Spain in November and December 2026: Weather, Lights, Holidays

November 9, 2026

Arch of white and gold Christmas lights with stars and crescent moons over Calle Larios in Málaga at night, above a dense crowd

The short answer: it depends on whether you're chasing sun, Christmas or food. For real warmth, go to the Canary Islands, where average highs are about 76°F in November and 72°F in December. For mild city days and big street lights, go to Málaga or Seville. For a classic big-city Christmas, go to Madrid. For something most visitors miss, go to Jerez for its zambombas (flamenco-style carols sung in a circle), or to Bilbao or San Sebastián for the one-day Santo Tomás fair on December 21. The Atlantic north is the wettest part of the country, so go there for food and museums, not weather.

Many 2026 Christmas dates weren't announced in early November 2026, so we mark what's confirmed and what's last year's pattern.

What is the weather like in Spain in November and December?

Short answer: mild and fairly sunny in the south and along the Mediterranean, cold and bright in Madrid, rainy in the north, and warm only in the Canaries.

Place	November high / low	December high / low	Rainy days (Nov / Dec)	Sun hours (Nov / Dec)
Gran Canaria	76°F / 65°F	72°F / 61°F	3.9 / 4.5	185 / 179
Málaga	68°F / 52°F	64°F / 48°F	5.6 / 6.6	172 / 160
Seville	68°F / 50°F	62°F / 45°F	6.4 / 7.5	181 / 154
Valencia	67°F / 49°F	61°F / 43°F	4.1 / 4.4	168 / 160
Barcelona	63°F / 47°F	58°F / 42°F	5.1 / 4.4	145 / 141
Bilbao	62°F / 47°F	57°F / 43°F	12.7 / 12.3	88 / 78
Santiago de Compostela	57°F / 44°F	53°F / 41°F	14.9 / 15.9	95 / 85
Madrid	56°F / 43°F	50°F / 38°F	6.5 / 6.8	144 / 124

These are long-term averages (1981 to 2010) from AEMET, Spain's weather agency, measured at airports except in Madrid (Retiro park). A rainy day means at least 1 mm of rain.

One thing the table hides: Málaga averages about 100 mm of rain in each of these months, on only about six days, so when it rains in the south it can rain hard. Santiago gets more than twice that.

Where is it still warm in Spain in November and December?

Short answer: the Canary Islands are the one part of Spain where a beach day is a fair bet. The Costa del Sol and Seville give you sunshine and light-jacket weather, not swimming weather.

Gran Canaria. Sea temperatures in the Canaries are reported at about 68°F to 72°F in these months. Las Palmas, the island's capital, has Las Canteras, a city beach that hosts a huge sand nativity scene each winter. It was free to see in 2025, when it opened late, on December 15, and ran to January 8. In 2024 it ran from November 29 to January 7. The 2026 dates weren't announced when we checked.
Málaga. A walkable city and a coat you can take off at lunch, with highs of about 68°F in November and 64°F in December.
Seville. November is the sweet spot: 181 sun hours, the most of any mainland city in the table, and highs near 68°F. By December it's cooler and wetter.
Valencia. Close to Seville on temperature, with fewer rainy days. Motorsport fans can line it up with the Valencia Grand Prix, November 27 to 29, 2026.

If you're open to leaving Spain for the sun, our guide to winter sun destinations has other options.

When do Spain's Christmas lights turn on in 2026?

Short answer: between mid and late November, and they generally stay on until around January 6. Few big cities had announced a 2026 date by early November.

City	2026 switch-on	Last year	Why go
Madrid	Not announced	November 22, 2025, on until January 6, 2026	Lights at more than 200 locations; details in our Christmas in Madrid guide
Málaga	Reported for Friday, November 27, not confirmed by the city	November 28, 2025, per listings	A free music and light show on Calle Larios, planned for 6:30pm, 8:30pm and 10pm
Vigo	"In November"; the mayor hasn't named the day	November 15, 2025	More than 12 million LED lights across about 500 streets, per July 2026 press, and a light tree over 40 meters tall in Porta do Sol
Seville	Not announced	November 29, 2025	In 2025, 32 giant light trees on Avenida de la Constitución and light-up wings in Plaza de San Francisco
Barcelona	Late November, per Spain's tourism board	On until January 6	A light show in Plaça de Sant Jaume, plus Els Llums de Sant Pau, a light trail at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau site, listed until January 10, 2027

Vigo sits in rainy Galicia, far from most Spain itineraries, so go only if lights are the whole point of the trip.

Where are the best Christmas markets in Spain?

Short answer: don't expect Germany. Spanish markets lean toward nativity figures, crafts and local food, and several end on December 23.

Barcelona, Fira de Santa Llúcia. In front of the cathedral on Avinguda de la Catedral, and held since 1786. Listings show it opening on November 27 or 28 and closing on December 23, 2026, with hours of about 10:30am to 8:30pm. In 2025 it ran from November 28 to December 23. A separate Christmas market at Plaça de la Sagrada Família is listed from November 23 to December 23.
Madrid, Plaza Mayor. The official listing says late November to December 31; our Christmas in Madrid guide has the details.
Seville, Feria del Belén. If you love miniatures, this one's for you: stalls of nativity figures, tiny houses and stables along Avenida de la Constitución, beside the cathedral. It ran through December 23 in 2024 and 2025. The 2026 dates weren't published when we checked.
Bilbao and San Sebastián, Santo Tomás. Not a Christmas market in the usual sense: a one-day farmers' fair on December 21 (a Monday in 2026), with cheese, honey, cider, and talo, a corn flatbread wrapped around chorizo or txistorra. In 2025, Bilbao had 243 stalls around El Arenal, and San Sebastián had 163 across eight spots, including Plaza de la Constitución. Bring a raincoat: it rained most of the day in Bilbao in 2025.

