Three signs that winter is over on the Costa del Sol

Spain never sleeps, but the Costa del Sol really starts to come alive at this time of year.

Hands up anybody who was unaware that Spain has a great climate? Nobody? Sure, it’s hardly a secret that the weather in Spain is about as delightful as it gets, but for many millions of holidaymakers, Spanish summertime is all they know – the heat, the dazzling blue skies, the packed beaches, the constant sun lotion application.

Less known, however, is the widely held opinion among many Spaniards and expats that Springtime and Autumn are the best times to visit Spain. If you think about it, the reasons are obvious, for it is during these “shoulder” seasons when the country manages to offer up everything good about it, but without the crowds, heat and added expense that comes as standard with the Summer months.

With this in mind, there can be few more exciting or uplifting periods in the Spanish calendar than when winter ticks over into Spring. And after the unusually sodden and wet winter the Costa del Sol has just experienced, that time is now – and it’s time to celebrate with these three signs that winter is long gone from southern Spain…

1. The “aroma” is back
   The exotic flora and fauna found across the Costa del Sol is viscerally enjoyable on many fronts. Visually, dark green foliage pockmarked with brightly budded flowers atop sandy-grey ground makes for quite a spectacle when hiking the hills that ring Marbella, but it is that evocative aroma that really raids the memory banks.

It is hard to define (perhaps some greenfingered readers out there could enlighten us?), but the sweet perfume of aromas that waft through the air come mid-February is intoxicating and uplifting, and marks the onset of months and months of increasingly bright, warm and welcoming weather for all to enjoy.

2. The first beach-goers are out in force

With daytime temperatures anywhere between 16 – 24ºC this time of year, the temptation to head to the beach is strong. Although the winds that whip in from the southwest can still be pretty bracing, a sheltered spot in the sunshine will feel wonderfully warm, and you should be able to get that base tan going already.

But don’t think about a dip in the Mediterranean just yet. With nighttime temperatures still dipping below 10ºC, the water is likely to be even cooler than that – enough to chase the breath from your lungs as soon as you venture in waist-deep. Lengthening shadows cast by the lowly sun can also creep up on you, bringing a dark sliver of chill that is in stark contrast to the comforting warmth of the sunshine. So go prepared, but go – the beach is pretty much all yours this time of year!

3. Smiles all round!

Spaniards are cheery folk. Northern European expats who live in the south of Spain soon learn, too, to become cheery folk. But while winter is brief and mild, the past few months do tend to compel those who live on the Costa del Sol to rein-in their cheeriness, at least for a short while.

Come mid-February, however, and the smiles are out in full force: on the bus, in the supermarket queue, while waiting in (mercifully light) traffic, being served in bars and restaurants, just strolling the streets. Spaniards dislike the cold, and while many will still be wrapped up firmly against the benign elements until at least April, the extra sunlight, warmer temperatures and longer days serve to tickle broad smiles across the visages of pretty much everybody you meet. So embrace it, enjoy it, and send a postcard – for right now, winter is over, and you’ve got months and months of sunny days ahead…