Spain in December

December is a good month for Spain's cities if you want Christmas lights, markets and food more than sunshine, and a very good one for Andalusia, where afternoons still reach the low 60s°F (about 17°C). Madrid and Barcelona are cold at night but usually dry, the Prado and the Alhambra are calmer than at any time except January, and early-December hotel rates are among the lowest of the year.

The catch is timing. Spain itself travels on the long weekend of December 5–8, 2026 and from Christmas to Three Kings Day on January 6, and almost everything closes on the evening of December 24, on December 25 and on January 1. Plan around those dates and December works well; ignore them and you may find your dinner reservation, your train or your museum unavailable.

Weather by region

December is Spain's darkest month and one of its driest in the interior. High pressure often sits over the plateau, bringing clear, cold days to Madrid, frost at night and sometimes fog in the river valleys of Castile. The Mediterranean coast and Andalusia stay mild, and the Atlantic north is wet and windy.

These are 1991–2020 averages from AEMET, Spain's weather agency. Granada's nights drop close to freezing, and the Sierra Nevada above it is usually snow-capped. Spanish homes and older hotels are built for heat, with tile floors and thin walls, so indoor rooms can feel colder than in a US winter at the same temperature. The Canary Islands are the only beach option. See when to go for the full year.

What's on in December 2026

Christmas the Spanish way

Spanish Christmas runs from early December to January 6, and it centers on family. Every town sets up a belén (Nativity scene), from a few figures in a church to block-sized scenes in town halls; Madrid's Real Casa de Correos on the Puerta del Sol usually has one, with long lines. Catalonia adds its own customs: the caganer, a small squatting figure hidden in Nativity scenes, and the Caga Tió, a smiling log children beat with sticks on Christmas Eve until it "gives" sweets.

Shops fill with turrón (almond nougat, hard from Alicante or soft from Jijona) and polvorones (crumbly almond shortbread). Gifts traditionally come from the Three Kings on January 6; Papá Noel on December 25 has become common too. See festivals and January for the Kings' parades.

The Christmas lottery

On December 22, schoolchildren from Madrid's San Ildefonso school sing out the winning numbers of the Lotería de Navidad in a broadcast that runs most of the morning, and the top prize is nicknamed El Gordo ("the fat one"). Offices, bars and families share tenth-of-a-ticket shares (décimos) for weeks before. Lines form at famous sellers such as Doña Manolita near the Puerta del Sol; if you buy, buy from an official lottery shop, and know that prizes over a set threshold are taxed in Spain.

New Year's Eve at the Puerta del Sol

At midnight on December 31, Spaniards eat one grape for each of the twelve chimes of the clock on the Real Casa de Correos in Madrid's Puerta del Sol, broadcast live nationwide. The square itself has controlled access with a capacity limit, bag checks and closed streets from the evening, so arrive early and travel light; many people watch from bars or at home instead. Supermarkets sell tins of twelve peeled grapes (uvas de la suerte). Late on New Year's Eve, bars and clubs fill after family dinners, and parties run past dawn. Barcelona celebrates with a big countdown event around the Plaça d'Espanya and Montjuïc. See Madrid and Barcelona.

Holidays and closures

The December 5–8 long weekend

Constitution Day, Sunday, December 6, moves to Monday, December 7 in nine regions: the Madrid region, Andalusia, Aragón, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Murcia and La Rioja. The Immaculate Conception, Tuesday, December 8, is a national holiday. That makes a four-day weekend for much of Spain. Trains, flights and hotels in Madrid, Seville, Granada, Toledo and Segovia fill with Spanish travelers; book now if your trip overlaps, and expect shops closed on the holidays in those regions. Catalonia and the Basque Country work on December 7.

Christmas and New Year closures

• December 24 and 31: shops close by mid- to late afternoon, many restaurants close for dinner or serve only set-price holiday menus, and long-distance trains thin out in the evening. Book a dinner well ahead or plan an early meal.
• December 25 and January 1: most shops, many restaurants and most museums are closed. The Prado closes on both days, and Toledo Cathedral is closed too. In past years the Sagrada Família has opened 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on December 25 and 26 and January 1 and 6, but on November 1, 2026 its official ticket page said the basilica was temporarily closed to the public, with no reopening date given; check sagradafamilia.org before you plan around a visit. Patrimonio Nacional sites such as the Royal Palace close or shorten hours on holidays; check before you go.
• December 26: Sant Esteve is a holiday in Catalonia, so Barcelona has two quiet days in a row (December 25 and 26).
• Sundays: outside Madrid, which allows Sunday shopping, many shops are closed every Sunday, though December Sundays often get special opening hours.

