Spain, Southern Coast - November to December

[WelshGas]

Has anyone travelled the Southern Coast of Spain to the French Riviera during Mid November to Mid December?
I know @Amarillo has just passed through that area but I’m talking about now to Mid December. Any information about weather, temperatures and campsite availability would be much appreciated.

 

[westfalia]

No.
But if you find out that it´s about 25°. I´m coming.

 

[sidepod]

 

[Bill R]

I'm down near Malaga now and it's a Sunny 22C most days

 

[WelshGas]

I'm down near Malaga now and it's a Sunny 22C most days

22c will do me. Thanks.

 

[BerndRos]

Warmish days but in Spain cold nights and mornings. Still about 23c here in south east Portugal so shorts during the day and then long trousers at night.

As you pass along the French Riviera things are likely to change, more cloud possible, maybe warmer nights but colder days.

 

[bvddobb]

In December, January and February all camper aires, campsites, beaches and supermarket parking areas (because they are 'free' and the rest is full) on the Spanish and Portuguese coast seem swamped with pensionados in big whites, spending the winter there, all flocking together... It's a pest more and more Spanish counties and communities are trying to regulate and stop. Don't know if you really want to be there, then... It's worse than the Lofoten in summer...

 

[WelshGas]

In December, January and February all camper aires, campsites, beaches and supermarket parking areas (because they are 'free' and the rest is full) on the Spanish and Portuguese coast seem swamped with pensionados in big whites, spending the winter there, all flocking together... It's a pest more and more Spanish counties and communities are trying to regulate and stop. Don't know if you really want to be there, then... It's worse than the Lofoten in summer...

Thanks for that. We were planning Mid November to Mid December, about 4 weeks in total with 4 or 5 days travelling to and from the Channel ports each end, so would be leaving Southern Spain / Portugal in the 2nd week of December, so might miss them. This will be in 2018.

 

[BerndRos]

Last week I was in Valencia in my Cali...lovely weather 25c.

It’s true that lots of elderly people, rather than belong to what used to be called ‘the teletext generation’ now get up and venture, good for them.

Camp sites tend to be either closed for the winter OR catering the ‘over winter types’..but will always find a place to billet.

 

[Jay20cali]

Thanks for that. We were planning Mid November to Mid December, about 4 weeks in total with 4 or 5 days travelling to and from the Channel ports each end, so would be leaving Southern Spain / Portugal in the 2nd week of December, so might miss them. This will be in 2018.

Your very lucky it sounds ace

 

[John Herbert]

Camping in Spain in the winter can be nice especially with the weather between the hours of eleven in the morning and four in the afternoon. You can normally rely on clear blue skies and temperatures around the 22 to 26. It's certainly a tee shirt, shorts and sandals dress code. But, once the sun starts to go down, and temperatures start falling down to a possible ten degrees, it's on with the fleece, long trousers and trainers plus heating on. You can, of course, be very unlucky and, when it rarely rains, it can be horrible, they have a thing called the Gotta Fria which you do not want to experience.

Your right about “wild campers” they are just not welcome. Everybody in Spain considers them to be parasites (like the “travelling community” who do not bring anything to the local economy, dumping their waste (including toilet contents!) and blighting the landscape. Camp-sites can be found and there you will be safe and welcome. I would not recommend wild camping in Spain.

Some camp-sites, in particular, are very, very popular with campers pre-booking and then staying for long periods when they will get a much better daily rate. Yes, you will be surrounded by snow birds from across Northern Europe (with Brits as well) who enjoy the sun and socialising with their new found pensioner “age palls”. It is a harmless way to live and for many, it is a far better way to spend their winters, as opposed to just not getting out during the depressing, sun-less winter months back home.

It is, as they say, “a small world”. The above third photo provided last Monday by bvddobb (Bart & Manga who I do not know) is of a front line camp-site in Altea, on the Costa Blanca, which I do know very well as it is nearly next door to my Spanish home. You can see to the right of the photo a low block of flats of and I am lucky enough to own one of those flats! Will be back in Altea mid-February with my VW Ocean having sorted out a medical issue. Good old NHS and yes I do still UK tax. The camp-site in the photo only opens late September to early April and holds about 100 campers (no caravans or tents) and in that time it is nearly always FULL.

In short, go for it and enjoy the Spanish winter sun, I did - but do plan to stay in proper camp-sites.

 

[estresao]

Forecast for next days is temperature falling down. In Almeria area, were I live, it's 20 something during the day and around 16 during the night. Last week water was around 18 up to 20 meters deep. Next week are expected minumums of 10.

BTW, that Altea's camp site closes in summer, it's only open in winter and pensionist are their main target customers.

 

[Amarillo]

I'd be very happy to spend a winter in the campsite we stayed on at El Puerto de Santa Maria. Easy excursions to Cadiz by ferry or Jerez 20mn, Seville 1h20, or Gibraltar 2hr if you want a bit of Britain.


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