Off season. January averages 7% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than December. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings.
Overnight stays across Cantabria do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
Well below usual. Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €66 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
€66
2024–2025 monthly average; hotel revenue per occupied room-night; not a current booking quote. −21% 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 January vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 53°F (11°C) and 59°F (15°C); in 13 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 56°F (13°C). Rain days ranged from 8 to 20; half the years had 11–16.
Rain days in each January
Rain days
14
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 17 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
3 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no January in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
2 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded JanuaryHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 54°F | 11 |
| 2012 | 55°F | 12 |
| 2013 | 56°F | 18 |
| 2014 | 57°F | 20 |
| 2015 | 54°F | 15 |
| 2016 | 58°F | 16 |
| 2017 | 53°F | 9 |
| 2018 | 56°F | 14 |
| 2019 | 53°F | 15 |
| 2020 | 57°F | 10 |
| 2021 | 53°F | 16 |
| 2022 | 55°F | 8 |
| 2023 | 54°F | 17 |
| 2024 | 59°F | 11 |
| 2025 | 58°F | 11 |
Checked against 16 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
December, January
or February?
| Typical conditions | Dec | Jan | Feb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 58°F | 56°F | 57°F |
| Sea | 58°F | 56°F | 55°F |
| Rain days | 13 | 14 | 12 |
| Overnight demand | 11% | 7% | 9% |
December: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than January. More overnight demand. December guide →
February: Fewer rain days than January. More overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. February 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 January Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. January stays as your reference.
March to November have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than January, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
January or December?
Overnight stays are 11% of the busiest month.
Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €79 per occupied room-night. An average, not a booking quote.
Read the December guide →| Typical conditions | January | December |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 56°F | 58°F |
| Nights | 43°F | 46°F |
| Sea | 56°F | 58°F |
| Rain days | 14 | 13 |
| Visitor season | Off season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 3.7 | 4.6 |
| Month rank | #12 | #10 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.7 | #12 | 56°F | 43°F | 56°F | 14 | 1.7 | Off season |
| February | 4.2 | #11 | 57°F | 43°F | 55°F | 12 | 2.2 | Off season |
| March | 5.7 | #8 | 61°F | 45°F | 55°F | 11 | 3.7 | Low season |
| April | 6.6 | #7 | 65°F | 48°F | 57°F | 10 | 4.7 | Low season |
| May | 7.1 | #5 | 69°F | 52°F | 60°F | 9 | 5.9 | Low season |
| June | 7.4 | #3 | 74°F | 57°F | 65°F | 8 | 7.1 | Moderate season |
| July | 7.2 | #4 | 78°F | 61°F | 70°F | 5 | 8.6 | Busy season |
| August | 6.8 | #6 | 79°F | 61°F | 72°F | 6 | 8.8 | Peak season |
| September | 7.7 | #2 | 75°F | 59°F | 70°F | 8 | 7.8 | Moderate season |
| October | 7.8 | #1 | 71°F | 55°F | 66°F | 8 | 6.9 | Low season |
| November | 5.3 | #9 | 62°F | 49°F | 62°F | 14 | 3.3 | Low season |
| December | 4.6 | #10 | 58°F | 46°F | 58°F | 13 | 2.6 | Low season |
Near here
Nearby places in January
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Basque CountrySpain · about 70 miles
Balanced Overall 6.0 · Good weather, 54°F (12°C) · Low season · Cost cheap
AsturiasSpain · about 100 miles
Balanced Overall 3.8 · Poor weather, 56°F (13°C) · Low season · Cost cheap
La RiojaSpain · about 100 miles
Balanced Overall 7.6 · Good weather, 52°F (11°C) · Low season · Cost cheap
Castile and LeónSpain · about 110 miles
Balanced Overall 7.4 · Good weather, 49°F (9°C) · Low season · Cost cheap
NavarreSpain · about 130 miles
Balanced Overall 7.4 · Good weather, 51°F (11°C) · Low season · Cost cheap
Elsewhere in Europe
Better January weather than Cantabria
Cantabria's weather ranks 41 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Spain have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Cantabria.
Central Portugalabout 280 miles
Poor weather (2.9): about as warm, 5 fewer rain days, busier for its season (low season)
Óbidos, Nazaré & the Tagus ValleyPortugal · about 360 miles
Fair weather (4.3): 4°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days, cheaper
Setúbal PeninsulaPortugal · about 410 miles
Fair weather (4.9): 5°F warmer afternoons, 7 fewer rain days, busier for its season (low season), cheaper
The AlgarvePortugal · about 460 miles
Good weather (5.9): 7°F warmer afternoons, 10 fewer rain days, cheaper
French Riviera & ProvenceFrance · about 510 miles
Fair weather (3.2): 2°F cooler afternoons, 9 fewer rain days, pricier
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's off season, 7% of the busiest month and 79% below its average month. That means about 3,500 overnight visitors on a typical January night across the region, 83% of them from Spain itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 1,500 more: 42 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 44 |
| How our weather was checked | 16 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.8°C), night lows within 1°F (0.5°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 6 |
| Busiest month here | August · 82 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 0.6% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 44th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 83% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 42 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 0.8% |
| Population used | 594,000 |
| Statistical region | ES13 · Cantabria |
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.