Nerja is surrounded by the impressive Sierra Almijara y Tejeda mountains, which afford a great deal of protection from cold air and rain from the north, with the added benefit of warm air from the African continent making for a very temperate climate.
Neighbouring Torrox is widely reputed to have ‘the best climate in Europe’, but Nerja is certainly not far behind and that makes it a great place to visit at any time of year.
So, what can you expect?
To start with, Nerja is in the Malaga province and enjoys an average of over 300 days of sunshine a year and, normally, around two-thirds of these are totally cloud free. Although nothing is ever guaranteed, especially where the weather is concerned, here is a rough guide to what you can expect during a typical year.
January
Average daytime temperatures of around 16 degrees, although could reach the early twenties at times, cool to cold in the evenings, perhaps as low as 5 degrees, jacket required.
February
Average daytime temperature around 17 degrees, night time temperatures around 7 or 8 degrees, jacket required.
March
Average daytime temperature around 19 degrees, night time around 9 degrees, jacket required. March is historically one of the wettest months, although long periods of bad weather are few and far between. Bring a brolly, just in case.
April
Average daytime temperature around 20 degrees, night time around 11 degrees, light jacket or, at least, something with sleeves. Could be the odd shower here and there.
May
Generally starts to get a lot warmer just in time for the San Isidro procession and festival on May 15th, with average daytime temperatures around 24 degrees, night time around 11 degrees on average.
June
Start of the summer and average daytime temperatures of around 27 degrees, night time around 17 degrees, t-shirt usually fine. It has been known to cool down a bit at the end of June on occasion, but not drastically.
July
Average daytime temperature around 29 degrees, night time average around 20 degrees, t-shirt and shorts. Drink plenty of water and take a small bottle with you on long trips. You will see Spanish of all ages carrying around water bottles during the summer months.
Note that bars and restaurants in Spain are obliged to provide you with drinking water (usually tap water, which is fine) should you need it or ask for it, no purchase required.
August
Average daytime temperature around 30 degrees (max can reach 40 degrees, or more, on occasion), night time average around 21 degrees, t-shirt and shorts.
September
Average daytime temperature around 28 degrees, night time around 18 degrees, t-shirt and shorts.
October
Average daytime temperature around 23 degrees, night time around 18 degrees, light jacket generally required towards the end of the month. October can also be a wet month, although generally not prolonged periods of bad weather. Jacket required.
Having said that, the ‘Great Flood’ in Nerja took place on September 21st 2007, so you never really know.
November
Average daytime temperature around 19 degrees, night time around 11 degrees, jacket required.
December
Average daily temperature around 17 degrees, night time around 9 degrees, jacket required.
These are of course average temperatures.
It has snowed in Nerja just once during the past 50 odd years, the temperature also reaching freezing point. The snow only lasted a few hours. The hills, however, are regularly snow-capped during the winter months and this can bring a cold wind down on the town.
Walking: October, November, March, April – ideal conditions, warm days. December and January – good, but could be cool.
Swimming: The ‘hardy’ swim all year round, but the best times are probably from April to mid-October, June to September being ideal.
Sunbathing: If you are lucky, just about all year round, although maybe only for short periods in the day between November and March.
The Nerja News page includes daily weather information, forecasts, photos of the sky and sea and weather ‘tweets’ at least once per day, depending upon changes in the weather.
Average High/Low Temperatures in Degrees Celsius
Jan 16.1° / 7.2°
Feb 16.7° / 8.3°
Mar 18.9° / 9.4°
Apr 20.0° / 10.6°
May 23.3° / 13.3°
Jun 26.7° / 17.2°
Jul 28.9° / 20.0°
Aug 29.4° / 20.6°
Sep 27.8° / 18.3°
Oct 23.3° / 14.4°
Nov 19.4° / 11.1°
Dec 17.2° / 8.9°
Average Sea Temperatures
August: 24 degrees
February: 14 degrees
To see photos of the sky over Nerja this morning: Weather