Costa del Sol Weather in April

Warm in the sun, mild in the shade. Afternoons average about 20°C and nights about 13°C, with around 8 hours of sunshine a day. That is the right temperature for being on your feet all day: a morning on Ronda's clifftop paths, a long terrace lunch, then the paseo in a T-shirt until dusk. Families here for the end of the Easter holidays should pack for warm days but expect to reach for a jumper once the sun drops.

The rain eases off. April averages around 70 mm, falling on about 6 days with at least 1 mm, down from 8 in March, so dry days far outnumber wet ones. As our cycling guide puts it, though, April is a transition month: some weeks already feel like early summer, others still bring cool, showery spells. Keep plans flexible and check the seven-day forecast on our live page before committing to a long drive inland.

Hot beach weather is not something to count on yet. A warm spell can lift a few afternoons well above the average, and those spells do come, but the typical April high is about 20°C, with May running warmer at around 23°C. Inland the picture changes with height: Granada, Ronda and El Torcal sit far above the coast and cool quickly in the evening, so a jacket belongs in the day bag even when Sabinillas is in shirtsleeves.

Most people find it too cold. The sea is warming again after its late-winter low, but slowly: the satellite record for the water off Sabinillas (NASA JPL MUR, 2003–2025) averages 15.9°C in April, against 15.0°C in March and 17.3°C in May. The warmest April in that record, 2011, averaged 16.6°C and the coolest, 2018, 14.9°C, so even a mild spring leaves the water bracing.

That satellite figure is roughly the temperature just below the surface at night, so the shallows on a calm, sunny afternoon can feel a little kinder than the number. Year-round swimmers and anyone with a wetsuit will swim happily. Children often manage a few shrieking minutes, while many adults settle for a paddle and a seat in the sun. A paddleboard or kayak on a flat morning is the best way to enjoy the sea this month without getting cold.

The water also settles through spring. In our four-year wave record for the sea just off the beach, waves reached a metre or more on about 28% of April days, down from 35% in March, and May falls again to 14%. On this beach the yellow flag tends to go up with the easterly levante, so on those days keep to the shallows or the sand.

Easter comes early in 2027, so April opens with the second half of the British school break rather than the first. Most English schools are off until Friday 9 April and go back on Monday 12 April, though academies and some councils set their own dates and Scottish councils vary, so check your own. Spain's Holy Week, with its processions and its two Andalusian public holidays, is already over by 1 April.

From 12 April the calendar empties: there are no Andalusian public holidays and no English bank holidays until 1 and 3 May, which makes mid-April a good time to aim the big day trips. The Alhambra and the Caminito del Rey still need booking weeks ahead in spring, but you are no longer up against a holiday week. The evenings keep stretching, too: sunset moves from 20:42 on 1 April to 21:07 on the 30th, passing nine o'clock on 22 April. London's days are longer by now, with 14.8 hours of daylight on 30 April against 13.6 here, but the sun still sets later in Sabinillas: at 20:21 in London that evening.

Pack for the coast and for the hills. On the coast, T-shirts, light trousers or a skirt and a light jacket or jumper for the evenings cover most days, plus a compact umbrella or rain jacket for a showery spell. Day trips need more. Granada and Ronda are much higher than the beach and lose their warmth quickly after sunset, and at El Torcal the official advice warns of a sharp drop in temperature, strong northerly winds and fog, so take a fleece and a windproof. Add walking boots for the loose scree of the Sierra Bermeja, and sun cream and a hat for long days outdoors, when the spring sun catches people out.

March is cooler and more showery, at about 18°C by day with rain on around 8 days, and in 2027 it holds Holy Week and the start of the Easter holidays. April adds warmth and light: afternoons near 20°C, about 8 hours of sun a day against 7, and fewer wet days. May is when the beach season starts to stir, with afternoons around 23°C, rain on about 4 days and a sea of about 17°C that the hardy will swim in. Pick April when your days are for walking and sightseeing; hold out for late May or June if swimming is the point.