Your December weather guide
MildWeather in Costa Blanca in December
Costa Blanca in December suits a mild-weather break, not a beach holiday built around swimming. Daytime highs average 16°C, nights fall to around 9°C and the sea is a cold 16°C. For a UK traveller, the appeal is being outdoors without summer heat, provided you pack for cool evenings and some rain. Go for walks and time outside in the brighter part of the day, rather than expecting reliable sunbathing weather.
Long-term climate averages for Alicante, not a forecast · 1991-2020
Costa Blanca, month by month
Your snapshot
At a glance
The useful details for Alicante.
- Average daytime high
- 15.7°C
- 9 in 10 days stay below 19°C
- Average night-time low
- 9.2°C
- coldest 10% of nights: 6°C or lower
- Compared with London
- +8.0°C
- London averages 7.7°C in December
- Sea temperature
- 16.1°C
- year to year: 15°C to 17°C
- Sunshine per day (est.)
- 5.0h
- 54% of 9.3 h of daylight
- Rainy days (1 mm+)
- 6
- 48 mm over the month
- Humidity
- 73%
- Days over 25°C
- 0%
- none over 30°C
- Record high 1991-2020
- 25.2°C
- 2020-12-11
- Record low 1991-2020
- -0.2°C
- 2009-12-20
- Flight from London
- ≈ 2 h 30 min
- 1424 km, short-haul (estimate for a direct flight)
Records are observed extremes within 1991-2020, not typical holiday conditions. Warm-day percentages are shares of days, not day counts.
How December compares
December is the 10th warmest month of the year in Costa Blanca. Within Spain it is 39th of 87 (Spain in December). Against London's average high of 7.7°C in December, Costa Blanca is 8.0°C warmer by day and 6.5°C warmer at night.
Daytime and night-time in December
The typical December day in Costa Blanca peaks at 15.7°C, but that is an average: the warmest 10% of days reach 18.9°C or more. Days over 25°C are rare. Nights average 9.2°C; one night in ten drops to 5.9°C or lower, so pack a layer for evenings - it is genuinely cool after dark. Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest December day here reached 25.2°C (2020-12-11) and the coldest night -0.2°C (2009-12-20).
Rain in December
Some rain (4-8 rainy days): about 6 days with 1 mm or more, 48 mm in total. Year to year it varies a lot - the wettest December was 2004 with 248 mm, the driest 2015 with 2 mm. Humidity averages 73%.
Sea temperature in December
The sea averages 16.1°C - too cold for most (under 18°c). Depending on the year it ranges from 15.4°C to 16.9°C. For the warmest sea here, come in August (26.4°C).
Sunshine and daylight
Around 5.0 hours of sunshine a day (estimated from cloud cover), 9.3 hours of daylight: the sun rises about 08:12 and sets about 17:42 local time in mid-December. Average cloud cover is 46%.
Is December a good time to visit Costa Blanca?
December is not the strongest month here: mild days. The best months for Costa Blanca on our scoring are July, June, August; months averaging 25°C or more: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
Make the most of the daylight, but allow for rain
December brings about 5 hours of sunshine within 9.3 hours of daylight, so there is scope for time outdoors, but sunshine is not an all-day promise. Plan your longer walks around the middle of the day, when the mild temperatures are most useful, and keep your plans flexible if rain arrives. There are about 6 rainy days during the month: enough to justify a waterproof jacket, without treating wet weather as the whole story. The main catch is the short daylight window. This month suits travellers happy to make use of brighter spells rather than those who need every day to work as a beach day.
Pack layers and treat the sea as cold
A light layer may be enough during a milder spell, but do not pack as though it is summer. The warmest days can reach around 19°C or more, while the coldest nights can fall to around 6°C or below. Bring warmer layers for evenings, long trousers and comfortable closed shoes, with a jacket you can add as the temperature drops. The sea averages 16°C, making it cold rather than simply refreshing. If comfortable swimming is central to your holiday, December is a poor match. It makes more sense for travellers who enjoy coastal walks and do not mind leaving the swimming out of their plans.