What else is on in Spain in November and December?

Short answer: more than you'd expect, and not all of it is about shopping.

When	What	Where
November 20 to December 25, 2026	Zambombas	Jerez de la Frontera
Late November	Ski season opens (November 29 in 2025; 2026 not announced)	Sierra Nevada, above Granada
December 21, 2026	Santo Tomás fair	Bilbao, San Sebastián
December 22 and 31, 2026	Christmas Lottery draw, then twelve grapes at midnight	Madrid
January 5, 2027	Three Kings parades	Cities across Spain

Why Jerez is worth the detour. A zambomba isn't a concert. There's usually no stage, just a circle of people singing carols with clapping, guitar and the zambomba, a friction drum that gets passed around. The tradition dates to the 18th century and was declared a protected cultural asset (Bien de Interés Cultural) in 2015. Local guides list more than 100 for 2026, in brotherhoods, bars and flamenco clubs such as Peña Flamenca La Bulería, with paid shows at Teatro Villamarta from 15 euros. They peak over the December 5 to 8 long weekend. The full street program wasn't published when we checked, so confirm with Jerez's tourism office.

What are Spain's holiday dates, and what closes?

Short answer: December 8, December 25, January 1 and January 6 are national holidays. December 7 and December 26 depend on the region. Christmas Eve isn't a public holiday, but by evening it behaves like one.

Date	Holiday	Where it applies
Monday, December 7	Day off for Constitution Day (December 6, a Sunday)	Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Cantabria, Castile and León, Extremadura, Madrid, Murcia, La Rioja, Melilla
Tuesday, December 8	Immaculate Conception	Nationwide
Thursday, December 24	Christmas Eve	Not a public holiday; shops close early
Friday, December 25	Christmas Day	Nationwide
Saturday, December 26	Sant Esteve	Catalonia and the Balearic Islands only
Friday, January 1, 2027	New Year's Day	Nationwide
Wednesday, January 6, 2027	Epiphany (Reyes)	Nationwide

That makes December 5 to 8 a four-day weekend in Madrid and Andalusia, but not in Catalonia, Valencia, the Basque Country or the Canaries. Towns add their own local holidays too.

What changes at the big sights (holiday hours shift from year to year, so check before you go):

Alhambra, Granada: closed December 25 and January 1. Winter day visits run 8:30am to 6pm, and night visits to the Nasrid Palaces run 8pm to 9:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Real Alcázar, Seville: closed December 25, January 1 and January 6. Open 9:30am to 5pm from October to March, and you have to be out by 5:45pm.
Sagrada Família, Barcelona: open 9am to 2pm on December 25 and 26 and January 1 and 6.
Prado, Madrid: 10am to 2pm on December 24 and 31, and closed December 25.
Guggenheim, Bilbao: closed December 25 and January 1, and closes at 5pm on December 24 and 31. It's normally closed on Mondays, but opens on December 7 and 28.
Shops and restaurants: big supermarket chains recently closed around 7pm on December 24 and all day on December 25. Tables are harder to find on December 24 than on December 25, at least in Madrid, so book both.

Which Spanish cities suit this season?

Short answer: pick by what you love, and don't try to cover north and south on a short trip.

If you love...	Go to	Why now
Beach and sun	Gran Canaria	Highs in the 70s°F and the most sun in the table
A walkable city and big lights	Málaga	Mild days and the Calle Larios show
Monuments in the sun	Seville, ideally in November	The Alcázar without summer heat, then Christmas markets as December nears
A big-city Christmas	Madrid	Plaza Mayor, the lottery and New Year's Eve; pair it with where to eat in Madrid
Flamenco	Jerez	The zambomba season
Food and art, in any weather	Bilbao and San Sebastián	The Guggenheim and Santo Tomás
Palaces and snow	Granada	Alhambra night visits, with Sierra Nevada above the city
A bit of everything	Barcelona	Santa Llúcia and mild days; see our Barcelona guide

For lights and markets without the closures, aim for late November to mid-December, and book the December 5 to 8 weekend early.

FAQ

Is Spain warm in November?

Only in parts. Gran Canaria averages highs of about 76°F, and Málaga and Seville about 68°F. Madrid averages about 56°F and Santiago de Compostela about 57°F, with rain on about half the days in Santiago.

Can you swim in Spain in December?

The Canary Islands are the realistic option, with sea temperatures reported at about 68°F to 70°F and average highs near 72°F on Gran Canaria.

Is December 26 a holiday in Spain?

Only in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, where it's Sant Esteve. In most of Spain, it's an ordinary day, though in 2026 it falls on a Saturday.

What is a zambomba?

Both a friction drum and the Jerez gathering named after it, where people sing carols in a circle with clapping and guitar. In 2026, the season runs from November 20 to December 25.