Europe · Destination guide
Mainland coasts, islands and cities, with direct flying and a holiday style for almost every brief.
Where to go
Choose it if you want one island that can give you a family beach week, a mountain drive and lunch in a real city without changing hotels..
Easy to reach, varied and far more than one kind of beach holiday.
Explore Majorca
Choose it if you care about sunsets, style and eating out, and accept paying more for them than elsewhere in the Balearics..
A beautiful island with family resorts, old-town character and nightlife, not one single scene.
Explore Ibiza
Choose it if you would rather have quiet coves, early nights and a small, easy airport than a strip of late bars..
A gentler Balearic option where beaches, villas and family-friendly resorts lead.
Explore Menorca
Choose it if you want a short hop from Alicante to a resort with a Spanish town attached, such as Altea, Calpe or Jávea..
Reliable sun, good-value packages and very different resort personalities along one coastline.
Explore Costa Blanca
Choose it if you want entertainment on the doorstep, a huge choice of hotels and a winter break that does not cost a fortune..
Unapologetically lively, often excellent value and much more varied than its shorthand reputation.
Explore Benidorm
Choose it if you want beach days mixed with Málaga, Ronda or golf, and are happy on a large, busy coast..
Flexible resort choice, strong flight access and easy combinations with Málaga.
Explore Costa del SolIs it right for you?
A strong fit for
Families, couples, groups and straightforward sun.
We would think twice for
Travellers who want somewhere that feels undiscovered, because the popular costas are busy and commercial by design, and that is exactly why they work so well for a low-stress week.
What we would want you to know
Resort choice matters more than the country label.
We’ve been here
We have travelled in Spain ourselves, most recently Beth in Seville and Si on a golf trip near Marbella, and we sell it at every budget, from operator packages to trips we assemble under our own ATOL, such as stays in Palma and Benidorm. That mix shows us the same thing again and again: the right coast for one family is the wrong one for the next, so we ask about your evenings before we name a resort.
Weather and seasons
Spain's beach year runs from May to October, and the value sits at either end of it. Málaga is already reaching 25°C in May, but the sea lags behind at 18°C and is at its warmest in late summer, around 23°C in August. July and August add Spain's own holidaymakers to ours, so resorts are full, prices peak and inland cities such as Seville and Córdoba are too hot for comfortable sightseeing. Winter on the mainland is mild rather than warm: Málaga averages 18°C in January, fine for golf and city breaks but not for sunbathing. For real warmth between November and March, look at the Canaries instead.
Worth timing a trip around
Huge satirical figures fill Valencia's streets, with a deafening firecracker display in the main square each afternoon, before almost all of them are burned on the night of 19 March.
Holy Week processions carry religious floats through towns and cities across Spain. In Seville they run through the night before Good Friday, and hotel prices there rise sharply.
A week of flamenco dresses, horses and marquees, two weeks after Easter. Many marquees are private, but the public ones and the atmosphere on the fairground are open to everyone.
The running of the bulls each morning and a week-long party in white and red. Rooms in Pamplona book up very early, so many visitors stay out of town.
An hour-long tomato fight in a small town near Valencia. Entry is ticketed and capped, and it is messier than the photographs suggest: wear old clothes and goggles.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18°C | 8°C | 15°C | 44 mm |
| February | 18°C | 9°C | 15°C | 13 mm |
| March | 20°C | 10°C | 15°C | 36 mm |
| April | 22°C | 12°C | 16°C | 39 mm |
| May | 25°C | 15°C | 18°C | 31 mm |
| June | 29°C | 19°C | 20°C | 0 mm |
| July | 32°C | 22°C | 22°C | 0 mm |
| August | 32°C | 22°C | 23°C | 0 mm |
| September | 29°C | 20°C | 22°C | 8 mm |
| October | 25°C | 16°C | 20°C | 34 mm |
| November | 21°C | 12°C | 17°C | 44 mm |
| December | 19°C | 9°C | 16°C | 38 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Malaga, 9 km away at 16 m. Rainfall is from the same station and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16°C | 9°C | 15°C | 29 mm |
| February | 17°C | 9°C | 14°C | 35 mm |
| March | 18°C | 11°C | 14°C | 42 mm |
| April | 20°C | 13°C | 16°C | 27 mm |
| May | 24°C | 16°C | 18°C | 18 mm |
| June | 28°C | 20°C | 22°C | 12 mm |
| July | 31°C | 24°C | 25°C | 0 mm |
| August | 31°C | 24°C | 26°C | 12 mm |
| September | 28°C | 21°C | 25°C | 59 mm |
| October | 25°C | 18°C | 22°C | 44 mm |
| November | 21°C | 13°C | 19°C | 46 mm |
| December | 18°C | 11°C | 16°C | 27 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Palma De Mallorca Cmt, 3 km away at 3 m. Rainfall is from the same station and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11°C | 3°C | 21 mm |
| February | 13°C | 5°C | 22 mm |
| March | 16°C | 6°C | 42 mm |
| April | 19°C | 9°C | 66 mm |
| May | 25°C | 13°C | 21 mm |
| June | 30°C | 17°C | 14 mm |
| July | 35°C | 21°C | 7 mm |
| August | 34°C | 20°C | 13 mm |
| September | 27°C | 16°C | 10 mm |
| October | 21°C | 12°C | 59 mm |
| November | 14°C | 7°C | 44 mm |
| December | 12°C | 5°C | 19 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Madrid - Retiro, 2 km away at 667 m. Rainfall is from the same station and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it.
