Sunny islands, savory dishes, and super sales
Winter is a great time to travel to Spain for many reasons. You can enjoy everything you love about winter, but usually in sunnier, drier, milder weather than in most of Europe. Where Spain has cold weather, enjoy snow and winter sports, and traditional seasonal dishes to warm you up. If you’d really rather skip winter, visit the Canary Islands to enjoy a perpetual gentle 24℃ and spend pleasant days on the beach.
Spain is a fantastic winter destination featuring many traditions that you will love.
Urban tourism in large cities
Big cities — Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Seville and Malaga — overflow with options. Escape to one or more of them this winter: you’ll find infinite possibilities for sightseeing and entertainment: musical theatre on Madrid’s Gran Vía; a Barça football match in Barcelona; the latest exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao; an opera at the Palau des Arts in Valencia; a flamenco show at a tablao in Seville; or rediscovering the works of Picasso in his birthplace of Malaga through temporary exhibitions at the Picasso Museum. All these cities have international airports and most also have high-speed train connections.
Fly to the Canary Islands: an average of 24°C in winter
These islands off the south-eastern cost of the Iberian Peninsula (less than three hours by plane from Madrid) boast what many describe as one of the best climates in the world. The average temperature is around 24℃, so even in winter most people wear summer clothes. Thanks to the mild climate, winter is as good a time as any to explore the landscapes of their four national parks or to have special experiences like seeing out the year with a swim and sunbathing on December 31st on one of their beautiful beaches.
Going shopping and enjoying the sales
If you enjoy shopping, take note: the main sales period in Spain takes place in winter. They normally begin on January 7th, although certain cities (Madrid for one) bring them forward, to as early as January 1st. Depending on the region of Spain they may go on longer and even last until the end of March.
Warming your appetite
Going to Spain in winter and not having churros with hot chocolate would be a mistake — and the numbers of charming cafés where you can enjoy them is increasing all the time. Winter in Spain is synonymous with roasted chestnuts and hearty, delicious dishes: cocido madrileño (a traditional stew from Madrid); fabada asturiana (a pork and bean stew from Asturias); caldo gallego (a Galician broth made with chorizo and turnip greens; escudella catalana (a typical Catalan chicken-based broth with galets, a type of pasta), and more. There are even several festivals devoted to specific products, such as the Festival de la Exaltación del Botillo, in the town of Bembibre in Leon, which celebrates botillo, a local cured meat specialty rather like chorizo. As the Spanish say, qué aproveche (enjoy)!
