02The land
When to go
The mainland calendar is not the Canary one. April, May, September and October are the kinder months for walking in Madrid and Seville. July and August are the peak of the heat in the south and inland. December to February is the coldest stretch in the capital, while Tenerife’s coasts stay milder.
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
Spring on the plateau · April and May, after Madrid’s frost and before the long heat. In Barcelona, spring is one of the two wetter seasons, and the city can be walked without August’s glare.
The heat of July and August · Seville’s summer is long, hot and dry, and Madrid recorded 40.7 degrees at the Retiro on 14 August 2021. Daytime belongs to shade, the north, or the island.
A gentler autumn · September and October. In Barcelona, autumn is among the wettest seasons. On the southern plateau it is the season of rain after the summer drought.
The shoulders · March is still cold in the capital. June opens the long heat in the Guadalquivir valley. November falls inside Bilbao’s wet months, which run from October to April.
Inland winter · December, January and February: Madrid has rain, frost and occasional snow. Bilbao’s wettest month is November. Tenerife’s coasts stay mild in this season, with a gentler average than the plateau.