End of August marks annual 'Operación Retorno'

There’ll be less traffic on Costa del Sol roads during September.

This weekend will mark the beginning of the yearly migration undertaken by thousands upon thousands of suntanned, jaded mammals on their way back to their more familiar habitats. Having swarmed en masse to southern Spain just a month or two beforehand, the time has come for them to return to their homes, routines and regular lives following their yearly sojourn in the sun. Commonly known as ‘Operación Retorno’, this is the time of year when Spaniards from the more northerly parts of the country wearily wind their way back home after living it up in the Andalusian sunshine…

Having begun with a faint trickle last weekend, traffic on Spain’s motorway network will build to a full-on Biblical torrent of vehicles this weekend as we wave goodbye to August and the majority of our friends from the north.

Traditionally, August has been the month that many Spaniards take off work to decamp to the seaside and escape the stifling heat of the cities and interior of the country for the more agreeable coastal climate. This inevitably leads to packed beaches, supermarket queues to rival those of an X-Factor audition, major traffic jams and about as much chance of getting a table in a restaurant as there is of winning the lottery. But it also means that the streets and promenades are full of life, the coast is buzzing with activity, business is brisk and the wonderful atmosphere of happy people having fun seeps into the mindset of even the biggest begrudgers of the August invasion. The summer months on the Costa del Sol are highly enjoyable for both visitors and year-round residents, but when Operación Retorno comes around again, the coast really comes into its own.

Previously packed beaches are still busy but pleasantly so. Car journeys take half the time. The weather is still fantastic but the heat isn’t as stifling. It’s easier to find parking or get a taxi. Restaurants may no longer need to be booked. That summer feeling is still in the air but there aren’t as many people around. Prices are often cheaper. Kids go back to school. There’s less noise.

For residents and tourists in the know, the months of May, June and – later – September and October, are often the best times to experience the Costa del Sol. With Spain enjoying record-breaking tourism last year and with 2016 set to eclipse even that figure, sometimes the summer mayhem of July and August can be a bit much. But as we head into balmy September, many look forward to the respite that arises from, well, not as many people being everywhere.