Autumn in Spain: weather, food and the best months to go

Autumn in Spain runs from September to November, and the south stays warm long after the UK turns cold. Average highs in Alicante are 28.5°C in September, 24.9°C in October and 20.5°C in November. Choose September or October for swimming, October for walking and November for quiet towns and viewing trips.

What months are autumn in Spain?

Weather records count September, October and November as autumn. The astronomical season starts later: in 2026 it began on 23 September and it runs to 21 December. The Spanish word is otoño.

On the Mediterranean coast, the season arrives in stages. September is still summer, October is the gentle middle, and November is when you first want a jumper after dark.

What is the autumn temperature in Spain, region by region?

These are average daytime highs and monthly rainfall from AEMET, the state weather agency, for 1981 to 2010. London Heathrow covers the same 30 years, from Met Office data.

Three things stand out for a British reader:

• A November day in Alicante beats a September day at Heathrow. The average high is 20.5°C against 19.9°C, and Alicante gets more than twice Heathrow's November sunshine.
• The north is another climate. San Sebastián gets 169 mm of rain in November, nearly five times Alicante's total. Go there for food and green hills, not for sun.
• The Costa Blanca is much drier than the Costa del Sol in November. Temperatures and sunshine are almost identical, but Málaga gets 100 mm of rain against 36 mm.

What is the Costa Blanca like month by month?

Rainy days have at least 1 mm of rain. Sea temperatures are monthly averages from seatemperature.info.

Spain in September: still summer, and still busy

The sea is at its warmest of the season in September, at 25.6°C off Alicante, and the days are long. Do not expect peace and quiet, though. Alicante-Elche Airport handled 1,907,274 passengers in September 2025, only 9 per cent below its record August. In September 2026 it reached 2,127,532.

Inland, Seville still has an average high of 31.7°C, so leave southern city breaks for later. Further north, late September brings the San Sebastián Film Festival and the La Rioja grape harvest.

Spain in October: is it a good time to visit?

Yes. It is the best all-round month for most of the country. The Costa Blanca in October has an average high of 24.9°C and about seven hours of sun a day, and the sea is still warm enough for a comfortable swim. Sunset is around 19:45 at the start of the month.

This is proper walking weather. Try the hills around Calpe, or head inland to the Font Roja natural park between Alcoy and Ibi. Its cooler north slope has ash, maple and oak, a rare patch of deciduous woodland in the region. For stronger autumn colour, go north to the Irati forest in Navarre, one of Europe's largest beech and fir woods.

October is not empty, however. Aena's running totals put the airport at about 1.9 million passengers in October 2025, level with September.

Spain in November: is it warm, and where should you go?

Parts of it are. The Costa Blanca in November still has an average high of 20.5°C, with nearly six hours of sun a day. Nights fall to about 10°C, and the sea at 19.1°C is cool for a long swim.

For real warmth, go to the Canary Islands. Tenerife South has an average high of 24.8°C and fewer than two rainy days. On the mainland, Seville matches Alicante by day but is much wetter. Skip Madrid and the north if sun is the goal.

This is when the coast finally calms down. The airport's 1,411,496 passengers in November 2025 were a third below August. An airport count is not a beach count, but it is the clearest monthly measure we found.

What food is in season in autumn in Spain?

The Alicante area has its own harvest calendar, and it shows on market stalls and menus.

• Pomegranates from Elche. The Granada Mollar de Elche has its own protected origin label and is harvested from October to January. The 2026 season opened on 17 October, with about 50,000 tonnes forecast.
• Bagged grapes from the Vinalopó. The first bunch is cut in early September. The fruit ripens in a paper bag on the vine for at least 60 days, and it is famous as the grape eaten at midnight on New Year's Eve.
• Wine. Monastrell dominates the Alicante wine route, with Moscatel in the Marina Alta around villages such as Xaló. Fondillón, the area's historic wine, comes from Monastrell grapes picked late.
• Wild mushrooms. Rovellons, known elsewhere in Spain as níscalos, grow under pines and appear in autumn. They are often roasted with garlic and parsley or added to rice dishes.

Which festivals are on in autumn in Spain?

Dates shift a little each year, so check before you book. For the rest of the year, see our guide to the best Spanish festivals. Compare the season with Spain in spring, or with the processions of Easter in Spain.

Why does a quieter month suit a viewing trip?

A summer viewing tells you how a flat feels at its best. Autumn tells you how it copes.

• You see the town in normal life. Is the street lively or shuttered? Our guide to where to live compares the main areas.
• The first rain tells you a lot. Look for damp marks, blocked terrace drains and water on stairs, then use our guide to checking a property.
• Low sun reveals the orientation. A terrace in shade from mid-afternoon matters far more in winter.
• You can ask about heating at the right time. Of the 514 Torrevieja properties on our books on 30 October 2026, 285 listed air conditioning and only 57 listed central heating. Ask how a home is heated and what that costs.

Browse homes in Torrevieja before you fly, then compare them on the ground. Our buying guide sets out the steps if a viewing turns serious.

Ryanair alone has direct Alicante flights from 24 UK and Irish airports in every month from November 2026 to March 2027, and the UK is the airport's largest foreign market, with 453,903 passengers in November 2025.

British visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area, and a viewing trip counts. The EU's Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, so your fingerprints and photo may be recorded at your first crossing. ETIAS has not started yet. Irish citizens are not bound by these limits.

What are the downsides of autumn in Spain?

• Storms. About 45 per cent of Alicante's yearly rain falls in these three months, on only about 12 days, so it often comes hard. A DANA, or gota fría, is the cold-air storm that causes the worst of it. On 29 October 2024, AEMET recorded 185 mm of rain in one hour at Turís, in Valencia province, more than Alicante gets in an average autumn, and the floods killed more than 200 people. Check AEMET warnings, as GOV.UK advises.
• Flood zones. If you are buying, look up the address on Spain's national flood zone mapping system, SNCZI.
• Shorter days. After the clocks change, sunset in Alicante is around 17:50 by mid-November, and there are under 10 hours of daylight by the end of the month.
• Public holidays. Offices close on 9 and 12 October and 1 November, so plan any bank or notary visit around them.

Frequently asked questions

What months are autumn in Spain? Autumn in Spain covers September, October and November in weather records. The astronomical season starts later, around 23 September, and ends around 21 December. On the Costa Blanca, September still feels like summer, with highs of 28.5°C, while November highs average 20.5°C and it is the first month that feels autumnal.

Is October a good time to visit Spain? Yes, October is the best all-round month for most of Spain. The south and the Costa Blanca average 24 to 26°C by day, the Mediterranean is still warm enough to swim in, and the city heat has gone. Take a jacket for the evenings, and expect more rain in the north, particularly around San Sebastián.

Is Spain warm in November? The south and the islands are mild rather than hot. Alicante, Málaga and Seville all average about 20°C by day in November, while Tenerife South reaches 24.8°C. Madrid drops to 13.5°C. Nights on the mainland coast fall to around 10°C, so bring layers and a light waterproof jacket for the trip.

Where is the warmest place in Spain in November? The Canary Islands are the warmest choice. Tenerife South averages a high of 24.8°C in November, with fewer than two rainy days and 193 hours of sun. On the mainland, the warmest options are Alicante, Seville and Málaga, which all average around 20°C, though Alicante is by far the driest of the three.

Can you swim on the Costa Blanca in October and November? October is fine for most swimmers, with the sea off Alicante averaging 22.7°C, against 25.6°C in September. November is harder, at 19.1°C, so many people will want a wetsuit or just a short dip. Sunny middays are the best time to go in, because nights on the coast fall to about 10°C.

When is the rainiest time on the Costa Blanca? Autumn is the wettest season. Alicante records 139 mm from September to November, about 45 per cent of its yearly 311 mm, and September is the wettest month. It usually falls in short, heavy bursts on about 12 days. Before travelling, check AEMET's warnings, because a DANA storm can bring flash flooding.

Planning a trip this autumn or next?

Tell us your dates and we will help you plan viewings on the Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida. Tripinvest ES can guide you through what is on the market, with offices in Calpe and Torrevieja and a head office in London. We are a licensed agency (RAICV 4221), and service is in English from first call to the notary. Our clients don't pay us commission. Call +44 20 3888 0008 or send us a message.

Sources

Last checked: October 2026

1. AEMET, standard climate values 1981 to 2010: Alicante, San Javier, Málaga, Seville, Valencia, Palma, Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastián, Tenerife South (official)
2. Met Office, Heathrow historic station data, our 1981 to 2010 averages: metoffice.gov.uk (official)
3. Aena, Alicante-Elche traffic releases: August 2025, September 2025, November 2025, September 2026 (official)
4. Instituto Geográfico Nacional, start of autumn: astronomia.ign.es (official)
5. GOV.UK, Spain travel advice: safety and security, entry requirements (official)
6. European Commission: Entry/Exit System, smart borders, ETIAS status (official)
7. MITECO, national flood zone mapping system: miteco.gob.es (official)
8. Turisme Comunitat Valenciana: Calp, Benidorm, Cocentaina (official)
9. Calp Moors and Christians portal, 50th anniversary: morosycristianos.calpe.es (official)
10. spain.info, Alicante wine route: spain.info (official)
11. Foods and Wines from Spain, Mollar de Elche harvest, December 2025: foodswinesfromspain.com (official)
12. El Debate, AEMET's first report on the 2024 DANA, 29 November 2024: eldebate.com
13. El Debate, Vinalopó grape season, 5 September 2024: eldebate.com
14. Vinetur, Mollar de Elche 2026 season, 17 October 2026: vinetur.com
15. Alicante Today, 2026 holiday calendar: alicantetoday.com
16. seatemperature.info, Alicante by month: September, October, November
17. Sensational Spain, Spain in autumn: sensationalspain.com
18. Sunrise-Sunset.org, Alicante times for 1 October, 15 November and 30 November 2026: sunrise-sunset.org
19. Ryanair, routes and timetables from Alicante, read 31 October 2026: ryanair.com
20. Wikipedia: 2024 Spanish floods, Lactarius deliciosus, Font Roja natural park, Alicante DO, Irati forest, San Sebastián festival, San Mateo in Logroño
21. From Spain Con Amor, cooking rovellons: fromspainconamor.com
22. Tripinvest ES listings, Torrevieja, 30 October 2026
23. Visit Benidorm, patron saint fiestas 2026 (official): visitbenidorm.es