Valencia

Valencia – What you should know

Valencia combines city and beach in a way few places manage — and the climate plays along. Summer is hot and dry, with July and August highs typically at 31°C (88°F) and the Mediterranean reaching 27°C (81°F) in August. That gives Valencia one of Spain's warmest swimming seasons: from June to October the water stays above 22°C (72°F).

Autumn comes with a catch that locals know well: the "gota fría". When cold air aloft moves over the still summer-warm Mediterranean in September and October, extreme local rainfall can fall within a few hours. You can see it in the monthly means — 81 mm (3.2 in) in September and 74 mm (2.9 in) in October, against just 9 mm (0.4 in) in July, and usually concentrated on a handful of days.

For city breaks, spring and late autumn are the most comfortable. April and May bring highs of 21–25°C (70–77°F), ideal for the old town and the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. March also brings the Fallas festival, which takes over the entire city for a week — climate and calendar both argue for a visit then, hotel prices rather less so.