Andalusia in winter: Málaga, Almería, Granada or Seville, where you ride
In December Andalusia is four climates: coast, desert, mountains and marsh.
What the station normals show for December and January, how wet or dry the areas are and what that means for a ride in Doñana, Tabernas, the Alpujarra or the Montes de Málaga.
The numbers compared
Four stations of the Spanish weather service AEMET, published by the WMO (normals 1981 to 2010):
- Málaga (coast): January 16.8 degrees daily maximum and 7.4 degrees night minimum, December 99.6 millimetres of rain, year 533.7 millimetres.
- Almería (south-east coast): January 16.9 and 8.3 degrees, December 30.1 millimetres, year 200.1 millimetres.
- Granada (plateau, foot of the Sierra Nevada): January 13.0 and 0.0 degrees, December 56.7 millimetres, year 364.3 millimetres.
- Seville (Guadalquivir): January 16.0 and 5.9 degrees, December 99.0 millimetres, year 538.8 millimetres.
The picture: on the coast (Málaga, Almería) the mean never frosts, in Granada the January night minimum is 0.0 degrees. Almería, with 200.1 millimetres a year, is the driest station; Málaga and Seville get almost 100 millimetres each in December.
What this means for the areas
Doñana and Mazagón. According to the Junta de Andalucía the national park covers 54,251 hectares in the provinces of Huelva and Seville and was declared in 1969; UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage list in 1994. December is wet here (Seville 99.0 millimetres). Montes de Málaga. The nature park north of Málaga has been protected since 28 July 1989 and covers 4,995.56 hectares according to the Junta. December is wet on the coast (Málaga 99.6 millimetres). Tabernas. The Junta calls the Tabernas Desert, with 11,448.49 hectares in the province of Almería, the only desert in the true sense on the European continent. Almería has only 30.1 millimetres in December, so it is the driest choice in winter; the Junta describes gullies, earth pyramids and deep ravines as traces of erosion by rain. Alpujarra. According to the Junta Lanjarón belongs to the Sierra Nevada nature park, and the Junta names rides on horseback between the villages of the Alpujarra as an activity. Altitude and weather in the mountains are not in our sources; Granada shows only the foreland.
Questions for the provider
- Where is the meeting point, and how far is the journey?
- Does the ride run in a national park or nature park, and which rules apply to horses?
- What happens in rain, and until when is cancellation free?
- When does the ride start, and how much daylight is left?
- Which clothing is provided, what should I bring?
- What level is required, and is there a weight limit in kilograms?
What we could not confirm
No measurements for the high altitudes of the Alpujarra and for Mazagón. No riding rule for Doñana, Montes de Málaga and the Sierra Nevada found. The statement on erosion describes the relief according to the Junta, not riding after rain.
Sources (read on 11 and 12 October 2026)
- WMO, World Weather Information Service, Málaga (1235), Almería (1756), Granada (1769), Seville (1237), worldweather.wmo.int, retrieved on 12 October 2026 (AEMET data).
- Junta de Andalucía, portal pages Doñana National Park, Montes de Málaga Natural Park, Tabernas Desert Natural Park, Sierra Nevada visitor window, read on 11 October 2026.
- Offers: Viator pool and GetYourGuide hand cards, as of 11 October 2026.