Granada is one of the most wonderful provinces in the entire Iberian Peninsula. This is not because it has the warmest weather, but because the Andalucía ambiance and the historic offerings of the province take visitors on a journey through time and space.
Most visitors will have a limited amount of time to visit the city of Granada and its province, which makes planning when to go all the more important. The best time to go, if the warm weather is of the utmost importance, is going to be during the summer months. Just like anywhere else in the northern hemisphere, this means that June, July and August are the best months.
However, given the fact that many visitors are on a set vacation schedule, it might be helpful to know how the weather in the province of Granada can fluctuate. Here are the main tidbits that any visitor to the province will need to know.
Firstly, Granada does not have a uniform climate. The city of Granada sits among rolling hills under the grand auspices of the distant Sierra Nevada. Although it exists in the south of Spain, which seems to connote luxurious sun and short-sleeve temperatures, Granada is a city of varying climates throughout the year.
The annual average temperature for the entire province hovers at around 14.8 degrees Celsius. It can get to -6 degrees Celsius in January, all the way up to 25 degrees Celsius in August. For an idea of the city of Granada’s summertime climate, temperatures can reach a high 30 degrees Celsius during the day, and drop to a chilling 8 degrees Celsius at night.
However, visitors should take into account the differences in elevation between the various geographies of the province as a whole. The Sierra Nevada can get quite chilly, especially in the cold months of Andalucía’s year, November through April. Conversely, the Tropical Coast boasts warm temperatures throughout much of the year, the hot months of July and August of course offering the sweatiest times to visit.
Outside of those two months, visitors will want to have some long-sleeved shirts and jackets to keep warm. Rain jackets won’t be necessary from June to September, which sees almost every day with sunny skies. The first rain falls at the end of September or beginning of October, and although the drops can be heavy, it usually doesn’t last long.
October 8, 2011
Granada