Spain in December: what to expect

December is winter on the mainland and mild winter in the south and the islands. Madrid and the central plateau are dry and often sunny by day but cold at night, with frost. The Mediterranean coast is cool rather than cold, and rain is more likely than snow. The green north is wet, as it is in every winter month. Andalusia is the best mainland bet: Seville and Málaga often reach the mid-teens in the afternoon, though Granada sits higher and gets genuinely cold nights. The Canary Islands stay mild all year and are at their winter high season.

Daylight is short: sunset falls around 17:45–18:00 in Madrid and Barcelona in mid-December, so plan outdoor sights for the morning and early afternoon and keep museums, markets and meals for the dark hours.

December is medium season overall, but it is not one flat month. The 6–8 December long weekend — the puente between Constitution Day and the Immaculate Conception — is the busiest and most expensive stretch: Spaniards take short city breaks and hotels in Madrid, Seville, Granada and the big Christmas-market cities fill and raise rates. The week before Christmas is quieter. From around 24 December to 6 January the cities fill again with family visits and shoppers, and the coast is close to empty.

Coastal resorts on the Mediterranean and the Balearics are largely shut for the winter: many hotels, beach bars and restaurants close from November to March, so a cheap December flight to a resort town can mean a dead seafront. The Canary Islands are the opposite — winter is their peak, with the highest prices of the year around Christmas and New Year. Book the puente and the Canaries two to three months ahead; mainland cities outside those dates can be booked late.

Christmas lights switch on in late November and stay through early January; Madrid, Málaga, Vigo and Barcelona are the biggest displays, and most cities run a Christmas market, with the oldest and largest in Barcelona and Madrid. The national Christmas lottery, El Gordo, is drawn on the morning of 22 December and effectively stops the country — shops and offices pause to watch. On 28 December, Spain marks the Day of the Innocents with practical jokes, and newspapers run spoof stories.

New Year's Eve is a family and street night: in Madrid people gather at Puerta del Sol to eat twelve grapes at midnight, one per chime. The Christmas season ends on 5 January with the Three Kings parades (cabalgatas) in nearly every town, the biggest in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Alicante, followed by Epiphany on 6 January, when shops close and children get their main presents.

Cities first. Madrid and Barcelona are at their best for museums, food and lights, with short queues outside the puente. Seville and Málaga give you the mildest mainland weather: outdoor sightseeing in a jacket, orange trees still in fruit, and lower prices than spring. Granada is cold but the Alhambra is quieter than in summer. Valencia is mild and good for the City of Arts and the old town.

For sun, go to the Canary Islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura all run at winter peak with beach weather and whale-watching off the south-west coast of Tenerife. Skip the Mediterranean beach resorts and the Balearics, where most of the tourist infrastructure is closed. The green north — Bilbao, San Sebastián, Asturias, Galicia — is wet and quiet, but good for food cities and museums if you accept the rain.

Pack for cold mornings and mild afternoons on the mainland: a warm mid-layer, a coat that blocks wind, and comfortable shoes for cobbled streets. A compact umbrella or rain jacket is worth it everywhere except the Canaries, and essential in the north. Sunglasses and sunscreen are not silly in Andalusia or the islands, where the winter sun is still strong at midday. Bring one smarter outfit if you plan a Christmas or New Year's Eve dinner, and a small day bag, since big backpacks are often refused at museums and churches.

November is quieter and cheaper, with more rain in the north and some coastal closures already under way. January is the coldest and cheapest month on the mainland, with the winter sales and the Three Kings holiday at the start; the Canaries stay at peak. February brings almond blossom in the south and Carnival in Cádiz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. If you want warm weather and long days without the Christmas premium, aim for late March to May instead.