How hot is Spain in December?

Day highs run from 7 °C in Torla-Ordesa to 21 °C in Fuerteventura (AEMET monthly averages).

Is the sea warm enough to swim in December?

The warmest sea is in Tenerife, about 22 °C (est.). 4 of 36 coastal places have sea at 20 °C or warmer (est.).

Where is quieter in December?

Among places with full data, Torrevieja has the lowest hotel fullness, about 10% (est.).

Does it rain in Spain in December?

Rain falls on 3 to 16 days in December, depending on the place: fewest in Fuerteventura, most in Santiago de Compostela.

Which places fit December most?

In our neutral ranking: Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.

Photo: Thomas Underwood on Unsplash

Spain by month

Where to go in Spain in December

2 of 48 places fit December

See Fuerteventura

2 of 48 places fit December

Fit means a score of 75 or more out of 100 for December on warmth, sun, sea, rain and crowds, with no departure city.

December narrows the choice to the islands. Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria all hold 21° by day, and Gran Canaria rejoins the first five. On the mainland, Málaga reaches 18°, with hotels about 60% full (est.), and Barcelona 15°. Two national holidays, 6 and 8 December, sit close together early in the month. On the morning of 22 December, pupils from the San Ildefonso school sing out the numbers of the Christmas lottery draw, broadcast live on TV and radio. The catch: only 2 of 48 places fit, and Santiago de Compostela has rain on about 16 days, more than in any other month in our data.

Places that fit December, in order: 2 of 2 shown

Ranked by the same neutral score for every visitor: warmth, sun, sea, rain and crowds, with no departure city. At most 3 places from one stretch of coast or island group. A guide, a partner link or a payment never changes the order.

Photo: Michal Mrozek, Unsplash License
Rank 1Full guide
Fuerteventura
In December the daytime average is 21 degrees. Rain falls on about 3 days in December.
Good months
12
Day air
21°
Sea
21° est.
Hotels full
68% est.
Photo: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga), CC BY-SA 3.0
Rank 2Full guide
Lanzarote
In December the daytime average is 21 degrees. Rain falls on about 4 days in December.
Good months
12
Day air
21°
Sea
21° est.
Hotels full
68% est.

How we ranked this

Each place gets a score out of 100 for December from its monthly climate, sea and crowd figures. Places with fewer data points are listed after places with full data. Sea and crowd figures are estimates and marked est.

Spain by month, on the map

One dot per place. Choose a month and what to show; the dot's size and colour follow the scale in the legend.

In December: warmest sea in Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura (est.); quietest in Torrevieja, Calp and Níjar (est.).

Show as table

Figures for December, ordered by sea (coastal)
Place	Sun, h per day	Air high, °C	Sea, °C (est.)	Crowds, % (est.)
Tenerife	5.9	20	22	74
Gran Canaria	4.8	21	21	74
Fuerteventura	6.2	21	21	68
Lanzarote	6.5	21	21	68
Tarifa	5.1	17	18	28
Cádiz	5.2	17	17	38
Ibiza	5.0	17	17	41
Mallorca	4.9	16	17	43
Menorca	4.3	16	17	41
Fuengirola	5.2	17	17	43
Marbella	5.2	17	17	28
Mojácar	6.0	18	17	23
Níjar	6.0	16	17	19
Benidorm	5.6	18	17	52
Estepona	5.2	18	17	25
Torrevieja	5.5	17	17	10
Alacant/Alicante	5.6	18	17	47
Calp	5.6	17	17	14
Dénia	5.3	17	16	43
Xàbia/Jávea	5.3	17	16	43
Nerja	5.2	19	16	33
València	5.1	17	16	49
Almuñécar	5.2	18	16	46
Benalmádena	5.2	16	16	53
Málaga	5.2	18	16	60
Mijas	5.2	15	16	24
Torremolinos	5.2	18	16	52
Peníscola/Peñíscola	5.1	17	16	33
Salou	5.1	15	16	39
Sitges	3.8	14	16	28
Barcelona	5.2	15	16	55
Lloret de Mar	4.6	15	15	41
Tossa de Mar	4.6	15	15	41
Llanes	2.4	15	15	32
Sanxenxo	2.9	14	14	49
Donostia/San Sebastián	3.0	14	14	50
Albarracín	4.2	9	–	30
Bilbao	2.6	14	–	47
Cangas de Onís	3.4	14	–	36
Capileira	5.2	9	–	–
Córdoba	5.2	16	–	54
Granada	5.2	14	–	56
Madrid	4.7	10	–	59
Ronda	–	13	–	38
Santiago de Compostela	2.9	13	–	34
Sevilla	5.6	17	–	60
Toledo	4.4	12	–	48
Torla-Ordesa	–	7	–	–

Without scripts this shows December. The list of every month below links to each place.