Things to do
The Nasrid palaces, fortress and gardens above Granada are the high point of Moorish Spain. Entry to the palaces is by timed ticket, and spring and autumn slots sell out weeks ahead, so book them on the same day as your flights.
A royal palace of tiled courtyards and shaded gardens, still used by the Spanish royal family when they stay in Seville. Go at opening time and avoid summer afternoons, when the city is fiercely hot.
Gaudí's basilica has been under construction since 1882 and is still growing. Tickets are timed and sold online, and a tower visit is worth adding for anyone comfortable on narrow spiral stairs.
Velázquez, Goya and El Greco under one roof. Entry is free for the last two hours most evenings; the queue looks long but moves quickly, and two hours is enough for the highlights if you plan them.
The old quarter of this Basque seaside city is packed with bars laying out small bites along the counter. The local habit is one pintxo and one drink per bar, then on to the next.
Limestone peaks close to the green north coast, with a cable car at Fuente Dé and gorge walks such as the Cares. A completely different Spain from the costas, at its best from June to September.
Walking at least the last 100 kilometres into Santiago de Compostela earns the pilgrim certificate. Most people start at Sarria, five or six days' walk away. Break your boots in at home first.
Triana and the old centre have small venues with flamenco every night. A small room feels far more intense than a big dinner show, and the early performance suits anyone travelling with children.
A walled hilltop city of churches, synagogues and a great Gothic cathedral, a short high-speed train ride from Madrid. Stay into the evening if you can, after the coach groups have gone.
Food and drink
A thick potato and egg omelette, served by the slice, warm or at room temperature. Spaniards argue happily about whether it should contain onion.
Cured ham from Iberian pigs. The finest, de bellota, comes from pigs fattened on acorns, and hand-carved slices are worth the extra over everyday serrano.
Born in the rice fields around Valencia, where the original uses chicken, rabbit and green beans rather than seafood. It is a lunchtime dish, and paella from a photo menu at dinner is usually a warning sign.
Fried dough sticks dunked in thick hot chocolate, eaten for breakfast or at the end of a very late night.
Red wine topped with lemon soda over ice. It is what most Spaniards drink on a hot afternoon, and lighter than sangría.
Chilled soup of tomato, pepper, cucumber and garlic from Andalusia, sometimes served in a glass. A summer dish in most places.
Money
Dates move the price of a Spanish holiday more than any other choice: the same room can cost far more in the first week of August than in the first week of June. After that comes position. A front-line hotel on a promenade costs more than one two streets back, and the Balearics usually cost more than the mainland for a similar hotel. Where we would spend extra: a room you will actually use, such as a sea-view balcony on a relaxed week, and a hotel you can walk from into town.
Flights and transfers
This is one of the easiest journeys on our list. Direct flights run from Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle to the main Spanish airports, and the flight is short enough that a sensible departure time matters more than the airport. We compare the nearby airports on price, flight time and what the whole day of travel looks like, rather than defaulting to the closest one.
Flights from UK airports
Route check September 2026. Some routes are seasonal and schedules change, so we confirm the live options when we quote.
Practical details
1 hour ahead of the UK
Euro (€)
Spanish; Catalan, Valencian, Basque and Galician are co-official in their regions
Type C and F, 230V
On the right
Safe to drink; taste varies by region, and many people prefer bottled on the coasts and islands
Not expected; rounding up or 5 to 10 percent for good restaurant service is appreciated
Entry for British passport holders
Visa. No visa needed for tourist stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
Passport. Issued less than 10 years before you arrive, and valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave the Schengen area.
The EU Entry/Exit System is now in use, so you may be asked to register your fingerprints and photo at the border on your first visit. It is free.
Summarised from the FCDO travel advice on gov.uk, checked 29 September 2026. Rules change: read the current entry requirements and the full travel advice before you go.
Questions we get asked
The south coast around Málaga, where October still averages 25°C and the sea is warm enough for most swimmers. The Costa Blanca is close behind. The Balearics cool faster, and many of their resort hotels close at the end of the month, so check what is open before booking a late break.
For most families, Majorca, with the widest choice of family hotels and long, shallow beaches in the north. Menorca suits families with young children who want a quieter week. Ibiza works only if you pick the right end of it, and for winter sun the Canaries take over.
Choose the Costa Blanca for value, easy transfers from Alicante and a long winter season. Choose the Costa del Sol for a bigger city on the doorstep in Málaga, golf and day trips to Ronda or Granada. The Costa del Sol is usually a little dearer, and its sand is darker and coarser.
Not in the resorts, where English is spoken in almost every hotel, bar and shop. In the cities and inland villages it is less common, and a few words of Spanish go a long way. In Barcelona, the Balearics and around Valencia you will also see Catalan or Valencian on signs and menus.
Late by British standards: Spaniards often sit down between 9pm and 10.30pm, and lunch from about 2pm is the main meal. Resort restaurants serve earlier for visitors. With children, the lunchtime menú del día is the easiest way to eat like a local.
On the coast, usually not: sea breezes keep the resorts bearable, although nights can be humid. Inland is a different story, and Seville, Córdoba and Madrid are hard work in the afternoon heat. If you want cities, go in spring or autumn; if August is your only option, stay by the sea.
Photographs
Also worth a look
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