Your March weather guide
MildWeather in Costa del Sol in March
March is a good fit for the Costa del Sol if you want mild days outdoors, not reliable beach heat. Daytime highs average 17°C, nights fall to around 10°C and the sea is a cold 15°C. For a UK traveller, that makes it a reasonable choice for walking and sitting outside when the weather allows. The catch is changeability: pack for rain and cool evenings rather than treating it as an early summer holiday.
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
- 17.0°C
- 9 in 10 days stay below 20°C
- Average night-time low
- 10.4°C
- coldest 10% of nights: 8°C or lower
- Compared with London
- +6.5°C
- London averages 10.5°C in March
- Sea temperature
- 15.1°C
- year to year: 15°C to 16°C
- Sunshine per day (est.)
- 6.4h
- 55% of 11.7 h of daylight
- Rainy days (1 mm+)
- 7
- 58 mm over the month
- Humidity
- 73%
- Days over 25°C
- 1%
- none over 30°C
- Record high 1991-2020
- 28.5°C
- 2017-03-11
- Record low 1991-2020
- 0.9°C
- 1993-03-01
- 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 March compares
March is the 9th warmest month of the year in Costa del Sol. Within Spain it is 49th of 87 (Spain in March). Against London's average high of 10.5°C in March, Costa del Sol is 6.5°C warmer by day and 7.1°C warmer at night.
Daytime and night-time in March
The typical March day in Costa del Sol peaks at 17.0°C, but that is an average: the warmest 10% of days reach 20.3°C or more. Roughly 1 in 167 days top 25°C. Nights average 10.4°C; one night in ten drops to 7.9°C or lower, so pack a layer for evenings - it is genuinely cool after dark. Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest March day here reached 28.5°C (2017-03-11) and the coldest night 0.9°C (1993-03-01).
Rain in March
Some rain (4-8 rainy days): about 7 days with 1 mm or more, 58 mm in total. Year to year it varies a lot - the wettest March was 2018 with 386 mm, the driest 1997 with 0 mm. Humidity averages 73%.
Sea temperature in March
The sea averages 15.1°C - too cold for most (under 18°c). Depending on the year it ranges from 14.5°C to 15.7°C. For the warmest sea here, come in August (23.0°C).
Sunshine and daylight
Around 6.4 hours of sunshine a day (estimated from cloud cover), 11.7 hours of daylight: the sun rises about 07:29 and sets about 19:25 local time in mid-March. Average cloud cover is 46%.
Is March a good time to visit Costa del Sol?
March 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.
Comfortable days, but keep a layer handy
The daytime average suits travellers who prefer being active without strong heat. The warmest days reach around 20°C or more, so lighter clothing can be useful, but shorts and a T-shirt should not be your entire packing plan. Days reaching 25°C account for just 1% of March days: proper summer warmth is a bonus, not something to book around. Evenings need a different approach, with average lows around 10°C and the coldest nights dropping to about 8°C or below. Bring trousers, a jumper and a jacket you can add as the day cools. Plan outdoor meals with a warm layer to hand rather than assuming terrace weather will last into the evening.
Allow for rain and treat the sea as cold
Rain is enough of a possibility to shape your plans, with about 7 rainy days during March. That does not make it a washout, but a tightly scheduled outdoor holiday leaves less room to adjust when wet weather arrives. Take a waterproof jacket and shoes you are comfortable wearing in the rain, and keep your plans flexible. The sea is the bigger limitation for a beach-focused trip: at around 15°C, it is cold rather than merely refreshing. Time beside the water is a more realistic priority than long, relaxed swims. March therefore suits travellers happy to choose their outdoor time around the weather, rather than those counting on daily sunbathing and swimming.
A little perspective
Costa del Sol through the year
March 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% |
| MarchSelected | 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% |
| December | 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 March
Closest matches on daytime temperature, sea temperature and sunshine, in other countries.
A little more detail
Costa del Sol in March FAQs
Plain answers, grounded in the averages.
Is Costa del Sol hot in March?
Costa del Sol is mild in March: the average daytime high is 17.0°C and nights average 10.4°C. Roughly 1 in 167 March days reach 25°C.
Can you swim in the sea in Costa del Sol in March?
The sea around Costa del Sol averages 15.1°C in March, which is cold for swimming without a wetsuit. Between 1991 and 2020 it ranged from 15°C to 16°C depending on the year.
How much does it rain in Costa del Sol in March?
Costa del Sol sees about 7 rainy days (1 mm or more) and 58 mm of rain in a typical March. The wettest March between 1991 and 2020 was 2018 (386 mm) and the driest was 1997 (0 mm).
How sunny is Costa del Sol in March?
Costa del Sol gets around 6.4 hours of sunshine a day in March out of 11.7 hours of daylight (estimated from average cloud cover).
How does Costa del Sol compare with the UK in March?
Costa del Sol is on average 6.5°C warmer than London by day in March (17.0°C against 10.5°C).
What is the hottest March on record in Costa del Sol?
Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest March day in Costa del Sol reached 28.5°C on 2017-03-11, and the coldest night dropped to 0.9°C on 1993-03-01.
How much warmer is it than London in March?
The average daytime high is 17°C, compared with London's 10.5°C - a difference of 6.5°C. That is a noticeable improvement for spending time outdoors, but it still means mild spring weather rather than dependable summer heat.
How much sunshine can I expect?
March averages about 6.4 hours of sunshine within 11.7 hours of daylight. There is useful scope for time outside, but sunshine does not fill the whole day. Keep a layer handy and avoid plans that depend on uninterrupted sun.
Is March a good choice for a swimming holiday?
Not if comfortable sea swimming is your main reason to go. The sea averages 15.1°C, with a year-to-year range of 14°C to 16°C. That is firmly cold, so choose March for mild weather on land rather than warm water.
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