The best time to visit Málaga
Air from 17°C in January to 31°C in August, a sea that only catches up in July, and rain that falls in autumn rather than winter.
- Warmest sea
- August, 23–24°C
- Warmest air
- July and August
- Coldest
- January, 17°C by day and 7 at night
Two curves that do not move together decide when to go to Málaga: the air is 17°C by day in January and 31°C in August, while the sea lags about two months behind — below 18°C until May, and 22–24°C only from July to September. The third number is rain: almost none from June to August, and the most in November and December.
The year month by month
Air, rain and sun are the national weather service's thirty-year average for the airport; the sea is the average of the last ten years, and sources differ by up to one degree.
The sea runs two months late
June and September have the same air, 28°C by day, but not the same sea: about 20°C in June and 22 in September. October works the same way, with a sea as warm as June's and air four degrees cooler. If the month is for swimming, pick September over June and allow for two rainy days instead of one; if it is for the city and the Alcazaba, pick June or October and treat the sea as a bonus.
The feria in August
The feria runs for eight days in mid-August, opened by fireworks over La Malagueta beach at midnight on the Friday. By day it is in the centre, on Calle Larios and the Plaza de la Constitución, with music until 6pm; by night at the Real Cortijo de Torres, a fairground outside the centre. It falls in the hottest weeks of the year: 31°C by day and 21 at night.
Which month for whom
- The city and the fortress without the heat — March to May or October.
- Swimming — July to September; September is the only one of the three below 30°C by day.
- Winter in the city — January and February rather than December.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
When is the sea warmest in Málaga?
In August, 23–24°C. July and September are about 22°C, and until May the sea stays below 18.
When is the Málaga feria?
Eight days in mid-August, from the fireworks over La Malagueta at midnight on the Friday. The day fair is in the centre until 6pm, the night fair at Cortijo de Torres.
What is Málaga like in winter?
In January it is 17°C by day and 7 at night, with about six hours of sun and five to six rainy days. November and December are wetter, and the sea is about 15°C.
Ready for Málaga?
Where to next
Málaga in 2 days
→The castle by bus at nine, the Alcazaba downhill on the same ticket, the cathedral before 5.45 — and a…
Granada · 89 km
→The Alhambra above the city, and a tapa that comes with your drink
How well does Málaga suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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