Hi,
We are planning our first trip to Andalusia in early June 2024. I know it is very hot and humid in summer. But does anyone have experience with what it’s like in early June. We are planning to do Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Jerez de Frontera, Ronda (maybe).
We are mentally preparing ourselves for the heat, but is it bad enough to negatively affect the experience?
Thanks.
Many weather web sites have historical data, like this one -
June 2023 Weather History in Seville Spain
Near the top of the web page you can specify the year and month you're interested in.
In late June 2023 Seville had a few daily highs near 110°F.
We were there in early June a couple of years ago. Yes, it's hot (there is a reason they refer to Andalusia as "Spain's frying pan"). It's manageable, though, and it didn't affect our experience. What we found was that the heat peaks around 2 or 2:30 pm, which coincides perfectly with siesta time. Do your sightseeing first thing in the morning if you can. Hydrate, bring sun hats and bring or buy a handheld fan. Accommodations with a pool are a huge help as well.
Not intolerable, but it could be warm. It will be what you make of it. Just schedule your day to minimize being outdoors in an open area during the hottest part of the day.
There is a high risk that it will be hot enough that it would affect my enjoyment of being outdoors, but people vary. The website timeanddate.com has actual, historical, day-by-day weather statistics going back at least ten years for most tourist destinations. I'd suggest checking the data at least for Seville (probably your hottest destination, along with Cordoba) for the last five years. See what you think.
Early June 2023 wasn't quite as bad, but there were many miserable days that month. Use the pull-down box at the right, just above the graph, to change the month and year displayed. Use the Search box near the upper right so see statistics for other cities.
It helps if you share where you are from and your own personal tolerance for heat.
I grew up in South Carolina and still live in the southern US, so heat is not a huge deal for me, but I also recognize the differences in air conditioning, and the grind of walking around all day in pretty intense heat. I would not be super concerned about early June, but I would not plan a trip to Andalucia in July or August. Only you know how you will feel about it.
I recall being in Sevilla in late May (my favorite time to travel) years ago, and we happened upon a neighborhood nighttime block party, so much fun and a nice way to beat the heat!
Lets apply how to pragmatically deal with the heat:
1) HYDRATE! Start before you board the plane and overflow your body with water throughout the journey. Once your body loses hydration it battles to regain sufficient hydration amidst high heat. Do not be worried about hydration creating the need to constantly use bathrooms. In high heat your body gobbles up hydration creating less of a need for bathrooms. BTW: drink less alcohol for not a good combo with high heat.
2) Do not BAKE your Meat in the Heat. Plan your journey to take advantage of morning and evening visits to attractions. Example: Alhambra, purchase on line tickets for earliest morning visit then return in the evening for a cooler different experience. BTW: check on ticket availability NOW! During the highest heat of mid day disappear to your hotel or find a shaded place to escape high heat. There is a reason why siesta became a tradition in Spain.
3) Heat raises sweat and tempers while diminishing patience resulting in declining experiences. SLOW DOWN, plan on less and avoid lines. PLAN your journey with skip the line purchases for entries to your most valued destinations. Less is more so keep in mind...........see less and be there more.
4) HATS!!!!!!!!!! HATS!!!!!!!!!!! Plan your clothing taking into consideration the impact of heat. SUNSCREEN! PACK your favorite sunscreen and apply liberally. BTW: heat loves to bake cosmetics.
5) Feet and hands take a beating in high heat. Focus on protecting your feet and hands and be sure and soak both in cool water (not a bad idea for your entire body).
6) Spend more on accommodations with functional air conditioning and a central location. We are less inclined to recommend hotels with pools for they often offer warm bath quality water. Being centrally located means less travel time in the heat.
7) Less is more, produce is a great breakfast, mid evening tapas make for a great lite meal. Watch for restaurants offering shaded patio dining and seek to grab a table directly adjacent to the restaurant wall. Often restaurants take their deliveries via a basement entry which provides an escape of cool air (from the basement) along the exterior wall. Also watch for restaurants where they are "watering" the stones/pavement where they set their exterior tables. This tactic helps break the heat of the day providing quicker cooler exterior dining experiences. For us, we strive to eat inside during high heat as long was the space is air conditioned.
We have traveled within Spain during high heat months and learned to value trips in April/May and late Sept/Oct over the summer months. However, not everyone has the opportunity to adjust their vacation schedule so we understand the need to be pragmatic in dealing with heat. Hope these tips help.