A little perspective
Costa Blanca through the year
December is highlighted. See how it compares with the rest of the year.
| Month | Day | Night | Sea | Sun/day | Rain mm | Rainy days | Days 25°C+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.0°C | 8.1°C | 14.6°C | 5.5 | 46 | 6 | 0% |
| February | 15.5°C | 8.3°C | 13.8°C | 6.2 | 35 | 6 | 0% |
| March | 17.6°C | 10.0°C | 14.3°C | 6.7 | 41 | 6 | 1% |
| April | 19.7°C | 11.9°C | 15.7°C | 7.3 | 43 | 6 | 3% |
| May | 22.7°C | 15.0°C | 18.3°C | 8.2 | 31 | 5 | 21% |
| Junebest | 26.9°C | 18.9°C | 22.0°C | 10.6 | 13 | 2 | 75% |
| Julybest | 29.6°C | 21.8°C | 25.1°C | 11.9 | 6 | 1 | 98% |
| Augustbest | 30.1°C | 22.5°C | 26.4°C | 10.0 | 17 | 3 | 98% |
| September | 26.9°C | 20.0°C | 24.9°C | 7.2 | 60 | 7 | 76% |
| October | 23.1°C | 16.4°C | 22.1°C | 6.0 | 60 | 7 | 25% |
| November | 18.5°C | 12.1°C | 18.9°C | 5.4 | 55 | 7 | 2% |
| DecemberSelected | 15.7°C | 9.2°C | 16.1°C | 5.0 | 48 | 6 | 0% |
Day = average daytime high, night = average night-time low, 1991-2020.Sun is hours per day; rainy days count 1 mm or more.
Day, night and sea
Monthly average temperatures, 1991-2020
- Day
- Night
- Sea
Best months here
On warmth, low rainfall and sunshine, start with these.
Keep exploring
Similar in December
Closest matches on daytime temperature, sea temperature and sunshine, in other countries.
A little more detail
Costa Blanca in December FAQs
Plain answers, grounded in the averages.
Is Costa Blanca hot in December?
Costa Blanca is mild in December: the average daytime high is 15.7°C and nights average 9.2°C. Days over 25°C are rare in December.
Can you swim in the sea in Costa Blanca in December?
The sea around Costa Blanca averages 16.1°C in December, which is cold for swimming without a wetsuit. Between 1991 and 2020 it ranged from 15°C to 17°C depending on the year.
How much does it rain in Costa Blanca in December?
Costa Blanca sees about 6 rainy days (1 mm or more) and 48 mm of rain in a typical December. The wettest December between 1991 and 2020 was 2004 (248 mm) and the driest was 2015 (2 mm).
How sunny is Costa Blanca in December?
Costa Blanca gets around 5.0 hours of sunshine a day in December out of 9.3 hours of daylight (estimated from average cloud cover).
How does Costa Blanca compare with the UK in December?
Costa Blanca is on average 8.0°C warmer than London by day in December (15.7°C against 7.7°C).
What is the hottest December on record in Costa Blanca?
Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest December day in Costa Blanca reached 25.2°C on 2020-12-11, and the coldest night dropped to -0.2°C on 2009-12-20.
How much warmer is Costa Blanca than London in December?
Average daytime highs are about 16°C in Costa Blanca, compared with about 8°C in London. That is a noticeable step up for spending time outdoors, but it is still mild winter weather rather than summer warmth.
How long is the flight from London?
The flight from London takes about 2 h 30 min, so Costa Blanca is a short-haul option. That makes it a practical choice if you want milder December days without a long flight, rather than guaranteed heat.
About these averages
ERA5-Land climate reanalysis via Open-Meteo (11 km grid) and NOAA Coral Reef Watch 5 km sea temperatures, 1991-2020
Averages computed from daily values at Alicante. Sea temperature from the nearest 5 km sea cell, 3 km from that point. Sunshine hours are estimated from average cloud cover.Records are the highest and lowest daily values in that 30-year period, not all-time records. These are climate averages, not a forecast for your trip. How we measure holiday weather
- Hot · 25°C+
- Warm · 20°C to below 25°C
- Mild · 15°C to below 20°C
- Cool · below 15°C