Figures for December, ordered by sea (coastal)
Place	Sun, h per day	Air high, °C	Sea, °C (est.)	Crowds, % (est.)
Tenerife	5.9	20	22	74
Gran Canaria	4.8	21	21	74
Fuerteventura	6.2	21	21	68
Lanzarote	6.5	21	21	68
Tarifa	5.1	17	18	28
Cádiz	5.2	17	17	38
Ibiza	5.0	17	17	41
Mallorca	4.9	16	17	43
Menorca	4.3	16	17	41
Fuengirola	5.2	17	17	43
Marbella	5.2	17	17	28
Mojácar	6.0	18	17	23
Níjar	6.0	16	17	19
Benidorm	5.6	18	17	52
Estepona	5.2	18	17	25
Torrevieja	5.5	17	17	10
Alacant/Alicante	5.6	18	17	47
Calp	5.6	17	17	14
Dénia	5.3	17	16	43
Xàbia/Jávea	5.3	17	16	43
Nerja	5.2	19	16	33
València	5.1	17	16	49
Almuñécar	5.2	18	16	46
Benalmádena	5.2	16	16	53
Málaga	5.2	18	16	60
Mijas	5.2	15	16	24
Torremolinos	5.2	18	16	52
Peníscola/Peñíscola	5.1	17	16	33
Salou	5.1	15	16	39
Sitges	3.8	14	16	28
Barcelona	5.2	15	16	55
Lloret de Mar	4.6	15	15	41
Tossa de Mar	4.6	15	15	41
Llanes	2.4	15	15	32
Sanxenxo	2.9	14	14	49
Donostia/San Sebastián	3.0	14	14	50
Albarracín	4.2	9	–	30
Bilbao	2.6	14	–	47
Cangas de Onís	3.4	14	–	36
Capileira	5.2	9	–	–
Córdoba	5.2	16	–	54
Granada	5.2	14	–	56
Madrid	4.7	10	–	59
Ronda	–	13	–	38
Santiago de Compostela	2.9	13	–	34
Sevilla	5.6	17	–	60
Toledo	4.4	12	–	48
Torla-Ordesa	–	7	–	–

Figures: the same monthly data as the place pages. Outline: Natural Earth, public domain.

December in numbers

Day highs run from 7 °C in Torla-Ordesa to 21 °C in Fuerteventura.
The sea is warmest in Tenerife, about 22 °C (est.). 4 of 36 coastal places have sea at 20 °C or warmer (est.).
Among places with full data, hotels are about 10% full in Torrevieja and 74% in Tenerife (est.).
Rain falls on 3 to 16 days: fewest in Fuerteventura, most in Santiago de Compostela.

What changes from November

Day highs are on average 2° lower than in November, across 48 places.
Sea is on average 2° lower than in November (est.), across 36 coastal places.
Hotels are on average 4 points emptier than in November (est.).
Out of the first five: Mojácar, Alacant/Alicante and Benidorm.
2 places fit December, against 3 in November.

What each place suits, from the data

Beach days

Coastal places with a beach count and sea at 20 °C or warmer (est.), in ranking order.

Fuerteventura Day air 21 °C. Sea 21 °C (est.)
Lanzarote Day air 21 °C. Sea 21 °C (est.)
Gran Canaria Day air 21 °C. Sea 21 °C (est.)

More: Beach days

Hiking and mountains

Mountain and inland places with day highs of 28 °C or lower, in ranking order.

Albarracín Day air 9 °C
Cangas de Onís Day air 14 °C
Capileira Day air 9 °C
Ronda Day air 13 °C
Torla-Ordesa Day air 7 °C

More: Hiking and mountains

Cities

City places in ranking order, with day highs and hotel fullness (est.).

Málaga Day air 18 °C. Hotels 60% full (est.)
València Day air 17 °C. Hotels 49% full (est.)
Sevilla Day air 17 °C. Hotels 60% full (est.)
Cádiz Day air 17 °C. Hotels 38% full (est.)
Barcelona Day air 15 °C. Hotels 55% full (est.)

More: Cities

Direct flights from your city

Routes flown in December last year (Eurostat passenger counts, at least 1000 passengers a month), not a timetable.

London: 2 of the places in this list
Manchester: 2 of the places in this list
Edinburgh: 2 of the places in this list
Dublin: 2 of the places in this list

Questions about Spain in December

How hot is Spain in December?: Day highs run from 7 °C in Torla-Ordesa to 21 °C in Fuerteventura (AEMET monthly averages).
Is the sea warm enough to swim in December?: The warmest sea is in Tenerife, about 22 °C (est.). 4 of 36 coastal places have sea at 20 °C or warmer (est.).
Where is quieter in December?: Among places with full data, Torrevieja has the lowest hotel fullness, about 10% (est.).
Does it rain in Spain in December?: Rain falls on 3 to 16 days in December, depending on the place: fewest in Fuerteventura, most in Santiago de Compostela.
Which places fit December most?: In our neutral ranking: Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.

Sources: AEMET monthly climate averages; sea temperature and hotel fullness are estimates; routes from Eurostat. Figures built 2026-11-08.