Seasonal closures

• Balearic Islands: most resorts in Ibiza, Menorca and northern Mallorca are closed; Palma stays open. See Mallorca.
• Coast: many beach bars and seaside hotels on the Costa Brava and Costa Blanca are shut; the Costa del Sol keeps more open.
• Camino: fewer albergues open on most routes. See the Camino.

Crowds and prices

December has three price zones. From December 1 to 4 and December 9 to about 18, Spanish cities are quiet, flights from the US are cheap, and hotels in Madrid, Seville and Granada are well below spring rates. Over the puente (December 5–8), domestic demand jumps in Madrid and the Andalusian cities. From about December 19 to January 6, flights from the US are at holiday-peak prices, the Canary Islands and the ski resorts are at their most expensive, and New Year's Eve hotel rates in central Madrid can be several times their early-December level.

Alhambra and Sagrada Família tickets are usually easier to get than in summer except during the puente and between Christmas and January 6, when Spanish families visit (check first that the Sagrada Família has reopened). Book those dates two to four weeks ahead. See Alhambra tickets and Sagrada Família tickets.

Where to go, where to skip

What to pack

• A warm coat, hat and gloves for Madrid, Granada and Castile; nights fall to around 35–39°F (2–4°C).
• Layers and a light jacket for Seville, Málaga and Valencia afternoons.
• A waterproof jacket for the north.
• Something smart for Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve dinners; Spaniards dress up.
• Comfortable shoes with grip for cobbles and wet stone.
• Type C/F plug adapters (230 volts). The packing page has the full list.

A sample week in December

1. Day 1

   Arrive in Madrid

   Check in near Sol or the Paseo del Prado, walk the Plaza Mayor market and the lights on Gran Vía after dark, and warm up with chocolate and churros. See Madrid food.

2. Day 2

   The Prado and the Royal Palace

   Prado in the morning, lunch in La Latina, the Royal Palace in the afternoon (check holiday hours). See Madrid sights.

3. Day 3

   Segovia

   About 30 minutes by fast train. The Roman aqueduct, the cathedral, the Alcázar and roast suckling pig at lunch. See day trips.

4. Day 4

   To Barcelona

   High-speed train, about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours on past timetables; trips can take longer now, so check the current timetable. Evening at the Santa Llúcia market and the Gothic Quarter.

5. Day 5

   Gaudí

   Sagrada Família at a morning slot if it has reopened (see above), Casa Batlló or La Pedrera after lunch. See Barcelona sights.

6. Day 6

   Montserrat or Girona

   Montserrat by train and rack railway, or Girona's old town, 38 minutes by fast train. See Girona.

7. Day 7

   Home

   Fly home from Barcelona, or go back to Madrid for a final night if your flight leaves from there.

The planning page has more routes; see also November and January.

Getting around this month

High-speed trains between Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia run all month, with AVE, Iryo and Ouigo competing on the busiest lines; Madrid–Barcelona trips can take longer than the fastest timetables of past years. Trains on December 4, 7, 8, 23 and January 2–6 sell out or get expensive; book as soon as you know your dates. On December 24 and 31, the last long-distance departures are earlier than usual, and city transit runs reduced service on the holidays. Check the Renfe timetable for your day. See getting around.

If you drive to the mountains, carry chains or use winter tires where signs require them, and check the DGT traffic authority's road conditions before setting out. Strikes are not unusual in the run-up to Christmas, especially at airlines and airport ground-handling firms; check the news a few days before you fly. See driving and flights.

Daylight

Spain's clocks run on Central European Time even though most of the country lies west of London, so December mornings are dark until about 8:30 a.m. in Madrid and Seville, and the sun sets just before 6 p.m. Mainland Spain is 6 hours ahead of New York; the Canaries are 5 hours ahead.

Bottom line

Go in December for Christmas lights and markets, Spanish holiday food, uncrowded museums on early-December weekdays, mild Andalusia, skiing in the Sierra Nevada or the Pyrenees, and New Year's Eve in Madrid. Book early if you are coming over the December 5–8 weekend or from Christmas to January 6.

Pick another month if you want beaches outside the Canaries, the Balearic Islands, long evenings, or a trip that never runs into closed restaurants. For quieter, cheaper cities and the winter sales, see Spain in January; for the last mild weeks of fall, see Spain in November.