Winter sun: where Spain is still bright in December
Escaping a dark northern winter? Here is how much sun each part of Spain really gets in December.
For many people from the Netherlands, Belgium or the northern US, the reason to move south is the winter. December is the darkest month, so we compared the average hours of sunshine per day in December in the 275 places with sunshine measurements.
December sunshine by region (hours per day)
The sunniest winters
The Canary Islands are in a class of their own, with up to 6.5 hours a day and January afternoons around 19°C.
| Place | Region | Dec sun / day | Jan high | Jan low | Rainy days / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arona | Canary Islands | 6.5 h | 18.2°C | 11.3°C | 18 |
| Arrecife | Canary Islands | 6.5 h | 20.9°C | 14.2°C | 18 |
| Granadilla de Abona | Canary Islands | 6.5 h | 18.2°C | 11.2°C | 16 |
| Adeje | Canary Islands | 6.5 h | 20.6°C | 13.6°C | 14 |
| Puerto del Rosario | Canary Islands | 6.2 h | 20.8°C | 14.9°C | 14 |
| La Oliva | Canary Islands | 6.2 h | 19.5°C | 13.6°C | 14 |
| Almería | Andalusia | 6.0 h | 17.0°C | 8.7°C | 25 |
| Roquetas de Mar | Andalusia | 6.0 h | 18.9°C | 9.6°C | 31 |
| Vícar | Andalusia | 6.0 h | 17.1°C | 7.8°C | 31 |
| Santa Lucía de Tirajana | Canary Islands | 5.9 h | 16.7°C | 10.7°C | 39 |
| Agüimes | Canary Islands | 5.9 h | 19.0°C | 12.8°C | 35 |
| Ingenio | Canary Islands | 5.9 h | 19.1°C | 12.9°C | 35 |
On the mainland and the Balearics
Away from the Canaries the sunniest Decembers are in Andalusia (3), Murcia (3), the Valencian Community (1), Melilla (1): Almería, Roquetas de Mar, Vícar, Murcia, Orihuela.
| Place | Region | Dec sun / day | Jan high | Jan low | Rainy days / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almería | Andalusia | 6.0 h | 17.0°C | 8.7°C | 25 |
| Roquetas de Mar | Andalusia | 6.0 h | 18.9°C | 9.6°C | 31 |
| Vícar | Andalusia | 6.0 h | 17.1°C | 7.8°C | 31 |
| Murcia | Murcia | 5.8 h | 17.3°C | 5.4°C | 34 |
| Orihuela | Valencian Community | 5.8 h | 16.7°C | 6.8°C | 31 |
| Molina de Segura | Murcia | 5.8 h | 17.0°C | 5.1°C | 34 |
| Cieza | Murcia | 5.8 h | 16.2°C | 4.8°C | 35 |
| Melilla | Melilla | 5.7 h | 17.2°C | 10.5°C | 42 |
| Alcantarilla | Murcia | 5.7 h | 16.8°C | 4.2°C | 33 |
| Totana | Murcia | 5.7 h | 15.5°C | 3.8°C | 35 |
| Sevilla | Andalusia | 5.6 h | 16.4°C | 6.1°C | 50 |
| Alacant/Alicante | Valencian Community | 5.6 h | 17.5°C | 7.0°C | 35 |
At the other end, Ourense (2.3 h), Lugo (2.3 h), Zamora (2.5 h), Torrelavega (2.5 h), Camargo (2.5 h), Piélagos (2.5 h) get the least December sun, less than half the sunniest mainland towns (6.0 h).
How we did this
AEMET 1991-2020 station averages (sunshine hours, temperatures, days with 1 mm of rain or more). Built 2026-10-18.