Costa del Sol Weather in February
Mild afternoons, fast-lengthening days and the coldest sea of the year: February is for walks, almond blossom and lunch in the sun, not for swimming.
February at a glance
- Average high
- 17°C
- Average low
- 10°C
- Sea
- 15°C
- Sea, coolest to warmest year
- 13.9°C (2014) to 15.7°C (2020)
- Rain
- 92 mm · rain days 7
- Sunshine
- 6 h a day
- Daylight (1st → last day)
- 10.4 h → 11.3 h
- Sunset (1st → last day)
- 18:46 → 19:14
- Calm sea days
- 27% of days with waves under half a metre
These are long-term averages, not a forecast: individual years and weeks vary. For the next few days, check the live weather and the 7-day forecast.
Is the Costa del Sol warm in February?
Mild, and a little warmer than January by day. Daytime highs average 17°C, with nights down around 10°C, and the sun climbs higher each week, so its warmth lasts further into the afternoon. On a still day you can sit outside at lunchtime without a coat; once a breeze gets up, or the sun drops, the jumper and jacket come back out. The month averages 6 hours of sunshine a day, up from 5 in January.
Rain is less frequent than in midwinter but far from over. A typical February collects about 92 mm, and only around 7 days see 1 mm or more, so roughly three weeks of the month stay dry. Wet days can cluster, though: the February 2026 storms undermined part of a popular forest trail in the hills inland, which was still closed that summer. Keep outdoor plans flexible and look at the forecast a day or two ahead rather than fixing everything before you fly.
The upside of the winter rain is a green countryside, and the first wildflowers appear during the month, which makes February a good time for walks and drives inland.
Can you swim in February?
February is when the sea is at its coldest. In NASA's MUR satellite record for the water off Sabinillas, which runs from 2003 to 2025, February averages 14.8°C, the lowest of any month. In the coolest February of the record, 2014, it averaged 13.9°C; even the mildest, 2020, managed only 15.7°C. The sea responds to the seasons slowly, so it keeps shedding last summer's heat until late winter while the air is already turning milder.
For most people that means paddling rather than swimming. Cold-water swimmers will manage a few minutes; everyone else is better off walking the shoreline. If you do go in, choose the sunniest part of a calm day, keep it short and leave a towel and a warm layer within reach.
February is also the liveliest month for waves. The Open-Meteo hindcast for 2022–2025 puts the average daily maximum wave height offshore at about 1.0 m in February, the highest of any month. Only about a quarter of days (27%) stay below half a metre, while 35% bring waves of a metre or more. Calm, glassy mornings still happen, so glance at the live webcam before heading down.
Half term, carnival and longer evenings
Most English schools take February half term from Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027. England has no national date, and some areas, particularly in Wales and Scotland, break in a different week, so confirm the week with your child's school. On the coast it falls in low season.
In half-term week the sun sets just after 19:00 in Sabinillas, about an hour and three-quarters later than in London. Across the month the day gains almost an hour of light (10.4 hours on the 1st, 11.3 on the 28th); sunrise comes forward from 08:22 to 07:53, and by 28 February sunset has reached 19:14, against 17:38 at home.
Two dates bracket the month. Carnival comes early in 2027: Ash Wednesday is 10 February, so Shrove Tuesday falls on the 9th. At the other end, Día de Andalucía on Sunday 28 February is observed on Monday 1 March, which turns the last weekend of the month into a long weekend across the region.
What's on in February around Sabinillas
February is still low season, but the calendar fills up: carnival early in the month, the first northbound birds over the Strait, blossom in the hills and Andalucía's own day at the end.
Carnaval, early February 2027
Costumes, satirical chirigota bands and street parades in the Andalusian tradition that Cádiz made famous. With Ash Wednesday on 10 February, carnival falls early in 2027. Each town sets its own programme, so check our events page or the town hall's dates nearer the time.
Almond blossom and the first wildflowers
The almond orchards of Málaga province tend to be at their best in the first days of the month, white and pale pink against green hillsides, with the first wildflowers coming through behind them. Each year's weather moves the show, so treat it as a bonus rather than a fixed date.
The spring bird migration begins
From February, storks and birds of prey start crossing the Strait of Gibraltar northwards from Africa. The spring passage builds to a March peak for raptors and runs until May, and the ornithological society on the Rock starts ringing birds at Jews' Gate in February; visiting birdwatchers are welcome.
Día de Andalucía, Sunday 28 February
Andalucía's day marks the 1980 referendum on the region's autonomy. In 2027 the holiday moves to Monday 1 March: banks and offices close, but large shops are allowed to trade that day, so the big supermarkets may open.
Snow on the Sierra Nevada
Mainland Spain's highest ski resort, above Granada, usually runs its season from December to April. It is too far to fit into a day trip from Sabinillas, but with a night in Granada you can pair the Alhambra with a morning on the snow.
Quiet tee sheets before spring
March to May is one of the two best golf seasons on this coast. February gets you La Duquesa, Estepona Golf and Doña Julia in their quieter winter mode; take a morning tee time so you finish 18 holes in daylight.
What to wear in February
February packing is January's with more chances to strip down to a T-shirt at midday. Bring a light jumper or fleece and a warm jacket for the evenings, when it still drops to about 10°C, plus a waterproof for the rainy spells and a windproof layer for beach walks on breezy days. The sun is higher and the afternoons are longer, so sunglasses and sun cream earn their place. Walking shoes with some grip help on muddy trails and blossom walks. For Granada or the Sierra Nevada, pack full winter kit: at altitude, February is properly cold.
February vs January and March
Against January, February is a step towards spring: a little warmer by day (17°C against 16°C), a little drier (92 mm against 105 mm) and sunnier, with sunsets about half an hour later by the end of the month. The sea is the exception, slipping from 15.4°C to 14.8°C. March carries on warming, to about 18°C with 7 hours of sun a day, and in 2027 it brings Semana Santa (21 to 28 March) and the clocks going forward on 28 March, though the sea barely moves, to about 15.0°C. Choose February for quiet and a half-term break, and March for spring flowers and Easter.
Staying in Sabinillas in February
Our apartment is in its low season through February, and the minimum stay is two nights, short enough for the Día de Andalucía long weekend and easy to stretch over half term. Thinking of a whole month? The winter long-stays page sets out how stays of four weeks or more work from November to March. Pick your dates to see the live price, and book direct.
Frequently asked questions
Sources & method: air, rain and sunshine averages as on our main weather page (Gibraltar Airport 1991–2020 normals, the IFAPA station at Estepona and the Copernicus CERRA reanalysis; AEMET/WMO sunshine normals). Sea: NASA JPL MUR satellite record 2003–2025 for the water off Sabinillas. Waves: Open-Meteo marine hindcast 2022–2025, daily maximum wave height just offshore. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar calculation, local time.