Your December weather guide
MildWeather in Costa del Sol in December
December is a reasonable choice for the Costa del Sol if you want mild days rather than a beach holiday. Average highs of 15.5°C make walking and spending time outside appealing with layers, but nights around 10°C call for a jacket. The sea is cold at 15.9°C, so swimming is not the main draw. Go for a change of weather from the UK, with flexible plans for rain, rather than dependable warmth.
Long-term climate averages for Malaga, not a forecast · 1991-2020
Costa del Sol, month by month
Your snapshot
At a glance
The useful details for Malaga.
- Average daytime high
- 15.5°C
- 9 in 10 days stay below 18°C
- Average night-time low
- 10.0°C
- coldest 10% of nights: 7°C or lower
- Compared with London
- +7.8°C
- London averages 7.7°C in December
- Sea temperature
- 15.9°C
- year to year: 15°C to 17°C
- Sunshine per day (est.)
- 4.7h
- 49% of 9.5 h of daylight
- Rainy days (1 mm+)
- 8
- 77 mm over the month
- Humidity
- 78%
- Days over 25°C
- 0%
- none over 30°C
- Record high 1991-2020
- 24.5°C
- 2018-12-03
- Record low 1991-2020
- 0.0°C
- 2020-12-06
- Flight from London
- ≈ 2 h 48 min
- 1639 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 del Sol. Within Spain it is 44th of 87 (Spain in December). Against London's average high of 7.7°C in December, Costa del Sol is 7.8°C warmer by day and 7.3°C warmer at night.
Daytime and night-time in December
The typical December day in Costa del Sol peaks at 15.5°C, but that is an average: the warmest 10% of days reach 18.3°C or more. Days over 25°C are rare. Nights average 10.0°C; one night in ten drops to 7.0°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 24.5°C (2018-12-03) and the coldest night 0.0°C (2020-12-06).
Rain in December
Some rain (4-8 rainy days): about 8 days with 1 mm or more, 77 mm in total. Year to year it varies a lot - the wettest December was 1996 with 468 mm, the driest 1994 with 0 mm. Humidity averages 78%.
Sea temperature in December
The sea averages 15.9°C - too cold for most (under 18°c). Depending on the year it ranges from 15.3°C to 16.5°C. For the warmest sea here, come in August (23.0°C).
Sunshine and daylight
Around 4.7 hours of sunshine a day (estimated from cloud cover), 9.5 hours of daylight: the sun rises about 08:23 and sets about 18:03 local time in mid-December. Average cloud cover is 51%.
Is December a good time to visit Costa del Sol?
December is not the strongest month here: mild days. The best months for Costa del Sol on our scoring are July, August, June; months averaging 25°C or more: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
Mild afternoons, but keep your jacket
Daytime temperatures are comfortable for being active outside, rather than lying still in swimwear. The warmer days reach 18.3°C or more, which can make a sheltered lunch outdoors appealing, but that is not the everyday expectation. Bring layers you can remove as the day warms up and put back on towards evening. The coldest nights fall to 7°C or lower, so a proper jacket is more useful than packing only light holiday clothes. December suits travellers who prefer exploring on foot without summer heat; it is a poor fit if warm evenings and hot afternoons are essential to the trip.
Make the most of daylight and leave room for rain
Expect some useful outdoor time, but do not build the whole trip around dry weather. There are about 8 rainy days, so a waterproof jacket and shoes that cope with wet pavements are sensible. Sunshine averages 4.7 hours within 9.5 hours of daylight: there is scope for pleasant spells outside, but sunshine is not an all-day promise. Put your longer walks into the daytime and keep plans easy to rearrange when rain arrives. A forecast-led approach suits December better than a fixed outdoor schedule. If your main aim is sitting in the sun throughout the day, the short daylight window and risk of rain are the catch.
A little perspective
Costa del Sol 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 | 14.7°C | 8.7°C | 15.1°C | 5.2 | 61 | 8 | 0% |
| February | 15.3°C | 9.0°C | 14.8°C | 6.0 | 52 | 7 | 0% |
| March | 17.0°C | 10.4°C | 15.1°C | 6.4 | 58 | 7 | 1% |
| April | 18.7°C | 12.0°C | 15.8°C | 7.4 | 44 | 7 | 1% |
| May | 21.8°C | 14.7°C | 17.2°C | 8.8 | 26 | 5 | 14% |
| Junebest | 25.7°C | 18.2°C | 19.3°C | 11.5 | 8 | 1 | 60% |
| Julybest | 28.7°C | 20.9°C | 21.6°C | 12.8 | 1 | 0 | 93% |
| Augustbest | 28.9°C | 21.5°C | 23.0°C | 11.1 | 4 | 1 | 95% |
| September | 25.6°C | 18.9°C | 21.4°C | 8.3 | 27 | 4 | 60% |
| October | 21.9°C | 15.7°C | 19.3°C | 6.1 | 62 | 7 | 12% |
| November | 17.8°C | 12.1°C | 17.2°C | 5.4 | 75 | 7 | 1% |
| DecemberSelected | 15.5°C | 10.0°C | 15.9°C | 4.7 | 77 | 8 | 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 del Sol in December FAQs
Plain answers, grounded in the averages.
Is Costa del Sol hot in December?
Costa del Sol is mild in December: the average daytime high is 15.5°C and nights average 10.0°C. Days over 25°C are rare in December.
Can you swim in the sea in Costa del Sol in December?
The sea around Costa del Sol averages 15.9°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 del Sol in December?
Costa del Sol sees about 8 rainy days (1 mm or more) and 77 mm of rain in a typical December. The wettest December between 1991 and 2020 was 1996 (468 mm) and the driest was 1994 (0 mm).
How sunny is Costa del Sol in December?
Costa del Sol gets around 4.7 hours of sunshine a day in December out of 9.5 hours of daylight (estimated from average cloud cover).
How does Costa del Sol compare with the UK in December?
Costa del Sol is on average 7.8°C warmer than London by day in December (15.5°C against 7.7°C).
What is the hottest December on record in Costa del Sol?
Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest December day in Costa del Sol reached 24.5°C on 2018-12-03, and the coldest night dropped to 0.0°C on 2020-12-06.
Is it warm enough to swim in the sea?
The sea averages 15.9°C, which is cold rather than comfortably swimmable. It is better to plan for time beside the water than in it. If relaxed sea swimming is central to your holiday, December is not a good match.
How much warmer is it than London?
The average daytime high is 15.5°C, compared with 7.7°C in London, a difference of 7.8°C. That is a noticeable improvement for daytime outings, but it still means mild winter weather, not summer conditions.
Is the flight short enough for a brief break?
The flight from London takes about 2 h 48 min, making this a short-haul option. That suits a brief break focused on mild daytime weather, provided you are happy to adapt outdoor plans around rain.
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 Málaga (Malaga). 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